Jun 18, 2004

DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe Statement on Juneteenth

Washington, D.C. - Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe issued the following statement in commemoration of Juneteenth.

"This Saturday, Democrats across America will celebrate the anniversary of Juneteenth, the country's longest-running observance of the abolition of slavery.

"Juneteenth is a celebration of liberty, as we remember that day in 1865 when the news of emancipation finally reached the slaves of Galveston, Texas - two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. On that day, slavery was finally eradicated from our country's shores and a new sense of hope had been achieved for the entire nation.

"139 years after that historic day, the Democratic Party remains committed to fighting for equality in our schools, our workplaces, and in our neighborhoods to ensure an equal opportunity for all Americans."