Vice President Kamala Harris visits with families for a celebration of Juneteenth at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Monday, June 20, 2022, in Washington. Standing alongside Harris is her husband Doug Emhoff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 8:11 AM PT – Tuesday, June 21 2022
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to celebrate Juneteenth. On Monday, she was greeted by cheers from a group of elementary school children who were visiting the museum.
The Vice President spoke about the importance of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Her history lesson was met with criticism due to her claims that slavery lasted for 400 years in the US, despite historical records indicating that it actually lasted for less than 250 years.
“I think that we all know today is a day to celebrate the principle of freedom,” Harris stated. “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. “
For Juneteenth, I stopped by @NMAAHC to talk about freedom and equality with our nation’s future leaders. pic.twitter.com/8RVCch9VP1
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 20, 2022
The White House has since issued a responding, suggesting Harris was referring to the amount of time since slavery was first practiced in the country.