HAPPY JUNETEENTH DAY AMERICA - IT'S Time This was a National Party don't you think ?

It’s Juneteenth – Lets Party Every Where America !!!

What is Juneteenth Day all About ?

HAPPY JUNETEENTH DAY AMERICA – IT’S AFRICAN AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today we take a break and celebrate. Be sure you take a moment and remember what freedom really means TODAY. Because it’s not free for anyone EVER. We certainly support the premise that Juneteenth should be a national holiday; and as such we present a teach in on Juneteenth – so you know how it all began.

Happy Juneteenth Everybody !

Juneteenth should be made national holiday
By Heber Taylor – The Galveston Daily News
Published June 19, 2010

For the past several years, The Daily News has been asking the president of the United States to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Juneteenth, of course, marks the day slaves in Texas learned they were free.

Those who are lobbying for a national holiday are not asking for a paid day off. They are asking for a commemorative day, like Flag Day on June 14 or Patriot Day on Sept. 11. All that would take is a presidential proclamation. Both the U.S. House and Senate have endorsed the idea.

Why is a national celebration for an event that occurred in Galveston and originally affected only those in a single state such a good idea?

Because Juneteenth has become a symbol of the end of slavery. No matter how much we may regret the tragedy of slavery and wish it weren’t a part of this nation’s story, it is. Denying the truth about the past is always unwise.

For those who don’t know, Juneteenth started in Galveston. On Jan. 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. But the order was meaningless until it could be enforced. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865 — after the Confederacy had been defeated and Union troops landed in Galveston — that the slaves in Texas were told they were free.

People all across the country get this story. That’s why Juneteenth celebrations have been growing all across the country. The celebration started in Galveston. But its significance has come to be understood far, far beyond the island, and far beyond Texas.

The holiday is a perfect solution to that uncomfortable question: What do you do about an awful legacy?

You do what people in Galveston do year after year. You join together to celebrate its end and to pray for reconciliation and healing.

How can a national day of reconciliation and healing not be a good thing?

Today We Need to Forget Ourselves; Others Are In Need

Image by mvcorks via Flickr

Who Deserves Human Rights?

EVERYONE DOES

With 80 percent of Haitians living in abject poverty, many children are forced to work against their will in homes, fields, gangs and as prostitutes. As many as 200,000 are the victims of human trafficking. But there is a solution: microfinance. » These children are driven into trafficking for economic reasons. Reducing poverty, therefore, would help stop this slave trade in children. It's simple really: through microfinance, small loans enable hard-working women to open small businesses that let them feed and shelter their families. Just a few dollars a day in added income can mean children do not have to be forced into work. Instead, they can go to school and be healthy. Former President Clinton is the UN Special Envoy to Haiti. At the top of his priorities is sustainable job creation. Tell him that there is no better way to protect Haiti's children and create sustainable jobs than microfinance. » Thanks for taking action! Samer ThePetitionSite

Lift Haiti's Children Out of Servitude Microfinance can help break the cycle of poverty and keep children out of the hands of traffickers. Forward to a friend >> Read the petition >>

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFsUc/zJ84/xshE

Today We Join Our Blogs with many others for International Human Rights Day. Take a Moment and Consider what Your Freedom means and what you will do to Keep It.

Freedom for ALL, Globally

Related articles by Zemanta

• Keep Funding For Human Trafficking (thepetitionsite.com)
• Human Trafficking In United States (slideshare.net)
• No trafficking? There's a lot suffering (guardian.co.uk)
• AUDIO: Students for a Better Society Bring Human Trafficking Awareness to SMU (smudailymustang.com)
• Aaron Cohen - the slave hunter (guardian.co.uk)
• Solo 249 Mile Run in Chains for Anti-Human Trafficking (prweb.com)
• Trio Of Thai Women Held For Prostitution May Be Part Of Human Trafficking (chicagoist.com)
• Film Review | 'Fatal Promises': Modern-Day Slavery, the People and Politics (nytimes.com)

PSA: Let Us Come Together and Fix This, Please

How much do you really know about Human Trafficking ?

Would you recognize the signs of a slave if you saw them ? Do you know what You Can Do to help stop this inhumanity ?

Take a moment today, think of those who hide in plain site; those who are silent and in bondage; those who will never know freedom. Commit to knowing the truth about Human Trafficking - and why there are more slaves today, than at anytime in history.

We Know your heart will bleed when you think of those 3 and 4 year olds sold into a life of forced bondage and brutality; never to know the simple freedom of being able to just sit and play.

Child Sex Slaves are the fastest growing segment of the abused population. unbelievable.. even the constant police stings, television show dragnets and numerous talk show set ups don't seem to deter these crimes. Why ?

there are children in America who are slaves, yes.

The Internet is said to have increased pedophilia more quickly than at anytime in history. there are more new registered sexual predators than at anytime in history; and many of them are children themselves. these children are the collateral damage because they were more than likely abused themselves before they became abusers. international child sex rings have proliferated so quickly that law enforcement agencies are hard pressed to keep up with even a fraction of their traffic and trade in pictures, movies and other items of exploitation.

BadGals will spend this week focusing on the America that Loves. we start by Asking You to Share Some Love, and Help to Free the Slaves.

Next Installment - a little frank talk about why abuse happens netstyle. we point to some troubling trends and danger signs. we let you take the test and see if you're setting yourself up to be a victim of netsploitation.

If We Don't Talk About it Who Will ?

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Prevalent even in the United States, it's one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world and is not going away without our help! Pledge to help end human trafficking in the United States today. » Human trafficking subjects victims to violence, fraud and coercion for sexual exploitation or other forced labor. Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of victims in the U.S. The traffickers buy and sell humans, often targeting homeless women and children, stripping them of all their freedom. Hidden from sight there are dangerous predators -- pimps, gangs and pornographers. But thankfully you can help break down these brutal criminal networks and stop the violence of human trafficking by learning to identify victims and report incidents. Click here to learn the signs of human trafficking and how you can prevent these cases in your community. » Thanks for taking action! Andrew ThePetitionSite

Pledge to End Human Trafficking! If you thought slavery was long gone in the U.S., you're in for a real shock. Learn how you can end human-trafficking today! Forward to a friend >> Read the petition >>

Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFpm6/zJNw/yUKb

Happy Juneteenth To You and Yours

Happy Juneteenth - To You and Yours from Us and Ours

Juneteenth History -

June 19, 11:32 AM

Juneteenth Celebrations Across the Nation

Visitors to The African American Museum in Philadelphia, which reopens today on Juneteenth, listen to life-sized 3D characters speak fervently about their lives, beliefs and aspirations in 18th-century Philadelphia. The exhibition, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876, also features an interactive timeline documenting more than 100 years of entrepreneurship, environment, education, religion and family traditions in the African-American community. For more information, please visit gophila.com/pressroom. (PRNewsFoto/Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, George Widman Photography)

To many, the words Juneteenth signify freedom, and a time of joyful celebration; others aren’t familiar with the term and have no idea what it refers to. Also referred to as Freedom or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a combination of June 19th and is the day that celebrates the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas, however for 31 states, Juneteenth is recognized holiday, in fact, Juneteenth is the oldest holiday that celebrates the abolition of slavery, with its first observance dating back to June 19, 1865, well over a century ago.

The date of June 19, 1865 is significant due to the fact that Texas was the last state to free her slaves. General Gordon Granger issued the order more than two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation; the first order of the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on September 22, 1862, the second on January 1, 1863. Though the Emancipation had legally granted Texas slaves their freedom, many were not freed until that infamous day of June 19, 1865 when General Granger and his army declared an official end to the Civil War by proclaiming order #3:

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

For many, Juneteenth is a time of celebratory fun, as well as a time for painful reflection. The fact that many are still unaware of Juneteenth shines a light on the importance of the need for a great voice in the African American community. Many feel that Juneteenth should be a national holiday, celebrated, as one would honor those who gave their lives in service to this country, others simply feel that racial inequality that took place several centuries ago is a thing of the past. So like many unofficial holidays, Juneteenth is highly praised and celebrated by some, while completely ignored by others.

States that have an official observance or have declared Juneteenth a state holiday include:

Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
The District of Columbia (not a state, but the nation’s capital)
Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Missouri
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
Texas
Tennessee
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

More Information

Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
History of the holiday, registry of organizations and commemoration events in the US and internationally, ideas on how to celebrate,and more

JUNETEENTH History
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

NATIONAL JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
"Juneteenth" or "19th of June", is considered the date when slavery ended in America.

Juneteenth History and Celebrations

Juneteenth in the News

Annual Juneteenth events mark turning point in nation's history

Art exhibit showcases African-American history

Why should Juneteenth be marked by celebration?