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HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Juneteenth

By: W.A.Rogers

President Donald Trump decided to have his first political rally since the national COVID-19 lockdown in Tulsa Oklahoma. This event was scheduled to take place on June 19th in Tulsa Oklahoma. The date has now been changed to June 20. After weeks of protest focused on racial injus tice in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Trump’s proposed ral ly has sparked a great deal of controversy and for some anger. Many however are not aware of the history of Juneteenth and Tulsa.

On June 19th of 1865, Union army general Gordon Granger read orders in Galveston, Texas stat ing that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free. The Emancipation Procla mation was formally issued on January 1, 1863 freeing all en slaved Africans in the Confederate States of America. Texas was the most “remote” of the slave states. Be cause of this, enforcement of the proclamation took over two years before general Granger, along with union troops, arrived in Galveston on June 18 th 1865 to enforce it

June 19th became the true date for the end of slavery. Also known as “June teenth,” “Freedom Day,” “Jubilee Day,” or “Cel-Libration” Day, it became the fo cus of celebrations for church-center com munities in Texas and then across the nation. “Juneteenth” is now recognized as a spe cial day of observance in 47 states. There is a push for “Juneteenth

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Independence Day'' to become a national hol iday.

Many freed Afri cans became successful in business and politics. Schools and colleges were built which allowed more educational oppor tunities for African communities. The Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was the most wellknown. Greenwood is commonly known as the “Black Wall Street” due to the number of multimil lionaires living there at the time.

The Greenwood community had its own hotels, banks, movie theaters and an outstanding school system. Many Green wood homes had indoor plumbing which was something that neighboring white communities did not have. On May 21st of 1921, based on an accusation made by a white woman that an African man assaulted her.

The Greenwood District of Tulsa was destroyed by gangs of white men leaving all the homes and busi nesses burned to the ground. Although Tul sa might have been the best-known affluent community destroyed by white gangs, over 80 affluent African communities were de stroyed between 1918 and 1921.

There is an inter esting connection between Tulsa’s history and President Trump’s rally. Although the date has been changed to June 20th,it would seem that Tulsa Okla homa, would have been the last place for Trump to have a “Make America Great Again” rally especial ly on June 19th.

The timing and lo cation of Trump’s rally will undoubtedly pro voke the many people who have been pro testing for racial injustice across the country for the past three weeks. The Tulsa mas sacre was one of the worst incidents of ra cial violence in American history after the signing of the Eman cipation Proclamation. With this knowledge in mind, America may be in store for a long, hot summer.

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