John, it’s Angus King

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform the slaves living there that they were no longer slaves – that they were free. The announcement came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, two years after its signatory, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated, and two years after the end of the Civil War.

For those two years, though slavery had been abolished in the eyes of our federal government, the grueling day-to-day reality of those living under it remained the same. We are now living in a time when, despite laws on the books ensuring basic protections for Black Americans, our government too often falls short of delivering them.

The legacy of systemic racism, unjust laws, and violence against Black Americans remains, and we must work to close those gaps. In the Senate, I’ve worked with my colleagues to overcome the challenges brought by the legacy of slavery.

While we’ve come a long way since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states and localities across the country still employ similar, subtle tactics to silence Black voters at the polls. That’s why I cosponsored the historic Right to Vote Act to make it easier for citizens to challenge laws that make it harder to vote.

In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech before the National Mall – a moment that would be woven into our nation’s fabric forever. I had the privilege of being there at age 19 – and witnessing history in the making. The gravity of the moment was palpable, as I watched hundreds of thousands of people of all races, from across the nation, come together to stand up for the fundamental freedoms of every American.

That’s the thing about history; you don’t realize you are living it when you’re in the moment. Our actions today will shape the history that future generations will look back on. I’m committed to ensuring they, too, are proud of our progress and inspired to keep up the fight for freedom and justice for all.

Thank you,

Angus