Statement on Juneteenth Observation
While we are all grateful that the celebration of Juneteenth will now be recognized as a federal holiday, we believe that there is still much to do to end the sin of systemic racism and ensure justice for all people. The following statement was released on our social media channels on Friday.

____

We are honored to join our black sisters and brothers in the first official commemoration of Juneteenth – the date that marked the final end of slavery in the United States. This recognition is to be celebrated but is also bittersweet, as we realize that there is still much to do to heal the damage done by racial inequality and the systemic racism still in place in our nation.

While we pray with gratitude for this recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, we also ask God to move each of us, as Christians, citizens, and leaders, to work for equality in education, housing, voters’ rights, the legal system, and employment.

We pray for the souls of those who died in slavery, and for those who died fighting for equality. May they experience the everlasting peace and justice of the Kingdom of God, and may we work towards that same peace and justice here on Earth.

The Interfaith Power & Light Film
Interfaith Power & Light will be sharing Other Side of the Hill, a hopeful, inspiring look at local leaders in rural America who are leading climate action in their communities.

This 30-minute film will be available for free online viewing July 10 – 25. Registration opens July 1.

You can watch the trailer and sign up to get a registration reminder here.

A screening kit from Interfaith Power and Light will be available on July 1.

Tell Your Representative – Approve a Climate-Friendly Budget
President Biden’s 2022 budget prioritizes protections for our air, water, lands, biodiversity, wildlife, and oceans. The $6 trillion budget increases investments by over $14 billion for climate action, compared to 2021—across nearly every agency. EPA will get a 21% increase, and there are historic funding levels to secure environmental justice for communities that have been left behind.

A budget is a statement of values. It is good to see a budget more in line with our values of caring for Creation, loving our neighbors, and being good stewards of God’s precious creation, but now we need Congress to begin the process of taking up this budget proposal and passing it into law. Click here to let your representatives hear from you.

What is Juneteenth?
While many Black Americans have celebrated Juneteenth for years, it has sadly been minimized in most history books. Click here for an explanation of our “Second Independence Day” from The National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian.

The Washington Post is presenting a series of webinars on race in America as part of its Juneteenth observance. They are open to the public.

• History Matters – “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer”
  June 17 – 2:00 p.m. ET
  Click here to register
• History Matters with Annette Gordon-Reed
  June 18 – 12:00 p.m. ET
  Click here to register
• Black Economic Mobility
  June 18 – 2:00 p.m. ET
  Click here to register

How Religious Sisters Work for Racial Justice
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange featured their racial justice efforts in a recent episode of their podcast, Sister Storylab. Click here to listen

Racism as Soul Sickness
June 14 – June 16, the Oblate School of Theology will present a series of lectures and discussions examining the issue of racism by drawing upon the experience of Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. Featured speakers will be Rev. Dr. Bryan Massingale, Dr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, and Dr. KimOanh Nguyen-Lam. For more information or to register, click here. 

Black Americans in the Church
Father Bryan Massingale presents the findings of a recent Pew Research Center on the state of Black faith in America. He says that we are witnessing an exodus of African Americans from the Catholic Church – and he thinks he knows why. Click here to read the article from US Catholic.

Week of Action to Eliminate Child Labor Trafficking – June 12 – 17
USCSAHT is committed to ending all forms of human trafficking, including child labor trafficking. We join with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and International Labour Organization (ILO) during the week of action to Eliminate Child Labor Trafficking June 12 – 17.
Child labor trafficking can be seen in many forms ranging from bricklayers in India, to the cocoa fields in Africa, to homeless youth forced to work as street beggars or roving magazine sales in the States. USCSAHT, as an organization, has made a Pledge to End Child Labor and we encourage you to take ACTION of your own.  

To mark this week of action, the USCSAHT offers these learning opportunities.

Members’ Sponsored Webinars:

• Wednesday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. EST
  In honor of the World Day Against Child Labor (June 12), join us on for a 60 minute Interactive Webinar on the problem of child labor and the work of Sr. Mary Vertucci, MM, and her colleagues at the the Emusoi Centre in Tanzania, which focuses on educating young women to provide pathways out of poverty and early marriage. The webinar is being organized by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Lay Missioners, Sisters, and the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. Click HERE for more information and to register for the webinar.
• Monday, June 14 at 8-10am EST 
  To celebrate the World Day Against Child Labour, the Good Shepherd International Foundation and Bon Pasteur Kolwezi present: “What works in eliminating child labour in artisanal mining?” We will share lessons and results from our mission, since 2013, to eliminate child labour in the artisanal mines in and around Kolwezi, the DR Congo’s copper and cobalt belt. REGISTER HERE.
• Monday, June 14 from 11:00AM-12:30PM EST
  You are invited to join the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons and the NGO Committee on Migration for our event in commemoration of World Day against Child Labor: “Improving Outcomes for Migrant Children at Risk of Trafficking.” The event will take place virtually on Zoom on . Register for the event at this link.

Attend Wear Orange 2021
We participate in Wear Orange events to remember lives lost to gun violence and to raise awareness about this public health crisis.  Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed with guns and more than 230 are shot and wounded.  These survivors are faced with a life-long process of physical and emotional healing.

Gun suicide claims the lives of over 23,000 people in the United States each year.  More than 14,000 people die in gun homicides.  The United States gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than that of other high-income countries.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States.  Every year, more than 3,000 children and teens are shot and killed, and another 15,000 are shot and wounded – an average of nine children and teens shot and killed and 42 shot and wounded every day.

Fifty-eight percent of American adults or someone they care for have experienced gun violence in their lifetime.  Approximately three million American children witness gun violence every year.

Together, we can build a future free from gun violence.  Stand up, speak out, and participate in Wear Orange events to raise awareness.

Join us as we honor survivors of gun violence this National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange weekend from June 4-6.

Click here to find a Wear Orange event near you.

In 2014, the Dominican Sisters of Peace adopted a corporate stance regarding gun violence. The corporate stance reads:

In the U.S., we will advocate for common-sense gun control laws such as requiring universal background checks before purchasing arms; banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines; promoting strategies to prevent gun violence; and providing adequate financial resources to establish mental health programs for victims and perpetrators and prevention programs for at-risk people.

In keeping with this commitment, we invite Sisters and Associates to take part in the seventh National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 4, the first Friday of the month. That will kick off Wear Orange Weekend on June 5-6, which will feature virtual events across the nation.

Click your city to find events near you.

• Columbus, OH
• Akron, OH
• New Haven, CT
• Great Bend, KS
• St. Catharine, KY
• Nationwide