Washington, DC (June 19, 2021)

Washington, DC (June 19, 2021) – Today, the nation marks Juneteenth National Independence Day. The statement below is from NACDL President Christopher W. Adams:

"NACDL, which had already recognized Juneteenth as an important holiday, commends the political branches for establishing a national holiday to commemorate the end of slavery. But a century and half of systemic racism in the criminal legal system since Emancipation reminds us that there is a wide gulf between freedom and equality. Let us hope that someday we will have a national holiday to celebrate the day when the nation’s criminal legal system finally offers equality and humanity for all regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status."