As Juneteenth approaches, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, took to the House floor to recognize the holiday and highlight a series of events across Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.
The speech mixed historical reflection with celebration, including a notable return of Major League Baseball to Birmingham for the 2025 East-West Classic and the reopening of Willie Mays Park in Fairfield.
Juneteenth, officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the last remaining enslaved Black Americans.
“Freedom did not come easily. It came slowly, unevenly, and at a painful cost. But it came, and with it, generations of Black Americans began the long, unfinished journey toward full equality through Reconstruction, through Jim Crow, through the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Movement, and even now, in our time,” Sewell said.
Sewell emphasized that while emancipation marked a turning point, the journey toward justice and equality remains unfinished.
“Juneteenth is not just about history; it’s about truth telling. It demands justice in our laws, equity in our institutions, dignity in our labor, and respect in our schools,” Sewell said.
Her remarks come amid a national reckoning over how Black history is taught and remembered, particularly in states like Alabama, where legislators have introduced bills to restrict classroom discussions on systemic racism.
Sewell also used her remarks to celebrate Major League Baseball’s return to Birmingham. On June 19, 2025, Rickwood Field, the oldest professional baseball park in the U.S., will host the East-West Classic for the second consecutive year.
Last year’s East-West Classic drew national attention and praise for highlighting Black baseball icons like Satchel Paige and Willie Mays. Mays, who passed away in 2024, played for the Black Barons as a teenager before rising to Hall of Fame stardom in Major League Baseball.
In a tribute to Mays’ legacy, Sewell also announced the ribbon-cutting of the newly refurbished Willie Mays Park in Fairfield.
“Thanks to the generosity of Major League Baseball and the extraordinary efforts of State Senator Merika Coleman and numerous community partners, the Willie Mays Park will undergo major improvements and will now serve generations of aspiring young baseball players in Jefferson County,” Sewell said.
Originally opened in 1976, the park’s renovations include new baseball fields, updated playgrounds and upgraded lighting and facilities.
“We’re excited to welcome Major League Baseball back to Birmingham, Alabama. So, thanks to their generosity and the generosity of so many, we will continue to play ball in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District,” Sewell said in closing.
