It's been a Texas Tradition since 1866 - it's time the Democrats were forced to recognize the day the Republicans freed the Slaves!
Occasionally heavy rains Wednesday kept crowds away from the first day of the Juneteenth celebration at Lake Mexia that dates back to the end of slavery in Texas 150 years ago.
But for the 30 or so who gathered at the Booker T. Washington Park pavilion to kick off the three-day event, even the trees attested to the spirits of Juneteenths past.
For generations, the 20-acre Limestone County site, also known as Comanche Crossing, drew tens of thousands of people each year for the one of the state’s biggest celebrations of black pride and progress.
Some of those families planted post oak trees around their regular campsites, serving double duty as shade and a commemoration of their first grandchild. In a speech Wednesday, Judy Chambers pointed to the imposing trees around the site, reciting the family names her mother had taught her decades ago.
“This place has been part of my life,” she said. “We used to come down every summer. It’s a wonderful place.”
The event is set to continue Thursday and Friday with music, speeches and games and a Friday appearance by “buffalo soldier” re-enactors.
The volunteer chaplain of Comanche Crossing, the Rev. Gerald Henderson, of Coolidge, said the celebration has always gone on, rain or shine.
“Someone said, ‘Are we going to cancel it this year?’ ” he said. “It hasn’t been canceled since 1865. We always come home.”
Attendance in the past few decades has dwindled from thousands to hundreds or scores. Some blame the lack of investment and maintenance in the grounds. Others blame bad publicity from a notorious 1981 drowning of three teenagers whom local police had arrested on marijuana possession charges. The teens were handcuffed and placed in a boat, which capsized.
Dorothy Medlock-Touchstone, the event’s program coordinator, said Juneteenth organizers have been fixing up the grounds with the help of county workers and hoped this 150th-anniversary event would mark a resurgence in popularity.
“I’m anticipating more people,” she said. “I just hate that the weather is bad. . . . I think the interest will pick up.”
TEXAS.GOV:
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/juneteenth.html
Large celebrations on June 19 began in 1866 and continued regularly into the early 20th century. African Americans treated this day like the Fourth of July, and the celebrations contained similar events. In the early days, Juneteenth celebrations included a prayer service, speakers with inspirational messages, reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, stories from former slaves, food, red soda water, games, rodeos, and dances.
The celebration of June 19 as Emancipation Day spread from Texas to the neighboring states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It also appeared in Alabama, Florida, and California as African American Texans migrated.
In many parts of Texas, freedmen and women purchased land, or "emancipation grounds," for Juneteenth gatherings. Examples include: Emancipation Park in Houston, purchased in 1872; what is now Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia; and Emancipation Park in Austin.
THE HANDBOOK OF TEXAS:
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/lkj01
Particular celebrations of Juneteenth have had unique beginnings or aspects. In the state capital Juneteenth was first celebrated in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau and became part of the calendar of public events by 1872. Juneteenth in Limestone County has gathered "thousands" to be with families and friends. At one time 30,000 African Americans gathered at Booker T. Washington Park, known more popularly as Comanche Crossing, for the event. One of the most important parts of the Limestone celebration is the recollection of family history, both under slavery and since. Another of the state's memorable celebrations of Juneteenth occurred in Brenham, where large, racially-mixed crowds witness the annual promenade through town. In Beeville, residents of all races have also joined together to commemorate the day with barbecues, picnics, and other festivities.
MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
TL;DR REEEEEEEPORT ON KEY FINDINGS OF FACT:
https://intelligence.house.gov/report/
I. Donald Trump became President and is using the powers of the Presidency: to become President again by enacting his own foreign policy and not ours.
II. Donald Trump used the State Dept and Executive Branch to contact make a deal with the Ukraine. They talked to the President's attorney, Guiliani.
III. Donald Trump acted as President with the Ukrainian Government to reinstate a previous investigation into Ukrainine, and U.S. corruption, one discontinued under pressure from the previous administration.
IV. Donald Trump, acting as President, used the powers of the Presidency: to enact his own foreign policy to put on hold and review the previous administration's corrupt payments to the Ukraine. The Previous Administration didn't want that.
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A. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency: to have an official meeting with the President of the Ukraine. They both wanted the meeting.
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-B. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency: to make a deal with the Ukrainian President and he released the payment. They also reinstated the Ukrainian Corruption Investigation which had previously axed by the Obama administration.
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C. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency, and key personnel within the Executive Branch to enact his own foreign policy, and he kept some of it classified.
V. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency, and key Executive Branch Personnel, to enact his own foreign policy and discontinued the Obama Administration's foreign policy.
VI. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency: to enact his own foreign policy and that might help him get re-elected and undermine the Obama Administration's current interests.
VII.President Trump's diplomatic deal-making with the Ukrainian Government did not advance the interests of the previous Obama Administration. This might help get President Trump re-elected, we just want to say that again.
VIII. President Trump used the powers of the Presidency: to enact his own foreign policy in other countries too, and it might help him get re-elected.
IX: President Trump used the Powers of the Presidency and exercised his Authority as proscribed in the U.S. Constitution: to refuse to turn over all foreign policy papers to our Constitutionally UNAUTHORISED Secret Impeachment Inquiry, which was being conducted OUTSIDE CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS by House Democrats, without a vote.
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A. President Trump refused to turn over ALL the papers our illegal secret committee demanded.
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B. President Trump informed his own Executive Branch Agencies that they are not bound to the orders of our illegal secret committee.
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C. President Trump informed his own Executive Branch Personnel that they are not bound to the orders of our illegal secret committee.
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D. President Trump made our witnesses feel bad by using Twitter to say mean things about our Witnesses.
By doing all these things, President Trump uses the power of the Presidency to stop our illegal secret committee run by House Democrats from impeaching him. He says we're illegal, but we say we have the right to impeach him, and we want to do it. President Trump will not let us impeach him.
