"So, back in 1865, General Lee and his racist cronies surrendered to General Grant two months before, but slavery was damn near completely unaffected in Texas."
"Come December, the 13th Amendment was created, formally abolishing slavery forever."
And shortly thereafter, through the late 1860's and 1870's the instituted 'Black Codes' which meant that black people could not seek employment with anyone other than slave owners, and if they did they would be arrested. Regardless of the 13th, that crowd has never stopped trying to reimplement the features of slavery pretty much ever since, no matter any pretty talk about 'The New South'.
"The problem is as it was, and as it will continue to be until real change happens in this country: What we call freedom, what we’re Still calling freedom, forgets all the progress that we’ve still not yet made."
'Confederate Heroes Day' is still an official state holiday in Texas and it takes place the day after MLK day. (It used to be on Thanksgiving, but usual suspects got mad about the Feds creating MLK day.) 😡
"While doing so, please, celebrate the progress we’ve made, but never, ever forget, all the miles we still have left to march."
My very black grandfather used to take his very pale blond grandson to sit out of the lawn of the auto repair shop on Oakland Ave. (now Malcolm X) and sit and watch the Juneteeth Day Parade pass by. Then there was going to the State Fair grounds on Juneteenth when all the black folks came out to enjoy the rides and I was one of the very few pale people there. Which didn't bother me, I was happy to go to the fair.
" you are obligated, hell, I’m EXPECTING you to do something good with it"
This one I have to respond to.
"So, back in 1865, General Lee and his racist cronies surrendered to General Grant two months before, but slavery was damn near completely unaffected in Texas."
Because Texas was run, starting after secession, as a military dictatorship by the slave owners. There's the Gainesville Great Hanging (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/great-hanging-at-gainesville), and the Nueces Massacre (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/nueces-battle-of-the). One branch of my family from old-line Texas comes from Sherman, and the other comes from the Czechs who were intermingled with the Germans in the Hill Country. So I have an axe to grind there.
"Come December, the 13th Amendment was created, formally abolishing slavery forever."
And shortly thereafter, through the late 1860's and 1870's the instituted 'Black Codes' which meant that black people could not seek employment with anyone other than slave owners, and if they did they would be arrested. Regardless of the 13th, that crowd has never stopped trying to reimplement the features of slavery pretty much ever since, no matter any pretty talk about 'The New South'.
"The problem is as it was, and as it will continue to be until real change happens in this country: What we call freedom, what we’re Still calling freedom, forgets all the progress that we’ve still not yet made."
'Confederate Heroes Day' is still an official state holiday in Texas and it takes place the day after MLK day. (It used to be on Thanksgiving, but usual suspects got mad about the Feds creating MLK day.) 😡
"While doing so, please, celebrate the progress we’ve made, but never, ever forget, all the miles we still have left to march."
My very black grandfather used to take his very pale blond grandson to sit out of the lawn of the auto repair shop on Oakland Ave. (now Malcolm X) and sit and watch the Juneteeth Day Parade pass by. Then there was going to the State Fair grounds on Juneteenth when all the black folks came out to enjoy the rides and I was one of the very few pale people there. Which didn't bother me, I was happy to go to the fair.
" you are obligated, hell, I’m EXPECTING you to do something good with it"
Amen.
elm
good piece tyler!
THANK YOU!!
Thanks for an excellent Signal Fire. It reminded me of this quote: "In America we always do the right thing, after trying everything else."