[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 85 (Thursday, June 23, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNETEENTH INDEPENDENCE DAY

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                               speech of

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2005

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 160, a bill recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day as an 
important event in our Nation's history.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in commemorating the end of 
slavery, and I believe Juneteenth Independence Day provides the people 
of the United States a unique opportunity to look back and reflect on 
the experiences that have shaped our national history.
  This year marks the 140th commemoration of Juneteenth Independence 
Day, which was originally celebrated by slaves in Galveston Texas on 
June 19th, 1865. On that day, Union general Gordon Granger read aloud 
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, signed more than two years 
earlier. With the arrival of Union troops in Texas, the Proclamation's 
promise of freedom was finally fulfilled and the last American slaves 
were freed.
  Juneteenth Independence Day is the oldest known celebration of the 
end of slavery. It is intended to honor not only African-American 
freedom, but also promote respect for all cultures, and remind us of 
what it means to be an American.
  Juneteenth Independence Day commemorates a moment when the United 
States took an important step towards achieving the vision established 
in the Declaration of Independence, an America which recognizes that we 
truly are all created equal.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for introducing this 
important resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

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