SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Saturday issued the following statement in observance of Juneteenth, commemorating the date in 1865 when Union Gen. Gordon Granger read the federal orders in Galveston, Texas, informing enslaved people in Texas that they were free, nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation:

“Today we celebrate the human dignity and freedom of Black Americans while being reminded, as we should be, of the irrevocable original sin of this country and its long-lasting impacts, the effects of which we continue to grapple with as a nation. Let this be a day of both joyous community celebration and recommitment to actively upholding the principle that all persons are created equal – and must have equal protection under the law. May we continue to work together as a state to enact policies and build frameworks that acknowledge and understand the realities of racism and take meaningful action to correct its impacts.”

Juneteenth has been a New Mexico state holiday since 2006, commemorated on the third Saturday of June every year.