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What you may not know about “Father of Juneteenth” Al Edwards

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Although Juneteenth is now recognized nationwide, many individuals do not know the story of the person partially accountable for making it a federal holiday.

While Opal Lee, referred to as “Grandma Juneteenth,” brought national attention to the vacation through her actions – including a 4.5-mile commemorative walk across the Lone Star State – Texas State Rep. Al Edwards, known to many as “Father of Juneteenth” – engineered a legislative victory.

President Joe Biden, who enacted Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, nominated Congressman Edwards in his Juneteenth Observance Day proclamation for 2023 and 2024. Biden notes that Edwards “authored the bill” that made June 11 a statewide holiday in Texas. It was this laws and the support of Edwards, Lee and others that expanded the vacation to states across the country.

Edwards, who represented parts of Houston within the state Legislature for greater than 30 years, dedicated his political profession to recognizing June 11 as a federal holiday. Through his nonprofit Juneteenth USA and his work as chairman and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee’s Black Caucus, Edwards was determined to make his dream a reality.

During 2007 interview in an interview with The History Makers he said: “We will make it a national holiday” and added: “If God leaves breath in my body and people continue to work as they have worked.” Unfortunately, his health declined following a automobile accident in 2014 and he died in 2020, only one yr before Biden signed the bill.

Al Edwards II, Jason Edwards and Alana Edwards-Holoway now carry the baton of their late father’s organization and strive to maintain his name and legacy alive.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Opal Lee (2nd from left), an activist referred to as Grandma Juneteenth, watch as President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Jim WATSON/AFP) (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The push to federalize the Juneteenth holiday wasn’t easy for Al Edwards, who literally ran for office in 1978 with that mission in mind. Before the vacation eventually spread to 45 states, lawmakers faced political opposition at home, including from some white Texans.

“People were leaving a red soda on his desk on the floor of the Statehouse to make fun of him, and Black people were telling him he shouldn’t do it because it brought back an old story,” Jason Edwards recalled.

In 1979, Al Edwards was forced to compromise with one other Texas legislator who opposed making June 11 an official state holiday.

“He had to stand for a lot of unsavory things,” Jason Edwards said, recalling his father’s story about a state senator who said, “I can’t take your black holiday to my district.” When Rep. Edwards pressed for negotiations, he was asked to support a bill commemorating the Sons of the Confederacy. He reluctantly agreed. If he had not done so, his June bill would have been dead on receipt.

“He was glad he did it, because ultimately each (the memory of June 11 and the Confederation) were consistent with the facts. It definitely didn’t make him feel any higher, but he desired to win the war, not the battle,” Jason Edwards said.

After Texas adopted Juneteenth as a statewide holiday, Rep. Edwards used his own funds to launch a nationwide Juneteenth campaign and organization within the US, including refinancing his home. He intended to make June 11 a national holiday, advocating for and supporting other state legislators who passed versions of his Texas bill.

Rep. Al Edwards (left), D-Houston, speaks with Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, through the 79th term of the Texas Legislature on May 29, 2005, in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle) (Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

“He knew Juneteenth wouldn’t be federally recognized like Martin Luther King Jr. Day was because the states didn’t like it,” Jason Edwards said, noting that some states had not adopted MLK Day earlier. “Dad knew it needed to be passed on a state-by-state basis. As a state legislator, he understood how the system worked.

With tens of millions of Americans off work for the federal holiday, Jason Edwards noted that many can have a likelihood to reflect on the history of Juneteenth and the rationale for its celebration – just as his father all the time intended.

“He wanted America to take a moment every year to recognize our ancestors and their impact on the country,” he said. “America cannot turn its face away from American slavery.”

And while many Americans may not enjoy celebrating a vacation commemorating America’s dark history, Jason Edwards said it’s mandatory – irrespective of how inconvenient it may be. He added: “Let’s lean on our history and let it be (a reminder) why we are where we are today.”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Politics and Current

Elon Musk and Joe Rogan celebrate Trump’s victory

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On November 5, Donald Trump was elected to a second term as President of the United States. His long-term allies and political donors use social media to publicly rejoice.

Billionaire Elon Musk and podcaster Joe Rogan are only among the voices making the celebration loud.

Musk, owner of social media platform X and a staunch MAGA member, wrote to X to specific his optimism for the longer term.

Musk shared the hardships he experienced as an immigrant from South Africa, but believes the alleged difficulties he faced are minimal in comparison with Trump’s.

Joe Rogan, host of the Joe Rogan Podcast, also took to X to specific what could possibly be interpreted as admiration and excitement.

Rogan posted a video of Trump and his family on stage after the election was announced. In the background, Rogan will be heard saying the three words that served because the caption for his post: Wholeness. Leeward. Damn.

It’s no wonder Rogan is happy, as he enthusiastically supported Trump on November 4. The endorsement is available in part as a promotion for his podcast episode, with which he acknowledged “the great and mighty Elon Musk.”

The podcaster found Musk’s reasoning for supporting Trump compelling. To this end, he sat down with the billionaire for 2 and a half hours to speak about skilled matters. Rogan praised Musk and said the praise was tantamount to support for Trump.

“For the record, yes, this is an endorsement of Trump.”

Rogan’s right-wing stance in politics is well documented. During the election season, he met with then-candidate Trump to debate his campaign platform and plans for the country. The podcaster identified himself as a neutral interviewer and stated that he invited Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Harris campaign outlined conditions Rogan wouldn’t comply with an interview with. He believed his platform deserved a three-hour meeting with the candidate and was unwilling to travel to accommodate her schedule.

“For the record, the Harris campaign has not stopped publishing the podcast. They suggested a date for Tuesday, but I might need to travel there and they only wanted an hour. I strongly consider that one of the best approach to do that is in a studio in Austin. I truthfully just wish to have a pleasant conversation and get to know her as an individual. I actually hope we are able to do that,” Rogan wrote, promoting his meeting with Trump.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Politics and Current

“Mostly expert. “Still Doubted” Black Women React with Shock, Resignation and Anger to Donald Trump’s Presidential Victory – Essence

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Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Donald Trump, bogged down by baggage that might have sunk some other candidate, nonetheless sailed to victory and became the forty seventh president of the United States. As of this writing, he has won 277 electoral votes and 4 of the seven battleground states (North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin).

Trump, who had never served in a cupboard position before being elected president in 2016, oversaw the administration filled with chaoswas impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, refused to concede he lost the 2020 election, was impeached a second time for inciting the January 6 revolt, was charged with 86 felonies in 4 criminal cases and convicted of 34 of them.

During his campaign, he sought to improve the economy with few significant policies beyond tariffs and tax cuts. He threatened to press charges for his political opponents, demonized immigrants and promised mass deportations of undocumented people, and throughout the campaign used increasingly misogynistic and racist rhetoric – even going thus far as to query Kamala Harris’ race and ethnicity calling her lazy.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has served in every branch of the federal government, launched a full-fledged campaign in only over 100 days and assembled a broad coalition of supporters that included everyone from Beyonce to Lebron James and rugged Republican Liz Cheney.

Vice President Harris presented specific proposals on how to lift the center class, including $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, addressed specific concerns of Black men AND Latin menincluding providing $20,000 in forgivable loans to Black and Latino entrepreneurs to start businesses, and she pledged to function an advocate for reproductive rights. Notably, she also promised to be the president of all Americans, even those that didn’t vote for her, and to bring joy and optimism back to politics.

But Trump won anyway.

This was the bitter reality that seemed to confirm the saying that a black man has to be twice pretty much as good as a white man to get half as far. When it became clear that Vice President Harris was losing the presidential race, Black women took to social media to express their disappointment.

Some expressed concern about what this might mean for his or her reproductive rights.

Some have expressed resignation to the indisputable fact that a rustic built on racism continues to be racist.

Others expressed anger over the protest votes, which they believed determined Trump’s election victory.

Some placed Harris’ loss within the broader context of the country’s overall move to the fitting or a failure to understand the gravity of their very own vote.

Still others urged black women to prioritize themselves.

Over the subsequent few days and weeks, Black women will proceed to post about this staggering loss and once more prepare for the approaching onslaught. However, as a substitute of fighting, rallying or protesting for the rights of all, some black women are urging one another to simply – deal with one another.


This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Politics and Current

White women who supported Donald Trump by more than 50 percent are called “real enemies of progress,” and Joy Reid blames more

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MSNBC’s Joy Reid detailed why white women didn’t support Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s presidential election, particularly within the battleground state of North Carolina.

MSNBC's Joy Reid Says Donald Trump Will Use Black Journalism Convention Appearance to Show 'MAGA Fans' He's 'Anti-Black'
oy-Ann Reid attends the Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere of Hulu’s “The 1619 Project” on the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Exit poll data from NBC shows that 52% of white women nationwide support Republican candidate Donald Trump in comparison with Harris’ 47%. The Washington Post estimated that 57% of white women in North Carolina support Trump, while only 42% support Harris.

As many Harris supporters grapple with the national election results, Reid offered an early morning evaluation of why white female voters in North Carolina could have turned to Trump this election cycle.

“Black voters supported Kamala Harris. “White women didn’t vote.” Reid said Tuesday night during an MSNBC panel covering the election results. “This is a state where women have lost their reproductive rights and where there has been a very strong push for women to focus on not… putting the person responsible for taking away those rights back in the White House. And their restoration. But that message apparently wasn’t enough to get enough white women to vote for Vice President Harris, a different woman.”

Reid prefaced her remarks by saying Harris would wish to exceed President Joe Biden’s 2020 vote total to win the 2024 election and couldn’t afford to underperform. Election night revealed that Biden received many supporters 4 years ago Latino and white women voters didn’t reach Harris.

“This will be a second chance that white women in this country will have to change the way they interact with patriarchy,” Reid said, noting Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016.

Reid also suggested that race may have played a task in why white voters didn’t support Harris, a black woman of South Asian descent.

“If people vote more, you know, party line or more on race than on gender and on protecting their gender, there’s really not much more you can do other than tell people what the risks are and leave it up to them to do something about it,” Reid said. .

Viewers shared similar views to Reid. One of them posted under the clip of her segment on X: “They like Trump’s racism.” Another added: “It looked like white women didn’t care about their rights.”

Trump secured the numerous number of popular votes and electoral votes mandatory to return to the White House. After taking states akin to North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he had 277 electoral votes as of Wednesday morning.



(*50*)This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com

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