Democratic Party of Oregon celebrates
recognition of Juneteenth as official state holiday
June 14
Following Governor Kate Brown’s signing of HB 2168 to establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday, Dr. Rosa Colquitt, Democratic Party of Oregon vice chair and DPO Black Caucus chair, released the following statement:
We are overjoyed at the passage of this bill that establishes Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Oregon, commemorating the emancipation of slaves in Texas in June 1865, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Oregon is the only state in America to have been established as an all-white state. Celebrating Juneteenth as a legal holiday in Oregon matters a great deal, and brings our state closer to reckoning with the present impacts of a past rooted in white supremacy.
This can be a moment when our state acknowledges the trauma of 4 million enslaved people, while trying to understand that trauma through the eyes of their descendants. We can make it clear that, despite social progress for Black Americans, considerable barriers continue to impede true justice and equality. These barriers go beyond 300+ years of slavery, Jim Crow, and on-going white supremacy. They include sub-standard education, discrimination in housing, lack of economic investment in Black communities, disproportionate access to quality health care, and murder by law enforcement.
We are thankful for the leadership of our Democratic legislators who made this possible, including Governor Kate Brown, State Senator Lew Frederick, House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner, State Representative Mark Meek, and the Oregon Legislature’s Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus.
By choosing to remember the last state in the South that freedom finally touched, we celebrate the shining 'promise of emancipation.' Let June 19th in Oregon forever be a day of celebration for current and future generations, as well as a day to remember and acknowledge the bloody path America took by delaying freedom and deferring the fulfillment of the simple words of Union General Gordon Granger that 'all slaves are free.'"
HB 2168 will take effect 91 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session. The first official Oregon celebration of Juneteenth as a state holiday will take place on June 19th, 2022.
Following Governor Kate Brown’s signing of HB 2168 to establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday, Dr. Rosa Colquitt, Democratic Party of Oregon vice chair and DPO Black Caucus chair, released the following statement:
We are overjoyed at the passage of this bill that establishes Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Oregon, commemorating the emancipation of slaves in Texas in June 1865, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Oregon is the only state in America to have been established as an all-white state. Celebrating Juneteenth as a legal holiday in Oregon matters a great deal, and brings our state closer to reckoning with the present impacts of a past rooted in white supremacy.
This can be a moment when our state acknowledges the trauma of 4 million enslaved people, while trying to understand that trauma through the eyes of their descendants. We can make it clear that, despite social progress for Black Americans, considerable barriers continue to impede true justice and equality. These barriers go beyond 300+ years of slavery, Jim Crow, and on-going white supremacy. They include sub-standard education, discrimination in housing, lack of economic investment in Black communities, disproportionate access to quality health care, and murder by law enforcement.
We are thankful for the leadership of our Democratic legislators who made this possible, including Governor Kate Brown, State Senator Lew Frederick, House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner, State Representative Mark Meek, and the Oregon Legislature’s Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus.
By choosing to remember the last state in the South that freedom finally touched, we celebrate the shining 'promise of emancipation.' Let June 19th in Oregon forever be a day of celebration for current and future generations, as well as a day to remember and acknowledge the bloody path America took by delaying freedom and deferring the fulfillment of the simple words of Union General Gordon Granger that 'all slaves are free.'"
HB 2168 will take effect 91 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session. The first official Oregon celebration of Juneteenth as a state holiday will take place on June 19th, 2022.
About the Linn County Democratic Central Committee
The Linn County Democratic Central Committee (LCDCC) welcomes all those, regardless of party affiliation, who support our ideals. We’re an all-volunteer organization that works hard to elect Democrats to represent the people of Linn County at local, state and national levels. Our meetings are generally held on the first Thursday of the month at Albany Public Library, except during the pandemic, when meetings will be held via Zoom. The next monthly general meeting will be Thursday, July 8 (and not July 1) on Zoom. A social time begins at 6 p.m. The meeting starts at 6:30. Registration will start about a week before the meeting.
Contact usQuestions or comments. Let us know here.
Our mailing address is: Linn County Democrats P.O. 2553 Albany, OR 97321 |
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