Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., quoting a 19th century theologian, famously observed, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” This sentiment comes to mind when I imagine the sight of Union troops arriving in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, armed with delayed news of freedom for those Blacks who were still enslaved. President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freeing those people had been in effect since Jan. 1, 1863.
The unjust arc of slavery in the United States was 244 years long, and freedom for these 4,000 was further delayed for two years and six months. But, on that day, it became clear it was bending toward justice. The decades that followed demonstrated that the “arc of the moral universe” can take the form of a pendulum, swinging toward justice for a time and then back toward injustice.
The end of slavery ushered in the Reconstruction era, which saw the participation of Black Americans at every level of government and society. Reconstruction’s end, 13 years later, precipitated Jim Crow laws, Black Codes, paramilitary groups and systemic injustices that persist today.
Ultimately, the underlying hope among Black Americans remains: The hope of one day living in a country that provides equitable freedoms and opportunities for all. As we commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth, let us remember that Juneteenth was born out of a failure to communicate. Those 4,000 people did not know they were free because nobody bothered to tell them they were.
Similarly, it is essential that we communicate the progress we are continuing to make. Based on the successes of the 117th Congress — arguably the most impactful since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society — it is abundantly clear that President Biden and congressional Democrats are committed to enacting systemic change that further bends the moral arc of our country toward justice. I wish I could say the same for many of my colleagues across the aisle.
The American Rescue Plan invested $350 billion to help state, local and tribal governments build a strong and equitable recovery. It also expanded access to health insurance, provided funds to safely reopen businesses and schools, provided emergency rental assistance and cut child poverty nearly in half with the expanded Child Tax Credit.
The bipartisan infrastructure law has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, permanently authorized the Minority Business Development Agency and is addressing historic community disinvestment. The CHIPS and Science Act is supporting research at HBCUs, and the Inflation Reduction Act is lowering the cost of prescription drugs—including capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 a month. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is making our communities safer from gun violence, and the PACT Act is benefiting veterans, disproportionately Black veterans, who were exposed to harmful substances.
The above does not include the unilateral actions President Biden has taken to support underserved Black communities. The Education Data Initiative estimates that Black student borrowers owe an average of 188 percent more than white students. If upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, his student loan forgiveness plan will forgive up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and make the student loan repayment system more manageable.
Significantly, President Biden’s May 25, 2022, executive order on policing and criminal justice reform made monumental improvements to federal policing. Biden’s executive order bans chokeholds, restricts no-knock warrants, mandates body cameras, and implemented stronger use-of-force policies for the federal force.
As a lifelong student of history and 30-year member of Congress, I recognize these may appear to many to be small milestones in a much longer journey. However, they mean a great deal to many people. While these successes are strong evidence that significant steps are being taken as we continue our trek toward justice, the partisan games being played by many of my colleagues show that the arc that bends toward justice remains long.
This year, as we reflect upon how far we have come, we should also respect the efforts that have been made and are being made. We should then ask ourselves if we can do better to further our efforts to make America’s greatness accessible and affordable for all.
James E. Clyburn represents the 6th District of South Carolina and is assistant Democratic leader.