HAPPY JUNETEENTH/LIBERATION DAY BLACK PEOPLE **^SWIPE for a few pictures*** I have been celebrating US ALL weekend, including yesterday (the actual day of course) and recognize today as the federally observed holiday. THREE YEARS ago, I observed the holiday at the HR 40 Hearing on Capitol Hill in support of reparations–which I (personally) believe are owed to us. ONE YEAR ago—I celebrated our day becoming a federal holiday, witnessing the bill being signed into law by POTUS. Opportunists doing what they do (as anticipated) to commercialize it doesn’t take away from the significance of it being a national holiday! THIS YEAR—I celebrated part of the holiday weekend with Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and Vice President Kamala Harris at the VP’s residence alongside my DST First National VP, colleagues ++. _ _ _ With the first official celebration being in 1866, it was largely recognized in Galveston/Houston Texas, where the order was read in 1865, 2.5 years “after” the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It eventually spread to a few other states in the south, and Minnesota interestingly enough. A brotha-State Rep. Al Edwards pushed and passed a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday in Texas in ‘79 and it became one in just 1980. It really became “popular” only in the 1990s. Just because you’re no scholar in it, doesn’t mean you can’t observe today as a holiday! Note—Juneteenth is only ONE of many rituals African/Black people created to observe and commemorate forms of freedom in the West. Emancipation Day, Liberation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee being some of the others. We are creators! Black people–we have survived the unconscionable, and we’re still here! The struggle and fight aren’t at all over, but know I’m in it with you! #juneteenth #holiday #beautiful #african #black #africanamerican #people #africa #legacy #freedom #liberation #fighter #fashion #life #fortheculture #family #picoftheday #photooftheday #ghana #delta #deltasigmatheta #crownact #champion #blackstar