The Freedom to Choose Project’s Post

How many times have you reacted and wished you would have made a different response? Learn more how to find the space between stimulus and response: https://lnkd.in/gMWgW5XU

Juneteenth is more than a holiday, it is the realization of a centuries long struggle to end slavery in the United States. Today, we celebrate freedom, resilience, and a commitment to uplifting Black voices. As we continue to strive for equity for all, we support and stand in community with the wide array of organizations who are building community, speaking out, and fighting to end oppressive systems born out of American chattel slavery. Education is key to truly reconciling our past, learn more about Juneteenth below: https://lnkd.in/gqvPZFF

There has been a pattern of delayed justice when it comes to slavery and racism in the US. Juneteenth marks the day that the slaves in Texas finally became free — a whole 2 and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. And it just became a federal holiday in 2021. We can't even begin to untangle the complex trauma and damage that the fingerprints of slavery have imprinted on our country, still plainly visible today. But we can honor the sacrifices of those who helped end slavery, celebrate the progress that has been made, interrogate the innate privilege so many of us know all our lives, and make an effort to heal wounds. Celebrate Juneteenth. Celebrate freedom. Celebrate progress. And never stop demanding positive change and real equity.

Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, the national holiday marking the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Texas, delivering the news of freedom to Black people two and half years after the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. While we celebrate the final blow to the horrific institution of slavery in 1865, we must acknowledge the continued challenges and barriers many face due to the lack of affordable and reliable access to broadband.  Communication connectivity is crucial! Equity in broadband access is an objective across MCJ’s advocacy campaigns. Equal access is key for all Mississippians, regardless of their race or income, to have the digital education, healthcare, and employment resources necessary for success in today’s world. These are the battles we continue to fight every day. Together, we can honor the legacy of Juneteenth by working towards a more just and equitable future for all. #Juneteenth #MCJ #Justice #Equity

On June 19, 1865 US Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX to take command of 2000 federal troops that were sent to enforce General Order No. 3 ordering “....absolute equality of personal rights and rights or property between former masters and slaves,” which in itself was an extension of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation issued three years earlier in America's most violent conflict. Neither of these orders truly ended slavery, even after the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution was signed finally banning slavery in the border states of Delaware and Kentucky that permitted slavery but never joined the rebellion against the US government, individual treaties had to be signed with Native American tribes some of which kept small numbers of African American slaves. Most importantly the dreams of “absolute equality” promised by General Order No 3 were never truly realized. Reconstruction was more focused on rebuilding bridges, railroads, and harbors in the South than it was in changing societal norms.  Once the North started to lose interest in Reconstruction, and pulled out federal troops, the old ways returned through Jim Crow laws, “separate but equal” segregration, lynching and the KKK, etc. It took multiple generations for a renewed interest in Civil Rights to occur in the US, and only recently has education around Juneteenth, Reconstruction, the Tulsa Race Riots, the Wilmington Coup, "red lining," and structural racism entered into the mainstream. I took AP US history myself in high school and personally don’t recall any of these events being discussed in our curriculum. While we all deal with our own personal trauma, some to more extent than others, today is a reminder as well of the deep extent of societal and intergenerational trauma in America for often marginalized groups. Yes I hope for a day where people are free to explore their own minds and find healing through plant based medicine without the fear of any adverse legal repercussions, but I dream too of a time where people can pursue whatever path in life their heart desires without being held back due to their race or their religion. We have a ways to go but I do think talking about it, and more importantly listening to stories of personal experiences, are the first steps towards healing.  #Juneteenth #endracism

Who am I…? Test yourself by studying the board, then check the answers below. At our Non-secure Detention Center, this board was placed in the recreation room. Says Lutheran Social Services of New York's Candace Archie, “We used it as an interactive way to teach the kids about Black History. I felt like this was a fun way for them to learn. They’ll make a game out of who got the most correct answers…For the incorrect ones, we made it a teachable moment.” This center serves youth between the ages of 7 to 15 who have committed a criminal offense but are considered low risk. The program offers a less restrictive setting that is supportive and home-like, while still maintaining close supervision. The top goals are to avoid recidivism and involvement with the justice system and to help facilitate future success.   Says Rachel Bleecker, LMSW, Executive Director for Residential Services, “This program is inarguably one of LSSNYs most important programs, serving incarcerated male youth and offering an alternative to incarceration in a home-like setting. Our goal is to help the youth placed at our program — who are disproportionately black and brown — to be heard, to feel understood, to heal, to return home, to course-correct and to hopefully avoid a life of poor decisions/negative outcomes.”  Answers: A: Jay-Z (7) B: Serena Williams (8) C: Michael Jordan (4) D: Ruby Bridges (2) E: Barack Obama (11) F: Thurgood Marshall (12) G: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (5) H: Rosa Parks (10) I: Oprah Winfrey (3) J: Dr. Mae C. Jemison (1) K: Chadwick Boseman (6) L: Kamala Harris (9) #BlackHistoryMonth  

On #Juneteenth we note how legacies of slavery interact with patriarchy to create unique pronatalist forces in BIPOC communities. Check out this enlightening conversation with Dr. Kimya Nuru Dennis on The Unique Challenges of Being #Black and #Childfree https://lnkd.in/e7CUt9bF

During our Executive Director, Kellie Simmons, a recent trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, she and our student mentor, Ena, met with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regarding 2025 collaborations. Here are a few of the collaborative in the works for our students: - Arts Integrative Education workshops: These workshops will use theater as a tool to process trauma and craft narratives related to conflict and adversity. - Youth Policy and Advocacy: Students will learn to identify global issues affecting them, how policies address societal problems, explore why advocacy is crucial for driving change, and how students can engage in advocacy efforts. - Campaign on 30th Anniversary of Peace: Jericho scholars will create a campaign that voices the stories of young people affected by discrimination and violence."

This Fourth of July week, we recognize the honest history of the United States is marked by injustices as well as the courage to confront our past and fight for a more just future. We commit to the ongoing movement to build a more inclusive and multiracial democracy. The words and actions of our elders can help to guide us. Join us in the commitment to center learning to inform action for liberation and justice. #education, #socialjustice

On this Juneteenth, please consider or share your alignment to the following: Reflection is meaningful but action is necessary!!! It's time to show that we learn from history and demonstrate understanding that we know it is inappropriate to try and rewrite history. We must ensure that truth prevails and we must respond in kind by leaving a legacy of FORWARD and not BACKWARD movement for younger generations. Is this not OUR moral imperative? #forward; #Juneteenth; #DEI