Statement From Mayor Bill de Blasio on Juneteenth

June 19, 2015

“Today marks a pivotal anniversary on the United States’ long and winding path to universal equality, accessibility and opportunity for all. One hundred and fifty years ago today in Galveston, Texas, our forefathers received some incredibly uplifting, if not painfully overdue, news: Union soldiers had secured in practice a proclamation President Lincoln delivered two years before – that slavery be abolished in the American South. In light of the recent tragedy in Charleston, today is an even greater reminder that though we’ve come far, there is still much to do, together. We must remain vigilant on the road to equality, and it is our sacred right and greatest duty as Americans to recognize the singular importance of raising our voices in concert at the sight of injustice.”