The Juneteenth Standard

I was assisted in putting together this suggestion by a bottle of The Prisoner Wine Company – Unshackled Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – St. Helena California. Dark. Dry. Sharp structure. Moderate tannins and acidity. Leading in with cocoa, vanilla, and ripe blackberries. A sustain of plums, tobacco, and oak. Ending boldly with cherries, apples, and raspberries. Long – moderately heavy finish.

“I am for the acquiring of knowledge or the accumulating of knowledge – as we now call it; education. First, my people must be taught knowledge of self. Then and only then will they be able to understand others and that which surrounds them. Anyone who does not have a knowledge of self is considered a victim of either amnesia or unconsciousness and is not very competent. The lack of knowledge of self is a prevailing condition among my people here in America. Gaining the knowledge of self makes us unite into a great unity. Knowledge of self makes you take on the great virtue of learning.”

Elijah Muhammad (“Message To The Blackman”)

The picture above is of the State Flower of Texas – the Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus Texenis). Beautiful? It is a species of lupine – a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Lupinus Texenis is found in Texas, and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.

At the time of this writing – it is the first week of June 2022. Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 19, 2021. That was a good thing – actually. Lately, I have been listening to various Twitter spaces, and reading a few articles online. There have been legitimate complaints from Freedmen, Foundational Black Americans, B1’s, ADOS, and others regarding the commercialization of, the co-opting of, and the perceived mishandling of Juneteenth. The flash point that ignited the Freedmen community was Walmart selling – then recalling “Juneteenth Ice Cream.” The recall came as a result of a backlash primarily done on social media. Wonderful. We get what we want when we unify and focus. Now, the complaints are valid to a point.

But!!! I think that some of the culpability is misplaced.

Why? Well Family – we cannot expect other groups to do the proper thing in this Juneteenth space because of two reasons. Reason One: The United States is an unabashedly capitalist country in fact and practice. We cannot legitimately allow anger to lace up our thoughts and words if WE have not established control and ownership of this Juneteenth issue, which is clearly being mishandled. Let us also understand that serious consequences have their place when interlopers interlope. We must be ruthless and uncompromising in that respect. Understand? People are going to commercialize and transactionize anything that is potentially or currently profitable and will have no circumscriptions, taboos, or restrictions while doing it.

Just the way it is.

A law of the universe.

Reason Two: Because WE as a Freedmen community HAVE NOT established hard standards, unimpeachable protocols, and responsible ownership. Full Stop.

Family – no line has been drawn. No prohibition has been enforced.

So. What should we do about this? What is it that we need to know? Well, what is going to be discussed here are suggested attitudes and actions to get control of this very important day. Just American Freedmen type Suggestions! OK Family?

What Is Juneteenth?

This Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday, commemorates the secondary emancipation or complete enfranchisement of Foundational Black American slaves. It is also observed for celebrating American Freedmen culture. The final landing of a 900 day legal manumission trajectory starting from January 1, 1863 until its ending on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas. It has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. The day was recognized and established as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. President Joseph Biden signed the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act” into law.

Juneteenth’s commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas (many of those slaves were held by Native Americans). This was the last state of the Confederacy to operate with openly enforced and legally sanctioned institutional slavery.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, freed enslaved people in Texas and all the other Southern secessionist states of the Confederacy except for the parts of states not in rebellion. Although the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the Confederate States – it did not end slavery in states that remained in the Union. The last enslaved people present in the continental United States were freed when the enslaved people held in the Indian Territories that had sided with the Confederacy were released, namely and mainly the Choctaw Indians in 1866.

Celebrations date from 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. These events then spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920’s and 1930’s, often centering on a plethora of food festivals. The participants in the Great Migration out of the South carried their celebrations to other parts of the country. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, these celebrations were eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights, but grew in popularity again in the 1970’s with a strong focus on African American social freedoms, political empowerments, and economics.

Beginning with Texas by proclamation in 1938, and by legislation in 1979, each state and the District Of Columbia have formally recognized the holiday in some way. With its adoption in certain parts of Mexico, the holiday became an international holiday. Juneteenth is celebrated by the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped from slavery in 1852 and then settled in Coahuila, Mexico. But that Seminole-Mexican celebration has a different meaning and substance than our American Juneteenth. And that difference is exclusive to American Freedmen.

Why It Should Be Recognized

One “Why:” Juneteenth is not only a time to commemorate, remember, and reflect to be sure. It can also be regarded as a practice run – a political test to see if we can responsibly handle one of the responsibilities of reparations (taking it back from others). Many of the same challenges and requirements are held here. Exclusivity, specificity, pulling the gate up, ownership of the issue, drawing Tribal lines, and ultimately shaping the narrative. The Other “Why:” Follow me here: For those that are religious, you have religious holidays and observances. Many people on those days do, let’s say “spiritual resets” and recommitments. For those that are married, you have wedding anniversaries. And some couples use that day to renew their vows and “reset” their commitments to each other. Understand?

Juneteenth is a serious political day. Being released from slavery is a political act. Identifying who are members of our Tribe is a political act. Got It? Strengthening, expanding, reuniting with, and operationizing the family unit is a political act. Doing research on your Tribal history and learning the details of your lineage is a political act. Working on improving our Tribal interpersonal relations with each other as American Freedmen – and becoming more acceptable to each other is a political act This: Something that MUST be accomplished for our survival.

Our unity is a political act (to nail the importance of that – in the 1960’s the late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover stated: “The greatest threat to the United States is Negro unity.”). You See? Juneteenth is a time of political education and reset for American Freedmen. That is why it should be recognized. Everything about our existence is political. From birth to death. Even where you will be buried is a political act.

Juneteenth is our political reset day.

How Should It Be Recognized

The “How” in this instance starts with the “Where.” And that should be AT HOME.

Yes – AT HOME. Or, at “Big Momma’s house.” Right? You know how we do. Starting with preparing a menu. With meals consisting of a healthy “soul food” (hopefully vegan) layout with dishes traditional to Black culture and Juneteenth (like red velvet cake and red-hued drinks). A commemoration can also take the form of a family reunion style outing at a city or state park. Some cases may be done at a banquet or party hall. Depends on the participant situation.

This should be a memory and reset day regarding the emancipation of our people and the struggle we have and continue to endure as we fight for our full liberation. We must reestablish this as a day of reflection and strengthening the awareness of the labor and pain Freedmen sacrificed to build America. This is important Family: There should be no parades or festivals. Maybe Juneteenth could be regarded as a kind of “political seder” – like for Passover. This is serious Family, not playtime.

The colors of Juneteenth are Red, White, and Blue. Flags? The meaning-filled Juneteenth Flag, the American Flag, the Black American Heritage Flag (created in 1967), and a possible American Freedmen (“F1”) Flag would be proper. Anything purchased to perform the holiday should be purchased as intentionally as possible from American Freedman owned businesses or community members. American Freedmen that possess craft skills can assist in making items to not only personalize their family’s commemoration – but that move also helps to protect against the wholesale co-opting of Juneteenth by non-Freedmen individuals and businesses.

Those Freedmen with appropriate skills should dedicate time to offering paid services and goods to the Freedmen community for Juneteenth. Goods can be specially made once a year for the Juneteenth holiday. A national Freedmen Juneteenth merchant registry should be developed if one does not already exist.

A Juneteenth To Do List:

• Add to the family lineage notebook or tree with new entries or new information regarding ancestors. Also – making sure that family members have information on genealogy services, databases, and DNA testing facilities.

• Promote firearms acquisition, licensing, and training. Along with discussing survivalist knowledge and crisis handling (remember Buffalo Family). I am, admittedly am a bit conflicted making this suggestion. Because I have Buddhist sensibilities. But this is not Japan. And in America, we should not be sitting ducks so that strapped-up racists can use our grandmothers and children as target practice without some mutual ability to respond with deadly force.

• Making sure that all eligible family members are registered (as independent and able to vote in any primary if possible in one’s state) voters. And to implore all members of the family to participate in the national Census.

• Promote and implement family business start-ups, pooled family investments, and proficiency in the realms of finance and money. Make Plans! June 2022 can be the foundational year of the idea and inaugural execution of “Economic Parallelism” (details to be explained in a future post). This is also a suggestion for us to make practical steps to develop an exclusively (and for us, absolutely necessary) Foundational Black American in-network currency, local finance networks, and a Black cybercurrency (“Economic Parallelism” at work).

• Promote the finding of and making the connections with as of yet unknown members of one’s extended family. Connecting with family members that are militarily deployed, hospitalized, out of town, or incarcerated. Reverse migration to the South is something that should also be discussed.

• Discuss the latest developments regarding the Reparations issue – and encourage active participation in getting Reparations accomplished. Make clear in these discussions why NAARC, N’COBRA, Reparations United, The Taifa Group, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, NAACP, and FirstRepair Of Evanston Illinois are at present the enemies of Pure Reparations (tools of the Democratic Party). It’s important to let your Family know that those aforementioned organizations and the individuals that run them are enemies to the receipt of full political and resource equity for American Freedmen. Point Blank. Those organizations are financed by bottomlessly wicked white individuals, associations, and white-run grant-giving organizations that in actuality do not want Reparations to happen.

• Discuss politics, pending bills, candidates, and equity issues – and encourage active participation in Freedmen politics. Discuss (and implement) working on better interpersonal relations with your American Freedmen neighbors and establishing strong Freedmen community networks locally and nationally. Also – in those discussions, make it clear that Pan Africanism itself is a political and economic distraction. A negative factor to our progress as a people.

Juneteenth is a get-together to get it together day Family. The reunions. The hugs. The kisses. An Aside: Let me make a wild but doable suggestion which also makes an internal reset and external economic statement: Stop doing – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Keep your money from The Enemy for a change. Invest that withheld money into an index mutual fund. Do everything you would have done on those particular holidays on Juneteenth.

And don’t forget to have a minute of silence for the Ancestors.

What Juneteenth Is Not

What Juneteenth is not? Well – for starters, it is not in any way ever about Pan Africanism. Stop It. The Red, Black, and Green colors of Pan Africanism should not be anywhere near Juneteenth. Anathema. Disrespectful. This day absolutely has nothing to do with the Caribbean or Caribbeans. Nothing to do with Africa or Africans. There are attempts now being made from ignorance and/or intent to “Africanize” Juneteenth. To “Caribbeanize” Juneteenth. This we cannot allow.

And this is within our power to stop. Juneteenth is wholly a Foundational Black American Domestic Affair. Wholly contained within the context of this American history. This sacred holiday – is and should exclusively to be shaped and executed by the Black American Freedmen. Full Stop.

A quote from Sister Soldier Morgan Malachi:

“Juneteenth is not a holiday for all people. It is a day for Freedmen in Texas [and Freedmen nationwide]. No individual or company [outside of the Freedmen community] should be able to co-opt the message and history of this historic American Freedmen event. We cannot allow grifters to corporatize Juneteenth or change its meaning to the Freedmen community. Many examples of how American Freedmen throughout history honored the holiday point to the use of Red, White, and Blue at these Emancipation Day celebrations by formerly enslaved people. We cannot allow those outside of our community to dictate how we will practice our sacred traditions. All Black people are not American Freedmen. All People of Color are not American Freedmen. This is a notice to all non-Freedmen. You will stop the blatant disrespect of the history and sacrifice of our community.”

As you can see from this quote, I am not the only one that is peeved about this situation. Morgan Malachi encapsulates the proper attitude and goals in the above quote. Is this attitude something that the Freedmen community can adopt?

Even though friends and family gathering is part of what Juneteenth is about – it is not a “party” or “celebratory” type of thing. It is, or should be, an upright formal commemoration and reset. Rendered with the same solemnity and dignity that the Jewish community performs and respects Passover. Here is another Morgan quote:

“Juneteenth needs to return to its roots. Juneteenth should not be commemorated by a parade or festival until ALL American Freedmen get their justice claim which is lineage based reparations [Full Stop]. There is nothing to celebrate at this point in our history. We owe it to the Freedmen community to be clear and intentional about winning the battle for reparations. We must be [openly] unapologetic and [unreservedly] confrontational about our ethnic boundaries. This starts now.”

And that takes an attitude of OWNERSHIP. Do we own our commemoration or not Family? This is what we have to decide on – and move on. Let’s lock it up.

Gates Up

Since the days of Booker T. Washington – American Freedmen have always been passive Pan Africans. We never cared where you were from. If you’re Black, you are MY Brother – If you’re Black, you are MY Sister: “Are We?” We established a Flat BLACK and projected that powerful idea across the world. The center of world Blackness is America – Not Africa. The American crucible fired by the combustibles of slavery and racism-white supremacy burned away any lined notions of operative tribalism within us. And an honest Black trans-tribalist network operates nowhere in this world. That burning was and is now – to our mental, political, and economic detriment. We are at this late – but not too late date, now waking up to that fact.

Now, to me – I mean, if you want to sub-categorize American Freedmen, I think there are three kinds of “mixes” in this country that were born amongst us. I have my own terminology. There are: 1. Early Mixes (born from 1619 to 1867 – the slave rape period), 2. Middle Mixes (born from 1868 to 1960 – the miscegenation period), and 3. Late Mixes (born from 1961 to the present – the mostly consensual, but-be-sure-to-check-anyway period). Hey – there you go, we’re all mixed. That “mix” is one of the main markers of “American Freedmen-ness.” Rape – You Know?

And to hell with “Biracial.” I roll with the “one drop rule.” Where’d that “Biracial” come from? I roll that way because yes, there may be several genetic categories to identify and classify, but there was and is in this country – AMERICA, depending on where one is on a perceptual, phenotypical, and/or self-identification scale – only two kinds of American treatment: White Treatment, and Nigger Treatment.

Nigger Treatment is the basis for Reparations.

And notice that Caribbeans and Africans are not a significant part of that Middle and Late Mix calculus. That is because Black Diasporian residency in this country was to the right of the decimal point before 1965. The bulk of Black immigrants did not arrive here until after 1980. Got Here Good – after the racial smoke cleared. White friends and lovers. Able to attend university in peace. Coffee at Starbucks. Only a few recent genetic connections to us. The Diasporans – strategically hostile to us. Socially partitioned from us. Economically separated away from us.

Either you are a Foundational Black American or you are not.

One must also consider, from 1619, till now, the racial mozaic that we now call “Black” comes from the genetic “early and middle period folding in” of European and multi-tribal African DNA. And the “late period re-folding-in” of genetic traits from different African ethnic groups, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian, and the further addition of occasional (consensual) European-American infusions. And that still expanding mozaic is as it is, from just us having relations with each other.

We are a new and exceptional people.

Because of the unique racial deconstruction and reformulation that we have gone through – this was contained only in this country. We must establish certain rights, delineate certain distinctions, and make certain demands based on our completely American lineage. Not only did we provide the basis for the economic and cultural richness of this country – but our DNA is inextricably enmeshed to the soil of this land. Some Nazi said: “Blood And Soil?” NO! That tribal phrase is an appropriate descriptor of us and OUR Holocaust. A Holocaust that started the first minute of the year 1619. Going nonstop through every second of every day of every year.

Till Right Now.

I use “Blood And Soil” without apology. That we cannot escape, nor can anyone replace that fact. We – along with the Mayflower Whites (the ones that arrived and stayed and enslaved AND – between 1619 to 1865) are the true “Paid In Blood – Invested In Full” co-owners of this country. American Freedmen are the other co-owners. Just KNOW – it is only the American Freedmen that are exclusively owed.

And the Diaspora knows this deal as well. But the 400 year ferociousness of racism-white supremacy created a flat-Blackness in our Freedmen consciousness out of a sheer but presumed racial necessity. Brothers and Sisters. Protection. Economics. Racial Militancy. Global Black Unity. Out of that Black racial consciousness and sweetness of heart came Pan Africanism. Black Freedmen created Pan Africanism.

OK? Felt Good. Sounded Good.

But there’s a problem: The promotion and beating heart of Pan Africanism has always been one-sided. The American side. Of course, there have been a few non-American Pan Africans like George Padmore, Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, and the controversial Marcus Garvey. But they were anecdotal outliers. With the exception of Marcus Garvey, Pan Africanism was not a part of the consciousness of the people they originally led, and/or associated with, and/or came from. That’s why most African leaders that expoused Pan Africanism were assassinated or exiled. Continental Africans didn’t want it. Retrograde tribalist attachment trumped any kind of progressive transafrican and transdiasporan unity. Pan African philosophy was ninety-nine percent a part of the beautiful, generous, and embracing consciousness of American Freedmen only. Not Good.

And as far as their activities in Reparations politics? There has been reparational theft by the Pannies. The inappropriate intrusion of Democratic Party controlled and financed Pan Africanism has proven to be a guaranteed political wreck.

Say It Loud: “Juneteenth Has Nothing To Do With Africa!!!”

Tribalism is the Diasporic norm outside the community of American Freedmen. Pan Africanism at best means fake cooperation and reciprocity in name only. In clear truth – the Diasporans see the Freedmen as another tribe. As a “Them” – not as an “Us.” Economically seen as A Lick. Suckers – to be tribally screwed over.

Aren’t we “Brothers?” Ahh NO… We have no brothers nor sisters Anywhere.

Pan Africanism has never been good or operational for American Freedmen. And with certain exceptions – the Diaspora both domestically and internationally have shown themselves to be an undermining collective. Happily joining with the forces and systems of racism-white supremacy to derail the access to and enjoyment of our birthright. The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis of today is primarily responsible for opening that dirty door and facilitating this ugly mess. It is our first responsibility to understand what we are politically, culturally, and economically dealing with.

The NAARC/N’COBRA Axis feels that our reparations should rightfully belong to all Three Billion Six Hundred Million members of the Diaspora – with American Freedmen being hung-up at the back of the line. Forcing us to release OUR justified recompense – a due allottment from centuries of pain and deprivation here to fulfill some kind of Wakandan – Pan African fantasy that has NOTHING to do with us.

Making Freedmen the “mules” of the Diaspora. That is what we are faced with.

We as a people are far too civil with other-colored “strangers,” and friendly-presenting but strategically-minded white oppressors. We must develop hard self-esteem and Tribal pride about ourselves. Work with each other, and put up a stratospherically high, fully encompassing, uncompromising, and impenetrably hard tool steel gate Family. Understand – we must do the basic work of raising the consciousness and political viability of the 40 plus Millions of our Black Freedmen Tribe. Right Here. Within, upon, and throughout OUR American Homeland.

And Lastly – No Intersectionality. Don’t Let Them. You have certain white and other run organizations trying to tie in Juneteenth with the LGBTQ cause (!?). The Latinx cause. The This cause. The That cause. And anything else that they can find to ultimately take the concentration – the focus off us. Lawsuits, Irate phone calls, aggressive picketing, and on-the-ground-in-your-face cuss-outs would be in order.

Complacency Equals Death.

No Commercialization

Commercialization without permission or guidance is point-blank disrespect. We’ve been commercialized and commodified for over 400 years. Aren’t we a little tired of this? Whenever commercialization happens – whether the commercializer is Caribbean, African, or white. The hive should come out of every woodwork and sting, call, email, and confront offending commercializers into submission. We need to seriously get super nasty with disrespecters. Because nastiness and confrontation in many cases are the only thing folks like this understand. Lawsuits, cease and desist orders, and circumscribing legislation should also be a part of our toolbox.

Commercializers only respect legal power and the possibility of getting fists.

Don’t be ashamed, embarrassed, or feel that you have to be restrained in your disapproval. Take a lesson from the Jews. Commercialize their stuff without permission – and see what happens. Insult them – and see what happens. One wrong or misplaced word (Whoopi Goldberg) even in support of their community – and they will unrelentingly injure you financially and socially. No Discussion. No Compromise. No Nothing. The Jewish community as a tribal collective will get On Code and stomp you six feet into the ground with no hesitation, reserve, or mercy.

On Coded-ness gives them the power to slap you around whenever they feel like it, humiliate you whenever they feel like it, force you to your Nigger knees in tears, while breaking your personhood legally, could separate you from speaking to your own mother. As per their orders. Orders that will be surely enforced in certainty through their positionality in this country and their global networks. OK? A single Jewish phone call can enthusiastically and thoroughly erase you politically and financially from all of your Black earthly existence. Disappeared. Buried. Gone.

I respect the fact that they can do this.

The Jewish community shows what can be done when you are 2.4% of the United States population and unreservedly On Code – as opposed to what can’t be done when you are 13% of the population in this country, and mostly Off Code. They respect themselves – and will not allow others to run over them without substantial and permanent consequences. That’s the right way Family. We should be the same.

NO Forgiveness, Reconciliation, or Compromise. None. Leave that for Jesus.

Our Genetic And Tribal Interrelatedness

Folks in our community say: “We’re not a monolith…” But the way things are unfolding and coming at us American Freedmen now – on some very important and consequential things, we should be. Because everybody else is. Understand? Football teams don’t win as a set of individuals. Monoliths win. Individuals lose. Corporations move into the billions. Proprietorships mostly stay in the thousands. Out of the estimated 12,500,000 enslaved that were shipped from Africa to the New World – only 388,000 of our antecedents were brought to the East and South-coast areas of North America that are now parts of the present-day United States.

We went nowhere. And here? The most unique ethnogenesis in human history occurred in this land. 95% of our lineage over the span of 400 years has remained here in this North America from the beginning. Here. Till the establishment and continuously unfolding creation of the United States in the now. We – the forty plus Millions of us are a tight genetic fusion of forty five West and Central African tribes (mostly from the Yoruba, Igbo, Akan, Kongo, and Mandinka tribes). There’s More!!!

Along with indigenous Black peoples that were already here. Along with free Black people that were never enslaved. Along with the unrelentingly forced injection of European genetics acquired through rape. This, in addition to smaller genetic contributions from Native Americans, Asians, Latinos, and others. We are a new and special people. Even though the most substantial and influential parts of our genetics are African – we emphatically are not African. We absolutely cannot be.

Our now so-called African “brothers and sisters” captured, confined, and sold our grandparents to the Europeans. The Africans decided – that we were not Africans. We were converted from humans beings to farm equipment – things just valuable enough to be monetized and traded. Once our antecedents stepped onto those slave ships – a permanent line was drawn. That’s the moment we stopped being African.

“A Perdurable Break” was established.

We became the original Americans.

It is about time we owned our ownership.

Now Remember – 40 Million plus of us came out of 388,000 people. During slavery – families being broken up and sold off was an everyday occurrence. Most of those families never found each other. Breeding farms were established (which caused further familial confusion, anonymity, and dissipation). Infant snatchings. But 95% of unmoved Freedmen lineages are still standing in this country. Outside of your immediate and known extended family – you really don’t know whom you’re related to. You Don’t. As you step up the street downtown and down the street uptown – you walk past anonymous family every day. No matter where you walk, drive, or fly within this vast country. This – within your normal sight and hearing.

We are in actuality unrecognized cousins and brothers, sisters and granduncles much more than we think or know. That Close. – Survival. We must assume and embrace our unknown Family ties and move forward in substance on that basis.

So let us proceed from THERE and commemorate Juneteenth.

On The Juneteenth Flag

The Juneteenth Flag is THE symbol for the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. The Flag uses the colors of Red, White, and Blue from the American flag. The flag features a twelve-pointed bursting star that represents a new beginning for all American Freedmen. The five-pointed star in the center refers both to Texas and to the freedom of defined Foundational Black Americans or Freedmen in all 50 states. The arch representing the horizon shows blue above and red below is symbolic of the soil soaked with the blood which was forcefully and murderously extracted from the African Americans that were both enslaved and emancipated in the United States. Our Blood And Soil – right there. The Red, White, and Blue is also meant to convey that all Black American free, indigenous, enslaved, and formerly enslaved persons and their descendants are Americans.

President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of June 1, 1863, declared that all slaves in the rebel Confederate States were free. The State of Texas rejoined the Union at the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived at the Port of Galveston Texas and announced that slavery had been ended with General Order No. 3. The Juneteenth Flag has the date of June 19, 1865 displayed on it. One year later (do you see it?) – freed slaves in Texas celebrated the first Juneteenth (then called “Jubilee Day”) on June 19, 1866.

Blood And Soil – Family.

The American Freedmen that are direct descendants of Chattel Slavery in these United States must support the original Juneteenth Flag using the colors Red, White, and Blue. Any deviance of colors in this context is not acceptable. Creativity is wonderful – but creativity can be inappropriate in some instances. See? The Pan African Flag represents the African Diaspora. If you follow what I mean – we are both a part of – and not a part of the African Diaspora. Juneteenth is not, and can never be, a Pan African affair. Don’t do it. And don’t let them do it. Anyone, Black or otherwise that tries to turn it into one is either a dummy, a grifter, or a liar.

Red – White – Blue.

In this very important case of colors – conversions, commissions, and omissions are either evil and/or ignorant acts. No Pan African Flag nor any African Flag, nor any Caribbean Flag in any form should ever be used to represent the heritage of Black Americans that are direct descendants of Chattel Slavery in these United States.

On The Black American Heritage Flag

The elegant Black American Heritage Flag (also known as the “African American Heritage Flag”) represents the culture and history of Foundational Black American people. We are also known by some people as “Soulaan” or “Soulaani People” (Foundationals that are Descendants of Chattel Slavery in the United States). This Flag was created in 1967. Each color and symbol on the Flag has a significant meaning that was developed to instill pride in Freedmen Americans, and provide a symbol of hope for the future in the midst of their struggle for Civil Rights.

On the Flag – the rich Red color represents the blood shed by American Freedmen for freedom and equality in America. The elegant color Black represents pride in the Foundational Black American race. The operationally valuable color Gold represents a practical intellect, community prosperity, and a meaningful peace.

The wreath of golden fig leaves represents the sustenance of life. And centered within the wreath is a blunted Moorish boarding sword – representing the strength and authority exhibited by a Foundational Black American culture that made many contributions to the world in mathematics, the arts, medicine, and the sciences. Overall – this Flag is a representation of the pain remembered from the degrading days of slavery to the undeniable contributions of American Freedmen to the history of the United States. This Flag is appropriate for use on Juneteenth.

On The American Flag

This Flag – the Red, White, and Blue is a statement FOR US on both obvious and not so obvious levels. A symbolic reflection of our deprivations and triumphs. Its creation and persistence is profoundly co-existent with our sojourn here. There are only two entities that “own” this Flag. The Foundational White Americans that ahh – “founded” the country. AND – The Foundational Black Americans that actually built the country. That’s It. Everybody else are only “borrowing” the privileges and rights and protections this Flag represents. Some Asian and Hispanic newcomers have inappropriately appropriated what that Flag means to American Freedmen. And have made full use of the constitutional establishments and National policies that were exclusively provided to the Freedmen. That conflicted Flag is ours.

I don’t respect any expansions or reinterpretations – or new ownership.

Some of us – because of the brutal racial history of this country, may not want to recognize this Flag. And that is totally understandable. That valid attitude is not to be criticized. We as a Foundational Black American people have been through a too-damned-much. For too damned long. Understand? Leave them alone. Let Them express Juneteenth in a way that is do-able For Them. Those individuals have two other beautiful Flags that can be used without anxiety, conflict, or flashback. We all have our own racial experiences, our own family histories, our own reflections, our own tolerances, and so many – too many, diverse healing timeframes that we all must individually process and deal with. It is deep. It is painful. It is complicated.

It is Us Family.

Yeah – It is Us.

An active understanding within can be a unifying tool that we must generously utilize with, for, and on our Tribe. But Conversely Family – And despite our pain:

You’d better know this: That Flag crystalizes our absolute American-ness. Now and Ever. Our 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment established Federal Supercitizenship. Our well-deserved and ultimate co-ownership of this country. Now and Ever. Do You Understand? Now and Ever. We should own all of THAT. Now and Ever.

Therefore – and despite our heavy history here. And despite our in this moment reservations and conflictions – this Flag is appropriate for use on Juneteenth.

The Responsibility Of Freedmen

Family!!! We must get On Code and TAKE BACK our stuff. We as a Tribe are way too Loose – Casual – and Distracted Family. We are at a racial tipping point.

We must respect the Laws of Survival.

Because we have failed to exercise an operational respect for each other specifically and our Tribe generally – we have lost out on us and everything on so many levels including control of our commemorative representations. Never forget that the way we handle the things that represent us and the milestones in our history as a people is just as political an act as securing voting rights and demanding specific policies for American Freedmen. Please let that operationally sink in. It’s important.

Yes Family – commemorations and observances ARE POLITICAL. Your political attitudes – involvements – reasonings – demands – persistences – and resource goals reflect your degree of political groundedness and political self-respect. We must handle politics with enlightened selfishness and uncompromising ownership.

Gates Up Family! By Our Hand – Juneteenth must now be disaggregated from the mis-colored Pan African Diaspora, and reset By Us to its proper ownership.

END OF POST

I would like to thank Sister Soldiers Morgan Malachi of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Rose Cannon of Evanston, Illinois for their timely and intelligent contributions to this post.

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