SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Sunday 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, in a celebration of freedom, we honor the dignity and history of Black Americans while being reminded, as we should be, of the unforgettable sin of slavery and its impacts that we continue to reckon with as a nation. In just the second year of being officially recognized as a national holiday, let this day be one of both joy and reflection, of both celebration and recommitment. As governor, I will continue to work to enact policies throughout the state of New Mexico that acknowledge and understand the realities of racism while taking meaningful action to correct its impacts.”

Juneteenth has been a New Mexico state holiday since 2006.