[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13003]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               JUNETEENTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Conaway). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, June 19th, Juneteenth as it is 
called, is a unique people's holiday. It is the oldest known 
celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the 
day that union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, with news 
that the war had ended and that all slaves were now free, 2\1/2\ years 
after the Emancipation Proclamation.
  We do not know why it took so long for the news to get to Texas, but 
we do know that the military general order which was posted that day 
read in part, and I quote ``The people of Texas are informed that in 
accordance with the proclamation from the executive of the United 
States, all slaves are free.''
  The news spread like wildfire, and spontaneous celebrations sprang up 
throughout the State and were repeated each June 19th of each following 
year. We continue to celebrate Juneteenth because of the importance of 
slavery in American history and because the lingering effects of 
slavery remain a part of the legacy of our country.
  The legacy of slavery continues to play a role in our daily lives and 
politics. The vast racial disparities in employment, income, home 
ownership, education, voter registration and participation, health 
status and mortality all continue to exist. The great historian John 
Hope Franklin wrote, and I quote, ``Much history occurs of which some 
historians decide to take no notice.''
  Juneteenth is the people's answer to the obscuring and distortion of 
much of the history and experience of African Americans in this 
country. It is an enduring statement that the truth cannot be 
suppressed forever, and that the struggle for justice and equality will 
and must continue.

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