Happy Father's Day/Juneteenth!
Fathers' Day is a day of honoring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society. Fathers' Day also celebrates the men who have no formal parental relationship but use their actions and words to influence and guide others. For the past few years, I have made sure we do something for the clients of the soup kitchen of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.
This year, the Day was shared with Juneteenth, which allowed us to celebrate the importance of Freedom Day, which is about setting our minds free from thoughts and things that hold us back from becoming successful in life.
Juneteenth gets its name by combining "June" and "nineteenth," the Day of Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston.
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had fought for the Union, led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a critical message: The war was finally over, the Union had won, and it now had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery. Of course, slavery did not end on Juneteenth. But it was the start of people getting hope and reason for celebration!
Let us embrace the difference in the colors of our skin and celebrate our differences with respect and happiness. Texas was the last state to have slavery abolished. June 19 – or 'Juneteenth' – became the official Day to celebrate the emancipation of the enslaved people.
A few volunteers and I got together and decided to have a special day at the soup kitchen where I volunteer! We purchased rotisserie chickens from Costco for the meal and made the sides of macaroni salad with turkey bacon and mixed vegetables. And we polished it off with apple pies from Costco! We also handed out notepads, a mini Rubik's Cube, and a Survival Card Tool to all of the Father's!
Once again, I want to thank everybody who helped pull this project together. So many helped with raising funds, and others gave their time to this cause. Thanks!
“The best and the only way to fight racism is with solidarity….. Let us put an end to all the discrimination by standing tall against the differences created by weak minds…. A very Happy Juneteenth to you.”
We were lucky to have Connell Thompson (www.Instagram.com/connellthompsonsax) stop by for a few minutes of an up-and-close sax performance. Connell is a very talented musician, and I cannot thank him enough for coming down to give joy to our clients! Thank you, Connell!