Father’s Day is a special day dedicated to honoring the father figures in our lives. It is a day to celebrate and appreciate the love, guidance, and support that fathers provide. On this day, we take the time to express our gratitude and show our love for our dads and father figures.

The origins of Father’s Day can be traced back to the early 20th century. It was first celebrated in the United States in 1910 when a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd wanted to honor her father, who had raised her and her siblings as a single parent. She proposed the idea of a day to celebrate fathers, and the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910.

Since then, Father’s Day has become a popular holiday around the world. It is celebrated on different dates in different countries, but the sentiment remains the same – to honor and appreciate the role of fathers in our lives.

On Father’s Day, families often gather together to spend time with their dads. This may involve going out for a special meal, giving gifts, or simply spending time doing activities that the father enjoys. It is also a time to reflect on the positive impact that fathers have on their children’s lives and to express gratitude for their love and support.

Father’s Day can be a difficult time for those who have lost their fathers or who have strained relationships with them. It is important to remember that not all families are the same and that Father’s Day can be celebrated in many different ways. Some may choose to honor father figures who are not biologically related or to celebrate the role of single mothers who have fulfilled both parental roles.

Whatever your situation may be, Father’s Day is a reminder of the importance of family and the love that we share with those who have helped shape us into the people we are today. So, take the time to appreciate your father and father figures this Father’s Day, and let them know just how much they mean to you.

American history will forever remember the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, officially signed into law a Juneteenth National Independence Day on June 17, 2021. Juneteenth is short for June 19. On that day in 1865, U.S. Major General Gordon Granger notified the enslaved African Americans in Texas that they were free, or at least that is the big lie, so many of us were told and have repeated ad nauseam.

For 158 years, blacks in Texas have celebrated this holiday. One woman, Opal Lee, made it her life's work to see that Juneteenth became a national holiday in the United States. It took her decades, but she accomplished her mission. She is proof that persistence wins and the power of one person can move mountains.

If you don't understand anything else about Juneteenth, know that its history is messy, brutal, painful, and shameful. Depending on your ethnicity, age, and academic training, you might know a lot about Juneteenth, or you might know very little. Either way, the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday has triggered interest and much-needed conversation about the Civil War, Reconstruction, reparations, and the vestiges of anti-black racism that remain in society.

Here are five facts you should know when celebrating Juneteenth:

1.    Blacks knew they were free BEFORE U.S. Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

In his article, The Hidden History Of Juneteenth, historian Gregory P. Downs documents a conversation with former slave Felix Haywood. He was one of more than 2,300 former slaves interviewed during the Great Depression by members of the Federal Writers' Project, a New Deal agency in the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

"We knowed what was goin' on in [the war] all the time," said Haywood, "We all felt like heroes and nobody had made us that way but ourselves."

Felix Haywood

2.    The last of the enslaved people were not free upon the legal notification of the emancipation of blacks in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

Proclamations, pronouncements, and declarations did not free enslaved Black people. Some stubborn Texans continued to keep blacks in bondage months after Granger and some 2,000 Union soldiers rode into Texas.

Remember the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the Confederate States still in rebellion in 1863 (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, and North Carolina), but not those in North-South border states. Blacks remained enslaved in Maryland, Delaware, Missouri, and Kentucky for almost six months after Juneteenth because their state legislatures rejected the 13th Amendment after Congress passed it in January 1865. Slavery was legally banned upon the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865.

Also, note that Native American territories were not subject to U.S. jurisdiction in the matter of slavery. Consequently, after Juneteenth 1865, about 10,000 blacks remained enslaved among five prominent Native American tribes --- the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole. It would also be a year later before enslaved blacks were freed from Native American territories. So some of you need to think on that when you hear a black person brag about having "good hair" because they have Indians in their family. [Insert side-eye.]

3. President Abraham Lincoln was not an abolitionist.

As a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Lincoln was accused of supporting "negro equality" by his opponent, Stephen Douglas. On September 18, 1858, in Charleston, Illinois, Lincoln clarified his position during a debate.
 

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and Black races," said Lincoln. He also said he opposed Blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office and to intermarry with whites.

So, don't get it twisted, President Lincoln freed enslaved blacks not out of benevolence but for political reasons and as a war tactic. If the secessionist Confederate States had accepted Lincoln's Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, enslaved blacks would have remained in legal bondage. Still, since the stubborn Southerners refused to give up, Lincoln took away their best asset, the enslaved blacks.

4. The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of the Reconstruction Era and resulted in the dismantling of much of the progress of African Americans.

Despite Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws enacted after the Emancipation Proclamation, newly emancipated African Americans made tremendous progress. Blacks ran for political office, opened schools, and started businesses.
           
During this period of Reconstruction (1865-1877), Blacks were members of the Republican Party, and the Democrats were the Party of slaveholders. Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden were candidates for President of the United States. The election results were highly disputed, much like what the country is still experiencing since the presidential election of 2020. During a secret meeting, an unwritten deal was made; Democrat Samuel Tilden agreed to allow Republican Rutherford B Hayes to become President of the United States if Hayes would agree to pull the troops from the South that were protecting emancipated Blacks.

The shock of the violence of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the White House was mild in comparison to the terror, death, and destruction heaped upon Blacks after the troops were pulled from the South. Yep, the Republicans and the Democrats. [Insert side-eye, again.]


5. While June 19, 1865, symbolizes our national day of observance of the end of slavery, those of us in Florida should know our state's Emancipation Day is May 20, 1865.

After the end of the Civil War, on May 10, 1865, Union Brigadier General Edward M. McCook arrived in Tallahassee to take possession of the capital from Southern rebels. On May 20, 1865, after official control of the region was transferred to Union forces, he declared the Emancipation Proclamation in effect. That same day an announcement arrived in Tallahassee sent by Major General Quincy A. Gillmore via train from Jacksonville. General Gillmore's Special Order Number 63 noted that "the people of the black race are free citizens of the United States."

In conclusion:

It is incumbent upon us to ensure the true history of Emancipation Day in Florida, Juneteenth, and the Reconstruction Amendments are taught despite legislation enacted and practices implemented to whitewash and in some cases eliminated. When necessary, we must teach our children history outside of the traditional public and private school setting. 

With the expeditious bipartisan approval of the 117^th Congress to make Juneteenth a national federal holiday, let's always be mindful of what this holiday represents and the progress yet to be made for equitable treatment of Black people in America. Let's not allow Juneteenth to become just another day off from work and school. Let us demonstrate the proper homage to our ancestors. Let's share our history not from the lens of trauma porn but from a perspective of pride in the achievements of our ancestors and commitment to duplicate their success despite obstacles and deception.
 

(This post was originally published on June 19, 2021.)

Never forget the 49 victims gunned down in Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida USA on June 12, 2016. See their names and ages at the end of this article.

Today is the seven-year anniversary of the deadly mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, USA. It was last call for drinks and shortly after 2 AM, on June 12, 2016, when 29-year-old American born Omar Mateen, breached the entrance of the popular gay gathering place and proceeded to attack the more than 300 patrons inside. Officer Adam Gruler, working off-duty security at Pulse, briefly exchanged gunfire with the shooter and quickly recognized his firepower was outmatched. Gruler called for back up which arrived within a couple of minutes. Some victims lay dead in the club while others texted loved ones and called 911 as they attempted to hide in various spaces throughout the club. Some even used deceased victims to conceal themselves.  After a three-hour standoff, the shooter was killed. The tragedy resulted in the death of 49 victims, the shooter, and 68 people injured.

Regardless of his reason or motivation, it is indisputable that Omar Mateen gunned down 49 people in the Pulse Nightclub. They were individuals of various ages, backgrounds, and sexual identity. Pulse was their safe space.

We tend to only focus on those who died during tragedies such as the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. We should also never forget the survivors and the loved ones who endure the pain of the loss each day and especially during commemorations such as this anniversary.

To understand the gravity of the devastation of The Pulse Massacre, please see the interactive portraits created via the Dear World Project. Please take the time to read these stories of Pulse survivors, family members, and first responders.

From that tragedy grew the onePULSE Foundation, a nonprofit established to create a sanctuary of hope and honor and preserve the legacy of the 49 killed, those injured, and countless others affected. On the site of the Pulse Nightclub will be a memorial and museum with educational programs and legacy scholarships.

State flags in Florida have been ordered to fly at half-staff today for Pulse Remembrance Day. This has been done for several years since the incident. It appears particularly hypocritical and only symbolic considering the increased attacks on the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and throughout the country. Especially the attacks through legislation and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to denounce the hateful public protests by White nationalists showcasing swastikas and spewing racial epithets.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will be the site of this year’s Pulse Remembrance Ceremony in Orlando. Sadly, Florida has become a very hostile place for LGBTQ+, Black people, Jewish people, immigrants, and others. No matter who espouses hate, no matter their station in life and their power to impact our lives, let us remember the words of Pulse Massacre survivor Angel Colon,

Love, hope, positivity.

Move forward.

You’ll be fine.

THE 49 PEOPLE GUNNED DOWN IN THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA ON JUNE 12, 2016.

FIRST ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT) Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34; Stanley Almodovar III, 23; Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20; Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36; Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22; Luis S. Vielma, 22.

SECOND ROW Kimberly Morris, 37; Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30; Darryl Roman Burt II, 29; Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32; Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21; Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25; Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35.

THIRD ROW Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50; Amanda Alvear, 25; Martin Benitez Torres, 33; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37; Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26; Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35; Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25.

FOURTH ROW Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31; Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26; Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25; Miguel Angel Honorato, 30; Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40; Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32; Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19.

FIFTH ROW Cory James Connell, 21; Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37; Luis Daniel Conde, 39; Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33; Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31; Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25.

SIXTH ROW Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25; Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24; Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27; Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33; Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49; Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24; Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32.

SEVENTH ROW Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28; Frank Hernandez, 27; Paul Terrell Henry, 41; Antonio Davon Brown, 29; Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24; Akyra Monet Murray, 18; Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25.

Photo:  Daily Mail