Juneteenth , celebrated annually on June 19, marks the day enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their emancipation in 1865. This year, it also marks the 23rd straight day of nationwide protests against the injustices Black people still face.

Outraged Americans in dozens of cities Friday are commemorating the day and calling for an end to racism and police brutality by taking to the streets from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Birmingham to Washington, D.C., and beyond. The Movement for Black Lives said various groups had organized hundreds of Juneteenth protests in at least 45 states.

Rev. Kirsten John Foy, whose organization The Arc of Justice is leading a coalition of Juneteenth marches and caravans in dozens of cities known as the Drive to Justice , said it was imperative to reclaim the narrative about the protests as Fox News and the president play up reports of destruction.

The real violence was not the burning down of buildings, Foy told HuffPost. The real looting happened long before the uprisings in Minneapolis and other places around the country. The real lootings are systemic. The real looting wiped out trillions of dollars of wealth in the Black community. The real looting happens when innocent Black men are gunned down by police officers with no cause or justification.