Hello All:
Well, it's three days and counting to PCOL's 2nd Annual Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration, Parade and Festival, and everybody's so excited. The parade alone will be filled with who's who - including five floats, an array of marching bands, performers, and organizations. They will all be gathering at "Congo Square" a/k/a 7th and Locust, and parade from there throughout the area to 7th and Arch Street, where they will culminate at the Festival.
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| Displaying the lead iBuyBlack Flag that will be part of the Juneteenth Parade |
This is absolutely wonderful, and totally different from the Juneteenth celebrations we grew up with as kids in Oklahoma City. As kids, we waited with great anticipation for the celebration of Juneteenth, because it meant picnics, parties, lots of good food, and all your friends running around the park with you, while the adults sat, watched, played dominoes and had quilting bees. To us Juneteenth was a lot of fun - it was imported to Oklahoma via those brothers and sisters who emigrated there from Texas.
While we didn't have big parades, we knew it was about freeing the slaves - our ancestors - after the Civil War had ended. We also knew that the announcement of their freedom had actually been kept away from them for two years, but instead of getting pissed off, they decided to celebrate it. Most of them did so by getting the hell out of Texas. So for them Juneteenth meant shaking the dust of their captivity off them, and on to a place where they were free to be, do, and have whatever they wanted. To them, the promised land was Oklahoma. Hence, though Oklahoma was still considered Indian Territory in 1865, Blacks were welcomed there, thrived there, owned their own homes, businesses, land, raised and educated their children and enjoyed their lives.
While we didn't have big parades, we knew it was about freeing the slaves - our ancestors - after the Civil War had ended. We also knew that the announcement of their freedom had actually been kept away from them for two years, but instead of getting pissed off, they decided to celebrate it. Most of them did so by getting the hell out of Texas. So for them Juneteenth meant shaking the dust of their captivity off them, and on to a place where they were free to be, do, and have whatever they wanted. To them, the promised land was Oklahoma. Hence, though Oklahoma was still considered Indian Territory in 1865, Blacks were welcomed there, thrived there, owned their own homes, businesses, land, raised and educated their children and enjoyed their lives.
So, Juneteenth took on a different meaning - and was celebrated widely throughout the 67 all Black towns, and in those areas that had relatively large Black populations. In addition, it was our official kick off to summer. For the next 24th years, Black progress in Oklahoma expanded unabated - until the Oklahoma Ruin of 1889, which ushered in the very same white racists they had left in Texax, Missouri, Arkansas, and other racist strongholds. These are the ascendants of those who later were instrumental in the burning of Greenwood, OK in 1921-- also known as Black Wall Street - but I digress.
It is theorized that the reason Juneteenth only recently began being celebrated on the East Coast was because slavery, as experienced in the South, was not legal or widely practiced in the North The Emancipation Proclamation, which was effective as of January 1, 1963, freed slaves in Confederate states - or states that were part of the rebellion - but not those states who were slaveholding states, but remained loyal to the US. It's been a bone of contention for years, with many saying that Lincoln did not free the slaves - not something that I'm going argue here. Whatever the reason for the delayed recognition of Juneteenth, it's commemoration is in full swing now and growing in Urban communities throughout the East Coast and other neighboring states. There are no end of celebrations; as well as panels, historicultural celebrations and parades.
This weekend, June 17, marks the second annual Universal Juneteenth Celebration in Philadelphia, spearheaded by the Philadelphia Council of Leaders (PCOL), and coordinated by Brother Kofi - with funding raised solely from the Black community via the iBuyBlack Discount Cards that are being sold and utilized throughout Philadelphia. The cards, which only cost $10.00, are designed to be used with Black businesses and merchants, who in turn give the card holder a 10% discount for patronizing them. The unique concept helps keep the money in the Black community, as opposed to being dissipated outside the area. The parade, which costs $52,000 to produce, including floats, participants, accommodations, and public relations, was funded solely through the iBuyBlack Card.
At 12:00, the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Parade will start at 7th and Locust, also known as Congo Square, which was originally a trading block for kidnapped Blacks who were auctioned off as slaves. The route will go past the original presidential home of George Washington, past the quarters where nine slaves were held. A speech commemorating their lives will be made by Michael Coard, founder of Avenging the Ancstors Coalition (ATAC), and others, past the Reviewing Stand at 7th and Arch, which is in front of the African American History Museum, and end at the festival on 8th and Arch Streets. Joining the Universal Juneteenth this year will be performers from New York and New Jersey; there will be 5 floats, and children of the communities will be among the flag bearers.
At 3:00PM, immediately following the parade, the carnival will open with vendors, food and entertainment. There will also be forums and round tables held in the Museum on the first and fourth floor levels that will be of interest to Black people of all levels. The events are free, and most of the vendors will be accepting iBuyBlack cards and providing card holders with discounts on merchandise and food at the event.
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| Brother Michael Rashid coordinator of the iBuyBlack Discount Card listens to Juneteenth details |
This weekend, June 17, marks the second annual Universal Juneteenth Celebration in Philadelphia, spearheaded by the Philadelphia Council of Leaders (PCOL), and coordinated by Brother Kofi - with funding raised solely from the Black community via the iBuyBlack Discount Cards that are being sold and utilized throughout Philadelphia. The cards, which only cost $10.00, are designed to be used with Black businesses and merchants, who in turn give the card holder a 10% discount for patronizing them. The unique concept helps keep the money in the Black community, as opposed to being dissipated outside the area. The parade, which costs $52,000 to produce, including floats, participants, accommodations, and public relations, was funded solely through the iBuyBlack Card.
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| Brother Kofi giving details of the upcoming 2nd annual Universal Juneteenth Celebration |
At 12:00, the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Parade will start at 7th and Locust, also known as Congo Square, which was originally a trading block for kidnapped Blacks who were auctioned off as slaves. The route will go past the original presidential home of George Washington, past the quarters where nine slaves were held. A speech commemorating their lives will be made by Michael Coard, founder of Avenging the Ancstors Coalition (ATAC), and others, past the Reviewing Stand at 7th and Arch, which is in front of the African American History Museum, and end at the festival on 8th and Arch Streets. Joining the Universal Juneteenth this year will be performers from New York and New Jersey; there will be 5 floats, and children of the communities will be among the flag bearers.
At 3:00PM, immediately following the parade, the carnival will open with vendors, food and entertainment. There will also be forums and round tables held in the Museum on the first and fourth floor levels that will be of interest to Black people of all levels. The events are free, and most of the vendors will be accepting iBuyBlack cards and providing card holders with discounts on merchandise and food at the event.
Below are some of the events taking place in Philadelphia, New York and DC.
The Institute for the Development of African American Youth (IDAAY)
National Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast 8:30am
Enjoy:
-- Traditional with additions from Reverend Wallace Evans
Pennsylvania’s Juneteenth Coalition 20th Anniversary Jubilation
PA. State’s 2017 Juneteenth Tentative Schedule
Mr. Juneteenth: Pennsylvania’s Juneteenth Founder & State Director
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Night of Soul (Juneteenth fundraiser) $25
216 South St Philadelphia, PA 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Monday, June 12, 2017
Parkway Central Library Heritage, Honor and Freedom Discovered: 7:00 p.m.
Montgomery Auditorium, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA (Call 215-686-5322)
Thursday June 15, 2017
The Library Company of Philadelphia Juneteenth Freedom Seminar
1314 Locust St. Philadelphia, PA, 6:00 PM; (215) 546-3181
Pittsburgh Juneteenth Celebration African American Heritage Day (724-205-9376)
Kennywood Amusement Park, 4800 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin, PA 11am-10 PM
15th Anniversary Clarion University Juneteenth Program: (Hart Chapel) 10:30 am
840 Wood Street Clarion, PA; Keynote Speaker, Music, Poetry, and Lunch; (call 814-393-2223)
Friday June 16th 2017
The Institute for the Development of African American Youth (IDAAY)
Juneteenth Liberation Celebration, Criminal Record Expungement Clinic
5548 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Call 484- 685-5191)
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Juneteenth Celebration
2800 W Cheltenham Ave, Philadelphia, PA 6pm-9pm (Call 215-276-7200)
Pittsburgh & the Poise Foundation Celebration of Life Black Tie Dinner (724-205-9376)
Monroeville Convention Center-South Hall, 209 Mall Plaza Blvd, Monroeville, PA 6-10PM
Saturday June 17, 2017
Universal Juneteenth Parade & Festival
(Call 267-721-3906)
Parade Kick-off from Congo Square, travel to the Liberty Bell
and end at the African American Museum in Philadelphia,
site of the Festival, 701 Arch Street;
Program 12:00 noon – 8:00 PM
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| "See You At the Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration!!" |
Also on Saturday June 17, 2017
Johnson House & the 6300 Block Business Alliance Juneteenth Parade & Festival
Parade Kick-off from 5109 Germantown, site of the First Protest against Slavery and culminate at the site of the Festival, 6300 Block of Germantown Avenue, 11am-8pm, (Call 215-438-1768)
Cliveden Historic Germantown Juneteenth Celebration
Liberty to Go and See Play, Based on the Chew Family Papers and directed by award-winning actor and Director Johnny Hobbs (Ticket $15.00) 12 noon and 3 PM (215-848-1777)
Public Engagement, Philadelphia Commission for Women, and Women's March Pennsylvania Presents THE STATE OF BLACK WOMEN: Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust 6133 Germantown Ave Philadelphia PA 2:00pm (Call 215-438-1768)
Mt. Airy Arts Garage Juneteenth Jazz on the Sidewalk
6622 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 3pm-6pm (Call 215.242.5074)
Juneteenth Freedom Day Family Festival @ Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic, (formerly North Concourse Dr) Philadelphia, PA
Freedom Quilts: 10am – 3pm; Program Room, Floor 1
Artist Demonstrations and Activities: Joy of Textiles: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1
10 – 10:30am and 11 – 11:30am
Pop Up Play Corner: Juneteenth Celebrations: City Capers, Ground Floor, 9 – 10:30am
Family Performances: Hip Hop Fundamentals: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1
12 – 12:30pm and 2 – 2:30pm
Artist Meet and Greet with Joy O. Ude: Program Room, Floor 1, 12 – 1pm
The Family Performance- Tell Me A Story With Rhythm and Rhyme:
Please Touch Playhouse, Ground Floor, 1:00-1:30 pm and 3:30 – 4:00 pm
The Music and Movement: Juneteenth Jamboree: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1, 4:30 – 5pm
Free with admission: (Call 215-581-3181)
Artist Demonstrations and Activities: Joy of Textiles: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1
10 – 10:30am and 11 – 11:30am
Pop Up Play Corner: Juneteenth Celebrations: City Capers, Ground Floor, 9 – 10:30am
Family Performances: Hip Hop Fundamentals: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1
12 – 12:30pm and 2 – 2:30pm
Artist Meet and Greet with Joy O. Ude: Program Room, Floor 1, 12 – 1pm
The Family Performance- Tell Me A Story With Rhythm and Rhyme:
Please Touch Playhouse, Ground Floor, 1:00-1:30 pm and 3:30 – 4:00 pm
The Music and Movement: Juneteenth Jamboree: Hamilton Hall, Floor 1, 4:30 – 5pm
Free with admission: (Call 215-581-3181)
7th Annual Chester Juneteenth Festival: St. Daniel's Ray of Hope CDC & City of Chester
Memorial Park: Day of LIVE entertainment, food and craft vendors, face painting, swimming and much more; 2300 W. 7th Street in Chester PA, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Call 610.494.1999 or 610.742.0319
Underground Railroad Juneteenth Celebration & Walking Tour (Call 610 444-8188)
Kennett Square Underground Railroad Center, 101 East State Street Kennett Square, 2 pm - 4 pm
Juneteenth Celebration: A Day of Remembrance
100 block of N. 5th Street - Reading, PA, 1pm-7pm
Saturday June 17, 2017
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Juneteenth Celebration Concert 7:30pm
St. Paul’s Elkins Park, 7809 Old York Rd. Elkins Park, Montgomery County; Ticket $30.00-$40.00
Williamsport Juneteenth Celebration Brandon Park, Williamsport PA, Market St. & Rural Ave. 1- 7pm (Call 570 419-2502)
Sunday June 18th 2017
National Juneteenth Memorial Maafa Wreath Laying Ceremony
Lincoln Park Emancipation Memorial 12:00pm National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council
Lincoln Park Emancipation Memorial 12:00pm National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Juneteenth Celebration, 10am
Tour an Underground Railroad exhibit. Enjoy live music and food. Shop in our marketplace….
St. Paul’s Elkins Park, 7809 Old York Rd. Elkins Park, (Call 215-635-4185) Montgomery County,
Human Rights Coalition Juneteenth Parade: www.facebook.com/events/122604258227500/
Parade-Fairmount Ave, Rally & performances at Eastern State Penitentiary, end with Picnic @ Fairmount Park; meet @ Francisville Playground 1737-39 Francis St. Phila. PA 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Juneteenth BBQ fundraiser for COLOREDS ONLY (Call 888-854-5525)
2402 N Howard St, York & Howard St Philadelphia, PA, 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Monday June 19th 2017 (Juneteenth)
Mr. Juneteenth UN Presentation and Pennsylvania Juneteenth Coalition 20th Anniversary Program
UNITED NATIONS 405 East 42nd Street New York, NY, 10017, USA 10am
ARC OF RETURN JUBILEE DNA CEREMONY: Returning Descendants of African Diaspora to Their Roots
RENAMING CEREMONY- AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND NATIONAL MONUMENT: 290 Broadway New York NY Unity & Trade Convention- The National Black Theater, 2031-33 National Black Theatre Way New York, NY
New Future Foundation Inc., Alkebulan International Organization of Nations, Momma Gail Clouden
National Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast 8:30am
National Press Club 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor Washington, DC
Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Founder, Chairman, National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council
National Juneteenth’s Pentagon Juneteenth Ceremony: TRIBUTE TO 20,000 African sailors, and over 180,000 United States African Soldiers who fought for America and their tribunal family freedom during the Civil War: Pentagon Building 1400 Defense Pentagon Arlington, VA 11 am
Monday June 19th 2017 (Juneteenth)
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: CHARLES L. BLOCKSON “CELEBRATING OUR HERTIAGE” JUNETEENTH PROGRAM
Independence Seaport Museum, Penn's Landing, 211 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
Celebrating the Great Poet, Sonia Sanchez, Philadelphia’s first Poet Laureate from 2012-2014
June 19th WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY
JUNE 19TH QUEEN MOTHER NAA DEDE OTA 1ST (REV. ZEMORIA BRANDON) BIRTHDAY
JUNE 19TH THE OFFICAL FOUNDING FATHER’S DAY
Movement for Black Lives: Day of Action 40 Acres 40 Cities. One Day
On Juneteenth, June 19th Black people across the country are mobilizing to take back, reclaim, land. Contact info@movementforblacklives.org
June 19th begins Senior Farmers Market Voucher Distribution
Wednesday June 21st 2017
WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH 5K (also: 1,500m & 3,000m) RUN
12:00noon*** Hosted By: Tidal Basin Run
*** For information on the WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH 5K Run ***
contact: Jay Jacob Wind at 703-927-4833; e-mail: racedirector@att.net
web site: http://www.racepacket.com/tidalbasin/
For those of you who are interested in the history behind Juneteenth, I've included excerpts from a historical retrospective on Junteenth in Texas and Oklahoma - where Juneteenth is a legal holiday. 12:00noon*** Hosted By: Tidal Basin Run
*** For information on the WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH 5K Run ***
contact: Jay Jacob Wind at 703-927-4833; e-mail: racedirector@att.net
web site: http://www.racepacket.com/tidalbasin/
Enjoy:
THE BLACK CHURCH and JUNETEENTHDr. Charles Taylor, Author
JUNETEENTH: A CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM
WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?
Juneteenth or June 19, 1865, is considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation did not come until General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3, on June 19, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
BUT DIDN'T THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION FREE THE ENSLAVED?
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, notifying the states in rebellion against the Union that if they did not cease their rebellion and return to the Union by January 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves forever free. Needless to say, the proclamation was ignored by those states that seceded from the Union. Furthermore, the proclamation did not apply to those slave-holding states that did not rebel against the Union. As a result about 8,000,000 slaves were unaffected by the provisions of the proclamation. It would take a civil war to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to formally outlaw slavery in the United States.
WHEN IS JUNETEENTH CELEBRATED?
Annually, on June 19, in more than 200 cities in the United States. Oklahoma and Texas are the only states that have made Juneteenth a legal holiday. Some cities sponsor week-long celebrations, culminating on June 19, while others hold shorter celebrations.
WHY IS JUNETEENTH CELEBRATED?
It symbolizes the end of slavery. Juneteenth has come to symbolize for many African-Americans what the fourth of July symbolizes for all Americans -- freedom. It serves as a historical milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human spirit over the cruelty of slavery. It honors those African-Americans ancestors who survived the inhumane institution of bondage, as well as demonstrating pride in the marvelous legacy of resistance and perseverance they left us.
WHY NOT JUST CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY LIKE OTHER AMERICANS?
Blacks do celebrate the Fourth of July in honor of American Independence Day, but history reminds us that blacks were still enslaved when the United States obtained its independence.
WHY WERE SLAVES IN TEXAS THE LAST TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE FREE?
During the Civil War, Texas did not experience any significant invasion by Union forces. Although the Union army made several attempts to invade Texas, they were thwarted by Confederate troops. As a result, slavery in Texas continued to thrive. In fact, because slavery in Texas experienced such a minor interruption in its operation, many slave owners from other slave-holding states brought their slaves to Texas to wait out the war. News of the emancipation was suppressed due to the overwhelming influence of the slave owners.
WHY WE CELEBRATE
J -- Juneteenth represents the joy of freedom--the chance for a new beginning.
U -- Unless we expose the truth about the African-American slave experience, Americans won't be truly free.
N -- Never must we forget our ancestors' endurance of one of the worst slave experiences in human history.
E -- Every American has benefitted from the wealth blacks created through over 200 years of free labor and Juneteenth allows us to acknowledge that debt.
T -- To encourage every former slave-holding state to follow Texas' (and Oklahoma's) example and make Juneteenth a state holiday.
E -- Every day in America, blacks are reminded of the legacy of slavery. Juneteenth counters that by reminding us of the promise of deliverance.
E -- Even on the journey to discover who we are, Juneteenth allows us to reflect on where we've been, where we're at and where we're going as a people.
N -- Never give up hope is the legacy our enslaved ancestors left. It was this legacy that produced black heroism in the Civil War and helped launch the modern civil rights era. It is this legacy we celebrate.
T -- To proclaim for all the world to hear, that human rights must never again become subservient to property rights.
H -- History books have only told a small part of the story; Juneteenth gives us a chance to set the record straight.
FREEDOM IS ALWAYS WORTH CELEBRATING!
The Meaning of Juneteenth -- Freedom
When blacks in Texas heard the news, they alternately sang, danced and prayed. There was much rejoicing and jubilation that their life long prayers had finally been answered. Many of the slaves left their masters immediately upon being freed, in search of family members, economic opportunities or simply because they could. They left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope in their hearts. Oh, freedom!
"When my oldest brother heard we were free, he gave a whoop, ran, and jumped a high fence, and told mammy good-bye. Then he grabbed me up and hugged and kissed me and said, "Brother is gone, don't expect you'll ever see me anymore," I don't know where he went, but I never did see him again." -- Susan Ross
Freedom meant more than the right to travel freely. It meant the right to name one's self and many freedmen gave themselves new names. County courthouses were overcrowded as blacks applied for licenses to legalize their marriages. Emancipation allowed ex-slaves the right to assemble and openly worship as they saw fit. As a result, a number of social and community organizations were formed, many originating from the church. Freedom implied that for the first time, United States laws protected the rights of blacks. There was a run on educational primers as freed men and woman sought the education that had for so long been denied them. The Bureau of Refuges, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen's Bureau, were founded by Congress in March 1865 to provide relief services for former slaves. Schools were established and joined churches as centers of the newly-freed communities. The promise of emancipation gave freedmen optimism for the future; few realized slavery's bitter legacy was just beginning to unfold and that equality was to remain an elusive dream. Oh freedom!
At the beginning of Reconstruction, the period immediately following the end of the Civil War, rumors were rampant that every freedman would be given forty acres and a mule. Ex-slaves petitioned for land and, with federal troops stationed throughout the South to protect their rights, looked forward to participating in American society as free citizens. In some cases ex-slaves were successful in obtaining land. Land grants by Congress allowed several states to establish black colleges.
The optimism was short-lived, however, and soon replaced by a betrayal so soul shattering blacks questioned whether the United States was serious about granting them their freedom. Ex-slaves found for the most part, that despite the Freedman's Bureau, they were left to fend for themselves. The abject poverty and the racism that maintained it, prohibited any hope for assimilated into American society. In Texas, the editor of the Harrison Flag newspaper denounced as "treasonable" the sale of land to blacks. The Texas Homestead Act, passed during Reconstruction, granted up to 160 acres of free land to white persons only. The Texas legislature in 1866 passed a new set of black codes that attempted to reverse the limited gains blacks had been granted. (THIS IS WHY SO MANY BLACKS FLED TO OKLAHOMA)
Ex-slaves entered freedom under the worst possible conditions. Most were turned loose penniless and homeless, with only the clothes on their back. Ex-slaves were, as Frederick Douglas said "free, without roofs to cover them, or bread to eat, or land to cultivate, and as a consequence died in such numbers as to awaken the hope of their enemies that they would soon disappear."
Many white Texans disdained Black freedom and this utter contempt guaranteed the price of freedom for many would be unaffordable. The sharecropping system that emerged in Texas and all over the deep South kept many blacks from starving, but had little to distinguish it from the slave life blacks thought they had escaped. This was the other side of emancipation where high expectations gave way to heart-crushing disillusionment.
By 1877, the end of Reconstruction, the North had abandoned Black Americans to the will of southern whites, who through violence, racial discrimination and Jim Crow laws succeeded in disenfranchising them, resulting in more than 100 years of oppression. It's not surprising that Blacks turned to the only institution that gave them hope--the church.
CHURCH
From the establishment of the first Black church in America, throughout slavery and beyond, the church has been the foundation of the black community. During the horrific days of slavery it provided relief and nourishment for the soul with its promise of a better life after death. The church gave the slave dignity and assured him he was equal in the eyes of God. Despite his earthly condition he was loved and valued as a child of God no matter how difficult his burden became or unbearable his suffering was, Jesus, who too suffered, prepared a place of rest for him when his time was up on earth. It was this religious faith that sustained the slave and enabled him to endure his bondage.
The slave owner was able to observe a glimpse of this faith as he heard the incredible music that seemed to come out of the slave's soul while toiling in the field. If the slave owner had ventured into a slave church, his strong defense of slavery would no doubt have been weakened. He would have seen the people he considered inferior and sub-human without the defensive masks they wore in the fields; in their churches, enslaved men and woman displayed a dignity and stateliness that survived the slave owner's dehumanizing oppression.
The church was more than a safe house. It served as a launching pad for Black leadership and was involved early on in working for liberation. Many free Blacks in northern churches participated in the Underground Railroad, raised money for freedmen after the Civil War, and helped keep the black community intact.
The importance of the Black church cannot be overstated. It was, and perhaps still is, the single most important institution in the Black community. It permitted self-expression and supported creativity at a time when it could have meant death. An example is found in the spirituals, gospel and other forms of music that helped blacks explain and endure their sojourn in America. Blacks were able to use their churches to hone organization and leadership skills useful in the economic, social and political development of their community. It's no accident that Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson and a host of other civil rights leaders got their start through the Black church.
Therefore it is not surprising the Black church has always played a pivOtal role in keeping alive the meaning of Juneteenth. Religion has always been at the root of the observance of this holiday, which is ironic, considering it is a holiday born out of an institution so far removed from Christian ideals--slavery.
The Black Church provided a haven from the daily oppression slaves faced, but after freedom it was also the center of social activities including the sponsorship of the annual Juneteenth Celebration.
TRADITIONAL PRAYER
The deep spiritual faith of the enslaved is reflected in the traditional prayer below. Similar prayers are often recited in Juneteenth celebrations.
Father, I stretch my hand to thee--for no other help I know. Oh my rose of Sharon, my shelter in the time of storm. My prince of peace, my hope in this harsh land. We bow before you this morning to thank you for watching over us and taking care of us. This morning you touched us and brought us out of the land of slumber, gave us another day--thank you Jesus. We realize that many that talked as we now talked, this morning when their names were called, they failed to answer. Their voices were hushed up in death. Their souls had taken a flight and gone back to the God that gave it, but not so with us. We are thankful the sheet we covered with, was not our winding sheet, and the bed we slept on was not our cooling board. You spared us and gave us one more chance to pray. And Father, before we go further, we want to pause and thank you for forgiving our sins. Forgive all our wrong doings. We don't deserve it, but you lengthened out the briskly threads of our lives and gave us another chance to pray, and Lord for this we thank you... Now Lord, when I've come to the end of my journey, when praying days are done and time for me shall be no more; when these knees have bowed for the last time, when I too, like all others must come in off the battlefield of life, when I'm through being 'buked and scorned, I pray for a home in glory.
When I come down to the river of Jordan, hold the river still and let your servant cross over during a calm down. Father, I'll be looking for that land where Job said the wicked would cease from troubling us and our weary souls would be at rest; over there where a thousand years is but a day in eternity, where I'll meet with loved ones and where I can sing praises to thee; and we can say with the saints of old, Free at Last, Free at Last, thank God almighty, I am free at last. Your servant's prayer for Christ sake. Amen!
-- Traditional with additions from Reverend Wallace Evans
LEGACY OF SLAVERY
The fact that it took a Civil War to forcibly put an end to slavery left a bitter legacy that continues to divide American society. Slavery so bankrupted slave owners' sense of right and wrong that they were willing to die to defend that lifestyle. A slave-holding minority morally corrupted a nation, and this legacy still haunts the country.
According to historian John Hope Franklin, "the Founding Fathers (by allowing slavery) set the stage for every succeeding generation of Americans to apologize, compromise and temporize on those principles of liberty that were supposed to be the very foundation of our system of government and way of life...that is why this nation tolerated and indeed, nurtured the cultivation of racism that has been as insidious as it has been pervasive."
Professor Franklin asks, "How could the colonists make (such) distinctions in their revolutionary philosophy? They either meant that all men were created equal or they did not mean it at all. They either meant that every man was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, or they did not mean it at all...Patrick Henry, who had cried, 'Give me liberty or give me death', admitted that slavery was 'repugnant to humanity', but (obviously) not terribly repugnant, for he continued to hold blacks in bondage. So did George Washington and Thomas Jefferson..."
This blatant hypocrisy poisoned both religion and the law. Every institution at the slave-holder's disposal was used to justify slavery. Instead of the slave-owner being considered inhumane, the people he enslaved were. The legacy of racism has grown into perhaps the greatest internal threat that this country faces. John Hope Franklin aptly put it when he wrote that "slavery weakened America's moral authority."
It's amazing that despite living under the most inhumane conditions known to humankind, blacks contributed everything from agricultural inventions, to medical breakthroughs, to music. Enslaved artisans crafted incredible sculptures, designed beautiful buildings and helped build a nation. Blacks preserved a culture and succeeded in passing down a legacy of music, language, food, religion and a lesson in survival. We'll never know how many scientists, engineers, doctors and artists were lost on the trip over on the slave ships or after they arrived.
Slavery taught America another lesson, one that it too often ignores. Blacks and whites worked together to create an anti-slavery movement that ultimately succeeded. Later they fought and died together to force an end of slavery. Blacks and whites have worked throughout the nation's history for social justice. This lesson of cooperation must never be forgotten.
While the painful side of slavery makes it difficult for many Blacks to celebrate Juneteenth, it is the positive legacy of perseverance and cooperation that makes it impossible for others to ignore.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
STAY BLESSED
&
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria
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