[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 103 (Monday, June 14, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2728-H2736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Jacobs of California). Under the
Speaker's announced policy of January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the majority leader.
General Leave
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special
Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening for the
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour that deals with, of
course, Juneteenth, a very special time that I am delighted--with the
leadership of our chair, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty; and, of course, my
coanchor, Congressman Torres of New York--that we stand here to provide
this kind of leadership for this Congress and for this Nation.
Let me extend my heartfelt appreciation for all of the leadership
that have given us this time, including Speaker Pelosi and, of course,
Leader Hoyer, and to acknowledge the significance to African Americans
as it relates to Juneteenth.
Coming from Texas, let me tell you that Juneteenth, a couple days
from today, will be an amazing commemoration. We will be unveiling a
mural in Galveston, where General Granger first came. I believe
thousands will come. And if there will not be thousands, let you hear
my voice: Thousands should come because what a historic moment.
What does Juneteenth mean?
It means an acknowledgment of those who were in bondage for over 200
years. The Emancipation Proclamation--which, by the way, for the 150th
commemoration, because we had not finished our congressional work, I
was actually here at midnight--which is when President Abraham Lincoln
signed it at the National Archives. Looking at the original
Emancipation Proclamation, what a sense of emotion.
But then to let you know that that did not free all of the slaves.
Two years in bondage continued for those west of the Mississippi and
many States until General Granger reached the shores of Galveston,
still marked today in Texas, that said that you were free.
Can you imagine? Two extra years of bondage. Couldn't get out.
Couldn't read a newspaper or hold up a message that had come from your
relative that lived in Georgia. Couldn't do anything.
General Granger read these words of General Order Number 3, set off a
joyous celebration of the freed men and women of Texas. I have no shame
that it was called Jubilee. And there were a lot of picnics and what we
called in the later years ``red punch.''
[[Page H2729]]
Don't diminish our celebration. Don't diminish that joy in the midst
of sorrow.
How many died who could not see freedom?
Here are the words: ``The people of Texas are informed that, in
accordance with the Proclamation from the Executive of the United
States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of
rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and
the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between
employer and hired laborer.''
Now, the word was said that they were offered, the slaves: Don't
worry about it, just stay on the plantations, and we will pay you.
I am grateful, but those courageous, but impoverished, without
insight, without resources, without compensation, without recognition,
they said in their own power: We are leaving the plantations.
And they migrated up this road called Emancipation Trail.
I am gratified that I was able to introduce such legislation where my
Senate colleague, Senator Cornyn, joined me and now an Emancipation
Trail has been established as law. It is now under study. It will be
only the second commemoration of African-American history in this
Nation. The Selma to Montgomery is the first, and now the Emancipation
Trail that says: No, I was not going stay on the plantation; however, I
was going to survive; whatever I had to place together, I was going to
do it.
Then, of course, lo and behold, they found themselves--eight of them,
freed slaves, put their money together and purchased the first park
bought in the State of Texas by freed slaves or anyone. They called it
Emancipation Park.
So that is why we are here to celebrate and to educate this idea of
what it means to celebrate Juneteenth. I am delighted that we have
introduced a resolution that is bipartisan. But the most exciting part
about this is that I have introduced a bill that establishes Juneteenth
as a national Federal holiday. Not removing any other holiday, but
adding it to the list. Cosponsored by Senator Markey and Senator
Cornyn, and bipartisan. Over 160 cosponsors in the House.
I think it is worthy to have a holiday--a Federal holiday
established, and I am very proud to have been the Congressperson for
Representative Al Edwards, who is called the father of Juneteenth,
establishing the first paid State holiday in the State of Texas
highlighting, honoring, revering Juneteenth.
You will hear many of us continue our discussions about Juneteenth,
its significance in terms of freedom. And I am delighted, as I said, to
be coanchoring with my colleague. It is important to express our
appreciation to our chair, the Honorable Barbara Lee, a Californian but
born in Texas with a grandfather born in Galveston. She knows what
Juneteenth, the significance, the power of it is, and her legislative
legacy speaks to freedom.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the Honorable Barbara Lee.
{time} 1945
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for yielding but also for her
tremendous leadership and for the Emancipation Trail that she so boldly
led. I am just amazed at what she shared with me earlier today and just
now on the floor.
Because, yes, I am a daughter of Texas. My grandfather was born in
1875--10 years after. And my grandmother may have been part of the
Emancipation Trail. She was born probably in--they left Galveston
around 1900.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. She would have been part of it at a later time, but
that trail, since we know for sure there were no other ways of moving,
she had to walk along that semi-developed trail of little cities from
Galveston--walk along, drive along, in whatever capacity, and when I
say ``drive along,'' horse and buggy and otherwise.
That was a trail that the freed slaves, the ex-slaves, went from
Galveston all the way. There was the Reedy A.M.E., if I am correct, one
of the historic A.M.E. churches where they stopped for refuge. Then
they came on up, and they sought their way to freedom. They were not
going to stay on the plantation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back to the gentlewoman.
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, that sounds like my great-
grandmother Fanny, who I did not know, but my grandfather spoke of her.
I am certain that she was part of that.
As I listened to my colleague and looked more into my personal family
history, Galveston, certainly, is in my spirit. I guess that is why
each and every year since I was a child, we continued to celebrate
Juneteenth as our liberation day, our emancipation day.
Historically, we generally recognize January 1, 1863, the date when
the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, as the end of chattel slavery
of African Americans in the United States. However, for generations,
African-American communities have been celebrating June 19 as a
symbolic date representing our freedom from enslavement.
As Congresswoman Jackson Lee mentioned, Major General Gordon Granger
arrived in Galveston to announce the end of the Civil War. He also
declared that the enslaved Africans were now equal in personal rights
to that of their former masters, ending the inhumane, barbaric
subjugation of African Americans as property that still continued 2\1/
2\ years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Again, we are not far removed from this history. Citing my
grandfather, I have to call his name: Mr. W.C. Parish, William Calhoun
Parish. He was born in Galveston, just 10 years after Granger's
Juneteenth announcement.
Black Texans began celebrating Juneteenth the following year, and
year after year for the last 150-plus years. Communities across the
Nation have created their own traditions and events to honor and
commemorate this historic moment as a day of freedom.
It is not just a cultural celebration for African Americans. It is a
true testament to the endurance of our democratic ideals of liberty and
equality.
So, we need to pass H.R. 1320, the Juneteenth National Independence
Day Act, establishing Juneteenth as a Federal holiday to further cement
the importance of this date in our Nation's historical narrative on
freedom.
I thank Congresswoman Jackson Lee, again, for introducing this
legislation, and I am a proud cosponsor. The last time Congress enacted
a Federal holiday, I believe it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
birthday, and it took nearly 20 years for it to pass. We cannot let
this idle.
Each year, Juneteenth compels us to confront the darkest chapter in
American history, a chapter born in the Middle Passage, continued
through slavery, and manifested today through systemic racism. Our
Nation's racial past has consistently led to inequities in income,
education, employment, healthcare, and the wealth gap of African
Americans.
We must use Juneteenth to reflect upon the dehumanization of enslaved
Africans in America but also to honor their legacy because ``and still
we rise.''
The labor stolen from enslaved Africans built this country. Black
people created some of the most cherished national symbols, all while
considered merely three-fifths of a person under our Constitution.
We must honor and recognize the millions of men, women, and children
lost to the brutality of slavery. As a Nation, we must reckon with the
true nature and legacy of slavery in the United States and acknowledge
how it has allowed a false racial hierarchy to permeate and infect our
society today.
That is why, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, it is time to pass H.R. 40,
legislation to establish a commission to study and develop
reparations--championed, again, by a great Texan--to repair this
damage, and my resolution, H.R. 19, calling for truth, racial healing,
and transformation.
It is way too long. It is past overdue. We must repair this damage
and move forward.
Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Jackson Lee for this evening. I thank our
CBC chairwoman, Joyce Beatty, and our vice chair, Mr. Horsford, for
this Special Order tonight. I think it is very important that the
history be told of Juneteenth and how it connects to today and systemic
racism.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for honoring my ancestors.
[[Page H2730]]
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to be able to have
a Californian with deep roots in Texas on the floor because what this
says to our body is that this issue of slavery permeated all aspects of
this Nation. We can see that from the work, the commitment, and the
compassion of the Honorable Barbara Lee, followed by, of course, a
native daughter of Wisconsin who saw it in a different form and is
compelled to be on the floor today and who has championed for the
impoverished as well and particularly championed for those who
are experiencing modern-day impacts of slavery through inequities,
through poverty, through welfare, and that has been treated unfairly.
That is the Honorable Gwen Moore from Wisconsin.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding to me and for inviting me.
Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to join my CBC colleagues in
highlighting the importance of honoring the holiday and continuing the
legacy of Juneteenth Day, the first one celebrated on June 19, 1865.
As you have heard, this is the date on which Union Major General
Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of both
the Civil War and the inhumane system of legalized enslavement of
Africans in the United States of America.
Now, it must be noted that this announcement came 2\1/2\ years after
President Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order that most of us
know as the Emancipation Proclamation. But it is an important reminder
that our efforts to form a more perfect Union don't really have any
timeframe or any date, but they are ever ongoing.
Madam Speaker, I want you to know that in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from
which I hail, we are going to be celebrating Juneteenth Day, and it
will be the 50th anniversary of Juneteenth Day. Yes, in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, up north, we started observing this holiday in 1971. It is a
long way from Galveston, Texas, making it one of the first Northern
States to commemorate the end of slavery in our country.
Madam Speaker, this Saturday, we will again gather along North King
Drive to highlight Black culture with traditional food, music, youth
essay contests, marketplaces, pageants, and a parade, unofficially
marking the opening of Milwaukee's famous summer festival. This coming
Friday, we will be raising the Juneteenth flag in the State capital of
Madison, Wisconsin, to honor this day. We take Juneteenth seriously.
Madam Speaker, in 1972, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported an
estimated 3,000 people attending our second annual Juneteenth festival.
That number increased over the years, and between 160,000 and 170,000
people have attended these festivals. The high number of festival-goers
can be personally attributed to Milwaukee's notably special, historic
response to the system of slavery and to our efforts to teach the young
people about Wisconsin's and Milwaukee's role in ending slavery.
Now, in 1854, a Missouri slave owner traveled to Racine, Wisconsin,
the place where I was born, 27 miles south of Milwaukee, to demand that
a runaway slave by the name of Joshua Glover be surrendered under the
U.S. Fugitive Slave Law. Glover, who had been playing cards at the
time, was arrested and carried 27 miles north to Milwaukee so that he
could be in a secure jail until the Federal marshals could move Joshua
Glover back to Missouri because it was a larger and more secure jail.
Well, when abolitionist newspaper editor Sherman Booth heard this, he
rode through Milwaukee streets calling on sympathizers to storm the
jail. A mob of 5,000 Milwaukeeans outnumbered the police and demanded
the keys, but the wardens refused. The crowd smashed down the door.
Joshua Glover was freed and successfully moved through the Underground
Railroad to Canada.
Booth later declared in court:
I rejoice that the first attempt to convert our jail into a
slave-pen and our citizens into slave-catchers has signally
failed.
The Wisconsin State Supreme Court agreed with him and declared the
Federal Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional in Wisconsin. In fact, in
1850, Wisconsin was the first and only State to declare the Fugitive
Slave Law unconstitutional.
As one of my constituents, the curator of the Wisconsin Black
Historical Society, noted, the Juneteenth holiday signifies that
African Americans are full citizens of this country, deserving of
equity and justice.
Madam Speaker, it is an important day of jubilation not only for the
descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States but for the
American people as a whole, for it is not just simply Black history
that we are celebrating. We are celebrating a victory in American
history about freedom and equality for all of us who call ourselves
Americans.
While it may have been the 13th and the 14th Amendments of the
Constitution that formally freed the slaves, let us continue to observe
Juneteenth Day as our day of reflection, knowing that our ancestors
paid in blood and paid it forward for the unimaginable toil for the
freedom recognized on this day.
As I often tell our young people: Freedom just ain't free, y'all. Our
ancestors paid for it. And as a tribute to them, we have to take
responsibility to do the best that we can and continue to work
tirelessly toward justice and equity in this great land of ours.
Madam Speaker, that is why I admire Sheila Jackson Lee and Barbara
Lee so much for their efforts around reparations and equity in our
society.
With that good news arriving in Galveston, the push for true equality
of opportunity continues to this great day in our society. We see it
reflected in the marches, in the movements, in the legislation, and in
everything that we do today, because despite our being free, we see the
disparities in healthcare, in education, in homeownership, in COVID.
The struggle is real. The struggle continues. And we are here to
remind everyone that all of us are Americans.
Madam Speaker, I again thank Sheila Jackson Lee for yielding.
{time} 2000
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, what a rich and enriching discussion.
Thank you to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin. That is why we gathered
here, to say to America, we come from the Midwest, the South, the East,
and we still find a common bond around the question of Juneteenth,
reparations, and of course, voting rights that are so important.
But as I yield, let me be very clear, these are American values.
These are values that my friends on the other side of the aisle could
adopt, just like I could adopt.
Why? Because I don't know anyone that would extinguish freedom and
deny that where there is bondage and where freedom comes, we should
celebrate it, but we should tell the story about it, and we should
respond to it.
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings), who has a number of historical
monuments in Florida that indicates her knowledge and understanding of
freedom.
Mrs. DEMINGS. Madam Speaker, as you know, our Nation was created with
the highest ideals and values. Our new Nation was set aside to be a
beacon of hope where we could build our hopes and dreams and calm our
fears. We are known as the home of the brave and land of the free.
Yes, the history is clear, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the
Emancipation Proclamation, America demonstrated its ability to rise to
its values. But America's history, as we all know, is complicated. For
it took 2 years, from January 1 of 1863 to June 19 of 1865, for the
last group of enslaved Americans to receive official word that they
were indeed free.
But we know today, Madam Speaker, that our work is not yet done. We
are still a work in progress. We the people, in order to form a more
perfect union, we are a work in progress.
Let us celebrate Juneteenth, as we should. But celebrating freedom
must be more than just a special day. It must be a celebration of who
as a Nation we say we are; one who says we believe in justice for all.
Yes, America celebrates being free, celebrates our freedom from
physical bondage, but we must also celebrate freedom from
discrimination. We must also celebrate freedom from racism. We must
also celebrate freedom from poverty. We must also celebrate freedom
[[Page H2731]]
from injustice. And we must also celebrate freedom from complacency.
Mrs. Coretta Scott King said this: ``Struggle is a never ending
process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every
generation.''
Madam Speaker, regardless of the color of our skin, what State we are
from, how much money we have in the bank, our religion, our gender, or
our political party, we all have an obligation, and we all must carry
the torch of freedom.
Madam Speaker, I thank our chair who is leading this Special Order.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I can't imagine with the recounting
of the story by Val Demings that we are not securing, how should I say
it, multiple numbers of Members to join in the holiday pronouncement
and resolution, and bill, rather, of Juneteenth, to support H.R. 40,
and to recognize the value of commemorating and teaching about the
history of African Americans.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), a
person who has great knowledge and is a great storyteller, a fighter
for justice, and a fellow member of the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
leading this Special Order today on behalf of the Congressional Black
Caucus as we rise together to celebrate the African-American community
and to commemorate an unsung holiday known as Juneteenth.
Now, I was 21 years old when I first heard of Juneteenth. That was
the year that I arrived in Texas to go to law school at Texas Southern
University.
Having been born here in the District of Columbia, somewhat north--
some folks say it is south, but I considered it to be the north, but
now I accept it as being in the south.
Back then, I didn't learn anything about Juneteenth living here in
Washington, D.C., nor did I learn about it when I moved south to
Atlanta at the age of 17. So the first time I heard was in Texas, and
it was a joyful celebration, a joyful day. But since I have left Texas
and gone back to Georgia, we don't really celebrate Juneteenth in
Georgia.
Right now, this year, will constitute the first county in Georgia--it
would be my home county, DeKalb County--that will recognize and
celebrate Juneteenth as a holiday. And it is a holiday that should be
enjoyed by all of Americans, not just by Black people, but by White
people, too, because when one of us are in bondage, it means all of us
are in bondage. When all of us are free is when we are truly free.
So Juneteenth marks the 156th celebration of the ending of slavery in
this Nation, and since then we have made significant strides in the
expansion of civil rights. We have outlawed segregation, integrated our
schools, and done important work to increase access to the polls.
Nonetheless, even 156 years later, America and the way her laws are
applied remain biased against the Black man. Our neighborhoods and our
schools are still subject to de facto segregation, and schools with
larger African-American populations are unlikely to receive adequate
funding and support.
Our justice system is a continuation of this systemic bias. Under the
guise of public protection, we arrest and forcibly confine African
Americans five times as often as White Americans for the exact same
crimes. Now, these realities directly contradict American ideals.
And so on this anniversary of Juneteenth, I believe the best way to
celebrate the community and honor our past is to take deliberate action
to make our country a just and equitable home for all Americans.
But how can we do that when Republicans are now on this issue called
critical race theory, and they want to ban all discussion about this
legal concept that they have turned into a political football. It was a
legal concept that now has taken on some kind of a dastardly meaning.
And the only thing it is, is first an acknowledgment that the
vestiges of racism, the vestiges of slavery and racism still exist in
this country, and a discussion about how it impacts our current
reality. That is all that we are talking about. We are talking about
realizing history, celebrating history in the case of Juneteenth. We
have a lot to celebrate, and all of us should celebrate, but we cannot
do that unless we know what our history is.
And my friends on the other side of the aisle are taking deliberate
acts now to suppress it. I told you, I just heard about it, you know,
when I was 21 years old. You know, we need our people to know about
this. We need America to know about it, and we can all celebrate
together, just like we do with all the other holidays like
Thanksgiving, for instance.
Madam Speaker, I don't mean to be divisive, but I do want to speak
truth.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as I get ready to yield to the
distinguished gentleman from Las Vegas, Nevada, I want to make sure he
lets me know my pronunciation is correct, it is a very sensitive
question.
But as the gentleman from Georgia leaves, let me at least acknowledge
that critical race theory. Here is the question I ask: Should I not
know about Italians and how they came and were treated? Should I not
know about the Irish who left in the midst of the potato famine and
faced discrimination? Should I not know about Native Americans?
So we are the American experiment. Does everybody realize that? No
one thought that we would ever survive, and we have come together with
a multitude of groups. Our strength is in the recognition of our
differences, and in our unity.
This came out of Texas. This Representative is all over. He
misinterprets the teaching by teachers. He has never sat in the class
to know that teachers are not condemning, they are just educating.
Isn't it wonderful in little babies' minds to not put condemnation but
to put understanding so that we can appreciate each other's condition?
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield to the gentleman from Nevada
(Mr. Horsford), who is the first vice chair of the Congressional Black
Caucus but sits on the Ways and Means Committee. And if he will allow
me, I just want to make this point.
You are seeing Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I can
tell you our agenda is as wide and varied as America, from taxation to
agriculture to tech to criminal justice to the issues that American is
facing, job creation.
But we also understand that we would be remiss if we did not stand on
the floor to be able to give our own life experiences and to share with
America what the value of our diversity is all about.
Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr.
Horsford).
Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman from Texas,
the esteemed Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, for her yielding and her
leadership in anchoring this Special Order hour along with our
colleague, Congressman Torres.
I commend both of them for the leadership that they provide in
bringing our voice as the Congressional Black Caucus to the floor of
the House of Representatives during this Special Order hour.
Madam Speaker, I thank our Chairwoman Joyce Beatty for recognizing
just how important it is for the Congressional Black Caucus to speak on
so many important issues.
Today is the commemoration for the Juneteenth holiday that we now
recognize and to commemorate June 19th, 1865, when some of the last
enslaved people in the United States learned that they were free.
But as my colleagues have spoken about here tonight, more than 2
years before the first Juneteenth, President Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in Confederate
States.
Instead, though, slave owners hid the news of emancipation and kept
free people in captivity, but on Juneteenth the truth set them free.
And Juneteenth is now a celebration, a commemoration of the power of
that truth.
A lot of people want to hide our history, they want to not speak
about the truth of our history, but there are truths, like
emancipation, that merit us speaking and celebrating and commemorating,
as we are doing. But we also must reckon with the horrors of this past
that is also part of the United States history.
[[Page H2732]]
{time} 2015
As we honor Juneteenth, we must remember the decades of Jim Crow laws
and white supremacist terror that followed even after the freeing of
enslaved Black peoples. We must remember the Tulsa race massacre and
the destruction of Black Wall Street as we do other race massacres that
have occurred during our history. And we must commit to understanding
how systemic racism has shaped our Nation's past and, sadly, its
present.
I am the first African-American Congressman from the State of Nevada,
so I feel uniquely honored to bring the voices of my community and my
constituents to the floor of this House. I am also proud that in my
district and across the Silver State, Juneteenth celebrations have
multiplied in recent years with the help of scholars and leaders,
including Diane Pollard, who literally was one of my educators in high
school; Al Gourrier, Sr.; Deborah Evans; and many other luminaries who
have carried on the spirit of Juneteenth.
This week, throughout my district, we are celebrating the 20th
anniversary of the Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival, which supports
educational programming for underserved youth through the Rainbow
Dreams Education Foundation and the Rainbow Dreams Academy Charter
School.
I also want to recognize the Save Our Sons Juneteenth Festival, which
brings our community together to celebrate Juneteenth and to support
mentoring for underserved youth.
You see, Madam Speaker, Juneteenth isn't just about what happened in
the past. It is what is continuing to happen right now, today, in the
present.
As Juneteenth celebrations grow, so does our collective understanding
about the vibrant Black culture and history that have shaped our Nation
since its founding.
So let us embrace Juneteenth 2021 as a day of truth. Let us remember
the joys and sorrows of our history. And let us build from them toward
a more perfect Union, with true liberty, true justice, and true
equality for all.
Madam Speaker, I thank the anchor for yielding, and I thank my
colleagues for coming to the floor to bring commemoration for
Juneteenth 2021.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. May I ask the Speaker the time remaining, please.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Texas has 22 minutes
remaining.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield to a
gentleman with a storied and layered history entrenched in one of the
States that suffered the extension of slavery and faces its challenges
today, of which this gentleman has been in the mix and in the gap of
fighting for justice. We are excited about his presence here. I am so
honored and privileged that he has chosen, with all of the work he has
to do because he was elected in a special election, this moment in
history to present his first speech on the floor of the House.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the State of Louisiana
(Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman so
much for her incredible leadership on this issue and so many others. We
appreciate all that she does, and we appreciate her steadfast and
steady hand of guidance and leadership for the people of America.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to address this
body. On Freedom's Eve, January 1, 1863, enslaved and free African
Americans gathered across the country, awaiting news that the
Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. When the clock struck
midnight, their prayers were answered, as it was declared that all
enslaved people in Confederate States were legally free.
While the 13th Amendment did end slavery under the law, not all who
were enslaved were immediately freed. It took more than 2 years for the
freedom to reach everyone when the Union troops arrived in Galveston
Bay, Texas, to announce that more than 250,000 people within the State
were free.
It was this day, June 19, 1865, that we mark as the true day of
freedom from the tyranny and oppression of slavery and the first steps
into the Reconstruction era. We now honor this day, June 19, as
Juneteenth.
While Juneteenth is a historic day that has been widely known and
celebrated by African Americans for over a century, it is clear that
many Americans still are unaware of the significance of this historic
date. In the wake of the demonstrations that took place last summer,
many Americans were faced with the uncomfortable truth regarding our
country's fraught racial history.
The word ``Juneteenth'' entered our Nation's lexicon at a time when
Americans were left to reconcile their daily lives with our daily
struggles. It was a time set aside for reflection, for learning, for
mourning, and for upheaval. Juneteenth marks the day that we as a
nation were truly able to end the insidious practice of slavery and
begin to move forward to a better world. It also marks that our country
still struggles and must live up to its promise.
Representative John Lewis was an American icon, a civil rights
leader, and one of my personal heroes. In this Congress, we prepare to
hear a bill in his name that expands voting rights, the very thing he
was asked for as he crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge decades ago.
In 2021, we continue to speak out and fight against systemic racism
as its vestiges of voter suppression, redlining, gerrymandering, and
other Jim Crow relics still erode our democracy today.
What makes America great is our diversity. It is our ability to see
and understand issues from the many different perspectives that
encompass our populace. While America has broken some promises in the
past, we, America collectively, have the ability and the potential to
rectify our past wrongs. We strive to improve; we work to grow; and we
push to remediate our problems and make them better.
As of today, 47 States have declared Juneteenth a State holiday. My
native State of Louisiana recently signed into law that Louisiana will
now recognize Juneteenth as a State holiday. I am very proud of that
measure, and I am very proud of our Governor, John Bel Edwards, for
signing that measure into law. I am very proud of the legislators who
fought to bring it forward.
I am grateful for the steps that we have taken to recognize the
history behind Juneteenth and to honor its legacy. That is why I
believe that Juneteenth should be a federally observed holiday. This is
America, and despite all of our many challenges, America continues to
be the world's greatest nation.
For this reason, I am optimistic about our future and optimistic
about our corrections. Together, we can make our world a better place
and uphold the promise of freedom and justice for all.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, let me congratulate the gentleman for
the new law in Louisiana and for his leadership and his powerful
message on this floor on the freedom, really, of all people. My freedom
is your freedom, your freedom is my freedom, and our freedom is
America's freedom.
Let me express my appreciation to my co-anchor, the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Torres). I thank him for his leadership. Let me be very
clear that both his history and his State as well have a vested history
in liberty and freedom, but, yes, no place did escape the vestiges of
slavery.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres).
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Jackson
Lee for her leadership.
In order to understand where we stand in the present, we have to
understand where we have been and how we came to arrive at a society as
racially divided and as unequal as our own. For me, it is a scandal
that most Americans have never heard of Juneteenth and most Americans
have never heard of the Tulsa race massacre because these events are
rarely, if ever, taught in public education.
Juneteenth is not only not taught in our public schools, but there is
not even a national holiday celebrating an event that has profound
meaning to Black Americans, to all Americans. So I want to commend the
gentlewoman's leadership in advancing a bill that would establish
Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Frederick Douglass famously posed the question: What to a slave is
July Fourth?
Juneteenth is to Black America what July Fourth has exclusively been
to
[[Page H2733]]
White America: Independence Day. Juneteenth refers to the moment when
slaves in Texas came to discover their legal freedom under the
Emancipation Proclamation. Out of that discovery came a 156-year
tradition of Juneteenth celebration. It refers to the moment when Major
General Gordon Granger led a Union Army to Texas to enforce the
Emancipation Proclamation 2\1/2\ years after its issuance.
The announcement was known as General Order Number 3, and it read as
follows: ``The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a
proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are
free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights
of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection
heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and
hired labor.''
For me, Juneteenth contains a deeper lesson that we ignore at our own
peril. Law becomes real not when it is proclaimed but when it is
enforced.
The emancipation of enslaved people became real not when it was
proclaimed by Abraham Lincoln but when it was enforced by the Union
Army, most notably on Juneteenth.
The desegregation of our public schools became real not when it was
proclaimed by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education but when
it was enforced most notably by President Eisenhower, who sent the
National Guard to Little Rock, Arkansas.
Voting rights became real not when it was proclaimed by the 15th
Amendment but when it was enforced a century later by the Voting Rights
Act enforced by the process of preclearance, which has since been
gutted by the Supreme Court but which we are seeking to restore with
the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Reconstruction was doomed by a lack of Federal enforcement. In the
beginning, Reconstruction had early success. It saw the passage of the
13th Amendment, which abolished slavery; the 14th Amendment, which
provided for equal protection of the law and which prohibited
discrimination based on race; and the 15th Amendment, which provided
for voting rights and which prohibited disenfranchisement based on
race.
During Reconstruction, scores of African Americans began exercising
their fundamental right to vote, and some African Americans began
winning elective office. For a fleeting moment, there was an outburst
of Black political power in America. Then came a turning point in the
1876 Presidential election, whose outcome was decided by a
congressional commission.
Then-Presidential candidate Rutherford B. Hayes cut a deal with white
supremacists in the United States Congress. He agreed to withdraw the
Union Army from the former Confederate States in exchange for the
Presidency. When the Union Army withdrew from the South, it left behind
a vacuum that ultimately came to be filled by Jim Crow, a system of
racial discrimination, racial segregation, and racial terrorism.
{time} 2030
What followed the failure of Reconstruction was the lost century.
Madam Speaker, for me, the lesson of Juneteenth is that an activist
Federal Government is an essential defender of human rights and civil
rights. It is an essential defender of equality and dignity and
humanity for all Americans. We must learn from the lessons of history,
and we must continue the work of Reconstruction that is long overdue.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I say to the gentleman from New York,
it is an esteemed pleasure to be able to draw upon both his knowledge
and scholarship--might I stand on his shoulders--an activist Federal
Government.
For some reason, as we face these trials and tribulations of 2021,
there is a hesitancy to realize that the Federal Government is, in
simplistic terms, an umbrella on a rainy day. It is, in fact, the
concrete barrier in the time of a storm. And that is why we are on the
floor today.
Let me acknowledge that an activist Federal Government, in the
positive way, would be the government that would say that Italian
history and Irish history, Latinx, Hispanic history, and Caribbean
history, and African history, and the Pilgrim Pride history, and
European history, and Asian-Pacific history, and Southeast Asian-
Pacific, and any others that I have left out, is valuable to be heard
by our children's ears. It is valuable to be taught.
Then they would be able to understand the gentleman's entreat, his
request, which is H.R. 1320, which is bipartisan, that declares
Juneteenth a national Federal holiday.
And to the wrong representation of right-wing radio, it doesn't
substitute any holiday. It adds it to the list of Federal holidays. It
does not subtract any holiday; does not take any holiday away. Yet it
acknowledges the importance of that day and, as well, it is led by
Senators Markey and Cornyn, a Republican and Democrat in the United
States Senate, and it is a bipartisan bill in the House.
Is there any reason not to move this bill along as quickly as
possible?
And if there is a basis for not understanding what freedom meant,
look at this slave that was symbolic of the life that slave led; but
that is the light of being beat.
What about those who were beaten to death or burned to death?
It is no shame for our children to be taught this history. I know no
teacher who would stand in the classroom and condemn children. I know
teachers who are loving, and will give understanding, and let a child
come out and say, I want a better America.
Isn't that the kind of soldier and doctor and lawyer and teacher we
want to build up? Isn't that the kind of citizen we want to grow?
And then, if we want to make it realistic and home for our moment, as
my colleagues have said, we spent 4 days in Tulsa, Greenwood, that was
burned to the ground; 300 in an unmarked grave. This is what 1921
looked like; not 1865, not 1810, not 1799, not 1724, when slavery was
raging, if you will, 250 years. This is what it looked like in 1921; a
black body burned on the streets of Greenwood.
So when we talk about jubilee and freedom, we do it in a way that we
can, as Americans, be free. And then I want to say that matches the
Emancipation Trail that is now law in the State of Texas, that march
from victory, when General Granger said you are free. It matches H.R.
40, which is a non-offensive repair and reconciliation that speaks to
the language that Justice Hughes said about Black Americans, the
discrete and insular minority excluded from those political processes
ordinarily to be relied upon to protect them. All throughout tenure
here there were denials of our freedom.
And then, of course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., talked about an
insufficient check; not of money, but he talked about that we have
never been given justice and equality.
So when we speak of the Emancipation Trail, only the second
commemoration of the history of African Americans 250 years in bondage,
when we speak of Juneteenth, it is for all to celebrate, when General
Granger landed on the shores of Galveston.
We will be in Galveston celebrating. We will see Naomi Carrier. We
will see Eileen Lawal and Jackie Bostic, Ramon Manning and, of course,
the Emancipation Conservatory. We will get to see Opal Lee, almost 100
years old, fighting for this holiday, or Al Edwards. We will get to see
Senator Cornyn, a Republican who joins us in this commemoration, and
all others. We will get to see the Nation be able to understand in its
finality that it must be clear, it must be our birthright.
It is a reminder, this day, on Juneteenth, that liberty and freedom
are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be jealously
guarded and preserved for future generations.
That is why we are on the floor today. We are not in anger. We are
not in anguish. We are here, in fact, for liberation, freedom, and the
empowerment of all Americans.
Let stories be told, no matter who you are. And let the story be told
of those uniquely held in bondage, through H.R. 40, the Commission to
Study and Develop Reparation Proposals, which we seek to put on the
floor in this great month. And, of course, the national holiday of
Juneteenth, along with the historic gift that we give to America, the
Emancipation Trail, that all the world will be able to come.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to thank my chair, the Honorable Joyce
Beatty, for her leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus. And
because
[[Page H2734]]
of freedom, it is a wonderment to stand here, free, with my colleague
from New York, my co-chair, the Honorable Congressman Torres, and all
others.
Isn't it precious?
In God we trust that we stand here in freedom. Let us not ever lose
it, and let us fight for it and let us keep it.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to anchor the Congressional
Black Caucus's Special Order tonight on Juneteenth Independence Day.
I am pleased to be joined by Congresswoman Beatty, the Chair of the
CBC; Congressman Torres of New York, the co-anchor for this Special
Order, and so many of our CBC colleagues to commemorate a historically
significant day for all Americans, but especially African Americans.
Let me extend on behalf of the CBC its heartfelt thanks to the House
leadership, particularly Majority Leader Hoyer, for their support which
paved the way for the House last year to pass by unanimous consent H.
Res. 1001, the resolution I introduced recognizing Juneteenth
Independence Day.
Madam Speaker, Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as
July 4 is to all Americans because on that day, June 19, 155 years ago,
General Gordon Granger, the Commanding Officer of the District of
Texas, rode into Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of the last
American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two
and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation.
When General Granger read these words of General Order No. 3 set off
joyous celebrations of the freedmen and woman of Texas:
``The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a
Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are
free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of
property between former masters and slaves, and the connection
therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired
laborer.''
Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867
under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise,
commemorating freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and
contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our
great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has
become.
As the nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, our national day of
independence, it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our
nation and its people.
I want to thank the Members of the House for their bipartisan support
of this annual Juneteenth Resolution, which has 214 cosponsors, of
which 202 are original sponsors.
General Granger's reading of General Order No. 3 ended chattel
slavery, a form of perpetual servitude that held generations of
Africans in bondage in the United States for two-hundred and fortyeight
years and opened a new chapter in American history.
Recognizing the importance of this date, former slaves coined the
word ``Juneteenth'' to mark the occasion with a celebration the first
of which occurred in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the
direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.
Juneteenth was and is a living symbol of freedom for people who did
not have it.
Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise.
It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and
contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our
great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has
become.
The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict
in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted
brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to
tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became
the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never
free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often
said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.''
Truer words were never spoken.
We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those
statements, and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by
all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise.
Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African
Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the legacy of
perseverance that has become the hallmark of the African American
experience in the struggle for equality.
But Madam Speaker, as the poet Langston Hughes reminds us in his
famous poem, ''Mother to Son,'' life in America for African Americans
``ain't been no crystal stair.''
The post-bellum period in America was marked by violence and
terrorism against African Americans as they sought to make real the
promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Nowhere was the reign of terror to which they were subjected to more
horrific than the 1921 Tulsa-Greenwood Race Massacre, which occurred a
century ago this past May 31-June 1.
Tulsa's Greenwood District, was known as ``Black Wall Street,'' and
was the most prosperous African American community in the United
States.
The Greenwood community with a population of over 10,000 Black people
had stores that sold luxury items, 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores, a
hospital, a savings and loan bank, a post office, three hotels, jewelry
and clothing stores, two movie theaters, a library, pool halls, a bus
and cab service, a nationally recognized school system, six private
airplanes, and two black newspapers.
But on May 31st of that year, the 35 city blocks of Greenwood went up
in flames, at least 300 Black persons were murdered and more than 800
were injured; it is estimated that not less than 9,000 were left
homeless and destitute.
The message of the Tulsa Race Massacre was clear to Black America:
``Stay in your place. Do not attempt to accumulate and bequeath wealth
or own property. Remember your history in America is as chattel
property.''
Madam Speaker, were they still alive, the domestic terrorists of the
mob in Greenwood would see their evil reenacted--and then followed by a
similar attempt to cover-up it and foster collective amnesia--a century
later in the siege and desecration of the hallowed halls of the U.S.
Capitol, the 'Citadel of Democracy'.
It should not be overlooked that the source of the January 6 white
mob's irrational anger, hatred, and violent reaction was that Black
Americans voted in overwhelming numbers in Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee,
Philadelphia, and other enclaves to oust the most proWhite supremacy
President since the Civil War.
Some might ask ``Why dwell on the past? Let us forget unpleasant
things and move on into the future.''
My answer is to quote the great southern writer William Faulkner:
``The past is never dead. It is not even the past.''
The hatreds, prejudices, resentments, and white supremacy that Black
Americans witnessed and suffered in Greenwood a century ago are not
dead; they are not even past.
So my message to the descendants of the survivors and victims of
slavery, America's Original Sin, is to keep fighting for justice, to
never be silent, to affirm the truth, and seek accountability.
In his famous Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln spoke of
the profound moral debt owed for ``all the wealth piled by the
bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil,'' and that
the Civil War was the judgment of the Lord, which was ``true and
righteous altogether.''
That debt remains to be paid, which is why African Americans have
always peacefully petitioned the government for the redress of its
grievances.
As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said at the 1963 March on
Washington:
``In a sense, we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check.
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
``This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as
white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
``It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory
note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of
honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a
bad check, a check which has come back marked `insufficient funds.' But
we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to
believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of
opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check--a check
that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of
justice.''
Madam Speaker, H.R. 40, legislation I have introduced, continues this
proud legacy of demanding reparative justice and accountability for
injuries inflicted.
H.R. 40, which establishes a national commission to examine slavery
and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to
the present and recommend appropriate remedies.
Among other requirements, the commission shall identify (1) the role
of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of
slavery; (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors
against freed slaves and their descendants; and (3) lingering negative
effects of slavery on living African-Americans and society.
The goal of the historical investigations H.R. 40 mandates is to
bring American society to a new reckoning with how our past affects the
[[Page H2735]]
current conditions of African Americans and to make America a better
place by helping the truly disadvantaged.
Consequently, the reparations movement does not focus on payments to
individuals, but to remedies that can be created in as many forms
necessary to equitably address the many kinds of injuries sustained
from chattel slavery and its continuing vestiges.
To merely focus on finance is an empty gesture and betrays a lack of
understanding of the depth of the unaddressed moral issues that
continue to haunt this nation.
While it might be convenient to assume that we can address the
current divisive racial and political climate in our nation through
race neutral means, experience shows that we have not escaped our
history.
Though the Civil Rights Movement challenged many of the most racist
practices and structures that subjugated the African American
community, it was not followed by a commitment to truth and
reconciliation.
For that reason, the legacy of racial inequality has persisted, and
left the nation vulnerable to a range of problems that continue to
yield division, racial disparities, and injustice.
By passing H.R. 40, Congress can start a movement toward the national
reckoning we need to bridge racial divides.
Reparations are ultimately about respect and reconciliation--and the
hope that one day, all Americans can walk together toward a more just
future.
Official slavery ended with the Civil War and ratification of the
Thirteenth Amendment.
But unofficial slavery was continued with the new institution of
share-crop farming, a criminal justice system that would press convicts
into work once done by slaves, and labor policies that dictated income
for work done based upon skin color.
And, of course, all of this was reinforced by the systematic
disenfranchisement of black Americans, the ``discrete and insular
minority'' excluded from ``those political processes ordinarily to be
relied upon to protect'' them, to quote Chief Justice Hughes' famous
Footnote 4 in United States v. Carolene Products Company, 304 U.S. 144
(1938).
These are just some of the many reasons that the history of the
United States is intertwined with the history of enslaved Africans in
the Americas.
``There is blood and there are tears, but there is also redemption
and reconciliation.
But to get there, we must have the complete truth and lay our history
bare. It is the light that sheds the way to the more perfect union all
Americans want.
``The Commission created and empowered by H.R. 40 is a necessary
first step in that effort to get to truth and reconciliation about the
'Original Sin of American Slavery' that is necessary to light the way
to the beloved community we all seek.''
So, Madam Speaker, this is where we are.
In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have
arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the
mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African
American history and culture.
Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom while encouraging
self-development and respect for all cultures .
But it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and
freedom are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be
jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.
Press Statement
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces H.R. 1320 the Bipartisan
Juneteenth National Independence Day Act--Currently Has 159 Sponsors in
the House
As the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee
on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, I am committed to
affording members of this committee to uncover the facts and
shine light into darkness to reveal the threats posed by `The
Rise of Domestic Terrorism in America.' On January 6, 2021,
the nation and the world witnessed the damage caused by
divisions acerbated by lies and hate.''
Washington, DC--``Today I re-introduced in the House of
Representatives the bipartisan Juneteenth National
Independence Day Act, H.R. 1320, with 102 co-sponsors. The
House re-introduction coincides with the reintroduction of a
Senate companion bill by Senators Markey, Smith, and Booker.
Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, legislation when
enacted would make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
``Juneteenth,'' is observed on June 19, and commemorates the
end of slavery in the United States and is also known as
``Emancipation Day,'' ``Jubilee Day,'' and ``Juneteenth
Independence Day.''
``On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, Major General
Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced
that, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, ``all
slaves are free. Juneteenth is currently recognized by 47
states and the District of Columbia as an official state
holiday or observance. In 1980, Texas was the first state to
recognize Juneteenth as a paid state holiday.''
``Juneteenth honors the end of the years of suffering that
African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the
legacy of perseverance that has become the hallmark of the
African American experience in the struggle for equality.
These values are shared by millions of Americans who over
generations have held fast to the promise of this nation
while struggling fore basic human rights.''
``Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom while
encouraging selfdevelopment and respect for all cultures. But
it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and
freedom are the precious birthright of all Americans which
must be jealously guarded and preserved for future
generations. As it takes on a more national and even global
perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten,
for all our roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a
national day of pride is growing. This is why we must
establish the Juneteenth Independence Day, as a national
holiday. And today we also pay special tribute to Opal Lee,
the Grandmother of Juneteenth!''
TABLE 1.--STATES THAT COMMEMORATE OR OBSERVE JUNETEENTH
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year of
State Recognition Citation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama............................ 2011 2011 Ala. Adv. Legis.
Serv. 398
(LexisNexis)
Alaska............................. 2001 Alaska Stat.
44.12.090 (2001)
Arizona............................ 2016 Ariz. Rev. Stat. 1-
315 (Lexis Nexis
2016)
Arkansas........................... 2005 Ark. Code Ann. 1-5-
114 (2005)
California......................... 2003 Cal. Gov't Code 6719
(Deering 2003)
Colorado........................... 2004 H.J. Res. 04-1027,
64th Gen. Assemb.,
2nd Reg. Sess. (Co.
2004)
Connecticut........................ 2003 Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-
29a(a)(48) (2003)
Delaware........................... 2000 Del. Code Ann. tit. 1,
604 (2000)
District of Columbia............... 2003 Res. 160, 15th,
Counsel, 2003 D.C.
Florida............................ 1991 Fla. Stat. 683.21
(1991)
Georgia............................ 2011 S. Res. 164, 151st
Gen. Assemb., Reg.
Sess (Ga. 1991)
Idaho.............................. 2001 S. Con. Res. 101,
56th, Leg., Reg.
Sess. (Idaho 2001)
Illinois........................... 2003 5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/
63 (2003)
Indiana............................ 2010 H. Con. Res. 38, 116st
Gen. Assemb., 2d Reg.
Sess. (Ind. 2010)
Iowa............................... 2002 Iowa Code 1C.14
(2002).
Kansas............................. 2007 S. Res. 1860, 82nd
Leg., Reg. Sess.
(Kan. 2007)
Kentucky........................... 2005 Ky. Rev. Stat. 2.147
(LexisNexis 2005)
Louisiana.......................... 2003 La. Stat. Ann.
1:58:2 (2003)
Maine.............................. 2011 Me. Stat. tit. 1,
150-H (2011)
Maryland........................... 2014 Md. Code Ann., Gen.
Prov. 7-411
(LexisNexis 2014)
Massachusetts...................... 2007 Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6,
15BBBBB (2007)
Michigan........................... 2005 Mich. Comp. Laws
435.361 (2005)
Minnesota.......................... 1996 Minn. Stat. 10.55
(1996)
Mississippi........................ 2010 S. Con. Res. 605, 2010
Leg., Reg. Sess.
(Miss. 2010)
Missouri........................... 2003 Mo. Rev. Stat. 9.161
(2003)
Montana............................ 2017 Mont. Code Ann. 1-1-
231 (2017)
Nebraska........................... 2009 Leg.Res. 75, 101st
Leg., Reg. Sess.
(Neb. 2009)
Nevada............................. 2011 Nev. Rev. Stat.
236.033 (2011)
New Hampshire...................... 2019 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann.
14:13-z (LexisNexis
2019)
New Jersey......................... 2004 N.J. Rev. Stat. 36:2-
80 (2004)
New Mexico......................... 2006 N.M. Stat. Ann. 12-5-
14 (2006)
New York........................... 2004 N.Y. Exec. Law 168-
a(3) (LexisNexis
2004)
North Carolina..................... 2007 2007 N.C. Sess. Laws
450
Ohio............................... 2006 Ohio Rev. Code Ann.
5.2234 (LexisNexis
2006)
Oklahoma........................... 1994 Okla. Stat. tit. 25,
82.4 (1994)
Oregon............................. 2001 S.J. Res. 31, 71st
Leg. Assemb. (Or.
2001)
Pennsylvania....................... 2001 H. Res. 236, 185st
Gen. Assemb. Reg.
Sess. (Pa. 2011)
Rhode Island....................... 2012 S.B. 2262, 2011-2012
Leg. Sess. (R.I.
2011) a
South Carolina..................... 2008 S.C. Code Ann. 53-3-
85 (2008)
Tennessee.......................... 2007 Tenn. Code Ann. 15-2-
113 (2007)
Texas.............................. 1980 Tex. Gov't Code Ann.
662.003 (LexisNexis
1999) b
Utah............................... 2016 Utah Code Ann. 63G-1-
401(1)(g) (LexisNexis
2016)
Vermont............................ 2007 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 1,
375 (2007)
Virginia........................... 2007 H. Res. 56, 2007 Sess.
(Va. 2007)
Washington......................... 2007 Wash. Rev. Code
1.16.050(7)(1) (2007)
West Virginia...................... 2008 H. Res. 19, 78th Leg.,
2d Sess. (W. Va.
2008)
Wisconsin.......................... 2009 Wis. Stat. 995.20
(2009)
Wyoming............................ 2003 Wyo. Stat. Ann. 8-4-
107 (2003)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Notes: This table includes the first instance of a state's recognition
of Juneteenth or the first legislation that established Juneteenth as
a state holiday. It excludes legislation adopted by states after the
initial observation year. For example, Kansas adopted multiple
resolutions, such as S. Res. 1866 (2007), S. Res. 1888 (2009), S. Res.
1865 (2011 ), and S. Res. 1754 (2015), subsequent to the original
commemoration.
Bolded legislation citations denote that the legislation established
Juneteenth as a state holiday. This includes days of observance and
does not necessarily mean that they are legal holidays. Non-bolded
legislation citations are commemorations or recognitions of the day's
significance.
States without links do not have publicly available versions of the bill
or resolution online. Copies can be found on Lexis Advanced or
requested from CRS.
a. S. B. 169, 2013-2014 Leg. Sess. (R.I. 2013) establishing the
recognition of Juneteenth annually.
b. H.B. 1016, 66th Reg. Sess. (Tex. 1980).
c. H.J. Res. 5074A, 2006 Spec. Sess. (Va. 2006) commending celebrations.
In recent years, the Senate has passed annual resolutions
recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day
S. Res. 253 (116th Cong.)
S. Res. 547 (115th Cong.)
S. Res. 214 (115th Cong.)
S. Res. 500 (114th Cong.)
Similar resolutions have been introduced in the House of
Representatives
H. Res. 450 (116th Cong.)
H. Res. 948 (115th Cong.)
H. Res. 386 (115th Cong.)
H. Res. 787 (114th Cong.)
Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions
Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue
press releases, or enter Extensions of Remarks into the
Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and
observances. The following are some recent examples that may
be of assistance in preparing such statements:
Representative Antonio Delgado, ``Recognizing Juneteenth,''
Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition,
vol. 165 (June 19, 2019), p. E769.
Senators Bill Nelson and Cory Booker, ``Juneteenth
Independence Day,'' remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 164 (June 19, 2018), pp. S4032-
S4033.
[[Page H2736]]
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, ``Commemorating
Juneteenth,'' remarks in the House of Representatives,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (June 19,
2018), pp. H5274-H5275.
Representative Brian Babin, ``Celebrating Juneteenth
2017,'' Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily
edition vol. 163 (June 15, 2017), p. E828.
Senator Harry Reid, ``Celebrating Juneteenth,'' remarks in
the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162
(June 16, 2016), p. S4258.
Representative Jeb Hensarling, ``Hensarling Commemorates
Juneteenth,'' press release, June 19, 2015.
Representative Julia Brownley, ``Recognizing Ventura
County's 24th Annual Juneteenth Celebration,'' Extensions of
Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 160 (June
19, 2014), p. E1023.
Presidential Proclamations and Remarks
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to
ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain
issues or events. Some proclamations and remarks
commemorating Juneteenth from the Compilation of Presidential
Documents include the following:
Statement of the Observance of Juneteenth--President Donald
Trump, June 19, 2019
Statement on the Observance of Juneteenth--President Barack
Obama, June 19, 2016
Message on the Observance of Juneteenth--President George
W. Bush, June 19, 2008
Remarks at a Southwest Voter Registration Education Project
Reception in Houston, Texas--President William J. Clinton,
June 19, 2000
Other presidential proclamations are available through
https://www.govinfo.gov/, a portal for free public access to
official publications from all three branches of the
government, maintained by the Government Publishing Office
(GPO).
Historical and Cultural Resources
Numerous resources provide information on the history and
culture of the holiday. Some of these include the following:
Smithsonian, ``Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day.''
This blog post includes pictures of Major General George
Granger and the house from which he read General Order Number
3.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, for over 150 years, June 19th,
commonly known as ``Juneteenth Independence Day,'' has been celebrated
as a source of inspiration and encouragement for generations of African
Americans in Texas and across the nation. News of the end of slavery
did not reach the frontiers of the United States until months after the
conclusion of the Civil War, and more than two and a half years after
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on
January 1, 1863. It was not until June 19, 1865 that Union soldiers,
led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas with
news of freedom for the enslaved.
The Roman philosopher Cicero once quoted, ``history is the witness
that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes
memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of
antiquity.'' In honor of the spirit, of the trials and tribulations of
our ancestors, and the legacy they have left, we must never forget our
history. And we can do that by joining together to observe Juneteenth
and celebrate the progress we have made thereafter, while also
recognizing and reaffirming our commitment to the work that remains. We
can do this by remembering who we are, where we came from, and
rejoicing now in the freedom and liberties that we share--and by never
taking them for granted.
____________________