Rep. Cleaver's Statement on Passage of Juneteenth National Independence Day Act

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives passed S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, to establish Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, as a legal public holiday. U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) was a cosponsor of similar legislation in the House of Representatives and voted to support the Senate-passed bill today. The bill will now go to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Cleaver released the following statement after the vote had concluded.

"Growing up in segregated Texas, Juneteenth was always a special occasion in my community--where Black schools had the day off and neighbors celebrated the official end of our ancestors' forced servitude and the evil that is slavery.

"Today, as we see a growing resentment of the true history of African Americans in this country, recognizing Juneteenth at the national level is an important step toward honoring the history and heritage of Black Americans. I'm extraordinarily proud of Congress for taking this long overdue action, including the show of overwhelming bipartisan support at a time when our nation is devilishly divided.

"Henceforth, it is my hope that Juneteenth National Independence Day will be seen as a day to commemorate the long, painful, proud, and purposeful history of African Americans in the United States, as well as a day to recommit to the work in civil rights that remains unfinished. The history of America is one of steady progress--and every Juneteenth moving forward, I am hopeful the American public will reflect on how far we have come and the ways they can personally contribute to the next breakthrough in our quest to live up to the ideals upon which our nation was founded."

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