June 18, 2020 

Las Vegas, NV – Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District released the following statement announcing her support for making Juneteenth a federal holiday:

“Juneteenth is an important reminder of the work we still must do to bend the arc of history towards justice,” said Congresswoman Titus (NV-1). “Too many American citizens don’t understand the significance of Juneteenth and making it a federal holiday would help change that. The end of slavery in the United States is something we should all celebrate. That is especially true in Nevada because the state played an important role in bringing about the end of slavery when it joined the Union during the Civil War and supported the ratification of the 13th Amendment.”

Celebrated annually on June 19^th, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that “in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” This occurred over two years after President Lincoln’s issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Congresswoman Titus is a co-sponsor of Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s (TX-18) resolution, H.Res.1001, to honor the historical significance of Juneteenth. She is committed to co-sponsoring legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday upon its imminent introduction.