Edict on Juneteenth praised by Boozman

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating Friday as “Juneteenth Independence Day.’”

That’s the 155th anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day that Union Gen. Gordon Granger issued Order No. 3.

Written in Galveston, Texas, it declared the emancipation of slaves within the state.

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, ‘all slaves are free,’ ” the handwritten document stated. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

Coming more than two months after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the announcement was greeted with jubilation by those who had been enslaved.

The annual celebration that began in the Lone Star state has spread, more recently, across the country.

“Juneteenth is a milestone in our nation’s history that brings us together to reflect on the struggles of the past and the challenges that remain in pursuit of equality,” said one of the resolution’s supporters, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark. “This day symbolizes hope, reminds us of the progress we’ve made, and represents opportunities we have to make a brighter future for all Americans.”

Planning to visit the nation’s capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Washington bureau? It’s available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.