City buildings lit up for Juneteenth (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when Black Americans who had been enslaved in Texas finally received word that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring them free two years earlier on January 1, 1863. 

It’s easy to imagine the hopes and dreams, long held within, that finally were released into the universe, and the disappointment that surely followed when Black Americans realized that freedom from slavery did not mean their rights as American citizens would be respected.

It would take another 100 years for Black Americans to have their civil and voting rights legally recognized and protected with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet still today, Black people and others, whom those expansive bodies of legislation were intended to protect, do not universally enjoy the freedoms the laws promised.

But why not? Because laws that outlaw discrimination do not automatically end bias, implicit or explicit. Attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors stemming from prejudice and stereotypes persist, and when they are held by those in power disparate treatment and outcomes also endure. For instance, systemic inequities persist in areas such as wages, hiring, and education funding to name a few.

Black people experience higher unemployment rates and lower wages across all educational attainment levels and age cohorts than white persons. Even as Black persons earn college and graduate degrees at significantly higher rates than in the Civil Rights Era, material gaps in employment and in wages remain. 

Disparities in education remain as well. On average, Black students of any income are more likely to be in a lower funded school district than even the poorest of white students. Furthermore, school districts with predominantly students of color, irrespective of income, receive $23 billion less in funding than predominantly white districts — approximately $2,200 less per student per year. And, even once attaining similar college degrees, Black students leave more debt-burdened than their white peers and enter a labor market where they are paid significantly less, preventing them from paying off their loans at the same rate. 

Last year, New Yorkers took the unprecedented step of embedding racial justice and equity in local government by voting overwhelmingly for city charter revisions that require the City of New York to continually work at and be held accountable for upholding and actualizing anti-racism and anti-bias as core government responsibilities and functions.  

Undoubtedly it’s an ambitious goal and, if history is our guide, it is a goal that is attainable only if we strive to change not only the law but the attitudes and beliefs, and the individual and collective consciousness of those persons now mandated to uphold it. 

This Thursday, in connection to that goal, the City Council is poised to introduce historic and unprecedented legislation that would require City employees to complete annually anti-racism and anti-bias training. It is, without question, as important as the charter revisions themselves.

Everyday every New Yorker is impacted by the decisions and work of public servants. Supporting them to be equipped and to act with a shared knowledge and common understanding of racism and bias will help them perform their duties without intentionally and unintentionally perpetuating discrimination and harm. 

The accompanying legislation that would require contracted human services providers to also complete anti-racism and anti-bias training is just as critical. This larger system has frequently upheld biased and false narratives about who is deserving and has too often made access to vital, quality services unnecessarily complicated and out of reach for people and communities of color, women, and persons who identify as LGBTQ+. Helping the human services and nonprofit workforce recognize and overcome biases is an imperative.

In addition, racist and biased narratives have also contributed to the devaluing of the human services workforce, which is comprised of 75% people of color and 55% women of color, and makes less than their counterparts in both government and the private sector. Our non-profit frontline and program staff — our youth counselors, day care support staff, case managers, meal deliverers, and others — all deserve fair compensation.

With mandated anti-racism and anti-bias training for City employees and contracted human services agencies, hopefully, New York City will be enlightened to also recognize the importance of ensuring this workforce, that is predominantly made up of people of color, is earning a living wage. With livable wages alongside mandated anti-racism and anti-bias training for City employees and many contractors, hopefully, we will be closer to the equity imagined by our recent charter revisions.

Juneteenth is a day to be celebrated because it embodies the hope of freedom from racism and bias for all. But 158 years later, we need more than hope. We need legislation that can and will help change hearts and minds. These bills, if passed, hold the potential and promise of doing just that for New York City, and even the nation.

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Jennifer Jones Austin is CEO of FPWA. City Council Members Amanda Farias and Nantasha Williams represent parts of the Bronx and Queens, respectively. On Twitter @JJAatFPWA, @CMAmandaFarias, & @CMNantashaW.