LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today released the following statement in celebration of Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of all the enslaved African descended people in the United States.
“America has never fully confronted its history and today serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for freedom, justice and equity,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Juneteenth is not just a federal holiday, but a recommitment to take the steps to fully realize freedom for Black people and to right the systemic wrongs that have long meant some communities are left behind. Today is a moment to reflect and to understand the profound journey of Black people in America and explore ways that we can make equity a reality.”
On June 17, 2021, Mayor Bass attended the White House signing ceremony as a Member of Congress and watched President Joe Biden sign the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Juneteenth marks the day two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation when people who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas were notified by federal troops that slavery had been legally ended. Slavery first began in America in 1619 and was legal for 256 years. The centuries of this atrocity ripple throughout society to this day.