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OP-ED: Paid Family and Medical Leave Would Help Millions of Workers, Their Families and Employers

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The United States is the only member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that does not require workplaces to provide paid family and medical leave as a benefit of employment. When nearly all developed countries have acknowledged the importance of paid family and medical leave, the silence of the United States is ominous.
The post OP-ED: Paid Family and Medical Leave Would Help Millions of Workers, Their Families and Employers first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2023

Oakland Post

By Josephine Kalipeni

In a country where most people must work to make ends meet, work isn’t working for most families. The impossible, exhausting cycle of careers and caregiving doesn’t allow for real work-life balance. Workers and their families are tired, and we’re paying the price for living in a country that doesn’t have a care infrastructure to support them. We are struggling to hang onto our jobs while caring for our families. Fortunately, there is an opportunity to change that this week. Today, the Senate Finance Committee will hold its first-ever hearing on paid family and medical leave.

The United States is the only member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that does not require workplaces to provide paid family and medical leave as a benefit of employment. When nearly all developed countries have acknowledged the importance of paid family and medical leave, the silence of the United States is ominous. Nearly half of U.S. families live on the edge of financial ruin, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development. This financial precariousness forces people to make the impossible choice between caring for sick or elderly family members and financial disaster.

The AARP found that there are 53 million caregivers in this country; that doesn’t include parents caring for children, grandparents caring for children, or young adults and children caring for an adult. Many of these caregivers are also working. Households of color are more likely to be multigenerational, with children and elders who depend on breadwinners. Women of color are disproportionately affected by the absence of paid family and medical leave. Black women, in particular, are more likely to participate in the workforce and serve as the primary breadwinners for their families, meaning we often face the difficult task of juggling both caregiving and work. Without paid family and medical leave, our entire families are vulnerable to circumstances that are often unpredictable.

Paid family and medical leave would allow workplaces to retain talent, provide financial leverage for people to participate in the economy, and keep families afloat during times of crisis. But it is also scarce — especially for people in lower-paid and hourly positions. Implementing paid family and medical leave at the national level not only benefits families, but it also has the potential to improve businesses and communities. Companies are likely to see reduced turnover and more job satisfaction and productivity from their employees. A financially secure family is better equipped to contribute to the local community and will have more money to spend — boosting local economies.

Crucially, paid family and medical leave also strengthens public health. When caregivers can take time off work without paying devastating financial consequences, our sick family members can more easily remain in their homes while they’re both contagious and convalescing. In a decade that will likely forever be associated with a global pandemic, the physical health of our communities has never been more important. Family Values @ Work and our state Network partners have been building this movement for more than 20 years and winning paid family and medical leave and paid sick and safe days state-by-state while building the political pressure necessary to win a federal bill. This hearing is a significant milestone in our work, and motivation to continue organizing, advocating, and winning policies that support families. It is because of the dedication and leadership of our Network that we’re here today.

Paid family and medical leave makes sense for families, businesses, and communities. It’s a win-win solution for everyone. To secure a brighter, more equitable future for working families, Congress should act now. The Senate Finance Committee’s next step is to pass the FAMILY Act out of committee immediately. The House should follow the lead of their colleagues and they don’t have to wait. The FAMILY Act has already been introduced in both chambers and meets Family Values @ Work’s definition of equitable policy. The FAMILY Act would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth or adoption of a new child and for personal medical needs, or the care of a seriously ill family member, and now includes safe leave for sexual or domestic violence. Workers will receive wage replacement on a tiered scale, and it ensures that workers will have a job to return to after taking time to care. No family should be forced to choose between a paycheck and their loved ones — especially not when practical policy decisions are ready to be enacted to help them.

Josephine Kalipeni (@malawian81) is an economic justice advocate and executive director of Family Values @ Work, a movement network of grassroots organizers and coalitions in more than two dozen states working to win paid family and medical leave, earned sick and safe days, and affordable, high-quality childcare at the state and national levels.

The post OP-ED: Paid Family and Medical Leave Would Help Millions of Workers, Their Families and Employers first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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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.”

Published

1 week ago

June 20, 2025

admin

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 160^th 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.

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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.

Published

1 week ago

June 19, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

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.”

Stacy M. Brown

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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.

Published

1 week ago

June 19, 2025

Oakland Post

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.