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Today, June 19, 2022, marks the first anniversary of Juneteenth as a national holiday. In actuality, Juneteenth celebrations have occurred for over 150 years, with the first celebration occurring in 1866. The date of June 19, 2022, or Juneteenth, was chosen as it marked the anniversary of when a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that they were free from the institution of slavery. In 2021, after decades of organizing, political and community leaders were finally successful in passing legislation to commemorate Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

That it took decades of petitioning and proposing legislation before Juneteenth would be recognized as a federal holiday speaks directly to the twin objectives of the commemoration: to celebrate the freedom won by African Americans and to remember our nation’s broken promises. Indeed, though most Americans believe that slavery ended in 1862 with the emancipation proclamation, the official end of the Civil War (April 9, 1865), or the ratification of the 13th Amendment (December 6, 1865), slavery continued to be practiced well-after those dates, and in fact remains constitutionally legal as a punishment for crime.

As the Vera Institute writes, “until the mid-1950s, states routinely forced chain gangs of imprisoned people to do public works projects while wearing chains weighing as much as 20 pounds.” Even today, “private companies and governments extract nearly free labor from incarcerated people—who are employed to do everything from building office furniture and making hand sanitizer to staffing call centers and performing 3D modeling—in most cases for pennies an hour. In California, incarcerated people battle fires in 24-hour shifts for as little as $2.90 a day.”

Now, as then, Black activists, political leaders, and anti-racist allies celebrate Juneteenth in recognition of the enduring spirit and inalienable humanity of African Americans. Freedom was not given to Blacks; freedom had been fought for and won by Blacks. From the very beginning of the arrival of the first Black slaves in the United States in 1619, African Americans have resisted the atrocities afflicted upon their inalienable dignity and fought for their freedom. Slave rebellions occurred on a regular basis and during the Civil War close to 200,000 Black men enlisted in the fight. It is historically inaccurate and a dishonor to the work of past and present Black activists, political leaders, and anti-racist allies to suggest that a freedom which has continually been denied, restricted, and conditional was given to African Americans.

As we celebrate this year’s Juneteenth, we ask that you honor and support the ongoing work of Black-led nonprofits and organizations committed to ensuring the freedom and well-being of Black communities. African Americans “are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of whites” and one in five “are experiencing poverty for the third generation in a row, compared to just one in a hundred white Americans.”

For over two decades, A New Way of Life has been working to directly confront these systemic barriers to the life and liberty of the African American community. We have provided housing to hundreds of formerly incarcerated Black women, provided pro bono legal services to thousands of African American community members with conviction histories, and helped reunite hundreds of Black parents with their children. None of this would be possible without your support. Thank you.

Testif-i | Storytelling for Change is a multimedia initiative from A New Way of Life Reentry Project that aims to transform the public dialogue on mass incarceration through storytelling, and the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals.

On Friday, May 20th, filming for the next installment of Testif-i began with Terri and Moonlight, two residents at A New Way of Life. Terri and Moonlight are two individuals chosen to share their stories as a way to heal from their past and bring awareness to specific issues surrounding the criminal justice system.

As a child, Terri experienced abuse from trusted caregivers and was charged with kidnapping in an attempt to get themselves and another child away. This event was the beginning of Terri’s involvement with the criminal justice system. In 1977, Terri was sentenced to seven years to Life and served 44 years. While incarcerated, the staff would tell Terri, “You’re going to die here”. 

Terri became complacent and was tired of going to the board to be told no. A parole board is a panel of people who decide whether an offender should be released from prison on parole after serving a minimum portion of their sentence. Before going to board, Terri saw a friend on TV talking about A New Way of Life Reentry Project and it gave them hope. 

Their first day out was terrifying, “I was so scared that day…!” Society has minimal resources for the formerly incarcerated and even less for formerly incarcerated senior citizens. A New Way of Life has offered Terri a home and other resources necessary to their reentry success. In the future, Terri hopes to support systems-impacted youth by helping them learn skills so they can lead self-sufficient lives.  

After Moonlight was released in 1985, they struggled to find reentry services and resources. Moonlight cycled in and out of incarceration—after years of this, Moonlight found themselves with a life sentence. Moonlight was sent to a prison far from her children and family—no one was able to visit, and she rarely received phone calls. For years, Moonlight asked to be transferred closer to family and was told no time after time. Being away from their family felt like double punishment. After 26 years, Moonlight knew she wanted a different life and found A New Way of Life Reentry Project. Moonlight refers to the program as a blessing for supporting their transition back into society.

To hear Terri and Moonlight’s stories and others, follow our social media accounts to get updates about the video vignettes that will be released later this year.

RECH Foundation, co-founded by Pauline Rogers, has been boots on the ground for decades providing transitional housing and reintegration services to the formerly incarcerated in South Jackson, Mississippi. RECH has maintained zero recidivism for over 30 years and became a SAFE Housing Network member in 2020. Pauline is grateful for Susan Burton, who has embraced her organization and supported RECH by providing resources and expanding its visibility. RECH Foundation offers critical support in a state with a history of slavery and ties to mass incarceration.

A New Way of Life recognizes the RECH Foundation’s unique struggles in the deep South. This region tends to be forgotten until someone outside sheds light on what is happening. In 1863, Mississippi outlawed the practice of slavery. However, convict leasing continued in the state for decades. Convict leasing was a legalized form of slavery, forcing thousands of Black people to work under terrible conditions throughout the South. “Most of the prisoners subjected to convict leasing were Black, and many were convicted of dubious offenses such as vagrancy or changing employers without permission.” In 1906, Mississippi abolished convict leasing. But those bound by convict leasing weren’t set free; the state sent them to prison, where penal labor continued. The 13th Amendment to the constitution allows penal labor in the US. According to Newsweek, incarcerated people aren’t paid for their labor in Mississippi. This loss of income impacts their ability to succeed after release.

Mississippi continues to function under the same biased, unequal practices, discriminatory practices, unfair sentencing, time not matching the crime, and different rules for whites than people of color. While the number of people cycling in and out of prison is rising in Mississippi, the funding for reentry support is not. The Mississippi Department of Corrections spends 2% of its budget on prison-based intervention programs, little to none of which are evidence-based. Pauline Rogers says, “We need more people closest to the problem who understand the issues to lead the way to solutions for organizing, educating, mobilizing, and strategizing for systemic change.”

Organizations like the RECH Foundation are crucial to offering support to formerly incarcerated people in Mississippi. As a SAFE Housing Network member, RECH dedicates its time to providing formerly incarcerated women the support and stability they need to transform their lives. The Wendy Hatcher Transitional Home provides a home for formerly incarcerated women. RECH offers prison ministry for those building their relationship with God. And finally, Mississippi Offender Reentry Establishment (MORE), a project that hosts statewide Reentry and Resource fairs, where formerly incarcerated individuals can find employment, leadership training, and mentorship. Reentry services have an incredible impact on the lives of system-impacted individuals and communities. Through reentry work, RECH Foundation confronts Mississippi’s dark history every day.

As Black History Month comes to an end and Women’s History Month begins, we wanted to spotlight the work of one of our talented staff members.

Stephanie Jeffcoat is our All of Us or None-Southern California Organizer and team lead for our Advocacy Division. The Advocacy Division is dedicated to fighting for the rights of formerly and currently incarcerated people and families. The past few months have been eventful for Jeffcoat as she was a speaker at our November 2021, Peace and Justice Summit on Family Reunification and actively involved with the Sacramento Rally to reform Child Protective Services, which was held in January during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

KS: What is your main focus in your activism? What topics in particular do you feel strongly about?

SJ: My focus is to encourage and uplift other formerly incarcerated people who have, like me, experienced barriers to reentry. I am especially passionate about family reunification, voting rights, policies that relate to formerly or currently incarcerated individuals, homelessness, and families who have been involved with the Child Welfare system.

KS: Are there any people who have inspired you in your activist journey?

SJ: Without a doubt, Susan Burton. Ms. Burton has been instrumental in my growth as an activist. Ms. Burton took a chance on me and has been an invaluable mentor. I am always tracking her down, trying to pick her brain to get more information. Ms. Burton has taught me the things I need to know to be the advocate that I am today. I am forever grateful.

KS: What do you think sets ANWOL apart from other social movement organizations? 

SJ: A New Way of Life’s wraparound services, such as housing, advocacy, and civic engagement sets them apart from other social movements. The one-on-one aspect of how we engage with our clients and communities is incredibly important. Being a part of a group of people who have been in similar situations is what drew me to ANWOL and what made me want to be an All of Us or None Organizer.

KS: What does Black History mean to you? 

SJ: As a multi-racial African American, Black History is important for people like me as it helps us to be educated and learn about our roots. My experiences at ANWOL have encouraged me to dive deeper into learning about influential African Americans; many of whom, unfortunately, most people have never heard of and do not know about their work, efforts, and contributions to history.  

America has a history of oppressing the Black community, as Blacks were brought as slaves to this country over 400 years ago. The country has continued to work to keep Black people silent or to keep us down. The country is afraid to let us have any real power. 

This is why learning about our history and remembering it matters. This is why we recently celebrated the start of Black History Month at our last All of Us or None-Southern California meeting. We screened a short documentary viewing and discussion of the significance of the Selma to Montgomery marches for the Civil Rights Movement, along with a presentation on Black History Month. Watching this, it is important as our AOUON-SC participants noted, these events took place not too long ago. Many, myself included, were grateful to learn about individuals who have been omitted from history despite their significance.

One person I learned about during my research for the meeting was Jane Bolin. Bolin was the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and the first Black woman to become a judge in the United States. It was amazing to learn about Judge Bolin as I myself am currently on a similar journey to become a lawyer.

This is the type of history that I want to pass on to my children. I have had to take it upon myself to teach my children these amazing African Americans, as I know they will not otherwise learn about them in the classroom. People such as Bolin, whom I already mentioned, and others, such as Madame C.J. Walker, the first Black woman millionaire in America who was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist.