Tag: #BLM

What is Juneteenth

“What is Juneteenth?  June 10th?  Am I saying it right?  Is it a made up word?,”  My mom and I looked around in confusion because we had never heard of this word before.  See, I’m not originally from Texas, and in school, I had always been taught that slavery had ended in 1865.  It wasn’t until I moved to the “Great State of Texas”, that I learned this wasn’t the case for all of the enslaved Africans.

It was then explained to my mom and me, that Juneteenth was a day to celebrate the official ending of slavery in the state of Texas.  With eyes wide open and mouths gaping, it was a surprise to learn that not all slaves in the United States were given freedom at the same time.  These people found out two years later, that they no longer had to endure slavery and that they should have already been free.  The slave master’s knew about it, but wanted to continue slavery for the monetary gains their crops would pull in. How horrible, but incredibly American.  We love that mighty dolla!

I was in the 7th grade at this time and looking back, I still never learned anything about Juneteenth in school, and I was living in Texas at this time.  This information seemed to be left out of the history books.  If it was in the books, it must have been in the back of the book.  You know in the part that’s usually skipped because its near the end of the school year.  I’m a history teacher now, and yep…still not there.

So again, what is Juneteenth? Today, June 19, 2020, marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth.  This day has come to be called Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Cel-Liberation Day.  On this day in 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to free the enslaved people of the states in “rebellion” by President Abraham Lincoln, Federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX.  They were there to gain control of the state and to ensure that all enslaved peoples were given freedom. 

I’m sure this was a bittersweet day.  Finally, 250,000 slaves, over some time, would no longer have to answer to the hardships of a master and would be free. This was a generational prayer answered for freedom from oppression. Only thing now is continued survival in the midst of having nothing. Now, what would they be able to do being black in America?

Facts from History.com

Featured Image: atlantaintownpaper.com

From minuteman-militia.com

I Said it…I Mean it

Tears for George Floyd

Symbols are all around us.  They can be as simple as representing the Golden Arches of a company or they can have a more serious meaning and represent the ideals of spirituality, prosperity, or evil. In high school, I loved analyzing the archetypes and symbolism read in literature during English AP class.  I was amazed at uncovering…

by Kat's Eye View
Change

Black and Bullied

When we stand up for injustice, we are told that we shouldn’t.  Whether peaceful and silent, or loud and violent we’re continuously told that it’s best to keep out of it, but what about the bullied?

by Kat's Eye View

Tears for George Floyd

Symbols are all around us.  They can be as simple as representing the Golden Arches of a company or they can have a more serious meaning and represent the ideals of spirituality, prosperity, or evil.

In high school, I loved analyzing the archetypes and symbolism read in literature during English AP class.  I was amazed at uncovering the “hidden” meaning behind what a character said and did. There was purpose in why the character looked the way they did and in the many details of a scene. From the colors used to the placement of shadows. From the time of day to the type of weather…It was all important. Every detail was done on purpose and added life and mystery to the story. I sometimes tend to look at life in this same way.

Last week it seemed to rain everyday in the Houston area.  I could easily say the rain was an effect of the hurricane that was in the Gulf, but I believe the rain represented the tears of the city. With grey and gloomy skies unable to suppress their tears, the city of Houston mourned the unjust murder of her son, George Floyd. May his death never be forgotten, so that justice will come and that same justice will stay. 

Black Lives Matter

Mural created in memory of George Floyd——Houston,TX.
Change

Black and Bullied

When we stand up for injustice, we are told that we shouldn’t.  Whether peaceful and silent, or loud and violent we’re continuously told that it’s best to keep out of it, but what about the bullied?

by Kat's Eye View
History

What is Juneteenth

“What is Juneteenth?  June 10th?  Am I saying it right?  Is it a made up word?,”  My mom and I looked around in confusion because we had never heard of this word before.  See, I’m not originally from Texas, and in school, I had always been taught that slavery had ended in 1865.  It wasn’t…

by Kat's Eye View

Black and Bullied

When we stand up for injustice, we are told that we shouldn’t.  Whether peaceful and silent, or loud and violent we’re continuously told that it’s best to keep out of it, but what about the bullied?

Another man was killed in broad daylight because he was seen to be threatening.  This “threat” was now lying face down with his hands handcuffed behind him, eventually begging for his mother and for his humanly instinct to breathe.   He’s already in a position that would require assistance to get up, so how does he continue to be a threat?  The only thing threatening about him was his full lips, broad nose, coarse hair, deep voice, broad shoulders, and dark skin.  Being a black man made him threatening.  This is something that’s been happening since the first African set foot on American soil at the hands of white people.  I was once told that since black people, to some, are not seen as having souls, like animals, killing them is no big deal.  George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others are dead because they were black.

The world has been trained to view black people as threatening and in a negative light.  The world has been trained to view black people as loud, obnoxious, wild, and lazy.  Black women are viewed as ratchet, ghetto, hood, overtly sexy, jealous, and angry; yet our African features, our movements, our style, our personality is imitated throughout the world. Black men are viewed as being angry, uneducated, and thugs, yet the way they “entertain”, the way they move, and their style is envied all over the world.  We are seen as savages, uncivilized, uncouth, and less than second-rate. 

No matter how much black people have adapted to Western European standards… no matter how much of our African traditions and heritage was beat out of us to be replaced by the customs and traditions of our slave owners, no matter how much we’ve done to assimilate, we will NEVER be seen as equal through the eyes of many.  We’ve been told to change the way we speak, the way we dress, and our hair because the way it grows out of our scalp is not right.  It isn’t decent and it’s unacceptable.  Black people will always have to continue to do more to prove ourselves, and even then, some would prefer to believe that we must have done something unethical to have been able to achieve.

When we stand up for injustice, we are told that we shouldn’t.  Whether peaceful and silent, or loud and violent we’re continuously told that it’s best to keep out of it, stay quiet on the issue, and just run after the ball or continue to play fetch.  We’re supposed to just go along and never speak up.  “Just do your job and stay quiet to make life easier for yourselves”.  We’re told that we should feel blessed and not complain about any mistreatment.  But what about the bullied?

We teach children that if they are being bullied, they should tell someone that has the authority to bring an end to the bullying.  The goal is to take the power away from the bully so that the victim can feel strengthened and no longer feel alone.  This can only work if the bullying is truly stopped.  If not, the bully will continue on knowing they’re able to get away with their actions.  If the one being bullied continues to keep their frustrations inside while feeling voiceless… if they have told the appropriate persons and nothing has changed, the bullied tends to do something dramatic to finally be heard.  From my observations, the bullied either violently takes it out on the school or on themselves.  When this happens all that knew about the victim’s situation begin to  speak up out of regret and remorse, for not having taken the child more seriously, for not being aware, or for not doing enough.

Too many times the bullies have been allowed to get away with their actions.  They’ve gotten a slap on the wrist, so they continue to get away with actual murder.  The thing is, by now all that have the authority, have seen the signs and have done nothing. Those that were supposed to listen to us didn’t and are now feeling remorse and regret.  With the use of social media and smart phones the signs of hate can not be ignored; but they have been ignored.  You ignored us and told us that we just needed to work hard and obey the laws and everything would be okay.  You ignored us and told us we were making something out of nothing.  You ignored us and told us that you didn’t believe our tales of the racial injustices we’ve experienced.  You told us that if we just change something about ourselves things would get better.  The bullied are tired.  They’ve been tired.  In the last few years the bullied silently attempted to protest, and the meaning behind it was purposefully misinterpreted. 

The bullied will no longer silent in their protest, and now many are taking dramatic action. We are screaming out for change! We are screaming out for justice! We are screaming out for Equality! We are screaming out because it is right! We are screaming out because we matter! 

My Life Matters–My Husband’s Life Matters–My Family’s Life Matters–                                Black Lives Matter!

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Gram Gram said WHAT?

Yesterday was Mother’s Day.  Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mother’s and future wonderful mothers out there in the world.  Happy Mother’s Day to the beautiful mother’s of the past, that despite the hardships still mothered. For many this is an easier day to celebrate than Father’s Day.  For some it used to…

by Kat's Eye View