FRANKFORT, Ky. — It’s been 158 years since Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to deliver the news that slavery in the U.S. had ended. Today, we know this as Juneteenth.
On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed a proclamation dedicating June 19, 2023 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day. This is the third year Beshear has done this.
“We must declare that we will not bury our history, even the parts that are painful. Instead, we will strive to learn from it, to work to repair lasting damage, our nation’s wounds and to make progress for a better tomorrow,” Beshear said.
Among those in attendance was Amaru Young, the director of the Kentucky US Freedmen Coalition.
“Oh, I feel ecstatic, feels great, feeling like we’ve reached a milestone here in the state of Kentucky in recognizing the, what I like to consider the American Freedmen, and their contribution to the state of Kentucky,” Young said.
Young’s organization, which hosts an annual Juneteenth celebration in Lexington, was asked to bring the flag honoring the holiday to the state capitol.
“The star on the horizon shows what America can be when we treat our people equally,” Young said.
This flag was hung alongside the U.S. and Kentucky flags in the Rotunda, facing the bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln.
“I am ecstatic that the state of Kentucky can present the Juneteenth flag as it should be in its correct colors and its correct symbol,” Young said.
Young added all Americans should be proud to celebrate this holiday, as it represents the fight to ensure everyone, regardless of their skin color, is treated as equal.
In his remarks, Beshear says he will continue to push legislators to make Juneteenth a state holiday.