Sheila Jackson Lee: “This is African-American History Month, Black History Month, and we find that much of the history of Texas is…”

“This is African-American History Month, Black History Month, and we find that much of the history of Texas is intertwined with African-American history. A slave woman was called the Yellow Rose of Texas, and we realize that it was President Lincoln who insisted on sending General Granger to Texas to show the Western States that slavery was over after they rebuffed and refused to free the slaves west of the Mississippi. General Granger came on June 19, 1865, to declare that the slaves be made free and that States like Texas stop defying Federal law. It is interesting that out of that, we have been able to establish the first Federal holiday in 38 years, and that is Juneteenth, which equals freedom. Now, across the Nation, there will be States, 50 of them, celebrating Juneteenth on June 19. We have outstanding pastors that I honor today: Reverend William A. Lawson, Reverend F.N. Williams, Reverend Samuel Smith, and Reverend S.J. Gilbert. Of course, we honor our community colleges that are enormously diverse and educate mountains and many African American students. Texas and African-American history is better because African-American history is part of the history of Texas. ____________________”