Kamala Harris Surprises Children at African American Museum in Juneteenth Celebration

United States Vice President Kamala Harris surprised schoolchildren visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture by discussing the significance of celebrating Juneteenth, a new federal holiday observed by the whole country on Monday.

The Vice President was accompanied by the second gentleman Douglas Emhoff at the museum in Washington, according to a report from ABC News.

As Harris entered the room, children and their families greeted her with cheers. She is the first Black woman to serve as the nation's second-highest executive.

Juneteenth commemorates the historical event of June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were the last to learn that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier releasing them from slavery.

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law last June, calling it "one of the greatest honors" of his term.

A Day To Celebrate Freedom

Speaking to children ages 4 to 10, Harris said: "Today is a day to celebrate the principle of freedom and think about it in terms of the context of history, knowing that Black people in America were not free for 400 years of slavery, but then at the end of slavery -- right? ... when the Emancipation Proclamation happened, that America had to really think about defining freedom ..."

The vice president added that having freedom is "our God-given right."

"It is your birthright to have freedom, and then during slavery freedom was taken. And so we're not going to celebrate being given back what God gave us anyway."

As the audience agreed with her statements, one person said, "Amen," as per a report from UPI.

She continued, "let this be a day that is a day to celebrate the principle of freedom but to speak about it honestly and accurately, both in the context of history and current application. That's what I'm thinking about today."

When Vice President Kamala Harris finished her message, the second couple mingled with the children as they worked on their coloring books.

Celebrating Juneteenth With the Community

The surprise appearance at the National Museum of African American History and Culture happened after Harris and Emhoff hosted the first-ever Juneteenth celebration at the vice president's residence on Sunday.

Harris posted on Twitter: "I can think of no better way to celebrate Juneteenth than by spending time with the community. The @SecondGentleman and I were proud to welcome families to our home for the first-ever Juneteenth celebration at the Vice President's Residence."

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016, when it became "the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution," as per the information posted on its website.

Meanwhile, The New York Post pointed out in a report that Vice Pres. Harris was mistaken about the length of the period of slavery she mentioned during her discussion with the children at the Washington museum.

In 1619, the first African slaves landed in the American colonies in Virginia. Slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment, which was ratified in 1865, ending the system after 246 years, not 400, the publication noted, which a White House official acknowledged.

"The vice president was referring to 400 years since slavery began," a White House official told the news outlet.

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Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Usa