Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley released a statement Thursday celebrating Juneteenth, the day that marks the emancipation of Black Americans.

“On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to proclaim the end of slavery, delivering on the promise of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth stands as a defining moment in our nation’s history as a celebration of liberty and a declaration of our God-given equality,” Whatley said. “160 years later, this day serves as a clear reminder that unity and liberty are at the core of what it means to be American.”

Juneteenth, which is observed annually on June 19, became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021 after then-President Joe Biden signed a bill into law adding it to the schedule of recognized federal holidays.

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