#NNPA BlackPress
OP-ED: Biden Deserves Credit Not Complacency
NNPA NEWSWIRE — When President Biden took office, the country was in the grip of a global pandemic. Businesses were shuttering, schools were closing, and people were dying. The country needed leadership. Unfortunately, we had a showman at the helm when a statesman was needed. Forty-five was pre-occupied with scoring political points and securing media hits. And when voters were given a chance to express themselves, by a margin of nearly seven million votes, they chose statesmanship over showmanship.

By Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip
We all have heard the popular expression, “give credit where credit is due.” After hearing numerous critics over the past 18 months, it is refreshing to see President Joe Biden finally getting the credit he deserves for what is one of the most productive starts to a presidential term in recent history.
The Financial Times’ Associate Editor Ed Luce recently wrote an opinion piece entitled, “The unexpected triumph of Joe Biden: Recent legislative successes suggest a good political system in good working order, but complacency is misplaced.”
Mr. Luce made the case for why President Biden’s star is rising, but warned that despite his impressive legislative record, voters may not give him the credit he deserves because too many people respond more to style than substance. I agree with Mr. Luce’s assessment. Our media-driven culture seems to rate words and deeds that generate headlines over those that make headway. Joe Biden, and those of us who support him, prefer putting people over politics.
When President Biden took office, the country was in the grip of a global pandemic. Businesses were shuttering, schools were closing, and people were dying. The country needed leadership. Unfortunately, we had a showman at the helm when a statesman was needed. Forty-five was pre-occupied with scoring political points and securing media hits. And when voters were given a chance to express themselves, by a margin of nearly seven million votes, they chose statesmanship over showmanship.
Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20, 2021. On that day, the country’s unemployment rate was 6.4 percent. COVID-19 was infecting 193,030 Americans a day and people were dying at a rate of 3,167 a day. From day one, Biden focused on shoring up the shaky foundation left by the previous Administration.
On March 11, 2021, less than two months after he took office, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law. It accelerated the American economic recovery by putting money in people’s pockets, getting children back in school and lifting nearly half of them out of poverty.
The ARP also prevented evictions and foreclosures for millions of America’s families, kept hundreds of large businesses open and reopened thousands of small businesses. It helped stem the deadly rampage of COVID-19 by expanding testing and access to vaccines. Republicans put their politics over people’s needs and voted unanimously against this legislation. Democrats put people over politics and started building a foundation for the country’s recovery.
The second corner of Biden’s foundation came on November 15, 2021, when he signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This legislation made historic investments in our crumbling and outdated infrastructure. It invested in high-speed internet, clean drinking water, a resilient electric grid, replacing lead pipes, making a down payment on clean energy transmission, and charging stations for electric vehicles. These infrastructure investments are creating jobs and strengthening critical links in our supply chain.
During all of this, President Biden nominated the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court, a Black woman to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and 26 other Black women to various federal courts, more than the combined total of all previous Presidents.
President Biden continued working, away from public view, to help get the final two corners of his foundation solidified, and on August 9, he signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law. This third corner of his platform restores America’s standing as a global science and technology leader by providing the resources and tools needed to make more products like semiconductor chips here at home. It will create good-paying jobs, invest in building a more diverse workforce, and bolster our supply chains.
The fourth and final corner of the Biden platform, the Inflation Reduction Act, passed the Congress with every Democrat voting for it, and every Republican voting against it. Under this new law, signed by President Biden on August 16, Medicare recipients will see their out-of-pocket prescription drugs capped at $2,000 annually and their cost of insulin capped at $35 monthly. It reduces the cost of health care for 13 million Americans by extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies for more than three years with an average savings of $800 per year. The new law includes provisions to increase taxes on corporations, address climate change, and decrease the prices of prescription drugs.
The IRA will help cut climate pollution by 40 percent by 2030, while building a new, clean energy economy and creating nine million new jobs. It invests in environmental justice by cleaning up legacy pollution most often found in communities of color and provides tax credits to ensure nuclear energy producers can continue to provide clean energy for consumers. The IRA will require corporations to pay a minimum tax of 15 percent and reduce the deficit by $300 billion over the next decade.
As Mr. Luce warns us, “complacency is misplaced.” Voters should see this “good political system in good working order” as motivation to go to the polls to support more positive progress. President Biden is finally getting some of the credit he is due. And, he and my fellow Democrats will continue putting the American people over partisan politics.
#NNPA BlackPress
EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”

By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025
The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160th anniversary, I went there to join them.
You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.
After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”
“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.
Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.
The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.
As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.
Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.
And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.
Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.
Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.
I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.
I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.
In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.
For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.
So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.
Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.
I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”
Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.
#NNPA BlackPress
Cities Across the U.S. Shrink or Cancel Juneteenth Events as DEI Support Wanes
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship. In many communities, the once-growing recognition of the holiday is facing sharp resistance tied to the unraveling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In Denver, Colorado, the annual Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the largest in the nation—was cut from two days to one. Organizers said more than a dozen corporate sponsors walked away from commitments, leaving them with a financial gap that almost canceled the event. Norman Harris, the festival’s executive director, said several companies “pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year.” Harris credited grassroots donors and small businesses for stepping in when larger backers stepped aside.
In Colorado Springs, the local celebration was relocated to the Citadel Mall parking lot after support from previous sponsors disappeared. Organizers noted that where there were once dozens of corporate partners, only five remained. The downsized event was pieced together with limited resources, but community leaders said they refused to let the holiday go unacknowledged.
Scottsdale, Arizona, canceled its Juneteenth observance after the city council voted to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in February. Without the office in place, the city offered no support for planning or funding, leaving residents without an official celebration.
In San Diego, the Cooper Family Foundation lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that had been earmarked for Juneteenth programming. Organizers said the decision forced them to personally finance key elements of the event, including cultural exhibits, performances, and youth engagement activities.
Bend, Oregon, called off its Juneteenth event entirely. Organizers cited political tensions and safety concerns, saying they could not secure the partnerships needed to proceed. A public statement from the planning committee described the current climate as “increasingly volatile,” making it difficult to host a safe and inclusive event.
West Virginia, which has recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday since 2017, will not sponsor any official events this year. State leaders pointed to budget constraints and recent decisions to eliminate DEI programming across agencies as the reasons for stepping away from public observance.
Austin, Texas, has also reduced its Juneteenth programming. While the city has not canceled events outright, organizers said diminished city support and fewer private contributions forced them to focus only on core activities.
“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” said Harris. “But it shows how fragile that support has become.”
#NNPA BlackPress
Juneteenth and President Trump
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent
President Trump is set to proclaim the federal observance of Juneteenth as the White House is open for business on this holiday. The White House says the president will sign a “historic proclamation designating Juneteenth as a National Day of Observance, marking the 160th anniversary of General Order Number 3 in Galveston, Texas.” The declaration was that “all slaves are free.” This Trump proclamation, according to the White House, “will celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation, the Republican Party’s role in passing the 13th Amendment, and reaffirm the administration’s dedication to equal justice and prosperity for all.”
This proclamation comes as President Trump has denounced Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and anything Woke. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom from the tyranny of 250 years of slavery after the Civil War.
The Juneteenth celebration started when Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, and told the slaves that they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was created.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which is on display in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
The Juneteenth federal holiday was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on June 19, 2021. This Trump White House is in full swing today, with a press briefing by Karoline Leavitt, not taking the federal holiday off. Also, President Trump will receive an intelligence briefing in the morning and participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.
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