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Arab News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Juneteenth celebrations across the US commemorate the end of slavery
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire: Juneteenth celebrations unfolded across the US on Thursday, marking the day in 1865 when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas and attracting participants who said current events strengthened their resolve to be heard. President Donald Trump honored Juneteenth in each of his first four years as president, even before it became a federal holiday. He even claimed once to have made it 'very famous.' But on this year's Juneteenth holiday on Thursday, the usually talkative president kept silent about a day important to Black Americans for marking the end of slavery in the country he leads again. No words about it from his lips, on paper or through his social media site. The holiday has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, but became more widely observed after being designated a federal holiday in 2021 by former President Joe Biden, who attended a Juneteenth event at a church in Galveston, Texas, the holiday's birthplace. The celebrations come as Trump's administration has worked to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, in the federal government and remove content about Black American history from federal websites. Trump's travel ban on visitors from select countries has also led to bitter national debate. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Robert Reid waved a large Juneteenth flag at the city's African Burying Ground Memorial Park, where African drummers and dancers led the crowd in song and dance. Reid, 60, said he attended in part to stand against what he called Trump's 'divide and conquer' approach. 'It's time for people to get pulled together instead of separated,' he said. Jordyn Sorapuru, 18, visiting New Hampshire from California, called the large turnout a 'beautiful thing.' 'It's nice to be celebrated every once in a while, especially in the political climate right now,' she said. 'With the offensive things going on right now, with brown people in the country and a lot of people being put at risk for just existing, having celebrations like this is really important.' Juneteenth's origins and this year's celebrations The holiday to mark the end of slavery in the US goes back to an order issued on June 19, 1865, as Union troops arrived in Galveston at the end of the Civil War. General Order No. 3 declared that all enslaved people in the state were free and had 'absolute equality.' Juneteenth is recognized at least as an observance in every state, and nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C., have designated it as a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. In Virginia, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for rebuilding the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the nation's oldest Black churches. In Fort Worth, Texas, about 2,500 people participated in Opal Lee's annual Juneteenth walk. The 98-year-old Lee, known as the 'grandmother of Juneteenth' for the years she spent advocating to make the day a federal holiday, was recently hospitalized and didn't participate in public this year. But her granddaughter, Dione Sims, said Lee was 'in good spirits.' 'The one thing that she would tell the community and the nation at large is to hold on to your freedoms,' Sims said. 'Hold on to your freedom and don't let it go, because it's under attack right now.' Events were planned throughout the day in Galveston, including a parade, a celebration at a park with music and the service at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church that Biden attended. During a Juneteenth speech in Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore announced pardons for 6,938 cases of simple marijuana possession, which can hinder employment and educational opportunities and have disproportionally affected the Black community. Moore, a Democrat who is Maryland's first Black governor and the only Black governor currently serving, last year ordered tens of thousands of pardons for marijuana possession. The newly announced pardons weren't included in that initial announcement because they'd been incorrectly coded. In New Hampshire, Thursday's gathering capped nearly two weeks of events organized by the Black History Trail of New Hampshire aimed at both celebrating Juneteenth and highlighting contradictions in the familiar narratives about the nation's founding fathers ahead of next year's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 'In a time when efforts to suppress Black history are on the rise, and by extension, to suppress American history, we stand firm in the truth,' said JerriAnne Boggis, the Heritage Trail's executive director. 'This is not just Black history, it is all of our history.' What Trump has said about Juneteenth During his first administration, Trump issued statements each June 19, including one that ended with 'On Juneteenth 2017, we honor the countless contributions made by African Americans to our Nation and pledge to support America's promise as the land of the free.' When White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked during her Thursday media briefing whether the president would commemorate the holiday this year, she replied, 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today.' Later Thursday Trump complained on his social media site about 'too many non-working holidays' and said it is 'costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed.' Most retailers are open on Juneteenth, while federal workers generally get a day off because the government is closed. New Hampshire, one of the nation's whitest states, is not among those with a permanent, paid or legal Juneteenth holiday, and Boggis said her hope that lawmakers would take action making it one is waning. 'I am not so sure anymore given the political environment we're in,' she said. 'I think we've taken a whole bunch of steps backwards in understanding our history, civil rights and inclusion.' Still, she hopes New Hampshire's events and those elsewhere will make a difference. 'It's not a divisive tool to know the truth. Knowing the truth helps us understand some of the current issues that we're going through,' she said. And if spreading that truth comes with a bit of fun, all the better, she said. 'When we come together, when we break bread together, we enjoy music together, we learn together, we dance together, we're creating these bonds of community,' she said. 'As much was we educate, we also want to celebrate together.'
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Juneteenth celebrations across the U.S. commemorate the end of slavery
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Juneteenth celebrations unfolded across the U.S. on Thursday, marking the day in 1865 when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Texas and attracting participants who said current events strengthened their resolve to be heard. The holiday has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, but became more widely observed after being designated a federal holiday in 2021 by former President Joe Biden, who was expected to attend an event in Galveston, the holiday's birthplace. The celebrations come as President Donald Trump's administration has worked to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, or DEI, in the federal government and remove content about Black American history from federal websites. Trump's travel ban on visitors from select countries has also led to bitter national debate. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Robert Reid waved a large Juneteeth flag at the city's African Burying Ground Memorial Park, where African drummers and dancers led the crowd in song and dance. Reid, 60, said he attended in part to stand against what he called Trump's 'divide and conquer' approach. 'It's time for people to get pulled together instead of separated,' he said. Jordyn Sorapuru, 18, visiting New Hampshire from California, called the large turnout a 'beautiful thing.' 'It's nice to be celebrated every once in a while, especially in the political climate right now,' she said. 'With the offensive things going on right now, with brown people in the country and a lot of people being put at risk for just existing, having celebrations like this is really important.' Juneteenth's origins and this year's celebrations The holiday to mark the end of slavery in the U.S. goes back to an order issued on June 19, 1865, as Union troops arrived in Galveston at the end of the Civil War. General Order No. 3 declared that all enslaved people in the state were free and had 'absolute equality.' Juneteenth is recognized at least as an observance in every state, and nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C., have designated it as a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. In Virginia, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for rebuilding the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the nation's oldest Black churches. In Fort Worth, Texas, about 2,500 people participated in Opal Lee's annual Juneteenth walk. The 98-year-old Lee, known as the 'grandmother of Juneteenth' for the years she spent advocating to make the day a federal holiday, was recently hospitalized and didn't participate in public this year. But her granddaughter, Dione Sims, said Lee was 'in good spirits.' 'The one thing that she would tell the community and the nation at large is to hold on to your freedoms,' Sims said. 'Hold on to your freedom and don't let it go, because it's under attack right now.' Events were planned throughout the day in Galveston, including a parade, a celebration at a park with music and the service at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church that Biden was set to attend. During a Juneteenth speech in Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore announced pardons for 6,938 cases of simple marijuana possession, which can hinder employment and educational opportunities and have disproportionally affected the Black community. Moore, a Democrat who is Maryland's first Black governor and the only Black governor currently serving, last year ordered tens of thousands of pardons for marijuana possession. The newly announced pardons weren't included in that initial announcement because they'd been incorrectly coded. In New Hampshire, Thursday's gathering capped nearly two weeks of events organized by the Black History Trail of New Hampshire aimed at both celebrating Juneteenth and highlighting contradictions in the familiar narratives about the nation's founding fathers ahead of next year's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 'In a time when efforts to suppress Black history are on the rise, and by extension, to suppress American history, we stand firm in the truth,' said JerriAnne Boggis, the Heritage Trail's executive director. 'This is not just Black history, it is all of our history.' What Trump has said about Juneteenth During his first administration, Trump issued statements each June 19, including one that ended with 'On Juneteenth 2017, we honor the countless contributions made by African Americans to our Nation and pledge to support America's promise as the land of the free.' When White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked during her Thursday media briefing whether the president would commemorate the holiday this year, she replied, 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today.' New Hampshire, one of the nation's whitest states, is not among those with a permanent, paid or legal Juneteenth holiday, and Boggis said her hope that lawmakers would take action making it one is waning. 'I am not so sure anymore given the political environment we're in,' she said. 'I think we've taken a whole bunch of steps backwards in understanding our history, civil rights and inclusion.' Still, she hopes New Hampshire's events and those elsewhere will make a difference. 'It's not a divisive tool to know the truth. Knowing the truth helps us understand some of the current issues that we're going through,' she said. And if spreading that truth comes with a bit of fun, all the better, she said. 'When we come together, when we break bread together, we enjoy music together, we learn together, we dance together, we're creating these bonds of community,' she said. 'As much was we educate, we also want to celebrate together.' Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., also contributed to this report. Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Juneteenth celebration in Portsmouth: 'We have a lot to resist and a lot to renew'
PORTSMOUTH — Playing joyful anthems, The Leftist Marching Band led the Freedom March into the African Burying Ground Memorial Park to begin the annual celebration of Juneteenth. Hundreds followed gathering in the hot sun to honor the city's Black ancestors and history, renew its vow to remember its heritage accurately, and celebrate the freedom whose fragility is better understood today than ever in recent memory. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire's annual Juneteenth ceremony on Thursday, June 19 was a special one: It marked the 10th anniversary of the city's establishing the memorial park to honor the once-forgotten Black ancestors buried there and included its rededication. The memorial park is sacred ground in Portsmouth. Dedicated in May 2015, it memorializes more 200 people of African descent who were buried in the area of Chestnut Street during the 1700s. In the 1800s, as the city grew, the site was built over and forgotten. In 2003, the burial site was uncovered during work on an infrastructure project. DNA testing confirmed the bodies found were of African descent and had been enslaved in the city. Learning the site's history, the city created a memorial to honor it. 'These are things I didn't learn in school, and I grew up here,' said Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley, after listing the city's now-known Black historical moments. 'This place was on maps for hundreds of years and then it disappeared from them.' She said it took hundreds of years to find the African Burying Ground again. 'The fall of democracy starts with erasing a map,' she said. Kelley was joined by Sen. Maggie Hassan, Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Portsmouth Mayor Declan McEachern, BHTNH Executive Director JerriAnne Boggis and other officials as she cut a red ribbon with large gold scissors to rededicate the memorial park. Earlier in the ceremony, Boggis welcomed those in attendance. 'This is New Hampshire. Look around you,' she said. 'Many of you have been with us this week on a sacred journey of remembering, of resistance and renewal. We have a lot to resist and a lot to renew.' She noted how the park's 'sacred ground, the final resting place of over 200 of our ancestors, had once been built over, covered up and erased.' 'It's going to take all of us, working together, with our feet on the ground,' Boggis said. 'To create the change we want to see and the America we want to be.' Tara Conner of South Berwick, Maine, brought her young children to the Juneteenth ceremony 'because I want to them to be really well-educated in our history so we can learn from it and do better next time.' Leah Conte, who was also there with her family from South Berwick, said, 'I feel like it's such an important part of Portsmouth history that needs to be recognized and remembered,' 'It's important to embrace the beautiful diversity Portsmouth has and has had for a long time,' said Sandra Khin, a Portsmouth native who now lives in Los Angeles. She attended with her two kids, her mother and her sister. 'It's an important holiday celebrating the final emancipation of enslaved people and it still remains an ongoing struggle.' Roza Anthony came to Portsmouth from Stowe, Massachusetts, with her son Dante 'because I'm raising a White man and it's my responsibility that he respects and knows our history, and has an understanding of it,' she said. 'I need him to know how to move in the world in a way that is kind, thoughtful and taking care of people.' The Rev. Robert Thompson began the ceremony with a prayer and a traditional pouring of a libation to pay tribute to Black ancestors. He asked the crowd to imagine what it must have been like for the enslaved people in Texas who found out they'd been freed two years after the fact, after other slaves were free, on that first Juneteenth. 'America takes work … the dream of America, the idea that despite our differences, all can be one. That claim of democracy that inspires the whole world, it takes work to realize it,' he said. 'To celebrate the freedom of everyone in the nation, not just some … That's the intricacy of America.' The Freedom March to the memorial park before the ceremony began in Kittery, crossed the Memorial Bridge and continued through the city to the park, organized by The Seacoast African American Cultural Center, Green Acre Baha'i Center of Learning, and Seacoast NAACP. After the ceremony and park rededication, the traditional African drumming and dance group Akwaaba Ensemble took the celebration to an energetic and joyful climax. At points, Akwaaba dancers led members of the crowd in group dances with many unable to resist the beat of the drums. In a first for the annual ceremony, a Community Dance to the viral song 'Boots On The Ground' concluded the ceremony in a synchronated dancing flash mob of community members that filled the memorial park. 'We must not be scared to wear our pride on our sleeves, on our shirts, on our hearts,' Kelley said. 'We have to be louder than the silence that is put upon us. This is not a black and white issue. It is every color in between. Our brothers and sisters are being held illegally for what? For wanting to live the American Dream.' Hassan said her father, a veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge, used to ask her often 'What are you doing for freedom today?' She said these days she is often asked 'What can I do?' by citizens. 'Right now, words are the most powerful tools we have. Words matter, the Declaration of Independence matters, our voices and our votes matter. But progress is not a straight line.' Rep. Maggie Goodlander thanked the crowd for gathering. 'You can't fake showing up and you can't fake showing up together,' Goodlander said. 'We get strength from this place. We are what we remember.' This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Juneteenth in Portsmouth: 'We have a lot to resist and a lot to renew'
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Condor sells former Jersey and Guernsey passenger ferry to DFDS
A ferry which served the Channel Islands for nearly 30 years is to be repurposed to transport DFDS said the purchase of Condor's Commodore Goodwill would "enhance lifeline freight services connecting Jersey with Portsmouth and St Malo".Under the plans, Commodore Goodwill will be reflagged under the UK flag, and renamed Caesarea Trader in homage to Jersey's Latin name, vessel is 126 meters (43ft) long, has a cargo capacity of 1250 cubic metres, the equivalent of about 80 trailers. It will be renovated ahead of its launch later this year, replacing the MV Arrow, the leased vessel currently transporting Jersey's freight, said DFDS."We are delighted to be able to announce the acquisition of Goodwill, " said Chris Parker, the company's Jersey route director."We are working hard to get it ready for service and in the meantime MV Arrow and her crew will continue to provide an excellent service for the island."
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Inquest reveals couple's cause of death at Portsmouth home
A woman was found dead from head injuries near her husband's body when police were called to their home, a coroner has Stone-Houghton, 66, and Ruth Stone-Houghton, 60, were found by officers at the address in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in September Stone-Houghton, who was found hanged, had suffered a "sudden, rapid and critical deterioration in his mental health" in the months before the deaths, a pre-inquest hearing was previously said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. Officers found Mrs Stone-Houghton in the master bedroom of the property in Holcot Lane on 14 September, the hearing was coroner Rachel Spearing said the husband's deteriorating mental health first became apparent around Christmas in said he suffered from depression, suicidal ideation and at times paranoia, contributed to by the impact of the Covid Spearing said: "Chris was under the care of the community mental health team."The last contact with them was two days before his death. He lacked insight into his condition."The inquest heard that Mr Stone-Houghton held a firearms licence, which was being reviewed by said: "There is concern at how Craneswater Group Practice [the Stone-Houghtons' GP surgery] responded to three requests properly made by the police."No firearm was involved in the deaths, the hearing was a previous statement, the recently-retired couple's family said: "Not only were Chris and Ruth amazing parents to their two children - anyone who knew Chris and Ruth will know how hard they worked in so many parts of their lives and they were both known for their positivity and loveable sense of humour."The hearing in Winchester was attended by some of the couple's family and friends as well as by representatives of two NHS trusts.A full inquest will be heard in due course. If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, support is available from organisations listed by BBC Action Line. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
