It’s Juneteeth, which marks the “end” of slavery in the United States. To me, it celebrates the resiliency of Black Americans since the first African was forced onto a slave ship to the Americas. The photos you see above are from my patriarch. We got the last name Jackson from Andrew Jackson, former American president and slave owner that’s on the $20 bill. We’re not entirely sure if we got the name biologically or solely through ownership, but our original European immigrant ancestor Ettien Peltier came from France and married a Spaniard named Reina Priennes. My DNA results rank British ancestry way higher than both French and Spaniard. Jackson is a British surname. Slave owners raping their slaves was very common. So, do with that information what you will. Today, I want to share with you a story about my great-great-great grandfather�—Jack Conrad. He was a former Union soldier that was born a slave. He was also one of the victims and sole survivors of the Thibodaux Massacre in 1887. In November 1887, white paramilitary groups started attacking Black sugar cane laborers and their families in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Every single victim in this massacre was Black and included elders, women, and children. Jack Conrad was one of the survivors. He was shot four times. After Jack was shot, he crawled underneath a house and pretended to be dead as white men continued through the neighborhood killing unarmed Black people. Hours later, someone pulled him from under the house and took him to a doctor. He lived to tell the story. Both his sons were also shot, however they did not survive. Mary Conrad, Jack’s only remaining child, survived. She married a man named Jesse Jackson. They are the reason why I am alive today. While today marks the “end” of slavery, this is also a reminder that Black people were and are still terrorized even after slavery and as we’ve seen recently with George Floyd and Trayvon Martin—we’re terrorized even after death. The story of Jack Conrad is not uncommon. Black people have suffered and continue to suffer in this country. Regardless, we are miraculously still here yet unfortunately we are still fighting. Happy Black Resilience Day.