WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on Juneteenth, which recognizes the moment, on June 19, 1865, when U.S. Army General Gordon Granger announced to formerly enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they were free under the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich Statement on Juneteenth

"Juneteenth is a day to both celebrate freedom and remember the centuries of horrific treatment that African Americans endured under slavery. Just as news of emancipation was delayed in 1865, we need to acknowledge that full equality has yet to be delivered.

"This Juneteenth, we must go beyond simply remembering the shocking racial discrimination and injustices of the past. We must also recommit to taking on the racial injustices and hateful discrimination that persist today. As we do the work ahead, we can take inspiration from the heroic leadership of formerly enslaved people, abolitionists, and civil rights leaders.

"In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' With our shared humanity as our North Star, we will continue the work of arriving at true equity and equality together."

Heinrich is an original cosponsor of a resolution introduced in the Senate commemorating June 19, 2023 as "Juneteenth National Independence Day."

In 2021, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan legislation that officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Senator Heinrich's offices in will be closed on Monday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.