Denver, CO - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet issued the following statement in celebration of Juneteenth, which marks the day that Major General Gordon Granger brought news of the Emancipation Proclamation to the residents of Galveston, Texas. News of the proclamation had previously been suppressed by slave owners in parts of Confederate territory.

"Slavery has left a terrible stain of injustice on our country's history - one from which our nation is still recovering. But today, on Juneteenth, we join Americans across the country to celebrate the end of this atrocity and the liberation of millions of slaves. On this 150th anniversary, only days after the tragic shooting in Charleston, we are reminded that we must continue to stand together to change a system that too often perpetuates inequality and fight the prejudices that produce hate, violence, and division. Our country was founded on the values of liberty, justice, and equality, and we have a responsibility as Americans to ensure those values apply to every citizen of this country regardless of race, creed, or color."

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