[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 24 (Monday, June 19, 2006)]
[Page 1163]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message on the Observance of Juneteenth

June 12, 2006

    I send greetings to all those observing Juneteenth.
    President Lincoln called the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 the 
``central act'' of his administration and ``the greatest event of the 
nineteenth century.'' The joyous news of freedom did not reach 
Galveston, Texas, until two and a half years after emancipation when 
Major General Gordon Granger arrived and announced that the Civil War 
was over and all slaves were free. Ever since, Americans have marked 
June 19th with special celebrations and traditions commemorating this 
historic moment.
    On this day, we honor the vision of President Lincoln, and we will 
keep striving to build a Nation where the dignity of every person is 
respected, where people are judged by the content of their character, 
and where the hope of the American dream reaches every neighborhood and 
every citizen. Together, we can continue to advance the ideals of 
liberty and justice that make our country strong and help more Americans 
realize the full promise of this great Nation.
    Laura and I send our best wishes on this special occasion. May God 
bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this message. This message was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on June 16.