Juneteenth 2024

Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day – when 159 years ago Union troops arrived to announce that 250,000 enslaved black people were finally free despite an executive order that had come 900 days earlier. This week, we reflect on the reality that the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in 2015 reported that the median wealth for white households in Greater Boston was about $250,000 while the median wealth for U.S. Black households in Greater Boston was only $8. That disparity was reflected in home ownership, 79% vs 34%; retirement savings, 56% vs 21%; and life expectancy, 92 years vs 59 years.   

There has been progress since then on some fronts, but the battle against slavery in all its forms continues today. The struggle for equity in all of our communities goes on.

At LEAF, we value cooperative ownership. We believe that agency, autonomy, and ownership of the profit of one’s labor are essential. We believe that creating the conditions for household financial stability is a mechanism that creates thriving communities.

This Juneteenth, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting those who have felt the sting of targeted marginalization in the criminal justice system and our economic system. We are reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” We invite you, with LEAF, to remain tireless and fearless in working towards progress:

• Consider supporting small businesses owned by people of color, immigrants, and all marginalized people.
• Consider contributing to organizations engaged in fighting for a better future for all.