[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 19, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2002

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Juneteenth 
Day.
  Each year, June 19th commemorates the end of slavery in this nation. 
It is a day of thanksgiving in the African-American community--a day in 
which we rejoice in the freedoms we enjoy and look ahead to a time when 
we can be completely free from the legacy of slavery.
  On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon 
Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and 
that all slaves were now free. This news, nearly two years after 
President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, brought freedom to 
thousands of slaves in what was then the western parts on the United 
States. Juneteenth Day is the oldest known celebration of the end of 
American slavery.
  In decline for much of the 20th century, the celebration of 
Juneteenth was rejuvenated during '50's and '60's with the rising call 
of civil rights. Today, cities and towns across the country are 
celebrating Juneteenth. It serves as a reminder of where the African-
American community was, where it is today, and where it can go.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that we must know our history before we can 
move forward. Today, as the descendants of slaves and sharecroppers 
myself, I stand here on the floor of the House of Representatives--
proud to celebrate Juneteenth Day.

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