MADISON – Five years later, Republican candidate for governor Tom Tiffany continues to stand behind his vote against making Juneteenth a national holiday.
Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, was one of 14 members of Congress to vote in 2021 against recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. He was ultimately the only member of Wisconsin’s delegation to oppose it, though U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson had previously objected to it.
“My vote reflected my belief that America has one Independence Day, and that is July 4th,” Tiffany said in a statement in response to questions about his vote. “Juneteenth and other historic events should be celebrated, as they have been for years, but I do not support the premise of establishing another Independence Day when July 4th serves as a unifying moment for all Americans and reminds us of our ongoing work to build a more perfect Union.”
Juneteenth recognizes the date the last enslaved Black people learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free enslaved African Americans in secessionist states on Jan. 1, 1863, but enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, would not learn of their freedom until two years later.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, one of seven Democrats competing in the party’s Aug. 11 gubernatorial primary, said in a statement that Tiffany’s vote against making Junteenth a federal holiday “shows where his governing priorities are.”
“If he cannot recognize the importance of a day that means so much to so many Wisconsinites, it raises serious questions about whether he is willing to listen to communities outside his political base. A governor must be prepared to represent every corner of this state and every person who calls Wisconsin home,” Crowley said.
“Juneteenth is not just a celebration of Black history,” Crowley said. “It is a celebration of American history and a recognition that our state and our country are stronger when every community is seen, heard, and respected.”
In a post on X, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes – another Democratic gubernatorial candidate – wrote, “Tom Tiffany would rather have a holiday for January 6th.”
Both Crowley and Barnes are Black.
Wisconsin has formally recognized the holiday since 2009, and in 2020, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers raised the Juneteenth flag above the state Capitol for the first time in state history.
Evers has done so each year since, most recently on Wednesday.
“Juneteenth is a reminder that, even in our darkest hours, the human spirit cannot be silenced, and freedom will always triumph, and today, that truth remains as important as ever,” Evers said in a statement announcing this year’s flag-raising.
“Especially at a time when there are those who would rather rewrite history than learn from it and try to sow division and hate, we must remember that there is more that unites us than divides us and that our diversity is our strength – it always has been,” Evers said. “So, as we celebrate the critical progress we have made, we also commit to continuing our work to build a more just, more equitable, and freer state and country for all.”
Milwaukee’s 55th annual Juneteenth celebration is set to begin Friday with its Jubilee Parade.
Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tom Tiffany stands behind vote in Congress against Juneteenth holiday
Reporting by Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
