I will celebrate Juneteenth this year.
I will smile and hug my community members. I will do it as we have always done since 1865. I can’t imagine what it was like in Galveston, Texas to learn that slavery had been abolished and no one told you. Very cruel.
Yes, I will celebrate Juneteenth because it’s a time when Black folks look into each others eyes, hug, and share a bond; a timeless flowing moment, with Joy.
Oppression, segregation, and systemic racism has taken its toll on generations of Black and Brown people. If you accept the fact that we are all related on the Earth, you might ask, why were walls between us designed and policy enforced. The concept of race is a construct created to divide the divine in us. Yes, I will celebrate Juneteenth because it is a joy to see us happy. It’s a joy that is important to our mental health, families and generation to come.
Slavery was this nation’s original sin. Today many are still shackled mentally. Thank you if you are helping to set your clients free using your expertise. It’s needed.
Today, I will sing Lift Every Voice and Sing which is the Black National Anthem. It was written in 1900 as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosamond Johnson who composed the music for the lyrics,
Take a Listen. Happy Juneteenth!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONgOH_tq7-Q
Sandra White
Owner, Mustard Seed World Consulting Group