[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING JUNETEENTH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

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                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2012

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Juneteenth 
Independence Day Celebration. Juneteenth, celebrated on the 19th of 
June, is a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of African 
Americans from slavery but has come to signify much more. It is 
celebrated in June, the month that the last African Americans were 
informed of their Emancipation.
  During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the 
Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, which came into effect 
on January 1, 1863. Critically, following the conclusion of the Civil 
War, U.S. Government officials traversed through the South to enforce 
the Proclamation. It was not until June 19th, 1865, in Galveston, TX, 
that Union General Gordon Granger declared freedom for the last major 
vestige of slavery in the United States, marking one of the proudest 
days in all of African American history.
  Mr. Speaker, Juneteenth Independence Day is a holiday that should not 
go without note. This date represents a crucial milestone in African 
American history and demonstrates the evolution of our Nation over the 
last century and a half. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African 
American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. I encourage 
all of my constituents to take part in the day's festivities and also 
to reflect on the values of self-improvement, assessment, and future-
planning which are consistent with the spirit of Juneteenth.

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