As someone from and currently in Galveston again, thanks! Too often people think it was an end and granting of freedom. Oh no, for here and elsewhere it was just the marker for the start of the fight for freedom. And it continues to this day.
Thank you for this article. I was especially struck when you said to invest in Black communities instead of over-policing them. Clearly so much work needs to be done. The murder of a 1-year-old Black child by police and ongoing racist violence by police and community with little chance of consequence and justice, as well as ongoing ICE raids say a great deal about where our country is at with racial freedom and justice. It just cannot be accepted and cannot stay this way. We must end qualified immunity for police, abolish ICE and invest in Black and Brown owned businesses and communities overall. And 100 percent support and solidarity for reparations legislation. I read Ernest Crimm III and Conscious Lee, many thanks to them as well.
1. A nineteenth century abolitionist wrote that he was struck when he met John Brown, and Brown introduced two escaped slaves on the run to Canada as "Mr. X" and "Mrs. X" (I don't recall their names). Later, everyone sat to dinner together.
The abolitionist noted that it would not have occurred to him to call a black person "Mr." or "Mrs." or to have sat everyone at the same table. This abolitionist was a man who risked imprisonment by working for The Underground Railroad, so he was not exactly a Copperhead (a Northerner who sympathized with the Confederacy).
Still, the abolitionist reflected, he saw that he had a ways to go in his thinking.
With the racist convicted felon in the White House, all the gains toward the final REAL FREEDOM FOR ALL are being removed. Instead of removing these freedoms, Dumpty should be removed and incarcerated for life, along with his family and all GOP lemmings who have allowed this to occur! Use the REAL LAW and eliminate this re-imprisonment of all who are not white and wealthy!
trafficking was legal, slavery was legal. I worry that we are not far off from going there again--legally!! There truly has been no "throw the book at them" outrage over the Epstein information, FACTS, that we all have before us. Horrendous crimes. Black and female military heroes are being put in their place at the back of the bus. What I saw about "Chappies'" portrait made me sick. Don't anyone tell me that "no way" we could go right back to Black and female slavery--legally. Who is going to stop it?
That five year old boy arrested by ICE has spent more time in custody than the entire Epstein client list, combined.
For that matter, we are assured that Epstein was providing "tax advice" and "estate planning services". Epstein was not an attorney, nor was he working with a law firm.
That means any conversations he had with Leon Black, Les Wexner and others are not subject to attorney client privilege. In other words, there is nothing stopping the FBI from asking them or Epstein's other clients from asking questions under oath, demanding production of documents, etc..
As far as I can tell, nobody has so much as made a phone call.
Thank you for that. All Dems in Congress could work together to bring the Epstein case to a head, even if they have to stage a walk-out or SOMETHING. But they don't. I can't tell you how much this half-hearted "accountability" is echoed throughout our society. I swear to God we're getting to a place where trafficking girls will be out-in-the-open Business in this country---hey, even a place on the Stock Market!! And the insults to Black people, Black Generals, is straight up "shithole country" behavior. And everyone looks the other way.
Let us also remember than prejudice, racism, and slavery was not only about the Black slave trade, but so many other marginalized groups in America: slaughter of Native Americans; imprisonment of gays, women, and others who refused to "conform;" and that the largest mass lynching in America was of Italian immigrants in New Orleans in 1891, who were acquitted in a sham trial for a murder they did not commit, but then dragged from their holding cells and lynched by a White mob of hundreds of screaming dolts, not unlike what might have happened on January 6th. Juneteenth was a long time in becoming a holiday. It's a good day for reflection on how far we've come and how low we have currently sunk ... and the mystery of why. I'm now 70 and will never understand how we made this turn into the last dying breath of the Confederacy, but here we are. Thank you Qasim, for continuing the good fight and good trouble. This is why I support your blog as a paid subscriber.
And let me add: if you are ready to invest in Black rights and strength, volunteer for Black Voters Matter. Their texting program to Black voters gives information and alerts to voters all over the South to keep Black power alive: www.blackvotersmatterfund.org
I have texted with them for more than a year and think they have a terrific team. Volunteers are also white and Asian, and we all work together to keep Black voters voting!
Happy Juneteenth. Sadly, this administration is trying to set us back by stealing our votes, firing us, canceling Black people’s government contracts, and basically opening the doors to bigotry.
We have the most racist and bigoted government modern America has ever witnessed. MAGAT KKKultists, and the RetrumpliKKKans in office, have enabled the worst, evil president to carry out his removal of black people, and others, to have their entitled vote. That disgusting man should be wearing a straight jacket, not a suit jacket. We are all the human race, not the trumpian race.
Celebrate Black Women Everyday. Celebrate Black Excellence Everyday.
shout out to Brandon Sutton of The Discourse. He's brilliant
As someone from and currently in Galveston again, thanks! Too often people think it was an end and granting of freedom. Oh no, for here and elsewhere it was just the marker for the start of the fight for freedom. And it continues to this day.
Thank you for this article. I was especially struck when you said to invest in Black communities instead of over-policing them. Clearly so much work needs to be done. The murder of a 1-year-old Black child by police and ongoing racist violence by police and community with little chance of consequence and justice, as well as ongoing ICE raids say a great deal about where our country is at with racial freedom and justice. It just cannot be accepted and cannot stay this way. We must end qualified immunity for police, abolish ICE and invest in Black and Brown owned businesses and communities overall. And 100 percent support and solidarity for reparations legislation. I read Ernest Crimm III and Conscious Lee, many thanks to them as well.
The Black people in Texas were free, but didn't know it - so this day is the perfect example of how important education was and is.
This commentary says "Juneteenth made clear that freedom was not just confined to someone’s physical enslavement, but mental enslavement as well, bound in the laws that barred enslaved people from receiving an education in Southern states.” https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/19/repub/juneteenth-reminds-us-of-black-americans-long-struggle-for-education-following-end-of-slavery/?emci=57ac5e20-536b-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&emdi=0db97446-d26b-f111-8fcb-000d3a14b6d6&ceid=397802
1. A nineteenth century abolitionist wrote that he was struck when he met John Brown, and Brown introduced two escaped slaves on the run to Canada as "Mr. X" and "Mrs. X" (I don't recall their names). Later, everyone sat to dinner together.
The abolitionist noted that it would not have occurred to him to call a black person "Mr." or "Mrs." or to have sat everyone at the same table. This abolitionist was a man who risked imprisonment by working for The Underground Railroad, so he was not exactly a Copperhead (a Northerner who sympathized with the Confederacy).
Still, the abolitionist reflected, he saw that he had a ways to go in his thinking.
2. Thomas Nast had some glorious illustrations.
With the racist convicted felon in the White House, all the gains toward the final REAL FREEDOM FOR ALL are being removed. Instead of removing these freedoms, Dumpty should be removed and incarcerated for life, along with his family and all GOP lemmings who have allowed this to occur! Use the REAL LAW and eliminate this re-imprisonment of all who are not white and wealthy!
Those words chilled me: human
trafficking was legal, slavery was legal. I worry that we are not far off from going there again--legally!! There truly has been no "throw the book at them" outrage over the Epstein information, FACTS, that we all have before us. Horrendous crimes. Black and female military heroes are being put in their place at the back of the bus. What I saw about "Chappies'" portrait made me sick. Don't anyone tell me that "no way" we could go right back to Black and female slavery--legally. Who is going to stop it?
Thank you, Qasim.
That five year old boy arrested by ICE has spent more time in custody than the entire Epstein client list, combined.
For that matter, we are assured that Epstein was providing "tax advice" and "estate planning services". Epstein was not an attorney, nor was he working with a law firm.
That means any conversations he had with Leon Black, Les Wexner and others are not subject to attorney client privilege. In other words, there is nothing stopping the FBI from asking them or Epstein's other clients from asking questions under oath, demanding production of documents, etc..
As far as I can tell, nobody has so much as made a phone call.
Thank you for that. All Dems in Congress could work together to bring the Epstein case to a head, even if they have to stage a walk-out or SOMETHING. But they don't. I can't tell you how much this half-hearted "accountability" is echoed throughout our society. I swear to God we're getting to a place where trafficking girls will be out-in-the-open Business in this country---hey, even a place on the Stock Market!! And the insults to Black people, Black Generals, is straight up "shithole country" behavior. And everyone looks the other way.
Let us also remember than prejudice, racism, and slavery was not only about the Black slave trade, but so many other marginalized groups in America: slaughter of Native Americans; imprisonment of gays, women, and others who refused to "conform;" and that the largest mass lynching in America was of Italian immigrants in New Orleans in 1891, who were acquitted in a sham trial for a murder they did not commit, but then dragged from their holding cells and lynched by a White mob of hundreds of screaming dolts, not unlike what might have happened on January 6th. Juneteenth was a long time in becoming a holiday. It's a good day for reflection on how far we've come and how low we have currently sunk ... and the mystery of why. I'm now 70 and will never understand how we made this turn into the last dying breath of the Confederacy, but here we are. Thank you Qasim, for continuing the good fight and good trouble. This is why I support your blog as a paid subscriber.
Thank you, Sam. Grateful for your trust and support.
And let me add: if you are ready to invest in Black rights and strength, volunteer for Black Voters Matter. Their texting program to Black voters gives information and alerts to voters all over the South to keep Black power alive: www.blackvotersmatterfund.org
I have texted with them for more than a year and think they have a terrific team. Volunteers are also white and Asian, and we all work together to keep Black voters voting!
100% agree
Happy Juneteenth. Sadly, this administration is trying to set us back by stealing our votes, firing us, canceling Black people’s government contracts, and basically opening the doors to bigotry.
We have the most racist and bigoted government modern America has ever witnessed. MAGAT KKKultists, and the RetrumpliKKKans in office, have enabled the worst, evil president to carry out his removal of black people, and others, to have their entitled vote. That disgusting man should be wearing a straight jacket, not a suit jacket. We are all the human race, not the trumpian race.
Thank you! Please add Lynae Vanae to your list. I may have spelled her name wrong but she is the truth. Charles Blow is another voice for our people.