Juneteenth -the day of our freedom
becomes the day of being independent.
David Roach receives Peace Award at KPFA radio
On June 19th, known as Juneteenth, is the day many African- Americans celebrate the official day of our freedom from the bonds of slavery.
Although, The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on slavery January the 1st, 1863, officially abolishing slavery, it was not until 2 years and six months later, that General Gordon Granger, along with his 1,800, Union soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas, to publicly announce President Lincoln's words.
These few days, around June 19th of 1865 throughout Texas, Black people cheered as the word “we are free,” reached their neck of the woods.
Juneteenth represents, those few days, June 13th-19th, that people “got word,” mostly through the grapevine, that slavery was over.
Can you imagine hearing the news that you are now free?
Congressmen Thaddeus Stevens said in 1865, “ we are about to release 40 million slaves without a cent in their pocket, and a hut over their head.”
Congressmen Stevens knew that Black people, today known as African -Americans, would be released from the shackles of chains, and dumped into poverty and discrimination far from being able to take care of themselves.
His recommendations were overshadowed by new laws of segregation called Jim Crow (which replicated the Black Slave code laws implemented in the northern states i.e. slavery was abolished in state of New York in 1826 but these slave code laws made black people second class citizens).
Today, now some one hundred and forty four years, I ask, can we take care of ourselves today?
Lets prove it by FEEDING OURSELVES.