Juneteenth 2012 editorial with poem: Every Hour Henceforth by Aberjhani

Cover of the forthcoming Visions of a Skyalrk Dressed in Black eBook.

The story behind the annual Juneteenth celebration is now fairly well known. The event commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Galveston, Texas, and other parts of the state learned for the first time they had actually been freed via the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.

There is not much with which to compare such an event to in the year 2012. But try this: imagine how a group of prisoners might feel if they learned their innocence had been proven years ago and orders for their release signed but left forgotten in someone’s desk drawer.

At this point in time, just three years before the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth, the holiday has come to represent a great deal more than recognition of delayed freedom. A statement from the Juneteenth Worldwide Celebration website founded by Clifford Robinson put it as follows:

"Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day.  It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience.  It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities - as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend."

For the full article by Aberjhani with the accompanying poem please click this link:
Juneteenth 2012 editorial with poem: Every Hour Henceforth - National African-American Art | Examiner.com