WASHINGTON – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today commemorating the 159th anniversary of Juneteenth:
“Today, 159 years ago, enslaved Black Americans held in bondage in Galveston, Texas, heard freedom’s ring at long last. That ring continues to echo throughout our country more than a century and a half later. On Juneteenth, we celebrate these Americans’ emancipation and all those who sacrificed to exorcise slavery from our shores.
“Juneteenth reminds us not only to reflect on our past but to look to the future. American slavery may have been banished to history, but many Americans are still denied the full promise of freedom, justice, and equality upon which our country stands. It is up to each of us to uphold these quintessential American virtues. As civil rights legend Opal Lee once said when advocating to make Juneteenth a federal holiday: ‘We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free.’
“History must be our guide in that effort. As Majority Leader in 2021, I brought Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s legislation to the House Floor to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Our Juneteenth celebrations elevate that crucial chapter of American history – which is especially important at a time when some in our country try to ban books, censor teachers, and gloss over the complicated parts of our nation’s past. Today, let us recommit ourselves to learning from our history and to building a better America – one that lives up to its founding ideals.”
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