Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom ❤️
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Episode 96 Description
Get ready for this important holiday! 📖 Learn about the history of the event from museum specialist Kelly Navies of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. 🏛️ Walk with Correspondent Pamela Kirkland as she speaks with Miss Opal Lee about her efforts to raise awareness for Juneteenth and make it a national holiday. 🎊 From the headlines: Goodbye to a controversial project and hello to more vaccine donations. ✅ And test your holiday knowledge in today’s Trivia on the Ten! 🧐
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✍️ Visit our website for a list of sources used for this episode and a full episode transcript
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🌍 Visit our website for a list of sources used for this episode and a full episode transcript
Sources for this episode:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/miss-juneteenth-film-sxsw-fort-worth/
https://www.opalswalk2dc.com/juneteenth-2021
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/09/1004908006/developer-abandons-keystone-xl-pipeline-project-ending-decade-long-battle
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/06/09/keystone-pipeline-dead/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-vaccine-donate/2021/06/09/c2744674-c934-11eb-93fa-9053a95eb9f2_story.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/07/tech/jeff-bezos-space-blue-origin-new-shepard-flight-scn/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/08/us/peacocks-los-angeles-complaints.html
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-juneteenth
TRANSCRIPT:
Various Voices 0:00
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Bethany Van Delft
I'm Bethany Van Delft. And this is The Ten News where we get the lowdown on what's up in the world. This week, many Americans are getting ready to celebrate June team, a mash up of the words June and 19. It's an annual holiday commemorating the ends of slavery in the United States that has been celebrated by African Americans since 1865. When Union troops marched into Texas, the western most Confederate state, and announced enslave black people we're free. The day celebrates freedom and resilience. So this week as we lead up to the 155 year old celebration, we'll explore how people celebrate the history of the day, and why this holiday has recently gained more attention than ever. Let's get to The Ten. Freedom Day, emancipation day, Jubilee. These are all names for Juneteenth. Many people think slavery ended on the day Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863. But it actually took more than two and a half years for it to become official throughout all of the Confederate States. Our correspondent Pamela Kirkland, calls up Kelly Navy, a museum specialists in oral history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC to explain a bit more about the history of the holiday.
Pamela Kirkland 1:40
We'll just start with what is Juneteenth
Kelly Navy 1:42
Juneteenth. Juneteenth is this great day that is celebrated because on June 19, 1865, General Borden Ranger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with order number three announcing that the enslaved are now free. This is important because although the Emancipation Proclamation have been signed in 1863, it had little to no impact almost of the enslaved throughout the South. Because if there weren't Union soldiers there to enforce it, it literally meant nothing and it did not change your life if you're an enslaved human being in Texas, which was the western most state. There was very little human presence throughout the war. So it was as if nothing had happened. In fact, there were slave owners who moved west to continue the practice of slavery, moved to Texas for that purpose. So this day, this was a big day, he arrived with almost 2000 troops, some of whom were United States Colored Troops. And they enforced this order.
Pamela Kirkland 2:44
What's kind of the history of Juneteenth and the legacy? It's only recently really that it's become more widely known.
Kelly Navy 2:53
Yes, I well, it started in Texas. So immediately, a year after this announcement, they have the first Juneteenth in Texas in Houston. The African Americans there, saved up money and bought land specifically for this purpose that became Emancipation Park. And it was practiced throughout Texas, and also places like Oklahoma, it started to slowly spread with the great migration. And what you see is different waves. So it was celebrated through the turn of the century, then it waned a little, then, you see, it's coming back after the, after the World War Two. And then there was another big boost after the civil rights era after the 16th.
Pamela Kirkland 3:32
What are some of the exhibits that highlight Juneteenth and emancipation.
Kelly Navy 3:37
We have an entire gallery devoted to slavery and freedom. So there you will find many artifacts relating to, we have the actual copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, for example. We have many artifacts related to the Underground Railroad movement, things that belonged to Harriet Tubman, such as her shaw, and her hammondall. Different things that led to emancipation such as Nat Turner's insurrection, and we have his Bible. So there are a lot of different artifacts that relate to emancipation. We have the home, built by freedmen and women, just after the end of the Civil War in Maryland, things like that. I could go on and on. I mean, our museum is full of stories.
Pamela Kirkland 4:16
And if you can't visit the museum, there are lots of virtual options.
Kelly Navy 4:21
You should definitely go to our websites, especially since the pandemic we've been putting things up all year long. We have pages devoted to Kwanzaa. Our page for Juneteenth last year won awards, and we're doing more for this year. I hope that people will go out and celebrate it this year. There's so many different ways to do that. If it's not happening in your town, go to our website and start your own unique celebration.
Bethany Van Delft 4:46
Whether you're celebrating in person or virtually, Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and resilience. Last year the parties are smaller like everything because of the pandemic. But now the parades, picnics and pageants are is starting to come back. Cities like Atlanta, Washington, DC and LA hold festivals and music events. And in Texas, there's even a beauty pageant to crown a Miss Juneteenth. So how ever you're celebrating this year, The Ten wishes you a very happy Freedom Day.
Even though it's been celebrated in the African American community for a very long time, this event is unknown to many Americans, as a movement is gaining strength to make it an official national holiday. Some companies like Twitter and Nike have made Juneteenth a paid day off. Texas is actually the first state to declare it a holiday in 1980 and 45 other states have made moves to recognize Juneteenth since then. Today, we get a wonderful double dose of our correspondent Pamela Kirkland, who recently got a chance to talk with one woman who is on a mission to get Juneteenth the recognition it deserves.
Pamela Kirkland 6:07
Miss Opal Lee is a lifelong activist and educator in Fort Worth, Texas. She's also the author of Juneteenth, a children's story. She's 94 years old, and now she's on a mission to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Miss Opal, thank you for joining us.
Miss Opal 6:23
Thank you for having me.
Pamela Kirkland 6:27
So first question, What does Juneteenth mean to you?
Miss Opal 6:30
Oh, listen, when I was little, it was all festival. I enjoyed it so much. The food, the music, the people, the activities., and now, I'm on a kick for people being educated about the true meaning of Juneteenth. And I'm hoping that the young people understand what happened so long ago. And the fact that it took two and a half years for the people in Texas to get the word that they were free. I'm wanting them to be sure, in their lunchtime, that these kinds of things don't happen again.
Pamela Kirkland 7:14
I mean, what inspired you to want to make this something that is a federal holiday that's recognized nationally?
Miss Opal 7:21
I truly believe that we can bridge the gap that seems to divide us. And I think that we can do it together. I don't think it's a black thing. I don't want them to think it's a Texas thing. It's not. It's for everybody. The United States, greatest country in the world. And there's no reason for the division that still exists. So I'll keep on walking. I'll keep on talking till Juneteenth is a national holiday.
Pamela Kirkland 8:02
And speaking of the walking, you are making your yearly trek up to Washington DC. What do you want to tell President Biden when you get there about making Juneteenth the holiday?
Miss Opal 8:15
Well, first, I want to be able to get there, which means I want everybody to go to opalswalktodc.com. We have to keep it before the people before Congress, they've got so much on their plate. You know, I'm like an old lady on the soapbox. Oh, I just can't get it over to them fast enough that we got work to do.
Pamela Kirkland 8:42
Tell me about your house in Fort Worth. I hear it's kind of like a little Museum in its own way.
Miss Opal 8:50
One of these days, I'm gonna have a museum. I've got a library of my own. And people think it's pretty good. All these 94 years that I've lived and so it's stuff all over the place. I'm going to ask the city and somebody else to make a museum out of it. Because it's got lots lots of stuff.
Pamela Kirkland 9:16
Miss Opal, thank you so much for talking to us on The Ten.
Miss Opal 9:19
Thank you for having me.
Bethany Van Delft 9:22
If you're interested in walking along with Miss Opal Lee, grab a grown up and head to www.opalswalktodc.com and find out more about virtual and in person rock near you. Now let's check in on some headlines.
The controversial Keystone XL pipeline was cancelled by the company in charge of its construction last week. Over the last decade, the project has faced protests from environmental groups, indigenous communities, ranchers, and more who have fought for years to stop its construction.
In vaccine news, the United States will buy 500 million doses from Pfizer and donate them to nations around the world. It's an important step to getting the virus under control and getting vaccines for the countries that need them most nice and in animal updates. Los Angeles County is asking people not to feed the peafowl. You guessed it, the county has had a problem with having too many peacocks and peahens. That's the word for a female peacock. The birds were originally brought to California to help ranchers, but now they've invaded backyards and are destroying native habitats. Feeding them encourages peafowl to stick around so officials wants you to keep your lunch to yourself. It isn't for the birds. And now....
Sound Bit 11:09
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 11:12
Trivia on The Ten. Speaking of food, Juneteenth is known for its celebrations that feature food and drinks colored with a beautiful bright color. What color is it? A) red, B) Green or C) neon orange?
Did you guess it? The answer is A. Lots of foods eaten during Juneteenth meals across America include red colored treats like red velvet cake, and red strawberry soda. The reason for red, the color red has deep symbolism for the African American community. It represents the blood of millions of enslaved people. Historians have also connected the colors roots back to traditions and beliefs from African cultures. For example, in parts of West Africa, the color red symbolizes strength, life, death and spirituality. Wow. Red teas were created from hibiscus flowers and coconuts trees native to West Africa. Enslaved people also made drinks from red corn. And after slavery was abolished, red drinks appeared all over the South like in teas and lemonades steeped with red fruits. Later in the 1920s, red sodas became a Juneteenth celebration staple. And the tradition still continues today.
A Kid 12:49
Cool.
Bethany Van Delft 12:52
Time's up, but before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to The Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and extras on Saturdays. You can go deeper into today's stories by visiting thetennews.com The Ten News is a co production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team are hiding from peafowl and includes Kate Hale, Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Jenner Pascua, and Sarah Olender. Pamela Kirkland contributed to this episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft, and thanks for listening to The Ten News. Have an awesome Jubilee.
