Beyond Juneteenth: Breaking the Chains to Access Capital and Achieve Real Freedom
Vercie Lark, left, Region 7 Great Plains Administrator and Ted James, right, Region 6 South Central Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration By Vercie Lark and Ted James Being black and walking away from a person who legally owned you became reality on June 17, 1865, when Texas became the last state to implement the Emancipation Proclamation. The day, now known as Juneteenth, has become one of celebration for black Americans. It was a start. As black Americans, however, we continually must ask the question: “Are we truly emancipated?” While important to celebrate a
Manifesting the Legacy of Our Liberation
This post was originally published on Seattle Medium Activist and CEO of the Black Future Co-op Fund argues that it is a time to envision what is possible outside of systemic oppression. By T’wina Nobles Opal Lee is the grandmother of Juneteenth. For most of her life, she has advocated to make Juneteenth a national holiday. In 2016, she even walked from her home in Ft. Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., traveling two and a half miles each day to symbolize the two and a half years Black Texans waited for emancipation. At 94