[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL FOSTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2013

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Juneteenth, the 
oldest known celebration marking the end of slavery in the United 
States.
  It was not until June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President 
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, that Major General Gordon Granger 
arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the war had ended and 
the slaves were freed. Since then, Juneteenth has been celebrated 
nationally, serving as an important opportunity for friends, families 
and neighbors to come together and rejoice in our shared heritage. It's 
an important reminder both of the great tragedy of slavery and of the 
courage and resilience of all those who fought for change.
  I am proud to look back on this day at my own family's tradition of 
fighting for civil rights in this country. My great grandfather led one 
of the first units of African-American soldiers into battle, where they 
risked their lives and their own freedom to bring greater freedom to 
all Americans of every skin color. That tradition carried on through my 
family to my father who joined the civil rights struggle of the 1960s 
and went on to write much of the enforcement language behind the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964.
  Recently, I attended a ceremony commemorating the life of civil 
rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers on the 50th anniversary of his 
assassination. His legacy is a reminder of the courage of individuals 
who fight for freedom and opportunity. While we have made great strides 
since that day in 1865, the struggle for equality is not over.
  As I commemorate this historic day, I would like to urge my 
colleagues to honor the memory of all who have fought for freedom and 
equality and stand with all who continue the struggle today.

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