| DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene released the following statement celebrating Juneteenth:
“As we celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating June 19, 1865, the day the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, TX finally heard the news of their liberation two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, we are reminded that freedom is the project of a people, not an ideal we were destined to achieve. More than just a celebration, today is also a sober reminder of the suffering that came before that enlightenment.
“As we look for light in the struggles we face today, we should find it in that history, remembering the words of Scripture that echoed from the cotton fields of the South to the hills of Gettysburg, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’
“As we celebrate, we must also acknowledge that the Emancipation Proclamation and the reconstruction amendments were written by civic leaders and elected representatives who did the hard work of governing by fighting for justice, equity, and opportunity. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom that teaches us a lesson — the power of government should be used to do big things for the greater good.
“We will continue to fight the rollback of political power of Black communities, the gutting of civil rights protections, and the silencing of Black history and its heroes. As we approach the November midterms, we’re committed to that mission, and we’ll fight to make it a reality every single day.” |
