145 YEARS AGO WE RID OURSELVES OF SLAVERY...

From Wikipedia:

Juneteenth

Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas. Texas was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation, and though slavery was very prevalent in East Texas, it was not as common in the Western areas of Texas, particularly the Hill Country, where most German-Americans were opposed to the practice. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. On June 19, 1865, legend has it while standing on the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa, Granger read the contents of “General Order No. 3”:

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 personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name derived from a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth.

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year. Across many parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities’ increasingly large Juneteenth gatherings — including Houston’s Emancipation Park, Mexia’s Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin.

More here.

I toured Ashton Villa when I was a kid; I don't recall the tour guide telling us about Granger's proclamation, not surprising, I guess, for East Texas race relations back in 1979. But we've come a long way, even since then, and it's once again time for the nation to pat itself on the back for pulling its people a little ways out of barbarism nearly a century and a half ago, pointing ourselves toward a more civilized future.

Even though it's almost exclusively African Americans who celebrate Juneteenth, I'll be damned if I don't, at the very least, give a tip of my hat to the day that that America finally rid itself of its reputation tarnishing embrace of the horrific institution of slavery. I mean, what an amazing leap forward we took that day. Abolishing slavery was every bit as important in the history of this nation as the establishment of democracy was. Seriously. Democracy is a sick hypocritical joke when coupled with slavery. We became a little bit more ourselves that day, a little bit more the noble people of the Enlightenment that we've always wanted to be.

Juneteenth is easily as important as Independence Day. Every American, of every race and ethnicity, ought to celebrate it. I mean, c'mon, we got rid of slavery!!! There's a lot about this country that pisses me off, but then, there's a lot about it that I love, too. And this is one of those things I love.

In honor of Juneteenth, here's New Orleans gospel legend Mahalia Jackson fronting the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Newport back in 1958 on Black, Brown, and Beige's immortal song of black perseverance "Come Sunday." Its emotional intensity and simple straightforward lyrics never fails to move me.

Here are the words:

Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, Please look down and see my people through.

I believe that God put sun and moon up in the sky.
I don't mind the gray skies
'cause they're just clouds passing by.

Heaven is a goodness time. A brighter light on high.

Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

And have a brighter by and by.

Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, Please look down and see my people through.

I believe God is now, was then and always will be.
With God's blessing we can make it through eternity.

Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty,
God of love, Please look down and see my people through.

Happy Juneteenth.

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