Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

today

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday which the president said will “breathe a new life in the very essence of America.”

“To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand the war was never fought over it, it wasn’t just about a union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom.”

Vice President Kamala Harris said Juneteenth is an occasion to “honor Black excellence, culture and community.”

“America is a promise — a promise of freedom, liberty and justice,” Harris said. “The story of Juneteenth as we celebrate it is a story of our ongoing fight to realize that promise. Not for some, but all.”




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-juneteenth-kamala-harris-72ddd4e0aa6286d9e326029c19a9b7f3

[Alexander Of Assyria]

1. Remembering and opposing slavery is radical Woke! Almost bad as woke Indictments!

[GreenWave]

2. In your face Death Sentence, in your face.

By keeping students ignorant of the facts the GOP creates the perfect breeding ground for more white supremacists.

[Marthe48]

3. Always pleasing to rec positive news

Happy Juneteenth to all who celebrate and to all who appreciate the meaning and history of the celebration.

[crickets]

4. I'm so happy that Joe Biden is our president. 💙

[onetexan]

5. 👏 -K&R!!

[Collimator]

6. Just posting this here to remind White folks to find balance in their attempts to be supportive.

All things considered, though, Charles may be cringe, but he has a huge heart. And he is being completely earnest, even when he's making a fool of himself.

We could all stand to be a little like Charles when it comes to loyalty and support, but maybe dial back some of the enthusiasm. . . And we need to be able to laugh at ourselves and keep trying to get it right.

[qwlauren35]

7. Lots of Pussy-Footing.

Juneteenth is the day that slaves were freed in the last confederate state. It's a commemoration holiday. I'm not sure how I feel about celebrating it with singing, but would prefer to see it celebrated with a brief history lesson. A reminder of why the Civil War was really fought, an opportunity to force the nation to rewrite some white-washed history books. I would love to see it celebrated with the history of the Abolition Movement. Yes, go ahead and give props to the white and black people who pushed for it. I would love to see it celebrated with an understanding of what freedom meant for black people. That their families would no longer be split apart, that they would no longer be beaten, that they would no longer be raped, that they could finally learn to read and write, that they could move about the country freely and that they could vote.

I feel as though this needs saying, over and over. We need to discuss what it means to be free, what it meant to be enslaved, and why this day matters.

In my mind, I sense that many Southern whites would not want to celebrate this holiday. But anyone whose ancestors served in the Union Army should also stand and cheer for this day. On this day, June 19th, 1863, every state in the Confederacy had acknowledged that they had lost the War. All those lives lost had meaning. And for a few short years, until Jim Crow swept the South, African-Americans could experience freedom.

I actually wish that Juneteenth occurred during the school year. There's a lot to talk about.

[CTyankee]

8. I'm a 3rd generation Texan and I'm white and I sure as hell want to celebrate it!

I remember growing up when Juneteenth was "their holiday" and not celebrated by white folks. Now I want to and I get to and so does the entire nation!