Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement commemorating Juneteenth. Senator Cortez Masto is a cosponsor of a resolution designating June 19th, 2019 as Juneteenth Independence Day in recognition of June 19, 1865, the date on which news of the end of slavery reached the last enslaved African and African descendant people in the Southwestern States.
“In recognition of this important anniversary, we must remember the sanctity of the hard-won freedom earned by the black and white soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War and recommit ourselves to fighting for those still suffering from racism, mistreatment and systematic oppression in our country today. From the black business owners and miners who helped spur early development in Virginia City to the workers who played a critical role in constructing the Hoover Dam and staffing Las Vegas’s first casinos, African American communities have been vital to the growth and success of the Silver State. This Juneteenth, as we do each year, let us come together to honor all our African American communities and celebrate their vibrant culture and proud history that have set the very foundations of our country, enriching our nation’s future as well as defining its difficult past.”
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