--- title: Juneteenth President Obama: Read Statement After Charleston Shooting description: President Obama issued remarks observing the June 19 celebration. Here is his statement in full canonical: https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-20T15:20:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:50.730Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read President Obama's Statement Marking Juneteenth in Wake of Charleston Shooting og:description: Obama issued remarks observing the June 19 celebration og:url: https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b3b9689e0c8fb97/6988557a8e06018282461105/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4500 og:image:height: 2531 og:image:alt: Barack Obama og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read President Obama's Statement Marking Juneteenth in Wake of Charleston Shooting twitter:description: Obama issued remarks observing the June 19 celebration twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b3b9689e0c8fb97/6988557a8e06018282461105/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read President Obama's Statement Marking Juneteenth in Wake of Charleston Shooting > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7da1325f-2a3e-452c-9772-6cc9ef0cafd9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7da1325f-2a3e-452c-9772-6cc9ef0cafd9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=7da1325f-2a3e-452c-9772-6cc9ef0cafd9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Families Remember The Charleston Victims [Watch (HLS stream): Families Remember The Charleston Victims](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jEIGaOIa.m3u8) (1:26)  _Published 2015-06-19. Families Remember The Charleston Victims_ by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jun 20, 2015 3:20 PM UTC  President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about gun violence at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in San Francisco, June 19, 2015. President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about gun violence at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in San Francisco, June 19, 2015. Carolyn Kaster—AP by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Jun 20, 2015 3:20 PM UTC On this day 150 years ago, more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the slaves of Galveston, Texas finally received word that the Civil War was over. They were free. A century and a half later, Americans still recognize this occasion, Juneteenth, as a symbolic milestone on our journey toward a more perfect union. At churches and in parks, lined up for parades and gathered around the barbecue pit, communities come together and celebrate the enduring promise of our country: that all of us are created equal. Yet this year, our celebrations are tinged with sorrow. Our prayers are with the nine members of the Mother Emanuel community — nine members of our American family — whose God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were so cruelly snatched away. Our hearts go out to their families, their friends, and the entire city of Charleston. We don’t have to look far to see that racism and bigotry, hate and intolerance, are still all too alive in our world. Just as the slaves of Galveston knew that emancipation is only the first step toward true freedom, just as those who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50 years ago knew their march was far from finished, our work remains undone. For as long as people still hate each other for nothing more than the color of their skin – and so long as it remains far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun – we cannot honestly say that our country is living up to its highest ideals. But Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory, or an acceptance of the way things are. Instead, it’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, things do get better. America can change. So no matter our color or our creed, no matter where we come from or who we love, today is a day to find joy in the face of sorrow, to count our blessings and hold the ones we love a little closer. And tomorrow is a day to keep marching. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] He took something very precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again. But I forgive you. One thing DePayne has always joined in in our family with, is that she taught me that we are the family that love built. We have no room for hate. Tywanza Sanders is my son. But Tywanza was my hero Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, every one plea for your soul is proof that they lived and loved. I forgive you and my family forgive you, but we would like you to take this opportunity to repent. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/"},"headline":"Read President Obama's Statement Marking Juneteenth in Wake of Charleston Shooting","datePublished":"2015-06-20T15:20:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:58:50.730Z","description":"President Obama issued remarks observing the June 19 celebration. Here is his statement in full:","url":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/","keywords":["White House","Barack Obama","politics"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b3b9689e0c8fb97/6988557a8e06018282461105/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b3b9689e0c8fb97/6988557a8e06018282461105/obama7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Barack Obama","caption":"Barack Obama","creditText":"Carolyn Kaster—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/white-house/","name":"White House"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/","name":"Read President Obama's Statement Marking Juneteenth in Wake of Charleston Shooting"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Families Remember The Charleston Victims","description":"Families Remember The Charleston Victims","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/jEIGaOIa/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-19T21:11:34.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jEIGaOIa.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/","duration":"PT1M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3929328/president-obama-juneteenth/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```