Dear Friends,
Today marks the 158th Anniversary of Juneteenth. This day is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day. It’s the oldest African American holiday in the United States and celebrates the fulfillment of a promise made by President Lincoln in 1863 to end slavery.
Two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston Texas to inform the 250,000 slaves living in Texas that they were free people.
In 2021, Juneteenth became an official national holiday! Juneteenth celebrates the ideals of freedom, strength and faith. But it is also a reminder of our nation’s dark past. The United States is a great country, in large part, because it was built on the backs of slaves and their free labor.
Even though slavery has ended and much progress has been made, racism still exists in our country and our state.
I hope this Juneteenth holiday will lead to more honest education, discussions and understanding of this country’s history—the real history-- not the “white-washed” version of history.
Today, I hope our entire community and nation will see this day as a celebration of perseverance, resilience and hope for the future.
Sincerely,
Sen. Steven Bradford
District 35