Recognizing the Historical Significance of Juneteenth Independence Day
RECOGNIZING THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNETEENTH INDEPENDENCE DAY -- (House of Representatives - June 21, 2005)
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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased to join with the gentlewoman from Florida in consideration of this resolution and appreciate very much her remarks. I also want to commend Chairman Tom Davis and Ranking Member Henry Waxman of the Committee on Government Reform and the Speaker for the expeditious way in which they moved this matter to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, June 19, 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. Unfortunately, it was 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. 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, ``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 19 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, ``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. Juneteenth is a great time, not only to celebrate but to remember and renew our hope that tomorrow will be different than yesterday.
I thank all of those who were cosigners onto this resolution and urge that all my colleagues support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I will simply close. Abraham Lincoln once made the statement that our Nation could not survive half slave and half free. Perhaps, as we look at ourselves today, we might say that our Nation will never become all that it has the possibility of being as long as we continue to experience the great disparities, disparities in health care, disparities in job opportunities, disparities in educational opportunities, disparities in housing, disparities in hope that one can experience the fulfillment of their dreams.
So as we support this resolution, we reflect upon the need for equal justice and continuing the pursuit for equal opportunity to every man his chance, his golden opportunity, to become all that he or she would have the potential of being, all that their hard work, integrity, the essence of their strength, all that their history and culture will combine to make them. That is, indeed, as Thomas Wolf would say, the promise of America. So Juneteenth is a day of hope and a day of promise that America will indeed become the land of the free, home of the brave.
I thank all of those who have come to the floor to speak on this concurrent resolution, all of the co-sponsors who co-sponsored and brought it to us today. I urge all of my colleagues to agree to it so that America does become the America that has never been, but the America that we all know can be.
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