juneteenth...

good afternoon, my lovelies

while tossing and turning last night, trying to fall asleep, i decided i wanted to do a post about Juneteenth today, since it is in fact Juneteenth.  one of the things that this current regime has taught me is that i don't know enough about my fellow humans and the history of their cultures. 

yes, i am a white, genx, southern girl, raised in a southern baptist household (sort of).  the white part i had nothing to do with (and genetic testing says i'm mostly english and welsh, with a bit of scottish, irish, germanic european, swedish and a tiny portion of north american indigenous). the southern baptist thing has always been in question.  even as a small child all the "rules/commandments/teachings" never made sense to me.  i pretty much emancipated myself from christianity at the age of 6 and declared myself a witch a few years later, but didn't really start practicing witchcraft until i was a teenager.

and us genxers...well...does anything really need to be explained? haha

growing up in the south, i know we weren't taught much in the way of truth in school.  and to be honest, i don't even remember anyone ever mentioning Juneteenth until the last few years.  as a person who has always loved history (and always thought i was born in the wrong time period) and all people (no matter the color of their skin much to the horror of some of my more racist family members) i wanted to learn more.  

so with this topic in mind and everything going on out there i decided it was time to educate myself and maybe, by bringing a few things here i can help you find something new too.

since i'm new to this, please!  please! if i post anything that is incorrect about this date of historical and cultural and human importance, please let me know (nicely).  i'm not here to say i know everything and i'm right.  obvs, since i just stated up there that i know nothing.  i'm here to learn.  i want to be an ally, i want to be a friend, i want this to be a safe space, ok?  

i started where everybody starts nowadays by doing the g thing and looking it up. one of the first sites took me to Roger Eberts page (which was a little weird i'll admit) but the headline grabbed me: then they will learn the truth

from what i've found, Juneteenth is short for June Nineteenth, the date that General Gordon Granger of the Union Army leading federal troops arrived (1865) in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and emancipate any unfreed slaves.  after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 many southerners moved to texas and took their slaves there as there was very little fighting in the state and it was considered the last safe place to hold slaves. when Granger arrived, he stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3 stating that all slaves were free.

it has been 160 years since that order was read. and while there was no instantaneous change, it was the start of freedom for black folks, in a way.  i think everyone in america (sane people anyway) would agree there is a long way to go before black folks are just as free and equal as white folks.  the day has also been known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Black Fourth of July, Second Independence Day.

here are a few links to some noted people on Juneteenth.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Opal Lee - The Grandmother of Juneteenth

Here are a couple of books i''ve added to my reading list: On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed and Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison

and if you have children, grandchildren or great grandchildren there are a lot of books for kids about Juneteenth.

these are just a couple of things, the more i searched the more i found. i'm glad to see that information is out there, i've just become wary of where i get my information from, y'knowwhatimean?

any folks out there that can educate me, please do so...

Happy Juneteenth!!

love & kisses & magical wishes...

~*~

ps... here's the link to today's MFTA post if you're interested.  i've decided to just link to it in the bottom of posts on days i post here like today! :-)