Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863.
The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order.
Proof positive that Texas operates as its own country....
However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom.
YEA RIGHT....
Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations.
Now that is believable...
And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
That's possible as well....bastids...
All or none of them could be true. For whatever the reason, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.
Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.Why are we celebrating the day slaves were freed, 2 years after they were already freed? Why are we celebrating the end of slavery regardless? There should never have been such an institution....
As it takes on a more national and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing. The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states come on board and form local committees and organizations to coordinate the activities. Communication and networking is vital. A sharing of lessons learned throughout all organizations will help expedite this growth while minimizing waste and risks.
What lessons have we learned? I haven't noticied any positive changes due to the Juneteenth celebrations. I do know that niggas get into it with each other on Juneteenth. So what are we really celebrating? What have we really learned from all this?
Happy Juneteenth, *"Bootleg Africans"*
16 comments:
I smile cuz I KNEW you was gonna have something to say about today...lol
thanks for the teachings. i like the interjection you made into the HIStory lesson.
Peace.
lesson well taught. seems as if african-americans are the first to complain about the "system" or whatever else is plaguing the mindframe at that point in time but never have a legitimate answer.. or better yet said.. never do something so that atleast our kids won't have to deal with the similar issues that we once were arguing and fighting over.
i think the first step is actually teaching the kids.. i don't remember learning about Juneteenth until i actually took initiative and read about it myself.. and i was in HS at that time, i'm not sure how it is anywhere else but maybe that's just the Cleveland.
school system.
all in all.. nice post ma.
happy juneteenth
tj
I didn't know what Juneteenth was until I lived in Dallas, and everyone asked me what I was doing for Juneteenth....
I'm like what's Juneteenth, these muthafuckas ain't even know, they just said, "Its a celebration"..(in Dave Chappelle's voice...*lol*)
I had to find out on my own why they were celebrating Juneteenth, then I found they didn't know what they were celebrating or why...they just were....ignit!!!
juneteenth in atlanta is an excuse for barbeque and street festivals. still alot of folk don't know what it is.
i love this post, nsane.
what have we learned? hmmm...i would venture to say that over a hundred years later and some folk STILL ain't get the message that we free.
Nikki, I'm sure if they knew what it was, they would think of different ways to celebrate...maybe not....we talkin bout Niggas here....
LadyNay- I'm smiling because you know me too well!!!
Hiari- Hell no, we weren't trying to come here...I'd rather be there with some sense of self, pride and community values....along with being able to claim an actual ethnicity...
Verse1 *lol*
Thee Modern Isis- Thanks... That is the first step, thats the only answer I have, teach the children, they are our only hope!
Nice Post. And u r right ist just another day for someone to get drunk and ack Ignet(yes I am aware of how I spelled that. Maybe one day we will appreciate it or any other Black oriented holidays for that matter.
Nice Post. And u r right ist just another day for someone to get drunk and ack Ignet(yes I am aware of how I spelled that. Maybe one day we will appreciate it or any other Black oriented holidays for that matter.
I love how you are so informative.....
I don't think alot of people are aware of Juneteenth, as sad as that may sound. I personally didn't know anything about it until recently. It wasn't mentioned to me in Catholic grammer school and it wasn't mentioned to me in highschool or college. It wasn't until I started meeting like-minded individuals and started actively seeking knowledge that this tid-bit of history was revealed to me. I know it's a shame and I'm embarrased to say it...
How did I know that I would find something like this here? Honestly, I know that slavery SHOULD have never happended, but the fact is that it DID happen, and at this point, there is nothing that we can do to change that fact.
Every year on Juneteenth, I get my teen girls group together, have a cookout, and make sure the they understand that slavery only ends when they free their minds from the bodage that society has placed on us as a whole. I make sure they know that the slave mentality will always exist, but it is up to them to overcome the obstacles, and take advantage of the opportunites that they have. I use it more as a day of motivation ond positive transition, rather than celebrating the end of slavery. If you really look at it, only the institution of slavery ended...
@ Luvin: That's really good that you do that.
That is remarkable Luvin Me!
Don't be embarrased Dynasty, you not the only one, I was like that too and many others....
They won't hand it to you on a platter, you must seek the truth...
To be honest, I hadn't even heard of Juneteenth until I saw it on Jason's Lyric back in the day... but I feel like it's pretty silly for people to be celebrating an anniversary of a date that actually happened a year previously. It's just like Black folks to be celebrating on CP time!
That's why Christmas lasts until after the New Year or at least until the sales run out; we buy winter clothes in the summer and some folks don't take down their Christmas lights until May...
Post a Comment