Virginia ? A state legislator who sparked outrage by saying black Virginians should “get over” slavery proposed a resolution Monday celebrating slavery’s demise.

Del. Frank D. Hargrove proposed Virginia officially celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It refers to the date the last slaves in the United States were freed, June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.

“I think it’s very worthy because it’s positive that we here in Virginia – and it has nothing to do with the apology – that we celebrate the end of slavery,” Hargrove said. “Slavery’s over with, it was a horrible institution, there’s nobody living today that approved of it, that thought it was worthwhile.”

Several black religious ministers last week demanded a censure of Hargrove, a Republican who turns 80 on Friday, after he said in a newspaper interview that he opposed a resolution apologizing for slavery because no one living today was involved in it.

Hargrove, who is white, rhetorically asked whether Jews should also be made to apologize for the crucifixion of Christ and said of slavery, “Our black citizens should get over it.”