John,

Although Juneteenth has been commemorated for over 150 years, it only became recognized as a federal holiday in June 2021. But why do we celebrate Juneteenth in the first place? Let’s break down the roots of what’s been historically known as ‘Freedom Day’ in the south.

In 1861, the Civil War began, with the Northern and Southern states fighting over slavery and economic power.

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" within rebellious states "are, henceforward, shall be free."

Despite this, a large number of the Black people remained enslaved in the United States, especially in the border states.

On June 19, 1865, 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to announce that the over 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were free by executive decree. This date became known as "Juneteenth", to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

For us, Juneteenth will always be a day of celebration and advocacy. So today, we’re reaffirming our commitment to engage every Black, Brown, and young voter in the Commonwealth in the political process and elect a government that finally represents all of us.

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In solidarity,

Team NPP