July 4th...nah

Today marks the day that many "Americans" use to commemorate the American Civil War also known as Independence Day. This will not be a history lesson as you can take time to research this for yourself. For many Black Americans, this day is a day of pain as history has been inaccurately recorded to denote that slaves were freed July 4, 1776. However, it wasn't until another 89 years on June 19, 1865 that the last of slaves were freed in America. This date is known as Juneteenth, and this is what Black Americans (should) recognize. I remember my mother coordinating the Juneteenth celebration in my Hometown of Pine Bluff, AR. There were live poetic and musical performances, great food, free healthcare assistance, and history lessons that came from robust speeches.

The current status of the country has reawakened the already supposedly "woke" population. While I would like to believe that they were sleep and became relaxed with their efforts, the recent public murder of George Floyd evoked pain and awareness that many within this time are unfamiliar with. For the past 12 months, I have lived in the town of Bristol, New Hampshire. The town square has a monument that is dedicated to the Union soldiers from the town who fought in the American Civil War. Prior to actually stopping by and looking at this monument, I considered the climate of the town/state and assumed it was a commemoration to the Confederate soldiers. I was surprised when it was the opposite.

Nonetheless, this isn't a celebratory post. This is a moment in time in which the world is still at a stand-still. Many of us are still in isolation and working remotely. All things considered, this perpetual quarantine will indefinitely be embarked within our history. However, there is always a concern of mine when it comes to "who" is recording our history. With the aforementioned, you can see that Black America is often exempted. While I am an enigma to the town in which I live in, I wanted to take this opportunity to record a piece of history of my own. I made sure to wear my Support Black Colleges 'Da Fourth of Whatever' shirt on the monument within the town square. The shirts are still available as of today, and I would encourage you to support them!