FROM TEXAS, THIS DAY WENT TRANSCONTINENTAL A HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH
Although it is marked across the United States with gatherings, toasts, celebration, and song, Juneteenth — which commemorates June 19, 1865, when the Union military began to enforce the 13th Amendment which liberated all enslaved Americans — is not a holiday like the others. Although the history it remembers is in its own way as triumphant as the Declaration of Independence, it is also laced with trauma and pain. To call America’s relationship with slavery ugly
people how to vote and the laws surrounding the process. Today, we’d call the subsequent growth of this holiday a grassroots movement. The movement, at times, slowed down or stalled, especially during the Depression and the worst atrocities of the Jim Crow era. Ironically, another hurdle on the road to widespread national awareness (and perhaps adoption) was the civil rights movement itself, which refocused the energies of African Americans on specific, achievable political and social goals. Just as the holiday began in Texas and celebrated a day specific to that state’s history, Texas would also boost it into national recognition with official acknowledgment in the late 1970s. Other states followed suit, and the traditional brunches and prayer breakfasts can now be found throughout the country. It seems like Juneteenth will continue to grow, which means you might want to circle June 19 on future calendars. Local celebrations abound, and a federal holiday in the vein of Indigenous Peoples’ Day may well be in the cards in the next decade.
is to understate it; any holiday with those roots is going to be heavy.
And yet Juneteenth is ultimately a day of celebration and hope, and its history reflects that. African Americans and Black Americans have gathered on
this day for over a hundred years. It started in Galveston and other areas of Texas, and early gatherings were also used to teach local
Iced Green Tea, 2 Ways Inspired by 101Cookbooks.com
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Nothing says summer like a glass of iced tea. Enjoy these two twists on a classic summer soother.
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INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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2 tbsp loose-leaf green tea
For Rose and Coriander Tea: 1. In a large pitcher, place green tea, rose petals, and coriander seeds. 2. Bring 1/2 cup water to just below boiling. 3. Pour hot water over tea leaves, petals, and seeds. Let steep for 10 seconds, then add the remaining 3 1/2 cups water. 4. Refrigerate 4–8 hours until tea reaches your desired strength. Strain and serve over ice. For Ginger Mint Tea: Follow the instructions above, substituting the mint leaves and ginger coins for the rose petals and coriander seeds.
Questions?
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4 cups filtered water, divided
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Option 1: Rose and Coriander • 1 tbsp dried rose petals • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
“The summer night is like a perfection of thought.” – Wallace Stevens
Option 2: Ginger Mint •
1 handful fresh mint leaves 1 inch fresh ginger, cut into coins
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1-833-529-5677 • 3
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