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Editorial

Juneteenth: Test of time

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Myra Griffin
The Houston Sun
To many African Americans in 2013, June 19, 1865 seems like forever ago. Majority of the African American community can’t trace their lineage back to their ancestor that was told by a master or overseer that they were free. There are many questions that run through my mind when the holiday of Juneteenth comes around year after year about my heritage and history. Thoughts swirl around my mind such as what does my generation think about Juneteenth, do they know about Juneteenth and what are their emotional ties that surround the holiday with the past and future, those thoughts always loom, waiting to be answered. There are many more questions that go along with those but I always seem to question myself on the very last one. What about my future and the past history of my people, my culture, my heritage? What does that mean to me and to us all?

Juneteenth 2013 is a celebration of 148 years of freedom for Texans. I understand the Emancipation Proclamation was signed 150 years ago but for all of us Texans like me, those slaves didn’t hear they were emancipated from bondage until two years later on June 19, 1865.
As a native Texan born in La Marque, Texas, just about ten minutes north of Galveston Island, the birthplace of Juneteenth, I feel so close to that history. If I was alive 160 years ago I would be one of those slaves waiting, still picking tobacco, or cotton, maybe inside the big house preparing the food for master and his family. How could I not feel tied to my history?

As a child my parents made it a point to make my sister and I aware of our role as African Americans in America. My father would take us to a place in Texas City on the east end where they still had “Coloreds Only” and “Whites Only” painted on the outside walls of a building in the 90’s. Although the practices weren’t in use at the time it was a living history lesson. By taking us there to see that it was his way of letting us know as young girls that life as an African American was not going to be so simple.

As we grew up the black history lessons became more and more intense and the sense of pride to be African American grew as well but my sense of awareness was keen that things aren’t always what they appear to be. I couldn’t forget that people were enslaved because they had the same color skin as me and I took that very seriously.

Juneteenth is a one day party for some but for me it is life as we know it. For me it symbolizes the beginning of our future as Americans in a way, in the sense that if we weren’t chattel anymore then we were people living in America just like everyone else. Yes, I know that seems like a stretch but for a young girl my mind could only piece it together that far. Remember I was growing up in post civil rights era and its taboo to talk about race relations of the past.

So once we recognize that Juneteenth is a day of jubilation, slavery did happen, emancipation was a long over due but bestowed upon us (and yes us because we reap the benefits of that emancipation as descendants) what do we think of it 148 years later?

I find myself surrounded by peers who never think of their lineage so Juneteenth is far from their minds. When I went to college I met people who had never even heard of the Negro National Anthem nevertheless heard of a Juneteenth. It boggled my mind to even imagine what kind of fantasy world they were living in. Did they realize they were African American or did they think they had a real deep tan? I wanted to stand on the biggest soap box I could find to let them know they were missing out on the substance that made them who they are.

148 years ago there was another Myra somewhere in Galveston County, probably in the same location where I presently live toiling and missing family that may be somewhere else in the South. I hear people now complain about family about their husbands and wives and how much money they don’t make but 148 years ago those complaints would be completely asinine. Marriage would be rare and a gift from the master and money for work was a concept majority of the slaves never could comprehend.

The things we take for granted were built on the day of Juneteenth. I say that because the slaves weren’t free until all the slaves knew they were free. We take for granted that we can get up out of our bed at noon, take a long hot bath, eat a hearty meal of choice, put on whatever we choose from clothes we chose to purchase with money we earned or was given, we can get in a car and drive to do whatever we please amongst whomever we please. This came only after June 19, 1865. This came the day General Gordon Granger fulfilled his orders to tell those slaves in Galveston, Texas they were free.

The jubilation, the happiness, joy and wonder of what is next should be the celebration we have year after year. The stories of overcoming hardships, holding on, pressing on and look at us now should be celebration year after year. The remembrance of our ancestors should be celebration year after year. The progression of the African American race should be a celebration year after year. The future we have as an African Americans should be a celebration year after year. 148 years of freedom to just be is all the reason to celebrate.

We must never forget our heritage, regardless if we can’t research our family back past five generations or if life seems swell now. That is a disrespectful gesture to all who have fought, died and rallied for African Americans to be seen as people and not as property. We must teach our children to be prideful in their heritage and history and teach them who they are and where they come from. But we must not become detached from the simple truth that we have only been free a 150 years in America and 148 in Texas. We must not forget someone else had the power to tell us we were free and kept us as their property for over 200 years.

If we remember our history there is no way we can forget to celebrate our heritage and to recognize Juneteenth for more that just a parade, pageant, watermelon and red soda. It is a day of remembrance and jubilation because of all of those factors. So happy Juneteenth, happy Freedom Day and happy future to all African Americans all over the country because on June 19, 1865 we all became free.

Lifestyle

The Beauty of Juneteenth

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Joy Williams
The Houston Sun

As we embark upon another round of celebratory traditions for June 19, 1865 or as we affectionately call it, Juneteenth, it is important to remember that this holiday does not just commemorate the date that the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in Texas. It represents the day that the opportunity was presented for the emancipation of the black psyche from the limitations imposed upon us through slavery. A large portion of our black identity has been shaped and reshaped in the 150 years since we have been freed (148 years in Texas). Most often our identity is reflected in our beauty culture. From the braids and locks that were violently removed from the heads of Africans enslaved and carried to the West on slave ships to the naturals, relaxers, and weaves sported by women today, how we feel about ourselves and our culture has historically been displayed through our hair and cosmetic adornments.
It is not surprising then, that upon the heels of freedom many of our first generation entrepreneurs were pioneers in the black hair care industry as well as advocates for financial and community empowerment.

Such entrepreneurs recognized the fractured sense of self in the Black Community as a result of enslavement and helped us regain our footing as we once again embraced that thing that makes us unique- the ability to express ourselves through our beauty culture like only we can!
A few of the many notable figures in the shaping of our beauty identity are:
Annie Malone(1869-1957) developed her own shampoos and scalp treatments to grow and straighten hair and used street demos as her main marketing tool. Her company, Poro Products became an international company with customers in the United States, Africa, South America and the Caribbean. In 1918 Malone built a four-story million dollar factory and beauty school complex in the historic St. Louis neighborhood known as The Ville. She employed over 175 people (including at one point Sarah Breedlove, who would later become known as Madam C.J. Walker.)

Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) suffered from hair loss in her thirties and began experimenting with different hair treatments and products to regrow her own hair. At 39, she moved to Denver, Colorado where she married Charles Walker and began selling her “Wonderful Hair Grower” through door-to-door sales. In 1908 she opened Leila College (her daughter’s namesake) to train “hair culturists.” In 1910 she opened the Madam CJ Walker Manufacturing Company in Indiana and began training of the “Walker Agents”. The company empowered black women to gain economic mobility through commissions from direct sales rather than being pigeonholed as maids and nurses. In addition C.J. Walker Preparations, included facial treatment powders and other cosmetic treatments created for and marketed to Black women. Walker is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the first Self-Made Millionaire.

Madame Nobia A. Franklin (1880-1934) expanded her beauty salon into a chain in 1915 and eventually created one of the first major lines of cosmetics to include face powders that were meant to flatter, rather than lighten darker skin tones. By 1917 she opened the Franklin School of Beauty Culture and relocated the manufacturing, salon and educational operations to right here to Houston, Tx. In 1922 she moved to Chicago to further her business and soon began to teach others “the Franklin way” of styling hair using her products. Like Malone and Walker, she trained women to style and grow hair using her products and encouraged them to set up shops to style, straighten hair and sell the company’s skin and hair products. Products included hair tonics, hair growers, soaps, pressing oil and face powder customized for an African American clientele.

Community, Education, Lifestyle

Juneteenth: Here now and forever

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Myra Griffin
The Houston Sun

Juneteenth is right around the corner and the festivals and pageants are in full swing. Beautiful black women and handsome black men, young and old are ready to celebrate the activities that surround the holiday.

After 148 years of Juneteenth’s, the holiday has blossomed from just a day of celebration in Galveston, Texas to a state holiday that many other states have adopted and weeks long events that lead up to the big Juneteenth day celebration.

Centuries of history ties into the day of Juneteenth. The enslavement of African American’s ancestors is a history that cannot be taken lightly and the emancipation of those slaves is a monumental moment in American society that has set off a chain of events that can still be felt to this very day. But one thing those freed slaves and their descendants had was a spirit of joy and that joy caused jubilation for their freedom that has kept Juneteenth thriving for 148 years.

“In Marlin, TX the community or families would come together and celebrate. They would kill a hog or other stock and prepare a big meal and eat,” Lorenzo Lucas, Jr. No one worked on Juneteenth. You may have worked on July 4, but never on Juneteenth. It was an important celebration that was eagerly anticipated each year in the community.”

Year after year the African American community has to remember and decide whether they want to celebrate their past hurts, pains and triumphs. Over those years the climate of the country has changed and the reminder of slavery and the oppression of those with the African traits in America has gone cold but once a year Juneteenth comes and in the back ground you can hear James Brown’s “Say It Loud” playing and in the attitudes of the African Americans all around.

“Juneteenth is freedom, celebration, love for my people its exciting it’s a historical event we tend to belittle and it’s one of the most important days to celebrate and we should celebrate. It also means watermelon, red soda and fun,” said Sister Momma Sonya.

Although the climate of Juneteenth is evolving like any tradition does after a 100 years there are people who still see the need for Juneteenth and not just for one day.

“I celebrate because it’s an honor that African Americans have their own holiday where we can celebrate that we were no longer legislatively enslaved. It gives an opportunity to talk about the history, about the slavery people don’t want to talk about,” said Sister Momma Sonya. “There are many wonderful stories about our ancestors and we have to tell that tale and once you see the things our ancestors went through we have to celebrate the end of that era.”

Sister Momma Sonya is a “her-storian” who researches and teaches the history of the African American culture. She spoke about the anticipation of the slaves not knowing what this general had to say when the slaves were going to hear General Gordon Granger read the General Order #3 to emancipate the slaves in Texas.

“Can you imagine the anticipation of not knowing and going to see what is going to happen and when General Granger reads that proclamation and says their free. So what happens next, no jobs, no place to go, and can you imagine the emotion, they had been enslaved all their lives, someone told them when to get up, when to go to bed, what they can eat, working hard and not get any money, seeing their babies, children everything taken away from them and now all of a sudden their free. What kind emotion does that bring out and I love to celebrate Juneteenth to talk about those emotions. To let people know as African Americans ,we have been through so much. Juneteenth represent the insurmountable odds we’ve been through like an ushering in of a brand new era,” said Sister Momma Sonya.

The brand new era has transformed time and time again and no its 2013 and we have tons of African Americans walking around and are not aware of what a Juneteenth is. Filmmaker Isaiah Fanuiel went around the country asking random people what did they know about Juneteenth in his documentary “The New Juneteenth”. The responses varied and for every person who had some knowledge there were two who had not a clue.

“I’m from Galveston where Juneteenth started and I grew up celebrating Juneteenth all my life. I never knew what it really was so as for my self and like many other people we just celebrated and knew that it may be something for black people about slavery but not really have an understanding about what it really means,” said Fanuiel. “I think that if you don’t have an understanding of what Juneteenth means then you really don’t get the issues that we as black people may be up against with the history of this country so if you don’t really understand Juneteenth and the history of slavery then there are so many other things you don’t get and don’t understand.”

Through his travels Fanuiel saw people of various ages that were not knowledgeable about Juneteenth and that raised concerned for them as he made educated them on the meaning once it was clear they didn’t know.

“We have to teach our kids, we can’t just let this part of history disappear. Naturally when we have something that is so atrocious like the institution of slavery it’s natural to not want to get into it and not to want to talk about it but we can never forget that part of history,” said Fanuiel.” I mean we were enslaved people for over 200 years and we’ve only been free for 148 years at this point. That’s why I think Juneteenth is that day that America should celebrate and commemorate the end of slavery not just a day for Texas. It has to be at some point a come together and unify to make this day the day we celebrate freedom.”

Fanuiel’s goal is to unite nationwide versus the format where communities come out and celebrate individually or collectively.

“In Crocket, TX and in Houston the community would come together for a big celebration. There would be barbecue, soda water and of course watermelon,” Florence Daniels, a 92 year- old Texan. “The boys would play baseball games against the neighboring communities such as Augusta. After the game there would be a big dance. Everyone who could get off work would do so. It was a big community celebration.”

There are still celebrations going on throughout the towns as Galveston is still celebrating with their parade, Juneteenth pageant and the reading of the General Order #3 at Ashton Villa.

“In recent years there has been Juneteenth celebrations for many years and it has shifted to more than just Juneteenth but really a week or two of celebrations,” said Dwayne Jones Executive Director of Galveston Historical Foundation. “One thing that has been fairly consistent is the reading of the General Order #3 at the county court house or at some location in Galveston or at a place what is called now Reedy Chapel and it wasn’t called Reedy Chapel in the 1870’s but it’s the same location of the building. It’s always some type of celebration around food, other speeches, discussions and political actions and what that means for African Americans. It has always been various events but they always have those components.”

Ajee Long, 18 and a native of Galveston County, competed in the Galveston area Juneteenth pageant 2013 voiced concern that the younger generations are losing their appreciation for Juneteenth.

“Juneteenth is becoming a faded tradition because the younger generations are losing respect for the work of the slave and no one is trying to teach them any better,” said Long.

Long’s concern is has not gone unnoticed as Sister Momma Sonya and Isaiah Fanuiel both expressed the same sentiments about the lack of enthusiasm about Juneteenth.

“I think Juneteenth is becoming a fading tradition and I don’t know if it’s because we are ashamed of our history or is it because of a lack of knowledge of our history,” said Sister Momma Sonya. “I have heard so many say they don’t want to talk about it anymore or there are new things they need to talk about and all that slavery stuff is old. People not knowing their traditions, history and maybe a little fear because if we know about our past we will have to confront who we are now and plan for the future and that can be a scary proposition.”

Fanuiel echoed Sister Momma Sonya as he too thinks Juneteenth is fading in a sense as there isn’t much press coverage on it and he doesn’t feel that America has embraced Juneteenth as a celebratory day.

“I think we are scared to touch on race and I think that’s definitely an issue in America and when we touch on race the issue is so sensitive and so controversial and it makes so many people shy away it,” said Fanuiel. “Juneteenth is a celebration. It’s a treasure for the country to embrace the history through celebration. It’s like a hidden treasure and once we get it and embrace it, it can really do some good for the country.”

The question is where do we as a country go from here? How do we make sure Juneteenth keeps thriving and pumping through the minds and hearts of the descendants? Sister Momma Sonya suggested that communities get more organized and involved with one another to plan Juneteenth activities, to have a big Juneteenth calendar, To keep teaching the children the stories and the history, to never forget the meaning of the celebration. Isaiah Fanuiel wants the whole country celebrating Juneteenth by 2015 to commemorate 150 years of the celebration and for African Americans to not be ashamed of it and learn the valuable lessons being taught by their ancestors being enslaved. Ajee Long has hope for her generation as she believes that people should go back to telling the story of the slave to family and friends and going back to the “old ways” by throwing parties in their communities and having different activities that center around the history.

Juneteenth 2013 will not go unnoticed as there are many celebrations and events going on throughout Houston and all the down to Galveston. Emancipation Park will hold activities throughout the week ending on Juneteenth day, Galveston will do the same and 4th Ward will be holding a celebration as well. Many will barbeque, eat watermelon and drink red soda while giving an oral history to their loved ones at their homes while others will pilgrimage to Ashton Villa and stand in unison as they hear the reading that brought tears, hope and dreams to enslaved Africans who soon would be Americans over 148 years ago.