Wilson Statement on the 155th Juneteenth Celebration

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Wilson issued the following statement to recognize the 155th celebration of Juneteenth, when federal officials arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation:

"Each year on June 19, African Americans celebrate Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery and remember our ancestors and the inhumane treatment they endured for centuries. This year, in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd and other black men and women who've lost their lives because of racist acts and police brutality, Juneteenth has become a national rallying cry from a diverse group of Americans to recognize the racial divides in our nation and seek remedies to ensure justice and equal treatment for all. Their cries ring loud and clear--and House Democrats are listening and acting.

"Next week the House is poised to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aims to curb police brutality and hold law enforcement accountable for their actions. There is a critical need to implement major policing reforms, but we cannot ignore the underlying causes of the racist acts by both police officers and everyday Americans that have needlessly taken so many lives. That's why I have introduced the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation, which has received overwhelming support from my colleagues, will create a commission to not only examine the disparities that this demographic suffers each day, but also develop policy solutions to remedy them.

"I am heartened by how Americans of all ages and races have banded together in communities all around the nation to protest racism and other forms of injustice. And I pray that it is not a temporary response and that this watershed moment in history will provide the promise of liberty and equality that African Americans have for 155 years been fighting for."

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