Rockin’ Thursday LXVII

Today is Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday’s name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth, referring to June 19, 1865, the day Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.1

Here is what the General Order issued by General Granger said: 

“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. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” —General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865 2

I think it’s appropriate to include a song that reflects on how far we’ve come. It’s definitely not perfect, racism is still a plague not only in the U.S. but in other countries around the world. Still, we need to continue pushing back against those who want to return to that terrible time in our history.

“Black and White America” is a song by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on August 30, 2011. I usually look for a live performance video, but I found the official video for this song, and it’s just wonderful.

Here is part of the lyrics:

"In 1963 my father married
(A black woman)
And when they walked the streets, they were in danger
(Look what you've done)

But they just kept on walking forward hand in hand
The future looks as though it has come around
And maybe we have finally found our common ground
We're the children of our father
If you're looking back don't bother
We're black and white America"

I hope you enjoy the video, and have a wonderful, Rockin’ Thursday!

Lenny Kravitz – Black And White America

You can access the lyrics here.

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth# ↩︎
  2. https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/juneteenth-original-document ↩︎

37 thoughts on “Rockin’ Thursday LXVII”

  7. Happy Juneteenth! Our community had it’s celebration Saturday and although our black population is very small the turnout is always wonderful! It gives me hope even in a predominantly red state.

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      1. Thank you for liking my posts. I got the job. I am going to be a home health aide for a company. I am going through a different human resources for this job. I am going to do this orientation on Friday, June 20, 2025 at 8:45 a.m. Talk to you later. I have had a busy day with this job. Good day.

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