Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement in honor of this Juneteenth Day of Observance, celebrated every year in the United States on June 19th:

“Juneteenth is a day of celebration and reflection – a day when we mark the moment that slavery ended for all Black Americans and reflect on who we are as a nation.”

“When General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and declared all slaves in Texas free, almost 90 years had passed since the founding of the American Republic.

“In the time since Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men are created equal” to General Granger’s arrival in Galveston, millions of Black people had lived under slavery and more than 600,000 soldiers were cut down in fields across the country. Slavery is the great original sin of this country. A sin which was paid for with blood.

“So, as we celebrate Juneteenth, we reflect on the hardships endured by those who suffered under slavery and the sacrifices of those who courageously fought to end it. Now, it is left to us to build a country where all people are truly equal and have access to life, liberty, and good health.” 

Happy Juneteenth!