And After All the Violence and Double Talk

Hey, everybody. With the passing of Mrs. Apolzon last week, there's something I had every intention of teaching you guys on the very day, but never got around to, and that's Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated by many African Americans all over the United States, normally on June 19th of every year.

Juneteenth really began in Texas, where it has been an official state holiday since 1980. Back when Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves after the Civil War, Texas, being a Southern State, at the time was pretty much reticent to acknowledge the new rule that owning slaves was no longer legal. So Lincoln sent about 2,000 federal troops into Texas to take over Texas and make sure that the slaves were freed.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that this holiday hasn't reached nationwide status. And it's not like I would be getting another day off, being a teacher, so don't go looking for that motivation from me. I think it's the kind of holiday that really needs to be commemorated in our country. Just something about that whole "...all men are created equal" thing that seems to smack of an assumed national pride, but maybe that's just me.

All I know is that if I was either born a slave, sold into slavery against my will (and really, is anyone sold into slavery as a part of their free will?), or was captured and forced into slavery, there is no way on earth that I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate being free after over a hundred years.

Until it does reach the national conscience, I hope everyone will celebrate in their own way. Maybe this July 4th, we call all just be thankful that we are all free.

That maybe the Constitution we enacted after the year 1776 was meant for everyone.