John,

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the day when news that slavery had ended in the United States finally made it to Galveston, Texas. It was a long two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that Union soldiers delivered the news of freedom to the people of Galveston, liberating the final enslaved people in America.

In 2021, I proudly voted with my colleagues to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. We voted for this vital commemoration so that today – and generations into the future – Americans will celebrate this day of liberation, never forget about the vile history of slavery in America, and work for the cause of equality and justice in our country. There is much more work to be done for the cause of justice and in pursuit of civil rights, and today as we celebrate, we are reminded of the progress made and the work before us all.

Sincerely,
Abigail Spanberger