Sunday Musings – June 13, 2020
In Spain, Portugal and Brazil June 13 is Anthony of Padua Feast day. He is the marriage saint. In Poland June 13 is Military Gendamerie Day. For the African American community in the United States Juneteenth is the day set aside to celebrate the official order of June 19, 1965 when General Order Number 3 directed the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. The order stated “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and right of property between former masters and slaves.” The order went on to say “The freemen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to
gather at military posts and that they will not be supported inn idleness either there or elsewhere.” (General Orders, Number 3; Headqua5ers District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865.) It is reported that it took a long time for the word of this to reach many masters and slaves; perhaps up to six years for some. As we know Jim Crow laws, unequal funding of education and the unequal treatment in the judicial system continued and, except for legal Jim Crow laws persists today.
Just this morning I read a comment on social media suggesting that more African Americans are incarcerated because they commit more crimes. We know, however, poverty, unequal opportunities, unequal access to skilled attorneys, overt and covert racism in arresting and jailing African Americans and poor people in general and other factors contribute to the illusions that African Americans are more likely to commit crimes. Additionally we know that systemic oppression traumatizes individuals, families and groups of people resulting in exhaustion and loss of hope which contributes to rage, depression and other symptoms.
Asking why there is rage or suggesting that one is supportive of ending racism and other forms of oppression if people would not engage in lawless behavior testifies to the systematic denial of the history of this country. Even the history of Rosa Parks is “whitewashed” so as to frighten we white liberals. The popular unthreatening story is that Rosa Park was a tired old lady with no history of protest. In fact she was a relatively young woman who had been an activist and whose husband and many of her friends owned many guns. She was not part of the nonviolent movement led by Dr. King.
Today it seems as if we are still suggesting that the oppressed “remain quietly at home and work for wages.”
I hate violence. I am frightened of violence. I hate it when others are angry at me; especially when I know I have done by best or am truly sorry for not doing my best. I know, however, that if I want change I must be willing to face both the anger and the pain underlying the anger. I must be willing to give up some of what may feel valuable to me.
On this Juneteenth, if I want change, I must commit to doing my part ; to risk criticism when I use my voice to summon all of us to own our history and to create a more just future which is truly inclusive.
Written June 13, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
RSS Feed