MADISON – Earlier today, Governor Evers joined the Legislative Black Caucus to raise the Juneteenth Flag above the Wisconsin State Capitol and honor the federal holiday to occur on Monday, June 19.
On Juneteenth, we commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, with the news that the Civil War had ended and all those who were enslaved were now free. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison), Senate Democratic Leader, released the following statement:
“As we celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth, we must also recommit ourselves to combatting the discrimination and marginalization of Black Americans, and continue to address racial disparities in Wisconsin and throughout the nation. It is our duty as policymakers to root out institutional racism where it exists and work tirelessly to uplift the lives of all people.”
