VIDEO: Luján Statement Recognizing Juneteenth

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement ahead of Juneteenth, which is recognized as a federal holiday after Congressional action in 2021: 

“On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas bearing news of freedom. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day. On Juneteenth, we celebrate and commemorate the day on which the last of America’s enslaved learned of their emancipation. 

“It is every American’s sacred responsibility to recognize, learn, and share the stories of this time. The fight for equality did not end on that June day in 1865. The deep roots of systematic oppression continued to spread and grow. And the painful sting of slavery is still with us more than 150 years later.

“Let’s honor this day by dedicating ourselves to combating racism. Together, we must fight for policy that advances true equality for all Americans. To form a more perfect union, we must learn from our past to create a brighter future.”

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