By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
American History!
Trend Magazine Online™
American History!
Juneteenth is one of those holidays where as if you ask most Americans its premise they would respond with a resounding "I don′t know." I too did not know until the 1990′s when a former business associate of mines spearheaded the celebration in Charlotte, NC. That celebration was later revived by another business associate from Africa and is still in operation today. I attended an all-Black/African-American grade school in Miami and we were well educated on our history by learning of the contributions of Black/African-American icons like abolitionist Mr. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (Frederick Douglass), the underground railroad′s Ms. Harriett Tubman (a.k.a. Moses), inventor Mr. George Washington Carver, and abolitionist Ms. Isabella Baumfree (a.k.a. Sojourner Truth) to name a few. Unfortunately, I do not recall being taught anything concerning this important holiday/event.
I was quite surprise to recently learn that this important
piece of American history has been at the forefront of celebrations on
the island of Galveston, Texas, since 1865 when the area Slaves
were finally informed that they were in fact free to leave their perspective
plantations and seek the American dream that includes Life, Liberty,
and The Pursuit of Happiness per our United
States Constitution. The delayed news was referred to as General Order Number
3 and delivered by Major General Gordon Granger. It was indeed great
news for some of the 250,000 Texas Slaves although the rest of our nation′s
cities had been given the same message more than five months earlier
after the 13th
Amendment was made official on Tuesday January, 31, 1865,
and after the Saturday April, 15, 1865, assassination of
then President Abraham Lincoln of Hodgenville, Kentucky
by John Wilkes Booth of Bel Air, Maryland.Some will argue that the Slaves in the United States were actually freed on Monday September, 22, 1862, after Lincoln issued a preliminary document known as the Emancipation Proclamation which was a presidential order (known today as an Executive Order) as opposed to a law signed by the United States Congress. This document proclaimed that Slaves in certain U.S. cities and States shall be freed on Thursday January 1, 1863, which resulted in a small portion of the more than four million enslaved Blacks/Africans obtaining their freedom. This new found freedom was a blessing for some and a curse for others who had grown highly dependent on their masters′ providing their food, clothing, and shelter for nearly four centuries. As such, reportedly 40% of the Slaves in North Carolina actually supported the South/Confederacy during the Civil War (1861-1865) by maintaining the plantations, assisting the Confederate troops, and some fighting side-by-side with their masters. This phenomenon is known today as the Stockholm syndrome as explained in my book Charlotte From A Tour Guide′s Perspective."I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves" -- Harriett Tubman.
Thanks to various individuals, groups, businesses, and
not-for-profit organizations; this important piece of American history
has been preserved since Slavery was official abolished in 1865 more
than a Century and a half ago. Some of those individuals/businesspersons
are Doris and Sam Collins III of Hitchcock, Texas,
which is approximately 15 miles (by car) from the island of Galveston.
In 2005 this dynamic duo purchased and restored a 19th
Century home that was once owned by Mr. Henry Martin Stringfellow, a
successful horticulturist from 1883 to his death in 1912 during
the period known today as Reconstruction. He was well known for paying
former Slaves $1 a day as opposed to the then going wage of 50
cents which afforded them a higher standard of living for their families.
Some went on to purchase land of their own from their wages derived from the orange
groves on the 9.5-acre property. The old post-antebellum home is now
listed in the National Register of Historic Places (since 2013),
and has been part of the area Juneteenth celebrations since 2006.
Several years ago the home was part of a PBS special (21st Minute)
focusing on the area.
Mr. Collins, 45, is a native of Hitchcock and
is known today as a modern Frederick Douglass (Abolitionist). He was
named Citizen of the Year by the Galveston County Daily News in 2015
for his many civic activities to include member or advisor for local, state,
and national historical organizations; investment services entrepreneur,
philanthropist, community organizer, and champion of the 150th
anniversary (2015) of Juneteenth in the Galveston area. He
briefly dropped out of Texas A&M University, where he attended on an
academic scholarship, to pursue several business opportunities -- one in which
involved selling water filters. He then accepted a position selling life
insurance after losing his job at Walgreens. Collins then started
his own business -- SLC Investment Services -- after stints with Edward
Jones Investments and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, upon earning
his securities license. He did return to Texas A&M, after a semester off, where he earned his Bachelor's in Business Administration/Accounting degree. Collins later organized a trip to Selma, Alabama,
where our ancestors successfully spearheaded the signing of the 1965 Voting
Rights Act; however, fell short in his campaign to lure President Barack
Obama to Galveston for the 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth
in 2015. His next big endeavor is to get Juneteenth listed as
a national holiday.
