Charles Rangel: “I rise today to urge the Congress to recognize the historic significance of Juneteenth Independence Day. On July 4…”

“I rise today to urge the Congress to recognize the historic significance of Juneteenth Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, many Americans celebrated their first independence day. However, we must not forget that on this day, the ancestors of African Americans were not included in this celebration. They were slaves. In 1841, Frederick Douglas said that from an American slave's perspective, July 4th ``reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.'' It would be almost ninety years before all Americans would finally celebrate their freedom. On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the conclusion of the Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that all slaves in the United States were free. This day, known as Juneteenth, signified the end of slavery across America and marked the independence of African Americans. What began as a celebration in Texas has grown into a nationwide remembrance of one of the most significant events in our country's history. Today, Juneteenth festivities bring African American communities across the country together to honor and remember the struggle of our ancestors and rejoice in our freedom. This historic day also recognizes the importance of furthering the knowledge of our great Nation's history.”