“Yesterday, the Senate came together, and we passed unanimously, unanimously, the law — the bill that says Juneteenth is a federal holiday. It was an important moment for recognizing our history — not shrinking from it, not sweeping it under the rug, not denying it, but staring it directly in the face. It’ll be the only federal holiday that recognizes the terrible legacy of slavery, as well as the noble truth that none of us are free until we are all free.” “The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act does not right the wrongs of our nation’s past, but it finally gives recognition and voice to those who suffered. It finally makes this day of celebration and liberation recorded history. We are recognizing the truth of our history and the missing half of the story of our nation’s freedom and independence. And our work continues.” “There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. And it seems to me that this is the most propitious time for us to recognize our history and to learn from it. And that’s the way I regard Juneteenth. There’s no better time than the present, particularly given the strife we’ve seen — the level of distrust, for example, between law enforcement and the communities they serve — than to acknowledge our nation’s history and to learn from it.” “What I see here today is racial divide crumbling, being crushed this day under a momentous vote that brings together people who understand the value of freedom. And that is what Juneteenth is all about. It is a journey of pain, brutality, separation and the racist hand of people held in bondage.”