Pettigrew Juneteenth Bill Becomes Law

March 19, 2007

OLYMPIA – House Bill 1870, co-sponsored by Rep. Eric Pettigrew and Rep. John Lovick, establishes June 19 as Juneteenth, a day of remembrance in Washington state for the date the former slaves in America learned of their freedom.

 

Juneteenth celebrations date back to June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the slaves were free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863.

 

Juneteenth not only marks the day slaves actually knew of their freedom but is recognized as a day of celebration and remembrance in the African-American community.

 

Slavery is not-so-distant history for many and Juneteenth applauds the African-American experience in the U.S. It is a day of inclusion when communities collectively recognize the evils of slavery and acknowledge how that history still binds both sides together.

 

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