Today, I join Americans across the country to commemorate Juneteenth - a celebration of the moment in US history when the last enslaved peoples were finally freed. It was on this day in 1865, two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to officially deliver the message.

Juneteenth is a joyous celebration of freedom and resilience. But it is also an opportunity for reflection on the centuries of oppression Black Americans had to endure and the structural inequities that persist.

I was proud to vote last year to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday so that Americans across the country can take the day to honor this history. Today and every day, let’s recommit to doing the hard work of building a country where everyone is honored and valued and has opportunities to succeed.


Warmly,

Sara