WASHINGTON –– Today, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) issued the following statement in celebration of Juneteenth.
“From the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to the announcement that slavery has ended by General Granger in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, these two monumental events spearheaded America’s long-overdue efforts to live up to our nation’s promise. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and the beginning of a long journey for freedom and justice for African Americans.
“The spirit of Juneteenth gave wind to the sails of civil rights activists from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights Movement and reminds us never to forget the travesty of slavery in America. I am proud to support the bipartisan efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday and celebrate our great nation’s unquestioned advancements today that live up to these solemn words: that all men are created equal.”

###