Obama Sponsors Campaign to Make Juneteenth Day a National Holiday, Uniting the Country?

obamawtf blog ^ | 4/18/08 | OxyMoran

[freespirited]

 

Senator Obama is one of key leaders in a campaign to make Juneteeth Day a National Holiday in the United States. Juneteeth Day occurs on every June 19th, the anniversary of General Granger announcing the emancipation of slaves in the South West. The Holiday would be celebrated on the third Friday in June. Here's what the NYT wrote about it on 2004:

"Most gatherings are decidedly upbeat, but the sobering reason for the holiday has also been part of Juneteenth's growth. Dr. Ronald Myers, the leader of a movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday, says June 19 should be an annual remembrance of the horrors of slavery"

"We never got our apology, so we need this holiday to remind us that we must not forget," said Dr. Myers, who spoke yesterday at a Juneteenth event at the Capitol led by Representative Danny K. Davis, Democrat of Illinois." New York Times, 6/19/04

According to the latest press release below from the organization leading the campaign, a victory for Obama will likely lead to the introduction of this holiday. Another example of the kind of "uniting" we can expect from the Senator who appears to be becoming a lightning rod for creating racial disharmony in the USA. Obama will be the keynote speaker at the campaigns annual convention this June 19 in DC. No mention of the economic cost of declaring the day a National Holiday anywhere in the campaign literature.

9th Annual WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance
Returns to the Nation's Capitol

Congress Urges President Bush to Issue a Presidential Proclamation
Recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day in America


(Washington, DC) - As Senator Barack Obama makes great strides in becoming the nation's next president, Juneteenth supporters are hopeful that the "19th of June" will finally be established as a national holiday observance in America. Senator Barack Obama has been a key sponsor of Juneteenth legislation in the senate and keynote speaker at the annual Juneteenth Congressional Reception. This year, the 2008 WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance will feature "Juneteenth, A Grassroots Celebration of American Values, A Music Festival with zydeco, gospel, jazz and blues!"

President George W. Bush has been urged by Congress to recognize Juneteenth Independence Day by issuing a special Presidential Proclamation. President Bush, who has declined participation in the annual WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance since taking office in 2000, has perplexed national Juneteenth leaders by the lack of personal public acknowledgement and comment on Juneteenth, considered America's second Independence Day.

"President Bush is the former Governor of Texas, where Juneteenth has been observed as a paid state holiday since 1980," states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), host of the annual WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance at the nation's capitol. "With the urging of Congress through the unanimous passage of H. Con. Res. 231 by the House of Representatives and the unanimous passage of S. Res. 516 by the U.S. Senate, we are hopeful that President Bush will finally issue a Juneteenth Independence Day Proclamation. If not, we are confident that if Senator Barack Obama becomes president, he will certainly make Juneteenth a national holiday observance in America. We are also truly appreciative of the leadership Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL) has provided Juneteenth supporters through legislative efforts in Congress."

Juneteenth, or the "19th of June", recognizes June 19, 1865, in Galveston, TX, when Union General Gordon Granger announced freedom for all slaves in the Southwest. This was the last major vestige of slavery in the United States following the end of the Civil War. This occurred more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. Upon the reading of General Order #3 by General Granger, the former slaves celebrated jubilantly, establishing America's second Independence Day Celebration and the oldest African-American holiday observance.

Its unclear why Senator Obama believes that celebrating this Holiday will help unite the ENTIRE country as he has repeatedly promised to do throughout the campaign. Far more likely that it will be seen as payback to one demographic at the expense of another. Opponents will doubtless be demonized as racists in the same way that Senator McCain is still being for expressing opposition to instituting the MLK Holiday back in in 1983. Hardly a recipe for uniting the country.

[celtic gal]

Oh for crap sakes...they already have black history month. What other group has a WHOLE MONTH to celebrate their history?

[celtic gal]

Now that you mention this...didn’t Michelle Obama say somewhere that in her genetic background there were those who were slaves and those who owned slaves? Which meand she also must be tainted with a drop or two of whitey blood so she too would have to pay up.....

[midnightson]

I’m in Bush Alaska- we don’t have Columbus Day- we have Chief’s day instead- usually the 2nd Friday in Dec.
A day off is a day off!

[svcw]

I will go along with it as long as it applies only to slaves.
So I propose every slave living in the USA be free on June 19 to do what they want.

[Jet Jaguar]

Kill Whitey!

Honestly, I do not know.

But, I am going to start a trend.

Anytime anything happens, it is Obamas fault.

[TornadoAlley3]

[weegee]

The gays. They have a Pride Month too.

[weegee]

Obama wouldn’t receive any reparations, his half arab/half African dad wasn’t born or enslaved in AmeriKKKa.

Barry HAS already tried to claim his children as the “descendents of slaves” (through his wife’s side of the family tree).

[txhurl]

Wait’ll you get Ramadan off! A whole month!

[DugwayDuke]

John Conyers has already stated that reparations will move to the front burner should Obama be elected.

[lonestar]

His white moms’ family was slave owning.

And his relatives are still in Africa and were never slaves.

I wonder if his relatives sold Africans to white men.

[garyhope]

“Heck, why not just take all of Black History Month off!”

Well, actually, many of “the brothers” already do. In fact many of them take the whole year off.

Not to mention the decade.

[goodnesswins]

His relatives may have sold African’s to other African’s....

[celtic gal]

Silly me..I forgot about that...

[celtic gal]

I read that in an article which I printed out and is in my “ stack of stuff” now if I could just find it to ref..where is Snerdly when I need him!

[lonestar]

That’s what I am wondering.

[txhurl]

Maybe you could search the Obama Truth Files. I seem to remember this, too.

[Selmore]

good point.
his relatives were muslims.
muslims were the slave traders.

on another note....

didn’t we promise them 40 acres and a mule? I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it was more than we promised the Natives.

[Katarina]

ROTFLMAO

I LOVE your comment!

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Juneteeth is a real holiday—in Texas and reflects a real event rather than some made up Kawanza thing. Does that mean we can get rid on MLK Day now? How about a Holiday for Native Americans? Talk about a people who really suffered. Why not Victory Day—June 25th the day Native Americans beat Custer at Little Big Horn?