Mike Honda: “I rise today to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a commemoration of the acknowledgment by African slaves in…”

“I rise today to celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a commemoration of the acknowledgment by African slaves in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, of their newfound freedom. It is also a celebration of the opportunity for African Americans to be free to express self-improvement and to gain more knowledge. This freedom was granted to all those in the United States of African decent by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, news of the Proclamation did not reach people in a timely manner. In fact, it took two years to get word out to African slaves in Texas that their freedom had been granted. Although word was given to the slaves late, we must remember that it is never too late to join the effort to fight against racism around the world. Some in this nation may not want to recall the atrocities of our past, however, we must not forget our history. While this nation has a great legacy to be proud of, we must also remember the mistakes of our past and learn from them. Today, we cannot act as if nothing is wrong when negative assumptions are made about an individual because of the color of his or her skin. The question that still remains is how do we move forward.”