Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today voted to designate June 19^th as Juneteenth, a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and celebrate Black freedom.

“Juneteenth is both a day of celebration and remembrance, this year marking 156 years since the last forcibly enslaved Black people were told of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law,” said Pingree. “As a cosponsor of legislation to establish June 19 as a federal holiday, I am proud vote aye. I urge the President to sign this bill into law so we can give this important day the recognition it deserves.”

June 19th or Juneteenth is when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln in 1863, enslaved people in Texas didn’t know they were freed until Major General Gordon Granger announced it in Galveston on June 19th, 1865.  

Last year on Juneteenth, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) launched a new webpage detailing federal legislation she supports to address systemic racism in the United States. Pingree’s Racial Justice webpage outlines legislation she is co-sponsoring in the 117^th Congress to address police brutality toward Black people, enduring racial health disparities, environmental justice, voting rights, fair labor practices, and more.

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