On the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo released the following statement in commemoration of this holiday. This evening, FDP will host a live virtual celebration of Juneteenth on social media channels.

“Juneteenth is an important day celebrating the end of slavery in Texas, the last slave holding state in the United States, over two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This is both a time for us to celebrate freedom and African American achievements and a time for us to recommit ourselves to racial justice.

“Today I am reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr’s quote that ‘no one is free until we are all free.’ Though this year marks 155 years since the first Juneteenth, it’s painfully obvious that we still have a long way to go until we are all truly free. I am grateful to be a part of a party and a community that is striving for change and working to end systemic racism.

“Today, and every day, I am proud to say Black lives matter.”