JUST IMAGINE IF AN AMERICAN GENERAL WALKED INTO A NAZI PRISON OF WAR CAMP DURING WW11 AND INFORMED THE JEWS THAT THEY WERE FREE AND THAT THE WAR ENDED TWO YEARS AGO. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SLAVES IN TEXAS. THE SLAVES IN TEXAS WERE TOLD THAT IN-ACCORDANCE WITH A PROCLAMATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES, “ALL SLAVES ARE FREE”. THIS OCCURED JUNE 19, 1865, TWO YEARS AFTER THE PROCLAMATION AND TWO MONTHS AFTER PRESIDENT LINCOLN WAS ASSASINATED. CONGRESS ENACTED THE 13TH AMENDMENT ON 31 JAN 1865 ABOLISHING SLAVERY. HOWEVER, THAT WORD DIDN’T REACH THE SLAVES IN GALVESTON UNTIL JUNE 1865. SO ESSENTIALLY TEXAS DID NOTHING AFTER THE PROCLAMATION AND FOR 5 MONTHS AFTER THE 13TH AMENDMENT WAS PASSED. FAST FORWARD TO CURRENT TIMES, IN THE HEARTS OF MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS, THIS MAKES 19 JUNE THE TRUE INDEPENDENCE DAY NOT THE 4TH OF JULY. BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SOLD WITHIN A NATION BUILT ON THE BACKS OF OTHER SLAVES. MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN IN BONDAGE WITH FAMILIES TORN APART AND PUNISHED FOR READING AND WRITING FOR 157 YEARS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME IN AMERICA WHO WOULD DENY BLACKS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE A STATE AND FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INDEPENDENCE DAY. OPPONENTS ARE SAYING THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY HOLIDAYS ALREADY AND SUGGEST THAT BLACKS TRADE IN ONE OF THE OTHER HOLIDAYS ON THE BOOKS SUCH AS CHRISTMAS OR NEW YEARS. WAS THIS EVER SUGGESTED TO THE JEWS? BUT SINCE IT HAS BEEN TO BLACKS, LET’S TAKE THEM UP ON IT AND TRADE A DAY BY GIVING BACK THE 4TH OF JULY. AFTER ALL, IT’S NOT REALLY ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE.