Hello everyone. Today is Juneteenth and I wanted to make a card to show my support for this relatively unknown holiday. I know I am already getting eye rolls from some people and, if the subject of racism or people of color upsets you, you can move on. But I hope you will read thru to the end and try to have a little empathy today.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as
Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black
Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in
Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. Although
the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, many
enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people captive after the announcement, and
Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom.
Why am I posting a card? This gay, Jewish, white guy? Because I want to show my support in the fight to end racism, which, sadly, will never be erased. I cannot imagine what it's like to be a parent of a black child, wondering, every time this child leaves the house if she or she will come home safely. I never understood how a person can hate another person just based on the color of their skin. I was not raised like that. I do hate some people but they come in every color and are usually just morons or racists.
I remember the first time I drove to Jones Beach, way back when, and I didn't know that different Fields on the beach were for different folk. The Spanish people hung out in one area, the black people were in another, and the white in their own. I settled on the beach and a black woman came over to ask me if I was confused because I was in the black section of the beach. HUH? Why are there sections?
And then, on my first trip to Brasil in 2002, I was in Rio sitting on the beach and realized, for the first time in my life, that I was sitting with people of every skin tone and no one was having any issues. Brasilians have mixed for so long that your skin tone doesn't define you. It felt great to be sitting like that. Normal.
Even now, in 2022, I could be walking and holding the hand of my boyfriend with fear that someone might not like it and take matters into their own hands. Same problem but not about skin tone. Hatred sucks and it needs to end.
Someone I know once told me that they wished all the black people could be put on boats and shipped back to where they came from. My jaw hit the floor. As if the descendants of all the black people here came over on their own...on a vacation...or looking for a better life. They were dragged out of their countries and enslaved. And, sadly, it still happens today.
I found this on the Wayside Youth & Family Support Network website and thought it was perfect to share in this post.
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10 Things We Want White People to Do to Celebrate Juneteenth
- We want white people to deeply consider the wound of racism on the hearts of every Black American.
- On Juneteenth we want white people to read, study Black history, Black poets, Black leaders, Black achievements.
- We want white people to do things about racism as readily as they do things for their own children.
- We want white people to make a list of resolutions, of promises, of vows about what will it take for them to use their power, their privilege, their platforms of power to give space to Black and Brown leaders.
- We want them to find an accountability partner and make the list public of what actions they will take. They CAN do this on social media. A lot of those actions will be giving up privilege and making room for folks who they may not have noticed have no room at all.
- We want white people to stop talking about how uncomfortable it is to talk about racism or police violence.
- We want white people to stop being afraid of their own internalized white supremacy. We want them to search and look within at hard facts of thought and deed. Who cares about being comfortable? What about being true, brave and real instead?
- Then we want white people to stop talking and listen to what needs to be done.
- We want white people to plan on spending time in spaces with folks who are not like you.
- We want white people to hold other white people accountable not on social media, instead with measured voices that call folks in to look and wrestle – to change. We are interested in courageous conversations, in hearing folks out and in allowing themselves to feel terrible and to let that feeling be a crucible for change.
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To show my support, I made this card. I wanted to do something with different skin tones so I went thru my stash of DCWV paper pads and pulled out different colors that I felt represented different skin tones. I also pulled out the Triple Chevies die (retired/Reverse Confetti) to cut each of the colors.
Then I used the die to cut each of the different colored cardstock.
I adhered them to a piece of white cardstock until I had enough to cover my A2 card front. And then I used an A2-sized stitched rectangle die (Pink & Main) to cut my card front, which I then adhered to my card front.
Next, I needed a sentiment. I did not want to go the "Happy Juneteenth" type of card on the outside. I wanted a positive quote. So I checked online and found this amazing quote from Barack Obama, saved it, printed it, layered it on a piece of cardstock, and adhered it to the card front using foam tape.
Maybe, one person will read this post and start to think of how they feel. If one person can change, then it was worth posting. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and, until next time...
Hugs from Brasil.
~Michael
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