Today Governor Josh Stein released the following statement commemorating Juneteenth:
“Juneteenth celebrates freedom. It is a powerful reminder of our history, resilience, and progress, as well as our ongoing pursuit of justice. One hundred sixty-one years ago, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and that slavery had been abolished through the Emancipation Proclamation. We remember President Lincoln’s immortal words in the Gettysburg Address calling for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people – and that it has been ordinary people working to deliver on that promise throughout our history for the past 250 years.
“The work of pushing our nation toward its founding promises falls afresh to each generation, and today that responsibility is ours. Let us recommit ourselves to fight inequality and ensure justice and opportunity for all. That is how we can build a North Carolina that is safer, stronger, and more prosperous with opportunity for everyone.”