There are things that prevent us… interfere with our being able to move forward.”. Supervisor in District 5, Chronicle recommends: Re-elect Supervisor Aaron Peskin. — Isaac Epstein (@iepstein) June 19, 2013, Question: Why isn't #Juneteenth a full-fledged federal holiday? Seriously, why is Columbus Day a federal holiday, but #Juneteenth is not?

Although wikipedia isn’t the best source according to them, “Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America.” The Union Army brought the announcement of the abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865 to the state of Texas and the southern United States. But in many ways African Americans and other people of color remain in bondage. Shalom. The Civil War was fought over the abolition of “black bodies being forced to work for free to make money for white bodies”, and those “white bodies being pissed off that they would have to get off their lazy asses and make their own way in this world”. The Civil War was fought over the abolition of “black bodies being forced to work for free to make money for white bodies”, and those “white bodies being pissed off that they would have to get off their lazy asses and make their own way in this world”. Perhaps you’d like to ask your elected officials? They teach us who and what matters, what to remember and what to forget. Ronald V. Meyers explained.

Supervisor in District 7, Editorial: Vallie Brown for S.F. The emancipation of enslaved people should have been the end to all that ugliness, by welcoming the new members of society, with open arms. National recognition of the holiday has yet to occur.

Candice L. Harrison is a professor of history at the University of San Francisco and the faculty director of the Black Achievement Success & Engagement program on campus. Jemar is the author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism. Follow him on Twitter @JemarTisby, https://www.change.org/p/united-states-congress-make-juneteenth-a-national-holiday-in-2020?cs_tk=AlIGErYixvXPQgGL714AAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvGu12DaXuyzQkcO-u20e9AM%3D&utm_campaign=38d34ce3ac244a82a66d6a85a0a80f03&utm_content=initial_v0_0_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_signer_receipt_welcome&utm_term=cs. Some of the largest celebrations of the holiday take place in major cities like Atlanta, where the parade is followed by a music festival attended by thousands. ), — Jessica Ritchey (@Ruby_Stevens) June 19, 2016.

Years of systematic racism, segregation, and the oppression of Black Americans have diminished and stamped out efforts to make what should undoubtedly be an American National Holiday. It is the oldest-known celebration of black freedom from slavery. We can recount the heroes and villains of the war, whose granite and marble and bronzed figures still tower over us in towns and cities across the country. For all Americans to have commemorated emancipation then would have meant they acknowledged that the nation had fundamentally changed. Add widgets to this sidebar in the Widgets panel under Appearance in the WordPress Admin. Celebrations have typically included parades, barbecues, concerts and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. Growing up, I really don’t remember any “Juneteenth” celebrations, but I could be wrong. A statue of a man holding the state law that made Juneteenth a state holiday in Galveston, Tex.

Few other legislative acts so profoundly altered the landscape of the country. Emancipation was one step toward full equality. Perhaps we’re beginning to agree with Frederick Douglass when he said, “No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.” I hope so. Speaking with the Houston Press, Reedy Chapel trustee Sharon B. Gillins declared that Juneteenth should be observed at the national level. Juneteenth, the oldest holiday that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States, originated 155 years ago. Time ran out before she could get the required number, but her work highlights the call to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

What a lovely blog page.

Year after year, Americans wonder why Juneteenth—a celebration of liberty and the end of enslavement—is not a federal holiday while so many other historic moments are.

“Juneteenth” commemorates the belated liberation of enslaved people in the Confederacy, who didn’t manage to escape to Union lines during the Civil War or found themselves in occupied territory when the war ended. Why Juneteenth isn’t a national holiday ... and should be, Read more about our transparency and ethics policies, FILE - This Feb. 18, 2005, file photo shows the original Emancipation Proclamation on display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington. — Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) June 19, 2019. Juneteenth has been recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday, or a … And the reason we don’t remember emancipation, the reason we haven’t erected granite monuments of freed slaves and don’t celebrate Juneteenth as a national holiday, is not because that moment was insignificant; it’s because that moment was so very significant, and thus, so very threatening. Lee began walking from Texas, then to Colorado, then to Illinois and finally ended her walk on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. I’m a USAF Retiree, & regardless of the open insanity that we are living through now, I am still proud of my service to this country. Back in 1979 Texas state legislator Al Edwards introduced a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday and is one of many working to now give the day the real recognition it deserves. The Proclamation opened the way for further legislation designed to grant black people their civil and human rights such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments which officially abolished slavery nationwide, granted citizenship status to black people, and prohibited voter discrimination based on race or “previous condition of servitude” respectively.

Although Juneteenth still has not reached national holiday status quite yet, there are many like Lee who won’t stop until it does. And for the federal government to mark emancipation as a national holiday would have meant assuming the responsibility to protect those rights.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, the city’s plans to remove statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson met with a racist rally that summoned memories of Ku Klux Klan rallies of the past. Why isn't Juneteenth a federal holiday? © 2018 The Witness All rights reserved  It is the oldest-known celebration of black freedom from slavery. Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans made the bold decision to, The Emancipation Proclamation, along with the further changes that it precipitated, ranks with the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the Constitution as documents of foundational importance to the United States. — ❄Mikki Kendall❄ (@Karnythia) June 19, 2016, Regardless of the confused national messaging, Juneteenth was celebrated all over Texas with an eye toward the future. President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory on Sept. 22, 1862.

Positive reminders of the struggle for freedom must be created. We can recall the multiple steps of political and cultural discord that erupted into violence and led to the bloody chasm of the Civil War.

Remembering #Juneteenth goes beyond the historic importance of this day as a victory for human equality. When she rolled her eyes at me, my heart broke, and not because it always stings when your mama dismisses you. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File), A running list of Napa Valley wineries that have been damaged or destroyed in the 2020 Glass Fire, What caused Glass Fire? Opal Lee walked from state to state in 2016 to draw attention to the cause she holds near and dear to her heart. “Slaves didn’t free themselves,” the Forth Worth Texas native said. Jill…you sure you at Juneteenth?

Black people who don't have roots in Texas step carefully around Juneteenth. Why Juneteenth Isn't a National Holiday and Why It Should Be Also called Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth Independence Day, Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States But this second independence day is not a national holiday … ( Log Out /  But she doesn’t celebrate Juneteenth. Here are Napa Valley wineries not yet damaged in the Glass Fire despite rumors, 2020's fire damage to Napa wineries already far exceeds 2017, and it may not be done, Glass Fire: Maps and resources to stay up-to-date and prepared for evacuations, Editorial: A dismal debate, shattered by an off-the-rails American president, Editorial: Joel Engardio for S.F.

Full freedom has not been achieved for all Americans. The Proclamation opened the way for further legislation designed to grant black people their civil and human rights such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments which officially abolished slavery nationwide, granted citizenship status to black people, and prohibited voter discrimination based on race or “previous condition of servitude” respectively. Man tries to wash away Breonna Taylor chalk art mural, pulls weapon on bystanders who confront him, Woman live-streams nurses taunting her right before her death, Anti-mask Karens lose their sh*t at a city council meeting, Cop who fatally shot Breonna Taylor is crowdfunding for his retirement on a Christian site, National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

Too many people still struggle to break all kinds of gender, racial, ethnic, and economic bonds.
Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) – also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day – is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.Originating in Galveston, Texas, it is now celebrated annually on the 19th of June throughout the United States, with varying official recognition.