June 19, 2022
Press Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a proclamation in observance of Juneteenth. The Governor also announced that the red, black, and green Black Liberation Flag will be raised over the New York State Capitol on Sunday June 19 and Monday June 20, and that State landmarks will be illuminated red, black, and green on Sunday June 19.
“Arriving just over a month after the horrific, racist shootings in Buffalo, this year’s Juneteenth observance is an opportunity to reflect and heal as we commemorate the emancipation of enslaved Africans and their descendants in this country,” Governor Hochul said. “In recognition of the Black community’s persistent and intergenerational resistance to institutional oppression, I have directed the Black Liberation Flag to be flown over the state Capitol this year to signify New Yorkers’ solidarity in the struggle against the senseless violence and discrimination inflicted upon Black communities, families, and individuals.”
“Every year, on June 19th, we celebrate the freedom of African Americans who were enslaved until their liberation in 1865,” Lieutenant Governor Delgado said. “The painful legacies of slavery and segregation live on within our hearts, but the continued fight for justice and equal representation give us hope in an equitable future where our children can live in peace and love without bearing the weight of the injustices and scars of the past. We honor our history on Juneteenth as we work together to create a more inclusive future.”
On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas at the conclusion of the Civil War to free the remaining enslaved African Americans, nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 is often considered the official end of slavery in the United States and the nation’s second Independence Day.
This year, June 19 falls on a Sunday, and Juneteenth will be observed as both a New York State and federal holiday on Monday, June 20.
Photo: I-10 near Beaumont, Texas after Hurricane Harvey, August 2017.