Yesterday we celebrated Juneteenth! The holiday is America’s most recent addition to its list of federal holidays, having only just been added in 2021. It acknowledges the end of slavery in the United States, which, similar to the installment of the holiday itself, took us far too long to do! Many people still think that the discussion ought to be over with the emancipation, while those who have educated themselves understand that we today live in a society filled with racial discrimination. I will not turn this post into an essay about structural racism, but please google the topic if you are not familiar! When it comes to the opioid epidemic, Black people are disproportionately effected as well. They have less access to substance use disorder treatment resources, their men’s overdose rates have quadrupled since 2015, and we are continually adopting policy that makes it harder and more expensive to get help. Please take this day to connect with and educate yourself about persons of color and their history!
Happy Juneteenth!
