[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5826-S5827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    143RD CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today marks the 143rd anniversary of 
Juneteenth, a day on which our Nation celebrates the complete abolition 
of slavery in the United States.
  On June 19 of each year, we mark a turning point in American history. 
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation 
Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states. However, it was 
not until June 19, 1865, a full 2\1/2\ years later, that Union General 
Gordon Granger and 2,000 Federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX, to 
take possession of the State and enforce the emancipation decreed by 
President Lincoln. Tragically, slaves in Texas were not freed until 
that date. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year 
and have continued ever since.
  Now, in communities across the country, Juneteenth is a day for 
Americans to reflect upon a tragic period that divided our Nation and 
prevented realization of the Declaration of Independence's introductory 
words, ``(W)e hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are 
created equal . . . ''
  For Marylanders, Juneteenth is a time to contemplate our own State's 
history. Slave labor helped spur Maryland's growth from the State's 
conception in 1664 until 1864 when slavery was abolished with the 
ratification of a new

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State constitution. Two hundred years of subjugation and oppression, of 
bondage and tyranny, serve as a reminder to all of us now of the 
importance of freedom and equality.
  Although Maryland was a slave State, it did not secede from the 
Union. Marylanders' contributions to the Union cause and the 
abolitionist movement did much to secure the abolition of slavery. 
Harriet Tubman, who was born Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, freed 
countless slaves from bondage and was the first woman to lead an armed 
assault in the Civil War. Frederick Douglass, who was born Frederick 
Augustus Bailey in Talbot County, escaped slavery and went on to become 
one of the foremost leaders of the abolitionist movement. These heroic 
Marylanders dedicated their lives to the emancipation of all slaves and 
the empowerment of African Americans.
  Earlier this year, we commemorated the 40th anniversary of the death 
of Martin Luther King, Jr. His legacy remains with us as we continue to 
pursue equality and justice wherever disparities exist, whether in the 
economic, educational, housing, or health care arenas. It is our duty 
to eradicate discrimination in all its insidious forms. Our concerted 
efforts will be necessary to wipe out racial intolerance, and the 
strength of the Nation depends on the success of these efforts.
  Today, on this 143rd anniversary of the first Juneteenth, another 
historic event will take place. The first African-American woman to 
represent Maryland in the U.S. Congress, Donna Edwards, will be sworn 
in this afternoon. It is my honor, on this historic day, to call upon 
my colleagues to join me in celebrating Juneteenth and those who made 
this day possible.

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