Nominate your loved ones for a story:

Nominate your loved ones:

Juneteenth

by | Jul 2022

“FREEDOM” enters the chatroom, and immediately it’s all, barbecued meat and who’s got the biggest bang of a firework show. While Independence Day is our nation’s designated time to pause and celebrate freedom and independence from Great Britain, the day is not all-encompassing by any means. Freedom remained a lofty and painful longing for African Americans. Liberty was a far cry from reality, day in and day out. 

Imagine waking up each morning achy and sore. Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion weighs heavily on your entire being, even during sleep. You would spend your day tilling a land you would never own, even if you had the money. With each pickaxe swing, you buried another seed of hope deep within the cold, hard ground. Independence and freedom was for white men. 

Not every seed of hope withered. Some seeds took root and grew into an army of human rights leaders. Scattered throughout many different spheres of influence, these powerful leaders primarily held positions within the political and military arenas. President Abraham Lincoln stood out among them. Lincoln knew slavery, in any form or fashion, could not and should not be justified. Therefore, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This proclamation established that all enslaved people “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” (History.com, December 2009). As foundational as signing this document was, in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free enslaved people. 

Many enslavers held out on sharing this news until harvest time was over. Many more chose not to communicate the information of liberty with those enslaved to them and instead picked up and snuck away to Texas, as it was viewed as a safe zone for continued enslavement. It’s no surprise that even two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed into effect, hundreds of thousands of people still lived in bondage. 

However, on June 19, 1865, federal troops were sent to Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and help ensure that all of those who were enslaved would be set free. According to archives found in the Texas State Library, Union Major-General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 to the people of Galveston on that day. It stated: 

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.” 

Upon hearing this decree, jubilant celebrations broke out among newly freed black people and friends. National holiday or not, the victory of Juneteenth was seared within the souls of man, that very day. The year following 1865, freed men in Texas organized the first of what became an annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. The celebration grew larger and more prominent over the next few decades. Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Then in 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law, making the day a national holiday. Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and celebrates freedom for all people. GN 

More Good News

Honoring Richard Ellis

Honoring Richard Ellis

WHAT WILL your legacy be? This question often lingers in our minds, prompting us to reflect on how we hope to be remembered and the impact we want to leave behind. For some, legacy is found in the...

read more
Homegrown Heroes

Homegrown Heroes

JOHN WINE led a group of teens on a mission trip in the sweltering heat of a Louisiana summer, working on a house without power. As sweat trickled down their faces, the reality of the need struck...

read more
A Lifeline In The Skies

A Lifeline In The Skies

THE EMERGENCY phone rang, cutting through the morning silence at Erlanger Health System. This sound was familiar, yet one that never failed to send a rush of adrenaline through the LIFE FORCE Air...

read more
Mac’s Meat: Farm-to-Fork

Mac’s Meat: Farm-to-Fork

MAC’S MEAT Processing has transformed local food traditions in our town since 1969. Established by Hugh “Mac” McCormick, this family-owned business has continuously grown and adapted over the years...

read more
John Ferrell: Sweet Success

John Ferrell: Sweet Success

JOHN FERRELL squinted into the sun, watching honeybees lumber from flower to flower. It wasn’t the same frantic buzzing that irritated him as a child. This time, he saw the intentional movements,...

read more
Ray Cobb: A Lens of Courage

Ray Cobb: A Lens of Courage

A YOUNG RAY Cobb, barely out of his teens, crouches behind a sandbag in a mock Vietnamese village. Sweat beads are on his forehead, and condensation gathers on his vintage camera lens. The distant...

read more
Legacy in Motion

Legacy in Motion

LEGACY. A term that has many definitions. It can be one’s money or assets, faith or values, or reputation. While it can mean so many things, what is important to remember about a person’s legacy is...

read more
Giving the gift of lights

Giving the gift of lights

JASON DAUGHERTY is a lover of Christmas. He enjoys the time of year when the family gets together and shares gifts and fellowship, along with the birth of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He not...

read more
Songs for the Season

Songs for the Season

OVER A century ago, the Festival of Lessons and Carols was introduced by the King’s College Chapel In Cambridge, England. According to the college’s website, the event was introduced in 1918 to...

read more
Bringing the Local Butcher Back

Bringing the Local Butcher Back

JEFF EBNER was riding his motorcycle on a hot Florida day when he stopped at a stoplight and noticed his shoe was stuck to the road. “I checked my shoe thinking I had stepped on a piece of chewing...

read more
Come Gather Here

Come Gather Here

CHEERS, THE Central Perk, Paddy’s Pub, MacLaren’s, and Monk’s Cafe. What do they all have in common? They are all iconic gathering places. Places that came into our lives each week, via our...

read more
The art of Preserving History

The art of Preserving History

PAINTERS CREATE with oils, pastels and watercolor. Sculptures work with clay, stone, and wood, and musicians experiment with melody, harmony, rhythm, and form. Each of these types of artists work...

read more
Remembering those who served

Remembering those who served

MY GRANDFATHER was a World War II veteran. He served as a staff sergeant for the United States military. He woke each morning and raised the American Flag, displaying it proudly from a front yard...

read more
The good stuff takes time.

The good stuff takes time.

MARTHA CAROL Luttrell, more commonly referred to as MC Luttrell, has played a foundational role in organizing a community outreach event in Franklin County over the last several years. Her tireless...

read more
Training for success

Training for success

Α NEW DOG, we imagine, would be a wonderful addition to our homes. We immediately picture wet kisses and cold evening cuddles. We see the perfect spot for his bed in the living room corner and...

read more
Licenses and Learning

Licenses and Learning

POWERBOATS, HOUSEBOATS, jet skis, jon boats, and even sailboats all make appearances at the annual Spirit of America Youth Boating Camp on Tims Ford Lake.  As the interest in water recreation...

read more
For God and Country

For God and Country

FRANKLIN COUNTY residents have a long history of service to their country. It’s a history still being uncovered and honored through the Franklin County Veterans Flag Memorial, an American Legion...

read more