Reno, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) participated in Reno’s thirtieth annual Juneteenth celebration, hosted by the Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society (NNBCAS). Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last enslaved African and African descendant people in Galveston, Texas.
“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. 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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