Commemoration of Juneteenth Amid the Erosion of Black History

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, after just four short years since I proudly cast my vote to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday through the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, the very history that this day honors is now under attack by the current administration. While we mark Juneteenth with prayers and proclamations, we must also confront a harsh and unsettling truth: the significance of this day and African American history is being erased. Across our Nation, we are witnessing the systemic losses of our hard-fought gains--the stripping of diversity, equity, and inclusion from federal institutions, censoring school curriculums, and silencing conversations about the true history of America.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed over 250,000 enslaved Black people that they were free--more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom and equality remain delayed for Black Americans. For generations, this history of intentional continuation of slavery was ignored, and, now that it is finally acknowledged as part of our Nation's past, we see the Trump Administration trying to strip away Black history. Banning books, censoring lessons, and eliminating honest conversations about race is not about education, it is about control. We must ensure that Juneteenth is not just a day off but a day of truth.

In 2005, I partnered with then-Senator Barack Obama to introduce legislation recognizing Juneteenth. And now that it has become law, we must defend it and the history it represents from being erased. The history of our people is not optional. Let me be clear: Black history is American history. As a Black man who was raised in the rural South during segregation, I know all too well what it feels like to be told that your history does not matter. As the Representative of the 7th Congressional District of Illinois, a district with a rich history of Black culture and resilience, I fight in Congress for equity, inclusion, and the honest American history.

Today, the Trump Administration threatens Chicago Public Schools with the loss of over one billion dollars in federal funding for its efforts to improve the success and reduce suspensions of Black students, teach Black history, and recruit teachers who reflect the students they teach. African Americans have faced enormous challenges in every corner of life--education, economic security, health care, employment, housing and the criminal justice system. We are routinely denied opportunity solely because of the color of our skin. And still, we continue to fight for justice and equity in the face of deep-rooted, systemic racism.

This Juneteenth, Chicago will celebrate Juneteenth as a testament to community, remembrance, and pride. There is the Pullman Porter Museum's Juneteenth parade, games, and concert. Or the Cook County celebration at Malcolm X College, the Juneteenth Annual barbeque at the DuSable Black History Museum, or 1865 Fest in West Garfield Park, to name just a few. Events like these are not just festivals: they are declarations that we will not be silent. We will celebrate. We will educate. We will resist.

I will continue to fight for equality and opportunity at every turn, while honoring the history my forefathers and foremothers endured. Let's not forget, the White House and this country were built by enslaved labor. As we commemorate Juneteenth this year, let it be a call to action. The struggle for freedom will not end here. I am committed to protecting the truth of our past, fighting for justice in our present, and building a future where every African American can learn their history, see their worth, and know they belong.

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