Today, we come together to celebrate Juneteenth. 

While the Emancipation Proclamation formally freed slaves within the Confederacy in 1863, news of the proclamation did not reach Texas for two whole years. So, while the Civil War raged on, slaves stayed in chains. Juneteenth was the day that Union General Gordon Granger arrived at the doorsteps of Galveston, Texas, and the slaves there finally learned they were free. 

I celebrate Juneteenth because it is a reminder that our freedom was fought for and not just handed to us. And today, over 150 years later, we are still fighting for a nation where there truly is liberty and justice for all. 

I got a laugh when Donald Trump tried to take credit for promoting Juneteenth. He said that “nobody had ever heard about it” until he tried to schedule a political rally on this sacred holiday. And while that is absurd, what is true is that the racism and bigotry that Donald Trump has empowered in our country has made Junteenth more important than ever.

The murder of Black Americans has rattled the conscience of our nation, and we see hundreds of thousands of Americans take to the streets to demand change. I am doing everything I can in Congress to bring about reform, but I commend every single person who is doing the hard work to impact change in their communities. 

So, let’s all take a step back and celebrate this great day together. Then let’s get up and keep moving forward, because the road to true equality is winding, and we still have a long way to go.

In solidarity,

Hank