WASHINGTON (AURN News) - President Joe Biden issued a special proclamation this week commemorating the anniversary of Juneteenth, praising the date as marking both the end of slavery in America and the unfulfilled work of making the nation's promise of equality real for all. In the proclamation, Biden highlighted the events of June 19, 1865, when the Army arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the last remaining enslaved people in the former Confederacy over two years after it was initially issued.

"Today, we recognize that Juneteenth not only marks the end of America's original sin of slavery but also the beginning of the work at the heart and soul of our Nation: making the promise of America real for every American," the president stated.

Mr. Biden also pointed to economic progress made by Black Americans during his administration, noting record job and health insurance numbers as well as fast business ownership growth. He cited increased federal investment in Black communities, child poverty reduction, changes to home appraisal practices, and over $16 billion for historically Black colleges and universities.

"We are investing more money than ever in Black families and communities," Biden said, while acknowledging remaining disparities rooted in segregation and discrimination that his policies aim to address.

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