Today, many Americans will see this day, June 19th, as a regular Tuesday, but many African Americans will celebrate this day known as Juneteenth. Many more will question what is Juneteenth and why is it celebrated?
On June 19th, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and issued by President Abraham Lincoln, which granted the freedom of more than 3 million slaves in the South, many slaves were unaware that slavery was abolished. Union Army Major General Gordon Granger, took his soldiers to Galveston, Texas to inform everyone that slavery was no longer in America.The Emancipation Proclamation officially ended slavery on January 1st, 1863, however due to the Civil War and the South’s rebellion, it wasn’t properly enforced.Since General Granger’s announcement brought good news to formerly enslaved blacks, celebrations took place, making June 19th, 1865 the day that Juneeteenth was born.So why aren’t more African American celebrating?In 1980, the state of Texas declared Juneteenth an official holiday, but it still goes unnoticed by majority of the country.Juneteenth is not only a day of celebration but also a day to remember when the evils of slavery ended in America for our ancestors.As many celebrate this day, let us remember how far African Americans have come, let us remember and celebrate General Granger for being the driving force in spreading the word that slavery had ended, and let us not forget to reflect on who we are as a community but also as a nation.Happy Juneteenth!
Category: News
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Today is Juneteenth: What is it and why do African Americans Celebrate It?
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Recap: Mona Scott-Young’s Launch Party of MonaMi Direct and Release of Debut Novel.
Mona Scott- Young is a force to be reckoned with.
Last night, the executive producer of the hit reality show “Love and Hip-Hop”, held an exclusive launch party at the Flatiron, located at 9 West 26th Street in Manhattan, for two projects that she has been working on, MonaMi Direct and the release of her debut novel ‘Blurred Lines’.MonaMi Direct is a publishing company that Young and her business partner Courtney Parker (who was stuck in L.A) started. Young explained how the idea for this company came about. “It started probably over a little over a year ago, and I wanted to do something in books but I definitely didn’t want to do it the traditional way”, she said. Young also explained that after finally settling with a publishing house, the person who was in charge of pushing the book forward had left the company. At that moment she and Parker were determined to take matters into their own hands by creating their own company, MonaMi Direct. Through this company, their debut novel ‘Blurred Lines’ was published.The event was filled with a lot of familiar faces and a few surprises. Cast members from “Love and Hip-Hop” New York came out to show their support for Young. Yandy, Tara, Cyn Santana, Mariah Lynn, Jacque, Jonathan, and Safaree were all in attendance to celebrate and congratulate Scott-Young on her success.
Brooklyn’s own rapper Maino and the owners of the Crabby Shack, located in Crown Heights, Gwendolyn Niles, and Fifi Bell Clanton were also in attendance to show their support.
Young had a few surprises for the guest in attendance. She shared a special reading of her novel and had Yandy, Safaree, Tara, Cyn, and producer of the show, Stephanie participate in it. During the sample reading, each participant had a role, while Young was the narrator. From that short snippet, the guests were introduced to Carys, her boyfriend Nikko, and their parents and grandparents, and was intrigued how fast the story took you through twists and turns, leaving you wanting more. After the reading, however, Young left us with a piece of advice in regards to the book, “Nothing is what it seems, so don’t go jumping to conclusions yet”.Pre- Order your copy of ‘Blurred Lines’ before it’s released on June 26th, 2018. -
Breaking News: Anthony Bourdain dies of an Apparent Suicide
It has been confirmed that CNN’s own Anthony Bourdain has died by an apparent suicide. He was 61 years old.Bourdain was in France filming for an upcoming episode of his hit show when he was found unresponsive by his friend, French chef, Eric Ripert in his hotel room.Bourdain, a storyteller and writer, was known for a lot of his accolades and achievements, one of them being the hit show, “Parts Unknown”, that aired on CNN. In a statement, CNN said this;
It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain,” the network said in a statement Friday morning. “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Bourdain became an influential figure through his writings and through the media over the years. He has earned many awards including the Peabody Award.Bourdain’s death comes just days after fashion designer, Kate Spade, who also died by suicide in her New York City apartment. She was found by the housekeeping staff hanging from a scarf.If you or someone you know needs help call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
