FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2023
CONTACT: Chris Boyle—Director of Communications
(860) 706-9654 – christopher.boyle@ct.gov
HARTFORD, Conn.—Connecticut Department of Public Health employee message by Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD
Dear Colleagues,
This coming Monday is Juneteenth National Independence Day—a federal holiday that President Joe Biden officially signed into law in 2021.
Juneteenth commemorates the day on which the official order of emancipation was delivered to enslaved peoples in Texas upon the arrival of Union troops in Galveston during the summer of 1865—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Celebrations of freedom would soon begin in Texas and throughout the entire Southern United States.
While Juneteenth is a day to celebrate, it also is a day to acknowledge the continued opportunities for progress. As public health professionals, we see examples of how race exacerbates systemic disparity, inequity, and injustice in our work. However, I hope Juneteenth will serve to inspire all of us; we have come so far, and we have so much potential to keep providing a positive impact on communities, health outcomes, and quality of life for all.
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, liberty, equity, and access, as well as a dedication to the continued pursuit of justice and equality. As the late Congressman John Lewis said: “Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society."
Thank you for all that you do each day to embrace and honor the diverse experiences of our state’s communities, and further the mission of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Your service and dedication to the residents of Connecticut is much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Juthani
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