Juneteenth is a federal holiday today (June 19), although it may have snuck up on some who are still getting used to the newish day of celebration. It's only been official since 2021, after all.
I know, we just had a holiday, right? Flag Day was a few days ago, which you may have read a little about in these pages. There was something of a bigtime parade to honor the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and a speech by President Trump in Washington, D.C. for it, too.
Anyway, in addition to the president's speech, you may have seen my colleague Susie Moore's weekday column on Thursday morning, in which she mentioned that our federal employees (ahem) in D.C. are off work for Juneteenth.
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I'm going to bet that most people have never heard of Goodyear, Arizona, nestled to the north and west of our marvelous desert metropolis of Phoenix. It's a little ways out of town, and the home of my childhood baseball team's (Cincinnati Reds) Spring Training ballpark (which they graciously share with the American League's Milwaukee Brewers). And since few people across the country follow the goings-on in the political sphere in Goodyear, I reckoned many would have missed seeing something - which would have been a shame.
As conservatives and Republicans, we can always use more voices and opinions on how the nation commemorates facets of its past.
GOP Councilman Trey Terry of Goodyear, a combat Army veteran, dad, and former school board president (though not necessarily in that order),wrote a lovely Twitter-X message Thursday on why he thinks Juneteenth is rightfully a federal holiday, and how being introduced to the holiday growing up gave him a unique perspective about its significance. Usually, I would only excerpt the letter in digital form, but this is worth sharing in full.
(While this is a slightly older post from him, I reckoned some people might enjoy seeing him and his wonderful family.)
It was a bit chaotic earlier today, but we had the whole family there as I took the oath of office for Goodyear City Councilmember. My term begins January 1st and the public induction ceremony will be January 6th. pic.twitter.com/ytJzsB0Gxl
— Trey Terry (@treyterry) December 19, 2024
All right, here's what he had to say on behalf of the holiday:
"I’ve always seen Juneteenth as a meaningful part of our history. I moved around a lot as a kid and spent my elementary school years in Texas where it was a normal part of life - a day marked with celebration, reflection, and pride.
"Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was issued. At the time, Texas was one of the furthest frontiers of the Confederacy. Though the Civil War had ended and slavery was legally abolished, many enslaved Americans remained in bondage until federal authority (not a mere proclamation) made their freedom a reality.
"While this holiday naturally carries deeper meaning for Black Americans, Juneteenth is not a holiday that belongs to any one group. It’s not a grievance holiday. It’s not about division or guilt. It is an American holiday because it marks an American victory. One fought not just by the enslaved, but by soldiers, leaders, and everyday citizens who believed this country could be better than it had been.
"It’s the story of Black Americans, but also the story of a nation that bled to reconcile its ideals with its reality. It’s the story of Lincoln, who preserved the Union, of Frederick Douglass, of white farmers and Black troops who marched and died under the same flag to bring down the system of slavery.
"This story belongs to all of us. It’s our heritage, and it’s our responsibility to preserve it accurately, not to distort it into modern ideological arguments that pit us against one another."
On his point about the great Frederick Douglass: Indeed, one of our congressmen, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) celebrated the Juneteenth holiday this year by honoring the pioneering journalist and editor:
Not only is Frederick Douglass an abolitionist icon & an American hero, but he was the first Black reporter admitted to the House Press Gallery.
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) June 19, 2025
Last week, my resolution passed to name the gallery after him.
This Juneteenth we celebrate Douglass & all who fought to end slavery. pic.twitter.com/DJBO021Lhr
He wrote:
Not only is Frederick Douglass an abolitionist icon & an American hero, but he was the first Black reporter admitted to the House Press Gallery.
Last week, my resolution passed to name the gallery after him.
This Juneteenth we celebrate Douglass & all who fought to end slavery.
Thank you, Councilman Terry, not only for sharing your experience and raising the issue of unity (in the country and on the Right) in a time when there is scant sign of that noble and necessary concept, but for your service to this country in the line of fire. We, your fellow Americans, owe you our gratitude!
