A Dream of Freedom Deferred: Why Public Policy Must Honor Juneteenth with Action  

This Juneteenth, as we celebrate the emancipation of over 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, and with that the idea of freedom reaching us all, we are reminded that when it comes to racial justice, progress in this country is often delayed, yet possible.   

At the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), our work has always focused on racial justice—in fact, it is the throughline to everything we do. So, while progress is often delayed—and presently in danger—I take stock of the progress we’ve made as a nation since 1865.   

This Juneteenth, however, feels decidedly different. Critical civil rights for Black families are under immense threat. Decades of progress are at risk.  And new policies being described as progress signal oppression, not freedom, ahead.  

This can be found not only in the policy debates filling our newsfeeds, but also in quiet policies that affect the lives of families every day. Look no further than the current national conversation on work requirements to see the ties to our nation’s racist roots.  

Premised on the assumption that people do not want to work, and therefore should be coerced to work by public policy, work requirements are based on the same false narratives that have been used to exploit labor since slavery. In reality, studies show that work requirements don’t encourage work because, most public benefits participants are already part of the labor force.  

What legislators continue to disregard is the reality that for too many people, the jobs they have do not pay enough to cover the cost-of-living, are rife with ongoing gender- and race-based discrimination, and adopt workplace practices that make it hard for parents to work and care for their families.  

A study published in the nation’s top medical journal on Arkansas’ previously failed Medicaid work requirement found that the policy did not increase work, but instead penalized people who were already working in paid employment but did not report it, or should have been exempt from the requirement in the first place. 

Yet, despite this, Arkansas once again is attempting to include work requirements in their Medicaid program. These efforts aren’t about increasing work, they are about keeping families from accessing supports when they need them. The growth of these efforts to prevent families for accessing health care, having adequate resources to provide food for their children, and care for loved-ones, most certainly feels like a dream deferred, once again. However, decades of progress will not stop here—not even while proposals like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act threaten to eliminate Medicaid and SNAP benefits for millions of people unless they meet increased work requirements.  

At CSSP, we know that work requirements deny families much-needed assistance, and they discount much of their labor, ignoring the caregiving work that people provide to their loved ones, and pushing them further into low-paid, insecure jobs that make it impossible to make ends meet.   

We also know through years of research that the closer policymakers get to their constituents, and the more they choose to partner with families to inform their policies, the better those policies become, for everyone.   

While progress in this moment may feel out of reach, it remains worth fighting for, through effective policies that value all people’s contributions, at home and in the wage labor force.  

Instead of building from the same racist narratives, and enacting the same failed policies, we should be focused on creating solutions that actually benefit families – moving to more common-sense, universal benefits to ensure every family in this country has what they need to succeed.  

To make America great, we must reflect freedom for all, in our policies, and in who we bring to the table to inform those policies. Juneteenth will always remind me that progress is possible, but it doesn’t happen without action. All families deserve to be healthy and happy, and it requires commitment and collaboration from all of us to make sure that progress is meaningful, and fair – so that we can be a place where we can all expect to have what we need, and progress can stop swinging back and forth like a pendulum – we all deserve better. 

So, on this Juneteenth, let’s take stock in where we’ve been—let’s understand it and honor it.  And then, join us as we keep pushing for the progress we know is possible. Together, we can advance policy that is fair, and achieves health, happiness, and freedom for all of our families and communities. And together, we will.