Congressman Al Green: In Recognition and Celebration of Juneteenth

(Washington, DC)--On June 19, 2014, Congressman Al Green offered the following statement in the Congressional Record in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth.

"Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize the holiday of Juneteenth, or as it is also known Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, and Emancipation Day. Juneteenth commemorates a huge step toward the emancipation of African American slaves in Texas from the morally abhorrent institution of American slavery.

"On June 19, 1865, after the Union’s victory in the Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger arrived with Union troops on the island of Galveston, Texas. The celebration of Juneteenth recognizes that day, when Major General Granger publicly read “General Order No. 3,” ostensibly freeing Texas slaves. Granger said, “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.” The order ostensibly freed 250,000 slaves in the former Confederate state of Texas, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

“General Order No. 3” was another marker on our nation’s long road toward the full realization of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all our fellow citizens. We are still traveling down that road but because of the extraordinary courage and compassion of some of our greatest citizens, we have come further than many ever imagined.

"We traveled further down that road when in 1979, my friend, Texas State Representative Al Edwards introduced the bill that officially made Juneteenth a state holiday in Texas. In 1996, the House of Representatives and the Senate officially recognized June 19^th as “Juneteenth Independence Day.” As of today, 43 states observe Juneteenth.

"In closing, Mr. Speaker, Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery’s emasculation in the U.S. On this Juneteenth, I encourage all my colleagues to join with me in recognizing the historical significance of this holiday, which celebrates a huge step toward the extension of the American Dream to African Americans and encourages multicultural respect for all."