The story actually begins in 1863. It was on January 1st of that year that the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery was enacted by President Abraham Lincoln. It wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch. It would be one of many incidents in America where dragging the feet of justice would become a dance move as popular as the Cha Cha Slide. One example is the desegregation of American schools. While the 1954 Supreme Court ruled to eliminate segregated schools, actions to make it happen would “slide” into practice across the nation. In Kalamazoo, Michigan (not Birmingham, Alabama) it wasn’t until May 6, 1971, that Kalamazoo’s Board of Education officially desegregated its schools. That’s almost 20 years AFTER the ruling by the highest court of the land!
What is Juneteenth and why is the celebration significant? READ MORE!