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REPRESENTATIVE ADRIANO ESPAILLAT RECOGNIZES JUNETEENTH

June 19, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement in observance of Juneteenth:

"On this day in 1865, Major Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas tasked to fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and declare the end of slavery to those still living in bondage," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "Upon his arrival, Major Granger read out General Order 3 which proclaimed, ‘The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.'

"We commemorate Emancipation Day as a day of remembrance of the millions of people lost to the tragedy of slavery. Our nation has made significant progress over the last 153 years, and Juneteenth represents how far we have come as a nation. Yet, this day is also a reflection of how much work remains in our fight for absolute equality and the protection of civil rights for all.

"Constituents, advocates, and leaders across the country are calling for an end to the inhumane treatment of immigrant families. The separation of immigrant children from their families is a violation of basic human rights and a betrayal of the ideals we hold dear as a nation. As we commemorate Juneteenth today as a celebration of the end of one of America's greatest injustices, we stand united in our fight to confront the injustices that remain."

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First elected to Congress in 2016, Rep. Adriano Espaillat is serving his first term in Congress where he serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the House Select Committee on Small Business. He is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and serves in a leadership role as CHC Freshman Representative to the Democratic Caucus. He is also chairman of the CHC Task Force for Transportation, Infrastructure and Housing. Rep. Espaillat's Congressional District includes Harlem, East Harlem, northern Manhattan and the north-west Bronx. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at /.

Media inquiries: Candace Randle Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov