[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 77 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1048-E1049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 19, 2000

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Father, I stretch my hand to 
thee--no other help I know. Oh my rose of Sharon, my shelter in the 
time of storm. My prince of peace, my hope in this harsh land. We bow 
before you this morning to thank you for watching over us and taking 
care of us. This morning you touched us and brought us out of the land 
of slumber, gave us another day--thank you Jesus. We realize that many 
that talked as we now talked--this morning when their names were 
called--failed to answer. Their voices were hushed up in death. Their 
souls had taken flight and gone back to the God that gave it, but not 
so with us.
  Now Lord, when I've come to the end of my journey; when my praying 
days are done and time for me shall be no more; when these knees have 
bowed for the last time; when I too, like all others must come in off 
the battlefield of life; when I'm through being bucked and scorned, I 
pray for a home in glory.
  When I come down the river to the river of Jordan, hold the river 
still and let your servant cross over during the calm. Father, I'll be 
looking for that land where Job said the wicked would cease from 
troubling us and our weary souls would be at rest; over there where a 
thousand years is but a day in eternity, where I'll meet with loved 
ones and where I can sing praises to thee; and we can say with the 
saints of old, Free at Last, Free at Last, thank God almighty, I am 
free at last. Your servants prayer for Christ sake. Amen!
  Mr. Speaker, this traditional prayer is similar to prayers recited 
across the south as many African Americans and others celebrate the 
19th of June. The deep south spiritual faith of the enslaved is 
reflected in this traditional prayer and continues to speak for us of 
the unquenchable hope that American slaves possessed for freedom.
  Juneteenth, or June 19th, 1865, is considered the date when the last 
slaves in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were 
widespread prior to this, actual emancipation did not come until 
General Gordon Granger rode in Galveston, Texas and issued General 
Order No. 3, on June 19, almost two and a half years after President 
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, 
news of the emancipation was brutally suppressed due to the 
overwhelming influence of powerful slave owners.
  President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 
22, 1862, notifying the states in rebellion against the Union

[[Page E1049]]

that if they did not cease their rebellion and return to the Union by 
January 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves forever free. Needless 
to say, the proclamation was ignored by those states that seceded from 
the Union.
  Furthermore, the proclamation did not apply to those slave-holding 
states that did not rebel against the Union. As a result, about 800,000 
slaves were unaffected by the provision of the proclamation. It would 
take a civil war to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th 
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to formally outlaw slavery in the 
United States.
  For many African Americans, Juneteenth has come to symbolize what the 
4th of July symbolizes to all Americans--FREEDOM! Annually, on June 
19th, in more than 200 cities in the United States, African Americans 
celebrate this great event. Texas is the only state that has made 
Juneteenth a legal holiday. Some cities sponsor week-long celebrations, 
culminating on June 19th, while others hold shorter celebrations.
  The anniversary of freedom was not to be forgotten by people who had 
spent their entire lives in bondage--people for whom the lash had been 
a common punishment, but whose sting had been compared with the pain of 
family separations, the indignity of compelled deference, the thought 
that only the grave would bring emancipation. So in the ensuing years, 
the joyous events of June 19, 1865, were re-enacted, becoming as 
Juneteenth celebrations. Best Sunday dress, American flags, thankful 
prayer, music, baseball games and massive quantities of food 
characterized these African-American gatherings.
  Juneteenth not only symbolizes the end of slavery, it also serves as 
a historical milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human 
spirit over the cruelty of slavery. It honors those African-American 
ancestors who survived the inhumane institution of bondage, as well as 
demonstrating pride in the marvelous legacy of resistance and 
perseverance.
  When the blacks in the south heard the news that they were set free, 
they sang, danced and prayed. There was much rejoicing and jubilation 
that their life long prayers had finally been answered. Many of the 
slaves left their masters upon being freed, in search of family 
members, economic opportunities or simply because they could. They left 
with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope in their hearts.
  Listen to this account of a former slave--Susan Ross. ``When my 
oldest brother heard we were free, he gave a whoop, ran, jumped a high 
fence, and told mommy good-bye. Then he grabbed me up and hugged me and 
said, `Brother is gone, don't expect you'll ever see me any more,' I 
don't know where he went, but I never did see him again.''
  Freedom meant more than the right to travel freely. It meant the 
right to name one's self and many freedmen gave themselves new names. 
County courthouses were overcrowded as blacks applied for licenses to 
legalize their marriages. Emancipation allowed ex-slaves the right to 
assemble and openly worship as they saw fit. As a result, a number of 
social and community organizations were formed, many originating from 
the church. Freedom implied that for the first time, United States laws 
protected the rights of blacks. There was a run on educational primers 
as freed men and women sought the education they had for so long been 
denied them.
  The Bureau of Refuges, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, commonly known 
as the Freedmen's Bureau, was founded by Congress in March 1865, to 
provide relief services for former slaves. Schools and churches were 
established and became centers of the newly-freed communities. The 
promise of emancipation gave freedmen optimism for the future; few 
realized slavery's bitter legacy was just beginning to unfold and that 
equality was to remain an elusive dream.
  Ex-slaves entered freedom under the worst possible conditions. Most 
were turned loose penniless and homeless, with only the clothes on 
their back. Ed-slaves were, as Frederick Douglas said ``free, without 
roofs, to cover them, or bread to eat, or land to cultivate, and as a 
consequence died in such numbers as to awaken the hope of their enemies 
that they would soon disappear.'' But we did not disappear. We 
celebrate today not only freedom, but the triumph of the human spirit 
and the legacy of a people whose struggle for equality continues even 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
great celebration.

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