Political Quotes

“And still I rise, Mr. Speaker. I am grateful for the time and the opportunity to share some of my thoughts and views about crucial issues, to share them not only with my colleagues here in Congress but also with the people of our great country. And still I rise today to talk about Juneteenth. I believe Juneteenth is a very special time in the history of our country, and I would like to say a few words about Juneteenth. I would also like to talk about Slavery Remembrance Day. For those of you who are tuning in, please know that I will speak about Juneteenth, and I will speak about Slavery Remembrance Day, but I will also speak about a day that occurred before Juneteenth. As you know, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Prior to signing the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862. April 16, 1862, is the day it was signed. This is an important piece of legislation because the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act impacted Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act would accord compensation for slaves who were freed--human beings held in bondage, human beings who had been kidnapped, likely, or they may have been born into slavery. Some people were born into slavery and lived their entire lives as slaves and died as slaves.…”