“On June 19 (”Juneteenth”), 1865, Union general Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, thus belatedly bringing about the freeing of 250,000 slaves in Texas. The tidings of freedom reached slaves gradually as individual plantation owners read the proclamation to their bondsmen over the months following the end of the war. The news elicited an array of personal celebrations, some of which have been described in The Slave Narratives of Texas (1974). The first broader celebrations of Juneteenth were used as political rallies and to teach freed African Americanabout their voting rights. Within a short time, however, Juneteenth was marked by festivities throughout the state, some of which were organized by official Juneteenth committees.”
history has such a way of sliding by w/o anyone recognizing it, w/o anyone being able to savor the moment, a moment of moments in the great flow of events. it ends up being the responsibility of everyone involved, both then & now, to mark those moments by recognition & w/praise & celebration. w/o them, we are not near as complete as a nation & our being justified in the eyes of history will be sorely lacking.
here is a great site to get yourself educated.
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