Hello Everyone, and welcome! I am feeling happy and grateful today. I am especially enthused that the US finally made June 19, Juneteenth, a national holiday! This is wonderful! With this new holiday is new freedom!
I am explaining some things in the following paragraphs:
Juneteenth (short for “June 19”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in the Confederate states. Texas, however, wasn’t experiencing a lot of fighting, nor were there many Union troops present. Because of the slow communication methods, enslavers either didn’t know about the new law or ignored it since it was hard to regulate them. Sadly, some Confederate enslavers moved their plantations to Texas because of this. They got away with this until June 19, 1865. In December 1865, President Lincoln passed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the US.
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
Here are five facts about Juneteenth:
- “Enslaved people had no idea Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.”
- “Major General Gordon Granger was sent to Texas to inform the enslavers that they had to free their enslaved people.”
- The freedom announcement urged freed people to stay with their owners and work for wages.
- After the announcement, most formally enslaved people chose to leave Texas and go elsewhere. Many searched for separated family members.
- “In the 1870s, newly freed people collected $800 and purchased 10 acres of land. They called it “Emancipation Park, “Houston’s only public park and swimming pool open to Blacks until the 1950s.
Ten facts about Juneteenth you may not know
Five interesting facts you may not know about Juneteenth
Juneteenth has been celebrated in Texas as a state holiday since 1979. Before that, the new holiday was recognized as an important day in African American history. This holiday is essential because it tells the story of a big part of Americans whose roots go back to slavery.
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
To celebrate Juneteenth, people drink “red soda water” or strawberry soda and have barbecues. This is to celebrate freedom. Enslavers drank red soda and ate red foods, which were forbidden for the enslaved people. Afterward, the newly freed people consumed these foods and drinks to remember the blood shed by all the enslaved people.
https://dailynexus.com/2021-06-19/juneteenth-strawberry-soda-and-history-lesson/
No matter what we look like, we need to see each other on a deeper spiritual level. Each one of us is unique and special. We all have creative talents. We all have meaning and a positive purpose in life. It is time to celebrate each other’s gifts. We must recognize that we are all people and share the divinity of the One who created us all.
We are at a point where this is crucial for our evolution. We cannot go on divided any longer. There is no reason to fear diversity. We are all born in love.
How are you planning to spend your holiday? This year, we plan to celebrate Juneteenth by having a barbeque and reflecting on the importance of this day in history. Let’s all move forward together toward each other to create a more loving planet.
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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Lynn Lawler's Creative Artists' Blog 
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