Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) on Wednesday joined in voting to pass S. 475, Juneteenth National Independence Day, a bill to designate June 19 as a federal holiday.
The new holiday commemorates the arrival in Galveston, Texas, of Union troops led by General Gordon Granger, who on June 19, 1865, proclaimed there the end of the Civil War — nearly two months after the surrender of the Confederacy — and the end of slavery in Texas.
With the war came the end of slavery for Black Americans in the Condederate states, many of whom didn’t know they had been set free until that June day in 1865.
Most states recognize the date, with California having celebrated it since 2003.
“On June 19, our nation joins to mark Juneteenth, the end to slavery in the United States. It’s the day when the last enslaved people were freed after federal troops arrived in Texas, a full two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Freedom was delayed for thousands because they had not heard the news and were kept where they were,” said Thompson.
“Designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday is an important recognition of that delayed freedom and a reminder of our responsibility to continue working to achieving full equality and justice for all. I was proud to vote to pass this legislation today and will continue my work to ensure Congress provides equal opportunity for everyone across our nation.”
You can click here to read more about this bill.
The bill is now on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.