Adriano Espaillat: “I enthusiastically support the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. I am glad that Congress is finally taking…”

“I enthusiastically support the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. I am glad that Congress is finally taking action to formally memorialize Juneteenth as a Federal holiday just a year after my home State of New York took this step. Juneteenth is a reminder of a sad chapter in our history but one that we overcame, and this holiday will be a reminder that our freedom is not guaranteed but rather something that we will always fight for. While this new holiday is an important step, in the backdrop, there are numerous efforts underway to limit the teaching of uncomfortable parts of our history, and there is an insidious plan to restrict the most important of our rights, the right to vote. Let this new holiday be not just a reminder but also a call to action that we must continue to work to secure our rights and freedoms. {time} 1845”