Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared all slaves free, it was not until two and a half years later, on June 19,1865 that Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas and informed slaves that the Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished. The news kicked off widespread celebrations across the state.

Sutter Health joins in the celebration of this historic event, but the realities of today are sobering.

One hundred and fifty-five years later, racism still exists in our country and freedom for Black Americans remains elusive. The killing of George Floyd is an example of the systemic racial injustice Black Americans have endured for centuries in the U.S.

“Sutter Health affirms that Black Lives Matter and encourages us all to speak up and raise our voices against racism and to advocate for systemic change,” says Stephen Lockhart, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and executive sponsor for Sutter’s Multicultural Inclusive Resource Group.

Sutter Health President and CEO Sarah Krevans says, “Our Sutter values compel us to speak out against inequity in healthcare and injustice and racism in our society. Within Sutter, our organization has an unyielding commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and we work to embed it into our culture. We know there is more to be done and are committed to it.”

Sutter takes pride in caring for one of the most diverse patient populations in our nation. Dr. Lockhart is leading a national effort to advance health equity and address health disparities that exist for patients in healthcare across the country. “We know that inequities exist in healthcare and we’re focused on being a national leader to address those disparities and improve healthcare for all. To the extent we are able to make a difference, we have a moral obligation to do so.”