Juneteenth 2020 (virtual) re-cap
Event Info:
This Juneteenth celebration is an all day, community wide, event celebrating freedom, diversity and community. The event features local POC, venders, workshop facilitators, music, performances and informational Knowledge for Power sessions. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, celebrating that day in history, June 19th 1865.
This holiday is very important and empowering for the Black communities all over the united states, but especially for Humboldt County, as this community makes up a very small percentage of the population and is often oppressed as a result. Black history is a part of The United States’ history and is important to celebrate as we create safe spaces and inclusion for the Black community in Humboldt County.
Goals:
Create safe inclusive spaces.
Celebrate and educate on the history of Juneteenth.
Create safe spaces to host conversations around race, equity, white supremacy and systematic oppression.
Spend time with each other while respecting social distancing.
Highlight POC businesses, community members, artists and educators in Humboldt County.
Fundraise for the POC business sector.
Knowledge For Power Sessions:
Healing 7 generations forward reaching 7 generations back with Unique Mical Robinson: Thanks to our virtual Platform we are able to team up with the incredible Uni Q Mical!! @Unithaluni ,a writer, performer, and Professor in Humanistic Studies from Baltimore, MD, will facilitate an open and interactive discussion, as well as offer a space for witnessing one another. This session will trace and provide a deeper understanding of the context of US history, and its effects on the creation of Blackness as resilience and resistance through music, movements, art, and spiritual foundation. What examples can we take with us from our ancestors for today’s movements, and what have we shifted in our current generation to take forward with us?
Being Black at the Intersection of Birth and Death with Mwende “FreeQuency” Katwiwa: Thanks to our virtual Platform we are able to team up with the incredible, Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa FreeQuency aka FreeQ Tha Mighty , @Mwendeinsuspenders, who is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive. The session starts with a pre-recorded interview about Katwiwa’s book “ Becoming Black” followed by a "It is the artist's job to unearth stories that people try to bury with shovels of complacency and time," says poet and freedom fighter Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa. Performing her poem "The Joys of Motherhood," Katwiwa explores the experience of Black mothers in America and discusses the impact of the Movement for Black Lives -- because, she says, it's impossible to separate the two. This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.
Black & Brown Artist Showcase:
We were honored to host 9 Black & Brown artists for a Juneteenth showcase hosting story telling, dancing, poetry and music. It was truly a beautiful evening with moments shared with Poet AJ, Dancer Delilah Stowers, Poet Mona Loki, Dancer Clair Fuxabal, song writer and singer V, Singer-Dancer Daniel McClain and Dancer Noel.
Catch re-caps of the event across all major podcast platforms!! https://soundcloud.com/black-humboldt
History of Juneteenth:
“Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory”. Reference: http://juneteenth.com/history.htm
"Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience. It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities - as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend."
"Juneteenth serves symbolically, and in reality, as a reference point from which to measure and appreciate the progress and contributions made by African Americans to this society."
"Juneteenth is a day on which honor and respect is paid for the sufferings of slavery. It is a day on which we acknowledge the evils of slavery and its aftermath. On Juneteenth we talk about our history and realize because of it, there will forever be a bond between us."
"On Juneteenth we think about that moment in time when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas received word of their freedom. We imagine the depth of their emotions, their jubilant dance and their fear of the unknown."
"Juneteenth is a day that we commit to each other the needed support as family, friends and co-workers. It is a day we build coalitions that enhance African American economics."
"On Juneteenth we come together young and old to listen, to learn and to refresh the drive to achieve. It is a day where we all take one step closer together - to better utilize the energy wasted on racism. Juneteenth is a day that we pray for peace and liberty for all."
Reference: http://juneteenth.com/history.htm