Why We Celebrate Juneteenth

This Juneteenth, The Bail Project recommits to the ongoing effort of making freedom fully realized for everyone, regardless of race or wealth.

On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their liberation – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. This delay is a reminder of a difficult reality that continues to shape how our legal system operates: in America, legal freedom does not always translate to freedom in practice.

On any given night in America, nearly 500,000 people sit in jail cells without having been convicted of a crime.

Our legal system is built on foundational principles such as the presumption of innocence, the prohibition against excessive bail, and the promise of equal protection. Yet, like the delay in Galveston, these principles often fail to reach the very people they were intended to protect. On any given night in America, nearly 500,000 people sit in jail cells without having been convicted of a crime. They are legally innocent, yet they remain behind bars for the primary reason that they cannot afford to pay for their release. This burden is not shared equally, as Black Americans make up only 14% of the national population but account for 35% of those held in jails and prisons. On average, courts set bail amounts nearly $10,000 higher for Black defendants than for white defendants facing identical charges.

The cost of this delayed freedom is often immediate and lasting.

The cost of this delayed freedom is often immediate and lasting. People can lose jobs, housing, and access to care. Families become destabilized. Cases become harder to fight. Research has shown that even a few days in jail can increase the likelihood of worse legal outcomes and future system involvement.

Our client, Wydell, experienced this pain firsthand. A hardworking father preparing to move his family to Atlanta, Wydell was wrongfully arrested in St. Louis when he was accused of stealing his own car, selling drugs, and carrying an illegal firearm. He was hit with a $7,500 bail, an amount far beyond his reach. He spent six weeks in jail, which caused him to lose his job and miss his son’s first birthday. “I couldn’t provide for my son,” he said, “And he was just born – he wasn’t even one year old.” In the end, his charges were dismissed, but the impact of the experience on his life was long-lasting.

Wydell’s experience is no anomaly. Through our clients, we see up close how the promise of equal justice has often been unevenly realized in this country. These experiences are further proof that efforts to provide bail assistance and voluntary support in the pretrial process matter. By helping people return home and maintain stability, we ensure they can navigate their cases without being penalized for their financial circumstances.

We celebrate Juneteenth because it invites us to reflect on the vital question of who gets to be free and under what conditions.

We celebrate Juneteenth because it invites us to reflect on the vital question of who gets to be free and under what conditions. This holiday is both a commemoration of progress and a challenge to the present; it serves as a stark reminder that freedom is rarely self-executing and requires our relentless intervention to ensure its promise reaches everyone.