Happy Juneteenth

Happy Juneteenth Cousins!!

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Hey cousins. Hey, you're listening to Den of Queens. I'm your host, Crystal, the One, not the Two. Happy Juneteenth, Cousins. So, first and foremost, let's be clear. This is not a new holiday for black people across America. We have been celebrating this day since 1865 when the enslaved blacks of Galveston, Texas, were finally freed by Union soldiers two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that supposedly freed the slaves. Once a year we gather to celebrate Juneteenth with the community to educate on our history, celebrate our culture, and the progress of how far we have come, regardless of everything that was built to destroy us. Fun fact: the official Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 by an activist named Ben Haith, which is half blue and the other half is red, with a white star and a burst to represent Texas. The color of the flag was intentional to symbolize that enslaved people and their descendants are Americans and that they are recognized under the law and rights to liberty and justice. More widely used is the Pan-African colors, which are red, black, and green, that we love seeing so much. Black honors African heritage and identity. The red represents the blood and sacrifices made in the struggle for freedom. The green symbolizes the natural wealth, growth, and renewal of the land. This day is a reminder of what we went through and that we were able to get out of bondage of slavery. An important reminder that we need to remember and understand what it took. It allows generations to reflect and consider what else needs to be done. Juneteenth should be a rally call for all of us to think about the meaning of freedom, especially blacks in America. This day will always be relevant to the continuous quest and fight for freedom and equality. Juneteenth is here so that we can teach people who don't always have access to the knowledge in their home or in their schools. I know for sure that in my school in the upstate parts of South Carolina, we were not taught about Juneteenth. We had our 28 days that they taught us about black history that they wanted us to know, how blacks were slaves that ran north to freedom, and about Harriet Tubman and Soul Journey Truth that led them to freedom, and how Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and Martin Luther King's dream. Just a small touch on civil rights movement. These were the portions of black history that were taught to us. Mainly what they summed up was how our ancestors were stolen from Africa and forced into slavery. And if they tried to fight back or demand their freedom, they would be murdered without any repercussions because they were property and not human people. Right now we're living through trying times with so much injustice in a country that has never truly valued black life, just a body of people that were stolen and brought here to work and entertain. So many still see us as just as they did from the moment that we were stolen and brought from Africa and sold like cattle. We are currently fighting to keep the rights that were fought for us in 1964 in 2020. Our civil rights as people have protected so many, like the Latinos, the Native Americans, white women, Asians, and the LGBTQ community. And anyone else that's not a straight white Christian male. All while no one's fighting for the black community to just exist. And if you don't understand or see this, I feel bad for you because that means you won't understand until it affects you personally. America wants us so bad to forget about the past of enslaving our ancestors for 246 years, all while reminding us daily of it and wanting us to never forget about what happened to the Jews in the Holocaust for approximately three years. And oh yeah, also remember that 120,000 Asians were in internment camps for approximately three years. I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Germany paid the survivors of the Holocaust approximately $86.8 billion in restitution from 1945 to 2018. And the 120,000 Japanese Americans that were incarcerated in an internment camp during World War II were given a formal apology and paid $20,000 tax-free for each surviving person. So what happened to the African Americans, 40 acres and a meal, you ask? Well, I have a conspiracy theory. Some may want to hear it and some may not, but I'm going to go ahead and tell you anyway. We all know in 1865, President Lincoln signed a decree that promised newly freed African Americans their 40 acres in a meal. Approximately 400,000 acres of land was confiscated from the Confederates across South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Formerly enslaved families made their way to the land that was promised to them, and they had begun to work the land, establish schools, organizations, and militia to protect themselves and the promised lands. Then guess what happened? The Confederates assassinated Lincoln on April 15th, 1865. And Andrew Johnson was his successor. Johnson at that point mandated that the confiscated land be returned to the Confederates. So the Confederates assassinated the president and then replaced him with someone they knew would do their bidding. Now, do I know 100% that the Confederates were responsible for Lincoln's death? No. But the math is math, and right now Asians are upset about blacks boycotting their businesses. Businesses that were planted in black communities and rely on and are made rich off of the black dollar. But yet Asians are so anti-black. But yet they idolize whiteness. But yet they'll never be allowed in their neighborhoods. It's not about blacks waking up one day and just deciding we're not going to support them anymore. It's because we are finally waking up and realizing that you're anti-black and your values don't align with ours. I think we've all been to that gas station or store and have been followed around the store to make sure that we're not stealing. So, with not one leg up in a country that still does not want us here, lift your head up in pride. We continue to build our community and celebrate our diversity. We are not the things that this country says we are. God placed us here for greatness, and this too we shall overcome. We are under attack from all sides, but yet I still couldn't be more proud to be black. Preparing this episode for Juneteenth, along with the heaviness of what is going on in the country, really took a toll on my spirit. I pray for my children. I pray for all of our children. They can be better than any generation that has come before them. For them to live in God's words of you shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love thy neighbor as thyself. So with that, wear your red, black, and green with pride. Always and forever. And have a wonderful, beautiful Juneteenth. Now, thank you for tuning in at Den of Queens. Make sure you subscribe and share with my cousins so you can all listen to future episodes of the new favorite podcast.