[00:00:41]
GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON.
I WANNA ASK YOU ALL TO START TO TAKE YOUR SEATS AS WE BEGIN OUR PROGRAM.
I WANNA WELCOME YOU ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO OUR 2024 JUNETEENTH PROGRAM.
OUR PRESIDENT, CARLOS RAMEZ, COULDN'T BE HERE WITH US TODAY.
HE HAD A CONFLICT, BUT WE ARE JOINED BY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE LIKE TO ASK HIM TO STAND.
AND PLEASE COME JOIN ME UP HERE AT THE PODIUM.
COMMISSIONER AIAN MURRAY THOMAS, PLEASE JOIN US.
THANK COMMISSIONER LUCIANO, PLEASE JOIN US.
TODAY'S A CELEBRATION AS WE KICK OFF OUR JUNETEENTH ACTIVITIES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT JUNETEENTH STARTED WAY, WAY, WAY BACK WHEN, OVER 150 YEARS AGO, BACK IN JUNE 19TH AND 1865, WHEN THE LAST MESSAGE ARRIVED TO THE SLAVES BACK IN GALVESTON, TEXAS, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT PRESIDENT LINCOLN HAD SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION THAT WE WERE FREE AT LAST.
THANK GOD, AMANI, THAT WE WERE FREE AT LAST.
AND TODAY IS JUST OUR SMALL WAY TO CELEBRATE ALL THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED HERE IN THIS COUNTRY, HERE IN OUR STATE, HERE IN OUR GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX.
SO WE WANT YOU TO SIT BACK AND RELAX AND ENJOY THE PROGRAM.
AND I'M GONNA TURN OVER FOR REMARKS FOR MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES.
MAKE SOME NOISE FOR YOURSELVES IN THIS JUNE TI Y'ALL.
MY NAME IS ADORE MURRAY THOMAS.
I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE ES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY OR EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT, I'M PROUD TO BE A DAUGHTER OF DORK.
THAT'S A DAUGHTER OF A STRUGGLE, A DAUGHTER OF JUNETEENTH, AS MY INCREDIBLE VICE PRESIDENT SAID, WE TALKED ABOUT JUNETEENTH.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO IN GALVESTON, TEXAS WEREN'T TOLD THAT THEY WERE FREE, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THEY WERE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT LEAVES US WITH A CHARGE.
ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, ALL OF OUR PRESS COMMUNITIES, EVERYONE WHO HAS COME FROM A COMMUNITY OF THE UNDERESTIMATED, WE ARE FREE SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO LET US KNOW.
SO MY CHARGE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IS TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE, LIKE MY PROSECUTOR DOES IN HIS COMMUNITY, LIKE MY SISTER DOES FOR CONGRESS, CHERYL, LIKE MY FELLOW CALLING COLLEAGUES, YOU ON THE BOARD LIKE MY BROTHER DOES.
WE HAVE TO LET OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO LET OUR OPPRESSED PEOPLE.
AND LOOKING AT FOLKS FROM OUR WAY WHO LIBERATE THINGS THROUGH ART, WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE FREE, FREE TO THRIVE, NOT JUST SURVIVE FREE TO BE THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST IN THE SPIRIT OF JUNETEENTH.
SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE CELEBRATE.
I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE PROGRAM TO, EXCITED TO HEAR FROM LARRY HAM AND FAJA AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE FOLKS BLESSING US TODAY AS WE CELEBRATE RITA AND BEING FREE AT LAST.
JUST TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY CO, OF MY COLLEAGUES, UH, I'M COMMISSIONER LEN LUCIANO.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THE, UH, DISTINCT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF BEING ON THIS BOARD, UH, AS THE SECOND LONGEST TENURED MEMBER FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS.
AND WHILE WE DO A LOT OF DAY TO DAY BUSINESS, OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH COUNTY
[00:05:01]
BUSINESS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY HITS HOME FOR ME OVER THE LAST 13 YEARS IS THAT OUR BOARD MADE UP OF NINE USED TO BE CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS.NOW CHOSEN COMMISSIONERS, DOES A LOT TO HONOR SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS, ETHNICITIES, RELIGIONS, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO REMIND OURSELVES WHO WE ARE AS A DIVERSE MELTING POT HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
IT IS MY HONOR TO STAND HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BE PART OF THIS.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO 'EM FROM BOTH THESE LADIES NEXT TO ME AND OUR STAFF, UH, ON THE COMMISSIONER.
THESE, UH, EVENTS, THEY SEEM, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SIMPLE IN NATURE, BUT IT TAKES A LOT TO ORGANIZE AND PUT TOGETHER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO ALWAYS IN THE BEGINNING PAT EVERYBODY ON THE BACK THAT PARTICIPATED IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE IN THIS MEMORABLE DAY, UH, THAT TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR SCHEDULES AND DAILY LIVES TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU LADIES FOR A JOB.
UM, I THINK I TOLD YOU, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT S COOPER NOT REPRESENTED DISTRICT THREE.
THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA BRING UP BISHOP CHARLES MITCHELL, SENIOR FOR OPENING PRAYER.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE OF THE SON, WE COMMEMORATE THE END OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA THIS DAY.
DAY PARTIALLY, PARTICULARLY WAS US OF THE PROGRESS WE MADE THIS DAY ALSO REMINDS US OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE OF BLACK, BLACK LIVES IN OUR NATION.
AGREED THAT WE HAVE NOT CORRECTLY RECONCILED RACISM IN OUR NATION.
WE CREATED EACH PERSON YOUR IMAGE, THEN TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES.
YOUR LOVE FOR US MOTIVATE US TO LOVE EACH OTHER.
IF WE DO NOT LOVE EACH OTHER, THEN ULTIMATELY WE DO NOT EXPERIENCE YOUR LOVE FOR AS MUCH AS YOU COMMEMORATE AND CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, WE GRIEVE THIS DAY.
WE MOURN THAT OUR, THAT OUR BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN LOVED.
OUR THEY, THAT OUR BRAS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVE NOT BEEN TREATED THE LESS THAN CREATED IN THE IMAGE THROUGHOUT, WE CONFESS OUR SINS AND REPENT THE HEALING ON RECONCILIATION WE DESIRE COMES FROM THE GOSPEL ON JUNETEENTH.
THIS YEAR WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE OUR NATION, MADE A GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL, MOTIVATE US TO LOVE OTHER MADE.
MAY THE IDEALS OF YOUR WORDS MATCH THE PRACTICES OF OUR LIVES.
MAY A FRESH EMPOWER ELEMENT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT UNITE US TOGETHER.
GIVE US EYES TO SEE, IN EARS TO HEAR YOUR WILL AND YOUR LEADING THIS WE ASK IN YOUR NAME, WE DO PRAYER.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA DO SOME ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MELANIE HOLMES FROM REPRESENTATIVE CHERYL'S OFFICE.
LET'S GIVE HER ROUND JOINING US TODAY, WE HAVE OUR HR DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, JACKIE JONES WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE HAVE KENON COUNCILMAN FROM CALDWELL APPLAUSE AND TED STEVENS, WHO IS JUNETEENTH BLACK HISTORY, OUR ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR.
THANK YOU, MR. VICE PRESIDENT.
THIS, THIS IS, UM, A REALLY UNIQUE, UNIQUE DAY IN AMERICA HISTORY WHEN, UM, A WRONG GETS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AT, AT SUCH THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THIS COUNTRY.
UH, THINK ABOUT BACK IN, IN THE WORKING AS A WORKING EAST SLAVE IN THOSE DAYS AND TO HAVE BEEN FREE AND TO NOT KNOW THAT FOR THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK FOR GALVES,
[00:10:01]
GALVESTON, TEXAS TO RECEIVE THAT.THE FIRST, IF I WAS A SLAVE, THEN JUDGE, GETTING THAT, I THINK MY INITIAL ACTIVITY THIS IS, IS SOME
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO ACT IN A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE THEY ARE FREE TO DO WHATEVER THEY REALLY PURSUE, WHATEVER GOAL THEY WANT TO PURSUE.
THERE WAS A PREACHER HERE IN, UH, NEWARK, UH, NAMED REVEREND WATLEY.
HE, HE LEFT TO GO ON TO, TO SOUTHERN CONFINES.
AND, UH, I SO ENJOYED HEARING HIM.
AND, AND I'M SURE PREACHER, YOU WERE INSPIRED BY HIM AS WELL.
AND I REMEMBER HEARING HIM TELL A STORY ONE TIME.
HE WAS JUST INDULGE ME A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT WAS A STORY ABOUT A DOG THAT THE OWNER HAD NAMED REX.
REX WAS A VERY, VERY LARGE CANINE.
AND, BUT IT WAS, HAD A TREMENDOUS DISPOSITION.
BUT THE DOG WAS SO LARGE WHEN THEY CAME AT PEOPLE, THE DOG WOULD SCARE PEOPLE.
AND FINALLY, YOU KNOW, THINGS STOP HAPPENING.
THE THE GOT GETTING, THE MAILMAN WASN'T COMING ON.
I MEAN, THE PER NO WATER, THE, THE DOGS JUST STOPPING ALL COMMERCE GOING ON.
SO EVENTUALLY HE, UM, SUCCUMBEDED TO THE
AND THE DOG, THOUGH NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CHAIN WAS ALL ABOUT, WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN AND WOULD GET THERE.
BUT GET TO A POINT THE CHAIN WOULD JERK HIM BACK.
AND IT HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE POINT WHERE THIS LARGE DOOR WITH THIS GREAT DISPOSITION, TOTALLY SPIRIT WAS BROKEN.
AND THE DOG JUST SIT THERE DESPONDENT.
AND THE OWNER COULDN'T STAND THAT ANYMORE.
SO HE, THE DOG OFF THE CHAIN SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
BUT THE DOG WAS SO USED TO THE CHAIN BEING THERE THAT IT STOPPED RUNNING.
STILL WOULDN'T HAVE RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT IT COULD RUN AS FAR AS HE NEEDED TO, TO.
SO THE MORAL OF THAT STORY BEING THAT BLACK FOLKS, EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, ALL MINOR BROWN, BLACK YOUNG FOLKS ESPECIALLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN RELEASED.
YOU CAN NOW RUN AS FAR AS YOU WANT TO RUN.
NOBODY IS GOING TO PULL YOU BACK.
SO THAT ALL WE CAN DO IS TO TRY TO INSPIRE FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONLY LIMITATIONS ARE THE ONES IN OUR OWN MIND.
AND THE FREEDOM MIND AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW.
SO LET'S USE THIS DAY TO HELP INSPIRE THE MOVE FORWARD.
I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM MY FOLKS FROM RA BECAUSE THE AMENDED AND, UM, LET'S JUST THANK THE LORD FOR THE CELEBRATION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE.
AND, UM, LET'S PUT ALL, ALL OF THESE LESSONS TO GOOD.
THANK YOU PROSECUTOR STEVENS FOR THOSE WONDERFUL WORDS AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO REMIND US THAT OUR CHANGE ARE BROKEN AND THAT WE SHOULD KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
NEXT UP, LET'S PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR WAY ENSEMBLE.
UM, STAND WAS AND WHO BROUGHT STRIPES AND STARS THROUGH THE ALL THE ROUND PARTS WE WATCHED.
[00:15:06]
OF THE, AND LIVED EVERY FOUR FULL OF THE, THAT THE, SO THE HOPE THAT THE PRESENT HAS THE LET ON.WELL, THEY VICTORY THIS CLOSE.
WHERE'S MY NOTE? LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILMAN VICK FROM IRVINGTON TOWNSHIP.
NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO WRITE UP FAJA.
SHE'S DOING GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
SHE SAYS, HE SAYS, I'M BRILLIANT.
I SAY, I DON'T NEED TO HEAR IT FROM YOU TO BELIEVE IT'S TRUE.
BRILLIANCE IS AN INTENSE BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT.
IT'S A VIVIDNESS OF COLORS RANGING ALL THE WAY FROM THE REDS TO THE BLUES.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE ME SHINE MY LIGHT DESPITE THE FACT THAT MAY BE VERY FAR AWAY FROM ORDINARY.
WELL, I'M WHAT HYDRATES YOUR SYNAPSIS WHEN YOUR MIND IS MALNOURISHED AND POSITIVE ENERGY.
THE SIMPLE POST IN MY VEINS MAKES ANY AND EVERY NEGATIVE THING ABOUT ME ENVY ME.
I'M JUST GETTING TO KNOW MY OWN IDENTITY.
BUT I CAN ALREADY TELL YOU THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HER IS THE ONLY ONE THAT I WILL EVER NEED.
YOU SEE, MY SKIN DID NOT COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND US BLACKS WERE NOT TAUGHT HOW TO FUNCTION IN RESPONSE TO ALL THE PAID DEDUCTIONS AND THE FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND THE ENDLESS INTENTIONAL, YET UNINTENTIONAL CONCUSSIONS FROM BANGING MY HEAD ON THE WALL.
'CAUSE I WAS TOO POOR TO AFFORD.
I'M NOT STATING THIS FOR PITY.
I'M JUST HANDING YOU MY SHOES SO THAT LIKE IN FRONT SEAT, YOU CAN JUMP IN AND COME AND VISIT ME IN MY SAD LITTLE, NOT SAD LITTLE GIRL OF BLACK I WAS GIVEN.
AND EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HAVE INSTRUCTIONS, MY MOM STILL TOOK 270 DAYS TO PUT ME TOGETHER LIKE A PUZZLE WITHOUT THE
AND WHEN SHE WAS DONE, SHE LOVED IT.
[00:20:05]
SHE LOVED IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT TAKE A PICTURE TO KNOW THAT THE PIECE WITH THE EXTRA PIECE GOES IN PIECE WITH MISSING.THAT'S ENOUGH INSTRUCTIONS TO ACHIEVE PRECIOUS, TO ACHIEVE PEACE WITHIN THIS BLACK TEMPLE I OWN.
IT WAS SUCCESSFUL 'CAUSE NOBODY TOLD ME NOT TO.
YOU SEE, MY MOM JUST DID THE HARD PARTS.
SHE JUST DID EVERYTHING THAT I DIDN'T DO THAT I COULDN'T DO BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE ME WITHOUT THOSE 270 DAYS WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A TICKING CLOCK AND EXPANDING WOUND AND NO INSTRUCTIONS.
THIS NEXT PIECE I THINK, THINK IS MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THIS OCCASION SIMPLY BECAUSE SINCE JUNETEENTH IS TO CELEBRATE HOW FREE WE ARE AS PEOPLE, I THINK THAT IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT WE ALSO CELEBRATE THAT WITH THAT FREEDOM WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT.
SO THIS PIECE IS CALLED EPITAPH.
THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY, THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY.
THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY WILL REALLY BE LIKE A SLAVE, UNEDUCATED AND DARK SURFACED NEVER TO BE READ AT ALL.
MY LEGACY SHALL BE EVERLASTING.
I AM THE SEAT OF A FOREVER GROWING TREE.
ONE WHOSE LEAVES ARE NEVER TO FALL, AND ONE WHOSE RINGS ARE NEVER TO BE COUNTED.
I AM MORTAL, DIPPED IN A OF STICKS, ANKLES, AND AWE.
I BE NO HEAL AB BE GOT SHOT IN THE ANKLE AND LIVED.
I BE FATHER TIME'S SPOUSE, MOTHER.
I BE THE ONE WHO CAUSES ALL MY PEERS MINDS TO BE REWIRED.
I BE AN OUTLIVE MY VERY OWN LEGS.
YOU SEE THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY.
BE A FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION.
THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY BE NO MANMADE CREATION.
MY LEGACY WILL HAVE NO LETTERS OR SYMBOLS ENGRAVED IN ITS TOMBSTONE BECAUSE MY LEGACY WILL HAVE NO TOMBSTONE MUSIC.
MY LEGACY WILL HAVE NO EPITAPH.
THE EPITAPH OF MY LEGACY WILL BE LIKE IMAGINING THE OPPOSITE OF CONDEMNATION.
AT THIS TIME, NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE MCCUNE JAZZ TRIO.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY SITUATED UP BEHIND US.
[00:28:00]
[00:37:19]
THANK[00:37:19]
YOU SO MUCH.LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER GREAT ROUND.
THAT'S SOME GREAT INTRODUCTION MUSIC FOR OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
RIGHT? WHO REALLY NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION.
LETS PUT HANDS TOGETHER AND COME FORWARD.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
THIS IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE USUALLY I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING PROTESTING.
RIGHT? SO IT IS GOOD TO BE HERE ON THE INSIDE, UH, WITH YOU FOR THIS, UH, JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THAT IS BEING HELD BY THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'M SURE ALL OF THE DIGNITARIES HAVE ALREADY, UH, BEEN RECOGNIZED.
IF I, IF I TRY TO RECOGNIZE TOO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, I'M GONNA USE UP THE 10 MINUTES I HAVE ON THIS PROGRAM.
BUT THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE I WANT TO MENTION TODAY.
I'M SURE MANY OF YOU START YOUR MORNINGS OUT WITH THAT GREAT NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM, DEMOCRACY.
NOW THE HOST AMY GOODMAN, IS IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, I WOULD NOT BE A FATHER IF I DID RECOGNIZE MY HOME DAUGHTER IN THE AUDIENCE, IMANI HAM IS IMANI.
BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS PROGRAM TODAY.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO OBSERVE JUNETEENTH, WHICH IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY, UM, BROUGHT TO NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, SIGNED INTO
[00:40:01]
LAW TWO YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY THREE YEARS AGO BY PRESIDENT BIDEN.BUT ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY DESERVES RECOGNITION IS THE BLACK WOMAN THAT WALKED ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THIS HOLIDAY AL LEE.
SO WE HERE TO OBSERVE JUNETEENTH WHEN GENERAL GRANGER LED UNION TROOPS INTO GALVESTON, TEXAS TO BRING THE NEWS THAT THE ENSLAVED BLACK PEOPLE THERE WERE EMANCIPATED.
NOW, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME DISPUTE ABOUT THIS, BUT I WANT TO TRY TO CLEAR THINGS UP.
MANY BLACK PEOPLE IN TEXAS KNEW ABOUT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
IT WASN'T THE NEWS THAT WAS BEING BROUGHT INTO GALVESTON.
IT WAS THE MILITARY FORCE NECESSARY TO IN FACT ENFORCE THE ORDER OF SPECIAL ORDER NUMBER THREE, THAT BLACK PEOPLE WERE HERE, HENCE FORTH.
AND NOW FOREVER FREE GENERAL GRANGER CAME IN.
WE ARE TOLD WITH FEDERAL TROOPS.
BUT WHAT WE ARE NOT OFTEN TOLD IS THAT THOSE FEDERAL TROOPS WERE BLACK TROOPS.
THEY WERE THE COLORED TROOPS AS REFERRED TO OFFICIALLY IN THE UNION ARMY.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE CONSTERNATION OF THE WHITE CITIZENS WHEN THEY SAW FEDERAL BLACK TROOPS COMING IN TO LIBERATE BLACK PEOPLE IN TEXAS.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE PART ABOUT JUNETEENTH THAT WE MUST STRUGGLE NOT TO BE LOST.
WHAT IN FACT DID IT TAKE TO ELIMINATE SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? IT TOOK A CIVIL WAR.
IN FACT, FACT, IT WAS THE MOST CAT BEFORE WORLD WARI THAT AMERICANS HAD EVER FOUGHT.
MORE AMERICANS DIED IN CIVIL WAR THAN IN WORLD WAR 1 1 2.
AND VIETNAM COMBINED TALK ABOUT IT.
320,000 KILLED 258,000 CONFEDERATE TROOPS.
350,000 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED.
WHAT WAS THE PRICE OF FEAR? AND THIS IS WHAT WE MUST NOT FORGET.
LET US REMEMBER GENERAL, LET US REMEMBER ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
BUT LET US MOST OF ALL REMEMBER THE BLACK MEN THAT FOUGHT AND DIED IN THE CIVIL WAR.
WHY, WHY DID HE HAVE TO BRING THE NEWS TO TEXAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT? YOU HAVE TO GO BACK FURTHER AND REMEMBER THAT TEXAS WAS PART OF MEXICO.
AND THAT THERE WAS A GROUP THERE, A WHITE, SO WHITE OR WHITE SETTLERS WHO IN FACT TORE TEJAS FROM MEXICO.
NOW IT'S VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE MEXICO BEGAN TO EMANCIPATE BLACK, BLACK PEOPLE AS EARLY AS TEEN 20 MEXICO ABOLISHED SLAVERY ALTOGETHER 1836, THE SAME YEAR THAT MEXICAN COLONIZERS OR MEXICAN SETTLERS TORE MEXICO, TORE TEXAS AWAY FROM MEXICO.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE SLAVERY.
REMEMBER, MEXICO WAS THE ONLY STATE THAT WAS A PUBLIC.
[00:45:02]
TO 1846, ABOUT NINE YEARS.AND IT SAW ITSELF AS A COMPETITOR IN THE BUSINESS OF THE SLAVE TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AT THE TIME THAT GRANGER CAME INTO GALVESTON, INTO TEXAS, THERE WERE HUNDRED AND THOUSAND ENSLAVED BLACK PEOPLE THERE.
ONE OF THE LARGEST ENSLAVED POPULATION OF ANY OF THE STATES.
WHY? BECAUSE WHEN THE CIVIL WAR BEGINS AND UNION TROOPS BEGIN TO MOVE SOUTH, A LOT OF THE SOUTHERN SLAVE OWNERS BEGAN TO MOVE WEST.
AND WHERE DID THEY GO TO? THEY WENT TO TEXAS.
SO YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF TEXAS.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF US LEARNED ABOUT TEXAS AND UH, UH, IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHAT WE LEARNED, WE LEARNED ABOUT THE ALAMO, RIGHT? OH YEAH.
WELL THE ALAMO WAS ONE OF THOSE BATTLES THAT WAS FOUGHT TO STICK FROM MEXICO.
AND WE LEFT HOUSTON AND HOUSTON AND STEVEN AND DANIEL DA CROCKETT AT THE ALAMO.
RIGHT? WE LEARNED ALL ABOUT THE ALAMO.
WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO WATCH WALT DISNEY, AND Y'ALL REMEMBER WALT DISNEY, WE USED TO WATCH WALT DISNEY AND THEY HAD ON, UH, THE DAVY CROCKETT SHOW, RIGHT? RIGHT.
DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER.
AND THEY HAD, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE ALAMO.
YOU, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THIS MORNING, THEY WERE ALL SLAVE MASTERS.
DAVE DAVY CROCKETT WAS SLAVE MASTERS.
SAM HOUSTON, FOR WHOM THE CITY OF TEXAS IS NAMED.
STEPHEN AUSTIN WAS A SLAVE MASTER.
THEY WERE ALL SLAVE MASTERS AND THEY WANTED TO ESTABLISH THE SLAVE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.
AND WHEN TEXAS WAS FINALLY ADMITTED AS A STATE IN 1846, IT WAS ADMITTED AS A SLAVE STATE AND WAS ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL OF THE SLATE.
IN FACT, WHAT HAPPENED, TEXAS, BECAUSE THEY, 18 46, 18 57, THE DRED SCOTT DECISION, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TANNEY SAYS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE NO RIGHTS THAT WHITE PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO RESPECT.
1859, JOHN BROWN LEADS THE RAID ON HARPER'S FERRY.
AND IN 1859, JOHN BROWN IS HAND.
YOU KNOW, JOHN BROWN WAS A WHITE MAN.
Y'ALL KNOW A WHITE MAN WHO TRIED TO START A WAR TO ENSLAVE.
1861 FOUGHT SUMTER IS FIRED ON BY THE CONFEDERACY AND THE CIVIL WAR STARTS.
AND SO LINCOLN ISSUES THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION 1862 BECOMING EFFECTIVE IN 1863.
BUT WHAT DID IT DO? YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOT.
I HEAR PEOPLE WALKING AROUND TODAY SAY, YOU KNOW, THE EMANCIPATION PRO, IT, IT FREED OFF SL.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN HERE READ THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION? I WAS AT A SCHOOL THE OTHER DAY.
UH, I'M NOT GOING TO NAME THE CITY 'CAUSE I'M NOT TRYING TO SHAME ANYBODY.
I ASK THE STUDENTS, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE READ THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION? NOT ONE HAND WENT UP.
IF WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, OUR CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW THEY JUNETEENTH SHOULD READ THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
PROCLAMATION SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS ARE OR ELSE WHAT ARE WE DOING ANOTHER SALE DAY? AND JUNETEENTH SHOULD NOT BE ANOTHER SALE DAY.
SO LINCOLN ISSUES THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
WHAT DOES IT DO? IT ONLY OFFERS FREEDOM TO THOSE ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN THE STATES, THE COUNTIES AND THE PARISHES THAT ARE IN REBEL.
THE BLACK PEOPLE, IF THEY WANT GET FREE, THEY GOTTA ESCAPE FROM THEIR MASTERS.
CROSS CONFEDERATE LINES AND JOIN THE UNION ARMY.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU 220,000 BLACK MEN ANSWERED THAT CALL.
LINCOLN HAD TO TAKE THEM INTO THE ARMY BECAUSE THE
[00:50:01]
UNION WASN'T WINNING.HE DID NOT HAVE THE RESOLVE JOB.
THE FIRST SUPREME COMMAND HORSES, MCCLELLAN HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND TROOPS SITTING ON THE ASCENDING TELEGRAM AFTER TELEGRAM.
WHEN YOU GONNA FIGHT, WHEN YOU GONNA FIGHT? HE FIRES MCCLEAN AND HIRES ULYSSES AS GRANT.
AND THEN GRANT HIRES WILLIAM TECUMS SHERMAN.
AND THEY BEGIN THE WAR IN EARNEST.
AND BLACK MEN JOINED THAT BATTLE.
AND IT WAS BLACK MEN THAT TURNED THE TIDE OF THE CIVIL WAR.
THOSE UNION TROOPS TURNED THE TIDE OF THE CIVIL WAR.
BUT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU NEVER HEAR THAT.
YOU ONLY HEAR THAT THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT 220,000 BLACK MEN JOINED 186,000 IN THE UNION ARMY 36 DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES SO, SO GREAT ON THE BATTLEFIELD THAT EVEN IN THAT RACE ENVIRONMENT, THEY RECEIVED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL.
AT THAT TIME YOU DIDN'T KNOW THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY GET HISTORY FROM US.
BUT WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND DEMAND THAT HISTORY.
THEY'RE TRYING TO BAN BLACK HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES.
I'M CALLING FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION RIGHT NOW TO PROTECT AND ENSURE BLACK STUDIES IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION.
FROM FLORIDA TO MAIN, FROM NEW JERSEY TO CALIFORNIA.
AND THINK ABOUT THIS, THEY HAD TO FIGHT AT THE CONFEDERATES.
THEY HAD TO DEFEAT THE CONFEDERACY, BUT THEY HAD TO FIGHT RACISM IN THE UNION ARMY.
THE UNION SOLDIERS DIDN'T RECEIVE THE SAME PAY AS THE BLACK SOLDIERS.
SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE COMPLETE UNIFORM, DIDN'T RECEIVE GUNS, THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE BOOTS.
BUT THOSE BLACK MEN DIDN'T QUIT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T FIGHTING FOR AN IDEA.
THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR THE LIBERATION OF THEIR WIVES AND THEIR SONS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS AND THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WE WAS, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A FREE PEOPLE TODAY BECAUSE OF THEM.
HOW MANY IN HERE ON MEMORIAL DAY OR VETERANS DAY GO AND FIND THE GRAVE OF THE CIVIL OF THE BLACK CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS AND PUT FLOWERS AND SAY THANK YOU.
NOBODY EVEN SAYS THANK YOU IN PENNINGTON.
PENNINGTON IS A LITTLE TOWN BETWEEN TRENTON AND PRINCETON.
IN PENNINGTON, THERE'S SOMETHING THERE CALLED THE AFRICAN CEMETERY.
SOME BLACK PEOPLE IN THE 19TH CENTURY AROUND 1867 PUT THEIR PENNIES TOGETHER AND BOUGHT LAND FOR A CEMETERY.
BUT THERE WAS ALREADY A CEMETERY IN PENNINGTON.
WHY WOULD THEY BUY LAND FOR ANOTHER CEMETERY? I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHY.
BECAUSE THE BLACK UNION SOLDIERS AND THE WHITE UNION SOLDIERS COULD NOT BE BURIED TOGETHER IN THE SAME CEMETERY BECAUSE OF RACIAL SEGREGATION.
NOT IN MISSISSIPPI, NOT IN ALABAMA, BUT RIGHT UP SOUTH HERE IN THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, RIGHT HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
NOW I WENT TO THE CEMETERY AND I'M UH, UH, BROTHER TED.
I'M LOOKING AT THE HEADSTONES AND I'M STOOPED DOWN AND I SEE THIS ONE, UH, REGIMENT, UH, CONNECTICUT INFANTRY, THIS ONE REGIMENT, CALVARY, RHODE ISLAND, CALGARY.
THIS ONE REGISTER, UH, CANNON MASTER.
AND I ASKED THE SISTERS OF A BLACK FAMILY THAT STILL OWN THE CEMETERY.
I ASKED, I SAID, HOW COME ALL THESE HEADSTONES SAY CONNECTICUT AND SAY PENNSYLVANIA AND SAY RHODE ISLAND, BUT DON'T SAY NEW JERSEY BECAUSE BLACK MEN COULD NOT JOIN THE UNION ARMY IN NEW JERSEY WHEN LINCOLN ISSUES THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
IN 1862 BECOMING EFFECTIVE IN 1863, THE STATE LEGISLATURE OF NEW JERSEY NULLIFIES LINCOLN'S POWER TO EMANCIPATE SLAVES IN THIS STATE.
WHEN THE 13TH AMENDMENT IS PASSED WITH A THREE FOURTH MAJORITY OF ONLY 36 STATES, YOU NEEDED 27 TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION.
[00:55:01]
NEW JERSEY WAS NOT IN THE 27 STATE MAJORITY TO RATIFY THE 13TH AMENDMENT, WHICH ABOLISHED CHATTEL SLAVERY.WHY WAS THIS? BECAUSE THERE WAS MUCH SYMPATHY IN NEW JERSEY FOR THE SOUTH BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN INDUSTRIES HERE IN NEW JERSEY WAS TEXTILES.
AND WHAT IS TEXTILES CLOTHS AND WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CLOTHS HIGH, HIGH, HIGH.
AND SO THEY WERE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY AND THERE WERE DIVIDED LOYALTIES HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
THE LOYALTIES WERE SO DIVIDED NEXT DOOR IN NEW YORK THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE POLITICAL PART THAT WAS FORMED TO TRY TO GET NEW YORK TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION AND JOIN THE CONFEDERACY.
I ASK AS, AS I COME TO A CLOSE, I ASK THAT WHEN WE HAVE THESE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS TALK ABOUT IT, THAT WE CELEBRATE, WE WORK TOO HARD NOT TO CELEBRATE.
I DON'T WANNA BE WALKING AROUND ALL TIME MAD WITH A LONG FACE.
ALL THAT'LL GET YOU IS A EARLY GRADE.
YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO PARTY AND I AIN'T GONNA TELL YOU WHAT ELSE I LIKE TO DO.
BUT SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF WHATEVER WE DO ON JUNETEENTH, LET US REMEMBER THE SOLEMN OCCASION FOR WHICH WE COME TOGETHER.
LET ME TELL YOU, THE CIVIL WAR WAS SO CATACLYSMIC THAT THERE WERE RELIGIOUS GROUPS THAT THOUGHT IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD.
SOLDIERS WROTE HOME TO THEIR MOTHERS.
THEY SAID, MAMA, I'M STANDING IN WAIST DEEP IN RIVERS OF BLOOD.
AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE AR FABIANS AND AK 47.
SOME OF THEM HAD SINGLE SHOT RIFLES WITH MUSKETS ON THE END.
SO THE FIGHTING WAS HAND TO HAND COMBAT.
WHY DID LINCOLN GO TO GETTYSBURG? BECAUSE THAT WAS OF BATTLEFIELD.
ONE OF THE FIERCEST BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR WAS MORE THAT 25,000 FELL AT GETTYSBURG IN A DAY.
AND IF OUR ANCESTORS COULD MAKE SUCH A SACRIFICE FOR US, THEN WE ARE COMPELLED TO TAKE UP THE BATTLE OF LIBERATION AND GO FORWARD TO ACHIEVE THOSE THINGS.
IN FACT, THAT WORK THAT WAS NOT FINISHED DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
AND LASTLY, AS I CLOSE, YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT REPARATIONS.
YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR AND JUNETEENTH AND NOT TALK ABOUT REPARATIONS.
WHEN DOES THE IDEA OF REPARATIONS REALLY TAKE HOPE? DURING THE CIVIL WAR, IT WAS ON JANUARY 16TH, 1865 WHEN SHERMAN ISSUES GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 15 WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN.
SEE THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW YOU IN A HISTORICAL HOME WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN.
SHERMAN CONFISCATED 400,000 ACRES OF SLAVE MASTERS LAND FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TO FLORIDA.
AND HE REDISTRIBUTED THAT LAND TO THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN WORKING THAT LAND FOR GENERATIONS.
SO WHEN WE REMEMBER THE CIVIL WAR ALSO GIVE A A CLAP.
FORSMAN PEOPLE PER, HE MET WITH THE MINISTERS EARLIER SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT? HE MET WITH THE MINISTERS ON IN IN THE, IN THE GEECHEE GALA ISLANDS.
HE REMEMBER THEY SAID, WHAT DO Y'ALL WANT? THEY SAID, WE PLAYING.
SAID OKAY WROTE THAT ORDER, 400,000.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED, LINCOLN WAS ASSASSINATED IN APRIL OF 1865, HIS PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON BECOMES PRESIDENT JOHNSON IS FROM TENNESSEE, WHICH HAD BEEN UNDER UNION OCCUPATION.
[01:00:01]
A SOUTHERN SYMPATHIZER.AND WITH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER HE OVERTURNED SHERMAN'S SPECIAL ORDER NUMBER 15.
THAT IS STEVENS INTRODUCES THE BILL IN THE CONGRESS HR 29, WHICH PROMISED 40 ACRES AND $50 TO EVERY FREEMAN OR HIS SURVIVING WIDOW.
BUT THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD BE COMPENSATED IS A JUST IDEA.
LOOK, THIS COUNTRY GAVE REPARATIONS SAY SO TO JAPANESE AMERICANS, RIGHTFULLY SO.
I'M NOT IN DISAGREEMENT WITH IT.
GAVE REPARATIONS TO ACT TO JAPANESE AMERICANS WHO WERE INTERNED IN CONCENTRATION.
IF YOU ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN EUROPE, WE HAD CONCENTRATION, CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN AMERICA.
AND AFTER THESE AMERICAS JAPANESE BORN HERE IN THESE CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND UNDER RONALD REAGAN, ALL OF THE SURVIVORS OR THEIR FAMILIES RECEIVED $20,000.
THE UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTES REGULARLY TO FUNDS ESTABLISHED FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST WHO WERE SLAVES IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
AND I'M WITH THAT, BUT I'M SAYING IF WE CAN HAVE REPARATIONS FOR THE JAPANESE AND REPARATIONS FOR THE JEWISH AMERICANS, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE REPARATIONS FOR THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHO ARE 50 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
OUR GOVERNOR'S RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
I HOPE I'M SPEAKING LOUD ENOUGH SO THAT HE CAN HEAR ME.
TO ESTABLISH A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
A 6 0 2 AND S 32 6 31 64 WOULD ESTABLISH A REPARATIONS TASK FORCE BECAUSE SLAVERY WAS HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
WE NEED TO GET THOSE BILLS OUT OF COMMITTEE.
AND ON SATURDAY, THE PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR ANNUAL JUNETEENTH MARCH FOR REPARATIONS.
AND I'M ASKING EVERYONE WHO IS IN HERE TODAY TO JOIN US SATURDAY AS WE CONTINUE TO MARCH TO COMPLETE THE WORK OF THE CIVIL WAR.
AND YOU KNOW THAT CIVIL WAR IS STILL BEING FOUGHT, Y'ALL.
RIGHT NOW WHEN THEM PEOPLE ATTACK ON JANUARY 6TH UNDER DONALD TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP, THEY BROKE INTO THE CAPITOL.
WERE THEY CARRYING THE AMERICAN FLAG? NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY WERE CARRYING THE TRUMP FLAG FLAG.
THEY WERE CARRYING A NAZI FLAG AND THEY WERE CARRYING THE CONFEDERATE FLAG.
SO YOU GOT TO SEE WHO IS CARRYING THESE SYMBOLS AND WHERE THEY DEAD.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, WELL I'M NOT GONNA VOTE, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE.
WE ALL HAVE TO VOTE IN IN NOVEMBER.
DONALD TRUMP BEING DEFEATED IN NOVEMBER MUST BE SOUNDING DEFEATED IN NOVEMBER.
SO LASTLY, I KEEP GETTING TO, I KNOW I'M OVER TIME.
THAT'S A ONE TIME, ONE TIME ME BACK A SECOND TIME.
I AM PROUD THAT THE COUNTING OF ESTABLISHED ONE, ONE OF THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MARTIN LUTHER KING STATUE, WHOLE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BIG.
IN FACT, WE PROBABLY THE ONLY COUNTY THAT GOT A KING STATUE IN THE FRONT BACK OUT THERE.
BUT I WANNA SAY THIS LAST THING.
THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS THIS.
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, OR ORIGINALLY WHEN IT WAS IN SEED BY THE FRENCH, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GIFT GIFT TO AMERICA.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE EMANS OF THE ENSLAVED.
BUT IN MY OWN HUMBLE NATION AND WON THE WAR.
BUT WE LOST THE PEACE BECAUSE WHITE SUPREMACY IS STILL
[01:05:03]
AT THE TOP OF THE SO OF THE SOCIAL PARADIGM IN THE UNITED TODAY.AND THAT GREAT STATUE STATUE CAME AND THERE'S A MODEL THOSE IN POWER LOOKED AT IT AS I HEARD ON DEMOCRACY.
NOW THIS MORNING ORIGINALLY THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MANS RISK WHERE SHE'S HOLDING'S HOLDING THE TORCH.
IT WAS SUPPOSED SUPPOSED TO BE MANS TO, TO BE SYMBOLIC OF THE EMBASSY.
THEY TOOK THE MANS AND THEY PUT THEM UNDER ADDRESS.
AND YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE CHAINS FROM A HELICOPTER.
HOW MANY BLACK, BLACK CHILDREN HAVE GONE TO VISIT THIS LIBERTY? WOW.
AND WERE NEVER TOLD ALL ABOUT THEM.
HOW MANY OF US WENT TO SCHOOL AND SCHOOL AND LEARNED ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS ABOUT US? YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AMERICA TODAY UNLESS THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY TO READ THAT GREAT WORK BY OUR GREATEST AMERICAN BLACK RECONSTRUCTION.
IF YOU AIN YOURSELF WITH IT, YOU REALLY, YOU REALLY SHOULD.
DON'T TRY TO READ IT IN A WEED AT A TIME SO YOU CAN DIGEST IT AND UNDERSTAND IS THE RESIDUAL YOU WERE DISCOURAGED.
THEY TOLD US THAT SLAVERY HAS IN PERPETUITY, THOSE ARE THE WORDS OF THE COLONIAL LAWS THAT MEANT FOREVER.
GEORGE WALLACE STOOD IN IT, ENTRYWAY TO THE UNIVERSITY AND SAYS ION FOREVER, FOREVER SLAVERY JIM CROW FELL.
WE ARE GREAT PEOPLE AND WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THINGS.
WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING GREAT THINGS AND WE'LL ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS IN THE FUTURE.
AM YOU ARE REMINDING SOME OF US AND TEACHING OTHERS ABOUT THE COST OF OUR FREEDOM AND THAT WE NEED NOT TO FORGET THAT THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES ON.
LET'S GIVE HIM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
NOW AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO CALL UP THE RWAY ENSEMBLE.
[01:12:14]
LORD, PLEASE HEAR ONE.[01:16:03]
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN CHRIS ALLWAY FROM THE CITY OF EAST STAR.JUST GIVE MY ROUND APPLAUSE AND GARNETTE HALL AND SHARE WITH US TODAY ON A QUICK HOUSEKEEPING ITEM BEFORE OUR LAST PERSON TO PERFORM COME UP.
IF YOU ARE PART IN A LOT RIGHT HERE AND YOU GOT A TICKET WHEN YOU CAME IN, PLEASE SEE ONE OF THE STAFF PERSON IN THE BACK THAT WE CAN STAMP IT AND VALIDATE YOUR PARKING SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY.
AND FOLLOWING OUR CLOSING PRAYER, OUR BENEDICTION, WE HAVE LIGHT REFRESH MENTS IN THE BACK.
NEXT, NEXT UP, WE'LL HAVE TRITA, THE VIOL WIND DIVA, GET YOURSELF READY FOR A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE.
SO A WHILE NOW, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, UM, I I'M BLESSED.
ONE IS 29 AND THE OTHER IS EIGHT.
AND I ALWAYS SAY 'CAUSE JESUS GOT JOKES.
UM, AT THE TIME THOUGH, ABOUT 10, 10 YEARS OR SO AGO, UM, I WAS WATCHING TV AND IT WAS AT THE TIME WHEN MY SON, MY OLDEST, WAS JUST STARTING TO FIGURE OUT BECOMING A MAN.
AND THERE'S NOTHING QUITE AS BEAUTIFUL AS BEING THE MOTHER OF BLACK SONS.
AND THERE'S NOTHING QUITE AS TERRIFYING.
AND THAT DAY, THIS LITTLE CHOCOLATE BOY WITH DIMPLE FLASH OF ALL ACROSS THE SCREEN AND I FOUND OUT LATER HIS NAME WAS TRAYVON AND HE WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AGE AS MY SON AT THAT TIME.
AND I JUST SAT IN FRONT OF THE TV AND CRIED AND CRIED.
AND I, THERE COMES A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO STOP CRYING.
AND I GOT UP, I GOT UP AND I WENT UPSTAIRS IN MY HOUSE AND I WROTE THIS ARRANGEMENT OF BE SHALL OVERCOME, WHICH IS THE JAZZ OVERCOME THAT JUST GOD LAID ON MY SPIRIT THAT DAY.
AND I'VE, WE'VE HEARD ALL THE SONGS AND WE'VE HEARD THE INCREDIBLE EXPECTATION FROM, UM, THE SPEAKER TODAY.
I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE LIKE OUR BROTHER WHO WENT ON FROM CONGRESS THAT JUSTICE IS FICKLE, BUT SHE ARCHES TOWARDS RIGHT.
AND THE WORK IS HARD, BUT THE WORK IS GOOD AND THE WORK CONTINUES.
AND THAT CONTINUES AGAIN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
AND I CHOOSE TO LOOK AT MY BABY BOYS AND HAVE HOPE THAT ONE WE WILL OVERCOME.
AND SO I HEARD THAT HOPE TO YOU TODAY AS I CLOSE THE PRAYER PROGRAM.
THANK YOU TO THIS KATHY FOR INVITING ME TO COME AND, AND WE, WE SHALL OVERCOME SONGS
[01:20:01]
WE SHALL OVERCOME, WE SHALL OVERCOME, WE SHALL OVERCOME.WE DEEP IN YOU WALK HAND AND HAND WILL WALK, HAND AND HEAD.
OUR BABIES WILL WALK HAND IN HAND.
DON'T YOU MY I BELIEVE THAT IS NOT, I GOTTA BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL OVERCOME.
[01:25:30]
WOO WOO TODAY OVERCOME AS LONG AS WE HOLD FAST TO OUR MISSION TO KEEP MOVING OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FORWARD.SO I BELIEVE IN PUTTING GOD FIRST AND WE ALL WILL OVERCOME.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH WITH US TODAY.
WASN'T IT A WONDERFUL THANK YOU ALL FOR FELLOW AND I HOPE IN CHARGE US TO REMEMBER BROTHER HAM'S MESSAGE TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
DON'T FORGET, GET THOSE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS WHO CAME DOWN TO GSON TEXAS.
IMAGINE I MEAN THE UNION SOLDIERS THAT CAME DOWN TO GSON TEXAS.
IMAGINE THE COURAGE THAT IT TOOK FOR THEM TO WALK DOWN.
YOU KNOW, HERE WE SAY SOMETIMES IN THE BELLY OR THE BEAST.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARMED WITH THAT, RIDE THAT STAFF, YOU CAN OVERCOME IT.
WE ARE GONNA BRING THE GOOD BISHOP BACK UP TO CLOSE OUT OR FORGET.
WE HAVE LIGHT REFRESHMENTS IN THE BACK.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
GRACIOUS GOD, WE CELEBRATION OF THIS DAY, THIS DAY, THE MARK 40 AND THAT, AND PEOPLE OF YOUR PEOPLE ARE NOW LORD, AS WE GO FORTH, YOU TELL US IN YOUR WORD THAT IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE TRUENESS OF EMANCIPATION, YOU SAID IN YOUR WORD, YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH.
AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.
AND YOU SAID YOU HAVE THE SON IS SET FREE.
THIS IS OUR CLARION CALL TO RAISE UP OUR VOICE, TO SERVE THIS PRESENT AGE AND OUR CALLING TO FULFILL NOW.
BLESS US, BLESS US TOGETHER AND BLESS US WHILE WE ARE APART.
AND WHATEVER WE DO IN WORD ACTION, INDEED LET IT BRING GLORY AND HONOR TO YOUR NAME.
FOR THE GLORY IS YOURS, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY IS OURS.
AND WE BLESS EACH AND EVERY HEART AND EACH AND EVERY HAND FOR WE ASK IT ALL.
IN YOUR PRECIOUS AND WONDERFUL AND MAGNIFICENT AND GLORIOUS NAME, WE PRAY AND ASK IT ALL.
NO, I'M IS SHE? DID SHE LEAVE? I I DON'T SEE HER.
WHERE SHE WAS LIKE, MAKE EVERY MOMENT, MOMENT COUNT AT SESAME PLACE PHILADELPHIA G.
[01:30:16]
65.CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE.