MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — June 19th, many across the U.S. are celebrating Juneteenth. A day commemorating the effective end to slavery in the United States.
As many prepare for a weekend of festivities, for the first time in more than 10 years, Congress talked about payments to the descendants of African slaves.
As this is a time to reflect, it’s also a time to say thanks to those who fought to change millions of lives for the best.
“It represents a gap in knowledge and a gap in history alone, a lack of information that was disseminated,” said Her Majesty Queen Mother Dowoti Desir Hounonhouna II.
An important day,
“The fact that it took a couple of years between the actual emancipation and full knowledge of that meant that people continued to stay enslaved,” said Her Majesty Queen Mother Dowoti Desir Hounonhouna II.
That should never be forgotten.
“A national reparations policy is a moral, democratic and economic imperative,” said Danny Glover.
Actor Danny Glover joined a panel in front of a house committee to remember his roots. To discuss payment or reparations to the descendants of African slaves.
“We have some really strong conditions and customs, right here in the Gulf that you couldn’t find anywhere else,” said Queen Co.Meadows.
Just weeks after new findings of the last slave ship to transport slaves to America, Clotilda in the Mobile River. Making this day more meaningful than ever before.
“Yes, we still have there are the legal issues that we need to be concerned with or the political issues. But there’s something profoundly spiritual about this that we all need to be aware of,” said Her Majesty Queen Mother Dowoti Desir Hounonhouna II.
In Washington, Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is sponsoring a resolution, first introduced three decades ago, to form a commission to get the process going.
Like many here, we are waiting to see what’s next in the Clotilda findings, but for now, organizers say they are not going to stop telling the rich story behind Juneteenth.
There are a lot of events planned throughout the weekend.
