Jackson County Prosecutor 'Mean Jean' Celebrates Juneteenth

Right now we feature a proud declaration from an elected official who has worked to align herself with activists and progressives but often encounters social justice protest and community frustration.

Here's the word . . .

Juneteenth Celebration statement from Jackson County Prosecutor

On Friday, our community has a chance to celebrate, or maybe more appropriately, remember Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

African-Americans have celebrated June 19 since the late 1800s. But, today, with our lives awakened once more by protests over police brutality and the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others, there is a renewed spirit to celebrate the end of slavery and the promise of freedom. It rumbles through our communities anew.

 Today, America better understands the role that our criminal justice system played in the oppression of Black people. We were the enforcement arm of this horrendous practice and as slavery ended, our role evolved. While we readily enforced Jim Crow laws, we failed to prosecute lynching. America cannot escape this dark history, though we can acknowledge the harms done and work tirelessly to make America, finally, a more perfect union.

 I hope each of us take at least some quiet moments on Friday, and recall why we remember June 19. If you have the time or wherewithal, I’d also urge you to schedule some volunteer time at a service agency in our community. Reach out, offer a hand of help and remember the end of slavery and the beginning of a new community.

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You decide . . .