EMANCIPATION DAY
Today, I honor my ancestors.
Today, I honor my ancestors by being whole.
Today, I honor my ancestors by reconnecting
my mind, body, and spirit with family – present, past, and future
Today, I honor my ancestors by reconnecting
my mind, body and spirit with the soil – from where all life comes
Today, I honor my ancestors by reconnecting
my mind, body, and spirit with the drum – the voice that holds it all together
Today, I’m dancing. Be free. Dance with me.
Today marks the 153rd anniversary of Juneteenth (June 19th) the day when the “last” enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received word that General Robert Lee had surrendered, and they were free. This notification happened about two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which “abolished” slavery in the Confederate States and about a year after my home state of Maryland abolished slavery in November 1864.
As we celebrate this important time in our history, its critical for us to remember that slavery still exists around the world, and even in the United States. We are reminded to call it by its name and to be vigilant, so as to not allow our celebrations to deter us from our work as freedom lovers.
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Cover Image: Mr. D. N. Leathers Sr, celebrating Juneteenth. June 19, 1913. Collection of Southern Methodist University.
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