Juneteenth!

[xfundy]

Best to all who celebrate it. We all should.

A chance to learn from the past and renew vows that history doesn't have to repeat itself.

[Hekate]

1. KnR

[floriduck]

2. Agreed!

[Ned_Devine]

3. What is it?

[xfundy]

5. When the end of slavery became known to the slaves.

I'm not aware of the date emancipation actually happened, and since the people were denied education and communication, I believe they learned of it later. Also, having been denied basic education, they wouldn't know numbers and how to pronounce them, except through hearing snatches of others' words and passing them on.

The slaveholders certainly didn't want them to know they were freed.

So today is a wonderful day worth celebrating.

[Ned_Devine]

6. You said it

Have you ever read the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me"? It's fantastic. The fact that I didn't know this date was a reminder of the fact that our history textbooks are "white"washed

[mcar]

4. A happy and healthy Juneteenth!

[MerryBlooms]

7. The History of Juneteenth

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

[xfundy]

9. Thank you!

My understanding of this historic day is limited, as I've already illustrated. This link should fill in many, many blanks.

Everyone should know this history, not just those whose ancestors were affected by it. Every American kid should be taught this in school.

I learned who Harriet Tubman was in school-- "conductor" on the underground railroad. Isn't she also the lady who was hit in the head with an iron that left an indentation? Her, MLK, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver (and peanuts), Frederick Douglass... and that's about all the POC I learned about in school, and some of that may have been from independent reading on my part. And that was a looooong time ago, and I don't think today's kids learn even a fraction of what I was taught.

I don't think I was taught much of anything about Hispanic POC. That's fucking crazy.

[xfundy]

10. I didn't realize it related to Texas

I'm ignorant in many things. But at least I'm trying to learn.

[appalachiablue]

8. Happy Juneteenth! the freedom time all Americans should know and celebrate.

[underpants]

11. Thanks. I'd forgotten it was Juneteenth

Powers been out here since Thursday.

[xfundy]

12. Power outage due to heat wave?

Or flooding, like in Texas? Hope you're doing better, keeping cool and have enough to eat.

[underpants]

13. Thunderstorms Thursday night. Richmond Va.

It just came back on 10 minutes ago. 71 hours.

[Surya Gayatri]

14. One of the most important dates in US history, unknown and unrecognized by the large majority.

Shameful...this historical blackout speaks loudly of white bias and privilege.

[xfundy]

15. A giant important date

And a giant lesson to learn. This doesn't just happen to the uneducated, it happens to everyone. The "boss" is not our friend.