This newsletter was authored by Osborne’s Race Equity team.
This Sunday, families and communities around the country will gather to celebrate a shared Juneteenth and Father’s Day. June Nineteenth marks 157 years since General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 notifying the people of Texas that, “in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” For formerly enslaved Black men and women, freedom would come to represent many things: not only the joy of individual liberty but also the opportunity to reconnect with their loved ones who were violently separated from them during slavery.
The separation of Black families persists to this day because racial bias is embedded in the law enforcement and criminal legal systems, leading to the dramatically disproportionate incarceration of people of color. As a result, many families have been left to grapple with the harms of separation and the challenges of navigating systems that erode relationships. Families face high barriers to visiting and phone communication, adding to the economic and emotional costs of supporting a loved one inside but evidence affirms that children and parents benefit from staying connected during a parent’s incarceration.
Osborne promotes family connection through our programs and our advocacy: FamilyTies, FamilyWorks, and the Youth Action Council (see below) as well as our national See Us, Support Us initiative.
As we approach the weekend, we reflect on the words of journalist Sylvia A. Harvey, who penned an essay on the devastating impact of incarceration: “I was led to this work because of what I experienced and witnessed as a child. I remain in this work because of what I continue to see and the reality that this issue is greater than me or any single story. My father has been free for nearly a decade. Still, I can’t ignore the racial bias and structural inequality embedded in our criminal legal system – or the way an entire segment of our population is treated as disposable.
It may not be your mother, sister, daughter, wife, or friend who experiences incarceration, but mass incarceration carries a cumulative social, emotional, and economic cost. Not just for those directly impacted, but all of us.”
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“Protecting What Matters”
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Osborne’s Youth Action Council (YAC) members personally know the toll that separation from a parent can take. (YAC members are ages 15 to 19 and have all experienced a parent’s incarceration.) Their commitment to family connection during incarceration fueled their advocacy for the passage of the Protect In-Person Visiting bill. The bill would codify the right to in-person visits, ensure that video conferencing cannot replace in-person visits, and strengthen existing visiting practices in New York State jails and prisons.
After visiting his father in person, Osborne YAC member Fikky Ogunlade said: “I felt [an] emotional connection that [I had never felt before with] anyone else. This emotional and physical connection cannot be experienced through a screen.”
Despite the fierce and persistent advocacy by the YAC and Osborne’s NY Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents and - the State Senate passing the bill for the third year in a row – the Assembly did not vote on the bill this legislative session. While disappointed, we are determined to continue our advocacy efforts until this bill is passed! Led by young leaders like Fikky who courageously share their experiences, we will continue to educate legislators about the urgency of mitigating the harms of parent-child separation.
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Send a Card for Father’s Day! This Father’s Day, celebrate a father figure in your village by making a donation to Osborne in honor or in memory of someone.
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Today at 4 PM, Greenwich House will host a free Juneteenth celebration for all ages. Experience interactive performances that showcase the contributions of Black Americans with music, dance, puppetry, and more. Learn more here.
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On Saturday, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture reconvenes its annual outdoor literary festival. Learn more about the event and register here.
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Join us in our work to build a justice system that promotes healing, safety, accountability, and real opportunities to thrive.
Archana Jayaram
President & CEO
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