One of the most moving monuments I have ever seen was created by a sculptor. ed dwight. This includes not only liberation on June 10, but also the road leading up to it in Texas and beyond. It is located on the grounds of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Unfortunately, the neighboring monument Celebrate the Confederacy.
Most notable is the monument to Confederate war dead on the south grounds of the Capitol. Installed in 1903, the work depicts Davis standing on a pedestal surrounded by several soldiers. On the side of the monument it is written:
He died for the sovereignty guaranteed by the Constitution. In the spirit of 1776, Southerners withdrew from the Federal Convention in 1861 to protect their rights. Northerners resorted to coercion. The South fought until exhaustion against overwhelming numbers and resources.
At a time when more and more people across the United States are questioning the existence of shrines, monuments, and memorials that commemorate and honor those who fought to preserve and commemorate slavery, and those who condoned and participated in terrorism against black people after emancipation. We must fight. Replace them all with monuments like Dwight.
This promotional video shows the scope of the installation.
Dwight’s work was released in November 2016.
Construction of the monument began in 1993, when former President George W. Bush (then governor of Texas) approved funding. Although overdue, the memorial was not without controversy. “White Lives Matter” group gathered at the Texas State Capitol On Saturday, this sparked protests.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “And I’m not talking about raising money or building these monuments. I’m talking about the history of African Americans in the state of Texas and where we are now.”
The Texas African-American History Memorial Foundation raised $2.9 million for the construction, maintenance and dedication of the memorial. The 27-foot-tall, 32-foot-wide monument will be the last monument erected on the South Lawn.
Texas Institute for Historical and Cultural Preservation I researched the history in detail. Most of it is ugly.
… As early as 1865, advertisements for slave sales continued to appear in Texas newspapers. Texans openly refused to comply with the Proclamation, continuing with slaveholding business as usual. Some Texas slaves reported being in bondage for six years after emancipation, and after Juneteenth, black people were killed, lynched, and harassed by whites.
Historian Elizabeth Hayes Turner points out: “The war may not have caused much bloodshed in Texas, but the peace certainly did.”
White slave “patrolls” scoured the countryside looking for runaway blacks, who were beaten and sometimes killed. The same was true when it came to sympathy for white people. The fear and uncertainty of freed slaves was evidenced in an article published in a Galveston newspaper wondering about the economic and social plight of white citizens under “a government of which we have no voice at present.” Another article from the June 21 Galveston Tri-Weekly News:
“This attempt to overthrow an institution that had become part of our social system and which the entire population believed was essential to the well-being of both races led to war. The tolerance of our conquerors is a repetition to them of what we have been urging for many years… Any attempt to free the Negro from all restraints and make him politically equal with the white man would be most disastrous for the Negro. “The whole country was destroyed, the South was completely destroyed.”
Two and a half months after General Lee’s surrender, and three weeks after General E. Kirby Smith surrendered the last Texas Confederate regulars on Galveston Island, this is the atmosphere that greeted General Granger and his troops, who had met no resistance at Galveston. It was. Granger was sent as Commander-in-Chief of Texas, and one of his first duties was to issue General Orders No. 3.
“I inform the people that, by proclamation of the Executive Branch of the United States, all slaves are set free. This includes absolute equality of personal rights and property between former masters and slaves, and the relationship that previously existed between them becomes that of employer and employee. Freedmen are now encouraged to remain at home and work for wages. We are informed that collection is not permitted at military bases. And they will not be supported in idleness there or anywhere else.”
Granger established a provisional government, with some of his troops continuing to enforce the “official” orders of freedom throughout South and East Texas.
But Juneteenth is now a celebration. Then-Governor Bill Clements even designated June 19 as a statutory holiday in 1979 as Texas Emancipation Day.
Unfortunately, as the University of Texas at Austin points out: The same bill was enacted Juneteenth was an official holiday that also celebrated the Confederacy.
…Submitted by Representative Al Edwards (Houston) and sponsored by Senator Chet Brooks (Pasadena). The official title of the bill is House Bill 1016, 66th Regular Session of the Legislature, Chapter 481.
January 19th will be known as “Confederate Heroes’ Day” to honor Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and other Confederate heroes.
June 19 was designated “Texas Emancipation Day” in commemoration of the emancipation of slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865.It was signed by Governor William Clements on June 7, 1979. Effective from January 1, 1980.
The PBS documentary ‘Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom’ shows why this holiday has become such an important tradition.
A 2015 article in Talking Points Memo, “The Hidden History of Juneteenth,” details the aftermath.
One of the often-told myths is that Texans had no idea that slavery had ended. What Granger brought with these words was good news. But if you listen to people like Felix Haywood, who was a slave in Texas during the Civil War, you’ll see otherwise. “We knew what was happening [the war] Always,” Haywood later remembered. He said that at the time of liberation, “we all felt like heroes and that no one had made us that but ourselves.”
[…]
Granger’s Declaration may not have brought news of liberation, but it did convey this important promise of force. Within a few weeks, 50,000 American troops were flocking to the state due to the late arrival of the occupation. These soldiers were needed because planters would not give up slavery. In October 1865, a few months after the June order was issued, white Texans in some areas were “still claiming and controlling. [slaves] “It was classified as real estate, and there have been two or three recent sales,” a report said. To maintain slavery, some plantation owners systematically murdered rebellious African Americans to scare the rest into submission. According to a report from the Texas Constitutional Convention, between 1865 and 1868, white Texans killed nearly 400 black people. The report claimed that black Texans murdered 10 white people. Other planters hoped to maintain slavery in some form until the Emancipation Proclamation was overturned by the courts.
In the face of this resistance, the army turned to force. In a largely forgotten or misunderstood occupied territory, the Army stationed more than 40 outposts across Texas to teach rebels “the idea of law as an irresistible force to which all must obey.” As Haywood’s quote reminds us, freed people did not need an army to teach them about freedom. They needed an army to teach planters the futility of trying to maintain slavery.
The monument does not simply represent the history of enslavement, emancipation, and Reconstruction. Dwight also depicted more recent Texas history. Bernard A. Harris, Jr, first African American astronautAnd his history is very interesting.
Dwight was to become the first black astronaut.
This video interview with Ed Dwight gives you a glimpse into his vision.
Today, Juneteenth is not simply a day to remember our ancestors and remember the plague of American slavery. It is also a time to get together and enjoy social activities and delicious food.
What’s on the Juneteenth menu?
Now that we’ve looked at the history and commemorations of Juneteenth, we’d like to know how many of you have attended a Juneteenth celebration. For more information about Juneteenth, please leave comments about celebrations and menus.
Related articles:
A look back at how Americans have celebrated Juneteenth over the past two years.
Juneteenth is a new holiday for many Americans. It’s always been personal for our family.
