Heinrich Statement On Juneteenth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on Juneteenth, which recognizes the moment, on June 19, 1865, when U.S. Army General Gordon Granger announced to formerly enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they were free under the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

“When we celebrate Juneteenth, we celebrate freedom and we remember the horrors of slavery," said Heinrich. "We also recognize and call out the persistent, structural racism that continues to fuel hatred and discrimination, and we recommit ourselves to delivering on the full promise of liberty and justice for all Americans.”

Last year, Senator Heinrich co-sponsored the bipartisan legislation that officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Senator Heinrich’s offices will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth.