![]() “This sharp reminder of Juneteenth’s cultural roots is echoed in a letter to the editor sent to the Atlanta Daily World in 1983, when Texas State Representative Al Edwards reminded Atlanta readers that ‘Juneteenth celebrations originated here in Texas.In 1979 the 66th Legislature passed and the Governor signed my H.B. ‘Histories, practices, etc that traceably originate or were developed as we currently iterate them in places that we are not living descendants of said history or ppl - we are doing the toxic, colonial thing to each other that has been done to us.’ Chaédria LaBouvier, the first Black curator at the Guggenheim Museum, tweeted in late 2020 about the lack of specificity when discussing Juneteenth and the Southern roots of African American culture: Several Black Texans have been critical of how the state and Southern culture have been excised from the conversations and commemorations. ![]() Recent efforts to generate support for making it a national holiday have been met with resistance. In other towns throughout the South, similar strategies were used to secure safe spaces for Juneteenth observance."Īngela Tate, museum curator of women’s history: “As with many things involving African American history and culture, Juneteenth is not without its own debates and detractors. This plot of land became known as Emancipation Park and throughout the era of segregation it was the only public park open to African Americans in Houston, Texas. Jack Yates, a formerly enslaved man, formed the Colored People and Emancipation Park Association to purchase a plot of land that could be used for Juneteenth celebrations. In response to this strategy, in 1872, Black Houstonians, under the leadership of Rev. Those in power also attempted to thwart the observance of Juneteenth by denying large groups of African Americans access to land on which to celebrate. However, African Americans had to overcome many challenges in the years after learning of their ‘freedom.’ Many states, including Texas, passed stringent laws curtailing the movement and actions of the newly freed men and women. A year after General Granger’s announcement, Texans celebrated the first Juneteenth. Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian: “Throughout the war, Texas remained largely free of the presence of Union troops. ~ Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian ![]() So, this year at Juneteenth, as you take a long swallow from a cool drink of hibiscus iced tea, or red punch, remember the ancestors who sacrificed, remember the blood shed in the struggle, remember the collective strength of people of the African diaspora, and finally remember the spirituality and transcendent joy that enabled us to overcome. Furthermore, culinary historians, trace the color to certain foods that traveled to the Americas along with the Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, such as hibiscus and the kola nut. Folks bring these items without much thinking about their origin. In fact, the roots of the symbolic efficacy of the color red can be traced to West Africa, where it has been associated with strength, spirituality, life, and death. ![]() Each year when my family celebrates Juneteenth, our flyers boldly request that each quest bring something "Red." We then add examples, like red soda pop, watermelon, apples, or even red beans. ![]()
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