Congressman Hank Johnson joins in the celebration of Juneteenth
June 19, 2009
WASHINGTON -- On the date of June 19th, 1865, in the town of Galveston, an announcement was made by Union General Gordon Granger, which would at last emancipate slaves in the State of Texas. This historic announcement concluded the practice of slavery in America by freeing the last remaining slaves in the United States. The June 19th emancipation, coming nearly three years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln, at last granted African Americans in the State of Texas the freedom they so greatly desired and justly deserved. For despite Lincoln’s presidential order, millions of slaves across the United States would not be freed for years to come. In the state of Texas, over a quarter million of African Americans would remain enslaved until 1865, years following Abraham Lincoln’s first executive order to abolish slavery. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers in the town of Galveston would finally proclaim the emancipation of slaves in Texas, marking the true end of slavery in America. This date will forever be remembered by our nation’s citizens as a testament to these former slaves and their ability to persevere through such dark and trying times.
“Juneteenth, the name which has been given to remember this significant day, has come to be observed in thirty-one states and has remained an official holiday in the state of Texas since 1980. Americans of every race have come together to celebrate this date, seeking to reflect upon the plight of African Americans in our nation and commemorate the complete abolition of slavery in the United States. On this date, we pay tribute to African Americans in our nation, our rich history and the immense contributions we have made, and continue to make, to this great nation of ours” declared Congressman Johnson.
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