<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="auto" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div dir="auto">Hey NFB family and friends. Please read below from the black empowerment committee. A little history on Juneteenth. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Dear Affiliate Members,</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">We, the members of the Black Empowerment Committee, a subcommittee of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the NFBV, present to you with a little information about Juneteenth and a poem commemorating it. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Here is how it began.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">The year was 1865. The 19th day of June. Union Army general Gordon Granger rides into town as the newly appointed Commander of the District of Texas. It had been 3 years since the 16th President of United States Abraham Lincoln signed the Émancipation Proclamation and his first act of duty was to let the people know. So it was in Aston Villa, a Victorian structured house, he read General Order No. 3. The order stated:</div><div dir="auto">Head Quarters District of Texas</div><div dir="auto">Galveston Texas June 19th 1865.</div><div dir="auto">General Orders No. 3.</div><div dir="auto">The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.</div><div dir="auto">The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.</div><div dir="auto">By order of Major General Granger</div><div dir="auto">Recorded by F.W. Emery, Major A.A. Genl (</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">A copy of the order was spread throughout Texas and the rest of the news outlets in the country at the time starting the day after it was announced. Some slave owners let their slaves go immediately, others waited a bit for sharing the news but were ultimately told that they were legally free to go or given the option to stay and be paid. Some took this option course and others didn't. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">At the time of this writing, the 117th United States Congress has passed legislation, which President Biden promptly signed, making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. According to the Congressional Research Service, currently 47 states and the District of Columbia celebrate and/or recognize Juneteenth as known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day (TX). It has been recognized as a holiday for some time now in Commonwealth cities and counties such as Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Jamestown. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">We encourage you to celebrate this joyous event by reflecting to for far we have come as a nation and how much more we have to do as we collectively strive to make this country "a more perfect union" as well as having a celebratory party (if you do choose). </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Juneteenth</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">I’m black without apology</div><div dir="auto">Swag drippin</div><div dir="auto">Melanin glistenin</div><div dir="auto">Long waited acknowledgement</div><div dir="auto">Freedom day</div><div dir="auto">You hear what I say?</div><div dir="auto">Freedom day!</div><div dir="auto">It took a long time for word to spread</div><div dir="auto">More than two years to span the nation</div><div dir="auto">So now, now we celebrate</div><div dir="auto">While continuing to educate</div><div dir="auto">So the others know</div><div dir="auto">There’s a point we’re making</div><div dir="auto">This is not for show</div><div dir="auto">It’s a promise </div><div dir="auto">A beginning </div><div dir="auto">Avow</div><div dir="auto">A manifestation</div><div dir="auto">Of the union winning</div><div dir="auto">It’s Juneteenth</div><div dir="auto">You know what that means?</div><div dir="auto">Liberty</div><div dir="auto">For you, for me</div><div dir="auto">The time is now</div><div dir="auto">Embrace your complexion</div><div dir="auto">Its complexity</div><div dir="auto">I’m so black</div><div dir="auto">Unapologetically</div><div dir="auto">Poetically</div><div dir="auto">Melanin poppin</div><div dir="auto">Saucy</div><div dir="auto">Chocolatey</div><div dir="auto">Just me</div><div dir="auto">Just you</div><div dir="auto">You know how we do</div><div dir="auto">You know how we be</div><div dir="auto">We’ve come a ways down the road</div><div dir="auto">But still got a long way to go</div><div dir="auto">On June nineteenth</div><div dir="auto">The story was told</div><div dir="auto">We won’t let it go</div><div dir="auto">Our people were freed</div><div dir="auto">Finally</div><div dir="auto">You know what that means?</div><div dir="auto">A semblance of peace</div><div dir="auto">In a way, liberty</div><div dir="auto">Partial victory</div><div dir="auto">It’s called Juneteenth</div><div dir="auto">A step toward unity</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Peace,</div><div dir="auto">Butterfly</div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Peace,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jacki Bruce <br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com">mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="tel:(757)291-1789">tel:(757)291-1789</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a><br><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/">www.nfbv.org</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Live the life you want.<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.</span></p></div></body></html>