What To Know About Juneteenth

The history of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

This image (courtesy of the Austin History Center of the Austin Public Library) is from a Juneteenth Celebration in Austin, Texas in 1900.

How is Juneteenth celebrated?

Juneteenth celebrations are held in most states, if not all. Especially in the South, these celebrations traditionally involve events such as picnics, rodeos, religious components like church ceremonies, and education and historical services for children. In the last 15 to 20 years, more companies are celebrating it, too.

Huntsville, Alabama Juneteenth Events:

The Rebuild Project Inc: Juneteenth Celebration

3715 Bragg St NW, Huntsville, AL 35810-2629, United States

Friday 6/19/20 2pm-9pm

“Our celebration will consist of food, games, storytelling and more! This event is completely FREE to the public. Our event welcomes all ages, especially children! We aim to provide a POSITIVE, fun and educational environment. Security will be enforced. Please come out and help celebrate history!”

JUNE19EENTH Jubilee

Saturday 6/20/20 2pm-9pm

Stoner Field 3715 Bragg St NW, Huntsville, AL 35810-2629, United States

“We are asking everyone to come out and enjoy each other! Let’s network, gain new friends, eat good and have a great time! The food and entertainment is completely FREE! We are asking for donations towards food and entertainment for the kids. Donations ARE NOT exclusive to money. Anything would help! If you are interested in promoting your business or selling your merchandise please contact one of us (contact info in flyer) hope to see the whole city out. Let’s turn Huntsville up for the weekend of Juneteenth!”

Fashion RehabX Event

Saturday at 1 PM – 6 PM
3400 Blue Springs Rd. A-4
Huntsville, Alabama 35810
FREE to all vendors, FREE FOOD while supplied last, and Free networking.

Campus 805 Event

Saturday June 20th 12pm-6pm
“The city has responded so well and with so much unity in the past few weeks that what better way to say thank you than at a family BBQ.
Come by and witness what many Americans call the TRUE Independence Day, because it was June 19th, 1865 when all the slaves were truly freed.
So bring your family, enjoy some fellowship with the community, and leave with a new sense of independence and American Heritage!!
**Masks are strongly encouraged**
#Juneteenth #BBQ #LiveMusic #MotivationalSpeakers #FoodTrucks #PlusMore ”

98.1 The Beat urges those celebrating Juneteenth this year to take the ongoing public health threat of the coronavirus seriously by wearing masks and practicing social distancing and hand-washing.

For more information about the history of Juneteenth check out https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm

*All events were found via Facebook.*

Black Eyed Peas & Katy Perry To Headline Rock The Vote Virtual Event

Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry have been confirmed as headliners for Rock the Vote’s live virtual Democracy Summer event on Thursday, June 18.

They will be joined by a host of other stars, including Eve, Saweetie, Chuck D, Ne-Yo, Big Freedia, MAX, and Lucy Hale.

The event will be hosed by actors Logan Browning and Rosario Dawson and will be streamed at 7 p.m. CST on http://www.democracysummer.org , and Democracy Summer’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

“I’m excited to be a part of this kickoff to Democracy Summer 2020 with so many amazing talents, activists and speakers,” Perry told Billboard.

“The young people of America are speaking loud and clear on the streets and online, and come November, it will be more important than ever to fight for justice and equality, and against systemic racism, with our ballots,” she added.

“Now, more than ever, voting is key for long-term change,” Black Eyed Peas said. “The youth vote is going to decide the future of America. It’s not just our duty but our honor to spread the word in an election year.”

Halsey Launches Black Creators Fund

Halsey took to social media to promote her recently launched “Black Creators Fund,” which aims to “give funds, resources, and a platform to black creators,” financed entirely by her team.

“If you’re an artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, film maker, music producer, journalist, make up artist, or creator of any kind, we want to see your work and want to help achieve your goals,” the singer shared.

The “Closer” singer also encouraged her followers to include the profiles of their favorite black creators in the comments section of the post, along with the hashtag #BLACKCREATORSFUND to shed light on and promote their work.

The biracial singer has been vocal against systemic racism and police brutality, two topics that have emerged into the limelight following the tragic death of George Floyd.

She has participated in several peaceful protests and even recounted her experiences of the events on Twitter.

I am launching this to give funds, resources, and a platform to black creators. Looking for black creators who want to enrich the world with their work. #BLACKCREATORSFUND http://pic.twitter.com/Yph9cHhIVm

— h (@halsey) June 11, 2020

Beyoncé Demands Justice For Breonna Taylor

Beyoncé wrote to Kentucky Attorney General demanding justice for a black woman killed by police three months ago.

The superstar urged Daniel Cameron to bring charges against the three officers involved in Breonna Taylor‘s killing.

Taylor, who was a decorated emergency medical technician with no criminal record, was killed on March 13 in her apartment as police opened fire.

“Three months have passed — and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers. Three months have passed — and zero arrests have been made, and no officers have been fired,” Beyoncé wrote Sunday in an open letter.

Beyoncé pointed out that the AG’s office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Taylor and demonstrate the value of a black woman’s life.

“Bring criminal charges against Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison. Commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers’ criminal conduct. Investigate the LMPD’s response to Breonna Taylor’s murder, as well the pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens,” she wrote in the letter.

Selena Gomez Gives Control Of Her Instagram To Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike

Selena Gomez recently gave control of her Instagram to Run The Jewel‘s Killer Mike in order to teach about the work of black activists and the history of racism.

“Right now, a lot of people are asking what they can do,” Mike said in the first of a series of posts on Selena’s Instagram Stories. “How they can make a difference. I always say start local. Support local candidates and support grassroots groups in your community.”

In another post, he reminded his people of Atlanta to vote. Mike added, “I appreciate protest and demonstrations. Beyond that, one of the most important things you can do to improve your community is to plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.”

Selena had earlier allowed Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, New Yorker writer and Columbia University professor Jelani Cobb and Harvard University African & African American Studies professor Sarah Elizabeth Lewis to use her Instagram as platform to educate and increase awareness about racism.

The Alabama Primary Runoff Election is on 7/14/2020!

Be sure you’re ready – check your voter registration status at https://tvote.org/2n6I9rS and plan how you’re going to vote today!

In order to register by mail to vote in this election, your registration must be postmarked by 6/29.

The deadline to register online is to vote is 6/29.

You can download a ballot request application at http://tvote.org/2mj7RJK.

BE THE CHANGE! GET OUT AND VOTE ALABAMA!

It’s Official The New Bachelor Is Matt James!

Matt James was originally cast as a contestant on the upcoming Clare Crawley season and is known by Bachelor Nation as Tyler Cameron’s best friend and business partner.

The 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder has been selected as the season 25 lead. Matt James was selected after days of renewed pressure about the franchise’s lack of diversity. James was previously set to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s forthcoming season of The Bachelorette before production was shutdown in March and postponed indefinitely amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Bachelor Nation also knows James as the best friend, roommate and business partner to fan-favorite Tyler Cameron; the two have spent the majority of the pandemic quarantined together in Florida.

“Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement announcing the casting Friday. “We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him.”

The Bachelor’s executive producers also put out a joint statement, saying, “We are excited to move forward with both Matt James as the new Bachelor and Clare Crawley as our next Bachelorette. We acknowledge our responsibility for the lack of representation of people of color on our franchise and pledge to make significant changes to address this issue moving forward. We are taking positive steps to expand diversity in our cast, in our staff, and most importantly, in the relationships that we show on television. We can and will do better to reflect the world around us and show all of its beautiful love stories.”

In its 40 seasons and 18 years on the air, The Bachelor has never had a person of color lead; Lindsay remains the only non-white Bachelorette. The franchise has had the opportunity to cast diverse leads before James, most recently with Mike Johnson from Hannah Brown’s season, but has opted against it. As Lindsay noted in her post, creator Mike Fleiss previously said that her season saw a dip in ratings that suggested the franchise’s audience did not want to watch a Black woman, or people of color in general, find love. As for the 30 or so contestants every cycle, there are a handful of people of color in the mix, but they rarely make the top four each season.

A return date for The Bachelorette has not been determined as the franchise faces a number of safety questions when it comes to how production can resume amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Bachelor is scheduled to return in 2021.

Alicia Keys Demands Justice For Breonna Taylor

Alicia Keys is leading a new video campaign demanding the arrest and removal from service of the police officers who are responsible for the killing of Breonna Taylor.

The video that she posted on Twitter begins with Keys asking, “Do you know what happened to Breonna Taylor?”

Breonna’s mother, Tamika Palmer then recalls the brutal murder of her daughter by the Louisville Metro Police who entered her apartment.

“They fired 22 times, eight of those bullets landed in the body of the most essential worker I will ever know,” Palmer said about her late daughter. “Now the whole city is mad, now the whole world is mad. Breonna should not be dead. Some days, I feel like I can’t breathe without her. This should never happen to another family. I am Breonna Taylor’s mother, say her name!”

The video closes with the intersectional social justice organization Until Freedom’s co-founder Tamika Mallory detailing the course of action to seek justice for Breonna.

Do you know what happened to #BreonnaTaylor? http://pic.twitter.com/uinwcCKqld

— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) June 10, 2020

Carlos Santana To Deliver Commencement Address At Herb Alpert School Of Music

Ten-time Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana will deliver an online keynote address marking the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s commencement on June 19. The 2020 commencement celebration will be held online at 4 p.m. PDT.

“I feel honored to be speaking to young musicians and a new generation of music scholars,” Santana said. “The class of 2020 is resilient, and their voices are needed now more than ever.”

“I want them to use their music as a platform to empower and unite as we seek justice and creative solutions during these challenging times,” added the artist, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Eileen Strempel, the music school’s dean, said the academic community is thrilled that Santana will be participating in the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s 2020 commencement celebration.

The virtual commencement celebration will also feature performances by students and student groups, including the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, as well as student remarks.

Janet Jackson Shares Message In Support Of Black Lives Matter

Janet Jackson took to Twitter on Sunday to post a message in support of Black Lives Matter and urged Americans to rise as one to erase the boundaries that keep people apart.

“We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs,” Jackson wrote. “We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color lines.”

Janet also listed names of black men and women who were victims of police violence and tagged the list #blacklivesmatter.

The visual sees the star reading her statement as the screen fades to show BLM. The clip also features images of Jackson in her Rhythm Nation outfit in the background.

Earlier, on June 5, Jackson joined a number of other artists and activists encouraging their followers to #SayHerName, a reference to what would have been the 27th birthday of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police on March 13 when they burst into her apartment on a “no-knock warrant” and shot Taylor eight times after her boyfriend shot at what he thought were intruders.

Jackson has been encouraging followers to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, as well as murdered jogger Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.