In a Wednesday statement marking Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, U.S. Senator from Maine Angus King (I) said that “the path to freedom isn’t complete” and more work needs to be done to make the country “more inclusive, more welcoming, and more just.”
“For more than 150 years, Juneteenth has reflected the contradiction inherent in America’s identity – it is both a celebration of the freedom that defines our national character, and a reminder that we are only a few generations removed from the inhumane institution of slavery,” Sen. King stated. “But the path to freedom isn’t complete. It wasn’t complete in 1865, and sadly, it’s not complete today.”
Maine’s junior U.S. Senator then called upon Mainers to “meet the promise of America,” and to “provide more than rhetoric” by working together on “actions and policies to make our society more inclusive, more welcoming, and more just.”
“It is fitting that this day be recognized as a national holiday, providing all Americans with the opportunity to reflect upon how much progress we have made, and all the unfinished work ahead of us,” King continued. “If we are to truly craft a more perfect union, we must mark today’s holiday as a step in the path towards that better future.”
Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
The holiday commemorates U.S. Army Major General Gordon Granger issuing an order of enforcement for President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas.
King, although a political independent, caucuses with the Democratic Party, and serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
