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Today we pause to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth.
It is often believed that slavery ended in America with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In reality, it took over two years for the news of freedom to reach the last enslaved Black person in this country. Many slave owners were simply unwilling to accept the new proclamation and fought hard to delay justice (and freedom) to so many.
June 19th, 1865 — the first Juneteenth — serves as an important reminder that hard-won civil rights victories are often delayed, and denied, by those unwilling to treat Black people with humanity and dignity.
On this anniversary, let us rededicate ourselves to the fight for justice and freedom for all, and recommit to dismantling the systemic barriers that Black people continue to face every day.
— Everyone at the Washington Senate Democrats
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