Baltimore business man and entrepreneur Bob Wallace is running for mayor of Baltimore City as an Independent. Today he issued the following statement on Juneteenth:

“My humble beginnings, along with my amazing opportunity to become a successful business owner, are rooted in the spirit of my ancestors. In 2020, as we see the problems that exist in our community, we also have an opportunity to reflect and appreciate those who paved the way for people like me. This Juneteenth is not only memorializing the last of the slaves who were emancipated in 1865, but it is also highlighting how far we still have to go to have true equality for Black people in America.

We know the harm that has been done and continues to occur when there is a lack of equity in policing, economic development, workforce development, education, housing, and more. We must make a concerted effort to be not afraid of having these difficult, but necessary conversations and move them from conversations to substantive policy that creates lasting structural change.

It is my hope that as Mayor of Baltimore, we can make Juneteenth a holiday where we not only reflect on our past, but we hold ourselves accountable for the needed change that offers progress for our struggling communities.

As we take this moment to ‘celebrate freedom,’ we must also recognize that freedom isn’t limited to being enslaved. We must work towards economic and educational freedoms that provide Black people with leverage and the opportunity to be competitive 155 years after the last slaves were freed.”

Bob Wallace is an Independent candidate running for mayor of Baltimore City in the November General Election. To learn more, get involved, and donate, please visit: wallaceformayor.com