Author: Sharon Hunt
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 166982196X
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 510
Book Description
The main purpose of presenting the work is to congratulate the Texas former slaves and their ancestors for their perseverance in celebrating the first unofficial JUNETEENTH holiday in 1866 and their challenge of getting the JUNETEENTH -Emancipation Day made into a state holiday and then a national federal holiday in 2021. For years, the Texas African-Americans have shown the world the true meaning of the JUNETEENTH Celebration. They always had Jublilee celebrations, to show the progress of former slaves with inventions, education, church gatherings and Texas food. As a result of JUNETEENTH, African Americans were able to get education and worship freely, not in hollows or groves or the back of churches, in galleries or behind the pulpits in the white churches, if the slaves were allowed to attend the white churches. In many cases, the slaves were not allowed to read the Bible nor sing or pray. The challenges of the former Texas slaves promoted the establishing of Black churches, Black elementary and high school and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Blacks were prohibited from going to most white schools until the mid-1900s. Slaves at the time had been in the country for more than 300 hundred years without being allowed to attend school, church or have proper housing or food, but God was our father. Out of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, African-Americans were able to achieve basic freedom to compete in the world and to later on integrate white colleges and universities. The Emancipation Proclamation was written and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. All slaves were freed two years later in 1865. Even though the slaves were freed two years after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Texas slaves were the last slaves to learn that all slaves were free in 1865. The Texas former slaves were the first to celebrate JUNETEENTH, because the Texas slaves were freed on this date. The Texas former slaves celebrated FIRST JUNETEENTH in 1866.
(My View) Celebrating with Texas! Juneteenth! Federal National Holiday Emancipation Day for African-American Slaves (Official -June 21, 2021)
Author: Sharon Hunt
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 166982196X
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 510
Book Description
The main purpose of presenting the work is to congratulate the Texas former slaves and their ancestors for their perseverance in celebrating the first unofficial JUNETEENTH holiday in 1866 and their challenge of getting the JUNETEENTH -Emancipation Day made into a state holiday and then a national federal holiday in 2021. For years, the Texas African-Americans have shown the world the true meaning of the JUNETEENTH Celebration. They always had Jublilee celebrations, to show the progress of former slaves with inventions, education, church gatherings and Texas food. As a result of JUNETEENTH, African Americans were able to get education and worship freely, not in hollows or groves or the back of churches, in galleries or behind the pulpits in the white churches, if the slaves were allowed to attend the white churches. In many cases, the slaves were not allowed to read the Bible nor sing or pray. The challenges of the former Texas slaves promoted the establishing of Black churches, Black elementary and high school and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Blacks were prohibited from going to most white schools until the mid-1900s. Slaves at the time had been in the country for more than 300 hundred years without being allowed to attend school, church or have proper housing or food, but God was our father. Out of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, African-Americans were able to achieve basic freedom to compete in the world and to later on integrate white colleges and universities. The Emancipation Proclamation was written and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. All slaves were freed two years later in 1865. Even though the slaves were freed two years after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Texas slaves were the last slaves to learn that all slaves were free in 1865. The Texas former slaves were the first to celebrate JUNETEENTH, because the Texas slaves were freed on this date. The Texas former slaves celebrated FIRST JUNETEENTH in 1866.
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 166982196X
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 510
Book Description
The main purpose of presenting the work is to congratulate the Texas former slaves and their ancestors for their perseverance in celebrating the first unofficial JUNETEENTH holiday in 1866 and their challenge of getting the JUNETEENTH -Emancipation Day made into a state holiday and then a national federal holiday in 2021. For years, the Texas African-Americans have shown the world the true meaning of the JUNETEENTH Celebration. They always had Jublilee celebrations, to show the progress of former slaves with inventions, education, church gatherings and Texas food. As a result of JUNETEENTH, African Americans were able to get education and worship freely, not in hollows or groves or the back of churches, in galleries or behind the pulpits in the white churches, if the slaves were allowed to attend the white churches. In many cases, the slaves were not allowed to read the Bible nor sing or pray. The challenges of the former Texas slaves promoted the establishing of Black churches, Black elementary and high school and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Blacks were prohibited from going to most white schools until the mid-1900s. Slaves at the time had been in the country for more than 300 hundred years without being allowed to attend school, church or have proper housing or food, but God was our father. Out of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, African-Americans were able to achieve basic freedom to compete in the world and to later on integrate white colleges and universities. The Emancipation Proclamation was written and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. All slaves were freed two years later in 1865. Even though the slaves were freed two years after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Texas slaves were the last slaves to learn that all slaves were free in 1865. The Texas former slaves were the first to celebrate JUNETEENTH, because the Texas slaves were freed on this date. The Texas former slaves celebrated FIRST JUNETEENTH in 1866.
All Different Now
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 068987376X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40
Book Description
In 1865, members of a family start their day as slaves, working in a Texas cotton field, and end it celebrating their freedom on what came to be known as Juneteenth.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 068987376X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40
Book Description
In 1865, members of a family start their day as slaves, working in a Texas cotton field, and end it celebrating their freedom on what came to be known as Juneteenth.
(My View) Celebrating with Texas! Juneteenth! Federal National Holiday Emancipation Day for African-American Slaves (Official -June 21, 2021)
Author: Sharon Hunt
Publisher: Xlibris Us
ISBN: 9781669821977
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
The main purpose of presenting the work is to congratulate the Texas former slaves and their ancestors for their perseverance in celebrating the first unofficial JUNETEENTH holiday in 1866 and their challenge of getting the JUNETEENTH -Emancipation Day made into a state holiday and then a national federal holiday in 2021. For years, the Texas African-Americans have shown the world the true meaning of the JUNETEENTH Celebration. They always had Jublilee celebrations, to show the progress of former slaves with inventions, education, church gatherings and Texas food. As a result of JUNETEENTH, African Americans were able to get education and worship freely, not in hollows or groves or the back of churches, in galleries or behind the pulpits in the white churches, if the slaves were allowed to attend the white churches. In many cases, the slaves were not allowed to read the Bible nor sing or pray. The challenges of the former Texas slaves promoted the establishing of Black churches, Black elementary and high school and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Blacks were prohibited from going to most white schools until the mid-1900s. Slaves at the time had been in the country for more than 300 hundred years without being allowed to attend school, church or have proper housing or food, but God was our father. Out of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, African-Americans were able to achieve basic freedom to compete in the world and to later on integrate white colleges and universities. The Emancipation Proclamation was written and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. All slaves were freed two years later in 1865. Even though the slaves were freed two years after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Texas slaves were the last slaves to learn that all slaves were free in 1865. The Texas former slaves were the first to celebrate JUNETEENTH, because the Texas slaves were freed on this date. The Texas former slaves celebrated FIRST JUNETEENTH in 1866.
Publisher: Xlibris Us
ISBN: 9781669821977
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 504
Book Description
The main purpose of presenting the work is to congratulate the Texas former slaves and their ancestors for their perseverance in celebrating the first unofficial JUNETEENTH holiday in 1866 and their challenge of getting the JUNETEENTH -Emancipation Day made into a state holiday and then a national federal holiday in 2021. For years, the Texas African-Americans have shown the world the true meaning of the JUNETEENTH Celebration. They always had Jublilee celebrations, to show the progress of former slaves with inventions, education, church gatherings and Texas food. As a result of JUNETEENTH, African Americans were able to get education and worship freely, not in hollows or groves or the back of churches, in galleries or behind the pulpits in the white churches, if the slaves were allowed to attend the white churches. In many cases, the slaves were not allowed to read the Bible nor sing or pray. The challenges of the former Texas slaves promoted the establishing of Black churches, Black elementary and high school and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Blacks were prohibited from going to most white schools until the mid-1900s. Slaves at the time had been in the country for more than 300 hundred years without being allowed to attend school, church or have proper housing or food, but God was our father. Out of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, African-Americans were able to achieve basic freedom to compete in the world and to later on integrate white colleges and universities. The Emancipation Proclamation was written and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. All slaves were freed two years later in 1865. Even though the slaves were freed two years after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Texas slaves were the last slaves to learn that all slaves were free in 1865. The Texas former slaves were the first to celebrate JUNETEENTH, because the Texas slaves were freed on this date. The Texas former slaves celebrated FIRST JUNETEENTH in 1866.
What Is Juneteenth?
Author: Kirsti Jewel
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593384717
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 113
Book Description
Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forced labor with no pay was now illegal in all of the United States. This news was cause for celebration, so the group of people jumped in excitement, danced, and wept tears of joy. They did not know it at the time, but their joyous celebration of freedom would become a holiday--Juneteenth--that is observed each year by more and more Americans. Author Kirsti Jewel shares stories from Juneteenth celebrations, both past and present, and chronicles the history that led to the creation of this joyous day. With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest addition to Who HQ!
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593384717
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 113
Book Description
Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forced labor with no pay was now illegal in all of the United States. This news was cause for celebration, so the group of people jumped in excitement, danced, and wept tears of joy. They did not know it at the time, but their joyous celebration of freedom would become a holiday--Juneteenth--that is observed each year by more and more Americans. Author Kirsti Jewel shares stories from Juneteenth celebrations, both past and present, and chronicles the history that led to the creation of this joyous day. With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest addition to Who HQ!
How the Word Is Passed
Author: Clint Smith
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316492914
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
This “important and timely” (Drew Faust, Harvard Magazine) #1 New York Times bestseller examines the legacy of slavery in America—and how both history and memory continue to shape our everyday lives. Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks—those that are honest about the past and those that are not—that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history, and ourselves. It is the story of the Monticello Plantation in Virginia, the estate where Thomas Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while enslaving more than four hundred people. It is the story of the Whitney Plantation, one of the only former plantations devoted to preserving the experience of the enslaved people whose lives and work sustained it. It is the story of Angola, a former plantation-turned-maximum-security prison in Louisiana that is filled with Black men who work across the 18,000-acre land for virtually no pay. And it is the story of Blandford Cemetery, the final resting place of tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers. A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view—whether in places we might drive by on our way to work, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods like downtown Manhattan, where the brutal history of the trade in enslaved men, women, and children has been deeply imprinted. Informed by scholarship and brought to life by the story of people living today, Smith's debut work of nonfiction is a landmark of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction Winner of the Stowe Prize Winner of 2022 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism A New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316492914
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
This “important and timely” (Drew Faust, Harvard Magazine) #1 New York Times bestseller examines the legacy of slavery in America—and how both history and memory continue to shape our everyday lives. Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader on an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks—those that are honest about the past and those that are not—that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history, and ourselves. It is the story of the Monticello Plantation in Virginia, the estate where Thomas Jefferson wrote letters espousing the urgent need for liberty while enslaving more than four hundred people. It is the story of the Whitney Plantation, one of the only former plantations devoted to preserving the experience of the enslaved people whose lives and work sustained it. It is the story of Angola, a former plantation-turned-maximum-security prison in Louisiana that is filled with Black men who work across the 18,000-acre land for virtually no pay. And it is the story of Blandford Cemetery, the final resting place of tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers. A deeply researched and transporting exploration of the legacy of slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history, How the Word Is Passed illustrates how some of our country's most essential stories are hidden in plain view—whether in places we might drive by on our way to work, holidays such as Juneteenth, or entire neighborhoods like downtown Manhattan, where the brutal history of the trade in enslaved men, women, and children has been deeply imprinted. Informed by scholarship and brought to life by the story of people living today, Smith's debut work of nonfiction is a landmark of reflection and insight that offers a new understanding of the hopeful role that memory and history can play in making sense of our country and how it has come to be. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction Winner of the Stowe Prize Winner of 2022 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism A New York Times 10 Best Books of 2021
Learn about the United States
Author: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160831188
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
"Learn About the United States" is intended to help permanent residents gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. The product presents 96 short lessons, based on the sample questions from which the civics portion of the naturalization test is drawn. An audio CD that allows students to listen to the questions, answers, and civics lessons read aloud is also included. For immigrants preparing to naturalize, the chance to learn more about the history and government of the United States will make their journey toward citizenship a more meaningful one.
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN: 9780160831188
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
"Learn About the United States" is intended to help permanent residents gain a deeper understanding of U.S. history and government as they prepare to become citizens. The product presents 96 short lessons, based on the sample questions from which the civics portion of the naturalization test is drawn. An audio CD that allows students to listen to the questions, answers, and civics lessons read aloud is also included. For immigrants preparing to naturalize, the chance to learn more about the history and government of the United States will make their journey toward citizenship a more meaningful one.
Lost Restaurants of Galveston's African American Community
Author: Galveston Historical Foundation with Greg Samford, Tommie Boudreaux, Alice Gatson and Ella Lewis
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467141771
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
People of African descent were some of Galveston's earliest residents, and although they came to the island enslaved, they retained mastery of their culinary traditions. As Galveston's port prospered and became the "Wall Street of the South," better job opportunities were available for African Americans who lived in Galveston and for those who migrated to the island city after emancipation, with owner-operated restaurants being one of the most popular enterprises. Staples like Fease's Jambalaya Café, Rose's Confectionery and the Squeeze Inn anchored the island community and elevated its cuisine. From Gus Allen's business savvy to Eliza Gipson's oxtail artistry, the Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee has gathered together the stories and recipes that preserve this culinary history for the enjoyment and enrichment of generations, and kitchens, to come.
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467141771
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
People of African descent were some of Galveston's earliest residents, and although they came to the island enslaved, they retained mastery of their culinary traditions. As Galveston's port prospered and became the "Wall Street of the South," better job opportunities were available for African Americans who lived in Galveston and for those who migrated to the island city after emancipation, with owner-operated restaurants being one of the most popular enterprises. Staples like Fease's Jambalaya Café, Rose's Confectionery and the Squeeze Inn anchored the island community and elevated its cuisine. From Gus Allen's business savvy to Eliza Gipson's oxtail artistry, the Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee has gathered together the stories and recipes that preserve this culinary history for the enjoyment and enrichment of generations, and kitchens, to come.
Festivals of Freedom
Author: Mitch Kachun
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 9781558495289
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
With the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808, many African Americans began calling for "a day of publick thanksgiving" to commemorate this important step toward freedom. During the ensuing century, black leaders built on this foundation and constructed a distinctive and vibrant tradition through their celebrations of the end of slavery in New York State, the British West Indies, and eventually the United States as a whole. In this revealing study, Mitch Kachun explores the multiple functions and contested meanings surrounding African American emancipation celebrations from the abolition of the slave trade to the fiftieth anniversary of U.S. emancipation. Excluded from July Fourth and other American nationalist rituals for most of this period, black activists used these festivals of freedom to encourage community building and race uplift. Kachun demonstrates that, even as these annual rituals helped define African Americans as a people by fostering a sense of shared history, heritage, and identity, they were also sites of ambiguity and conflict. Freedom celebrations served as occasions for debate over black representations in the public sphere, struggles for group leadership, and contests over collective memory and its meaning. Based on extensive research in African American newspapers and oration texts, this book retraces a vital if often overlooked tradition in African American political culture and addresses important issues about black participation in the public sphere. By illuminating the origins of black Americans' public commemorations, it also helps explain why there have been increasing calls in recent years to make the "Juneteenth" observance of emancipation an American -- not just an African American -- day of commemoration.
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 9781558495289
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 372
Book Description
With the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808, many African Americans began calling for "a day of publick thanksgiving" to commemorate this important step toward freedom. During the ensuing century, black leaders built on this foundation and constructed a distinctive and vibrant tradition through their celebrations of the end of slavery in New York State, the British West Indies, and eventually the United States as a whole. In this revealing study, Mitch Kachun explores the multiple functions and contested meanings surrounding African American emancipation celebrations from the abolition of the slave trade to the fiftieth anniversary of U.S. emancipation. Excluded from July Fourth and other American nationalist rituals for most of this period, black activists used these festivals of freedom to encourage community building and race uplift. Kachun demonstrates that, even as these annual rituals helped define African Americans as a people by fostering a sense of shared history, heritage, and identity, they were also sites of ambiguity and conflict. Freedom celebrations served as occasions for debate over black representations in the public sphere, struggles for group leadership, and contests over collective memory and its meaning. Based on extensive research in African American newspapers and oration texts, this book retraces a vital if often overlooked tradition in African American political culture and addresses important issues about black participation in the public sphere. By illuminating the origins of black Americans' public commemorations, it also helps explain why there have been increasing calls in recent years to make the "Juneteenth" observance of emancipation an American -- not just an African American -- day of commemoration.
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400231272
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32
Book Description
Booklist starred review Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate "freedom for all." Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic—a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak's stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865—over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn't always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn't freedom at all. She had to do something! But could one person’s voice make a difference? Could Opal bring about national recognition of Juneteenth? Follow Opal Lee as she fights to improve the future by honoring the past. Through the story of Opal Lee's determination and persistence, children ages 4 to 8 will learn: all people are created equal the power of bravery and using your voice for change the history of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, and what it means today no one is free unless everyone is free fighting for a dream is worth the difficulty experienced along the way Featuring the illustrations of New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo (I am Enough), Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan celebrates the life and legacy of a modern-day Black leader while sharing a message of hope, unity, joy, and strength.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400231272
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32
Book Description
Booklist starred review Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate "freedom for all." Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic—a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak's stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865—over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn't always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn't freedom at all. She had to do something! But could one person’s voice make a difference? Could Opal bring about national recognition of Juneteenth? Follow Opal Lee as she fights to improve the future by honoring the past. Through the story of Opal Lee's determination and persistence, children ages 4 to 8 will learn: all people are created equal the power of bravery and using your voice for change the history of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, and what it means today no one is free unless everyone is free fighting for a dream is worth the difficulty experienced along the way Featuring the illustrations of New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo (I am Enough), Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan celebrates the life and legacy of a modern-day Black leader while sharing a message of hope, unity, joy, and strength.
Juneteenth
Author: Ralph Ellison
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593242106
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
The radiant, posthumous second novel by the visionary author of Invisible Man, featuring an introduction and a new postscript by Ralph Ellison's literary executor, John F. Callahan, and a preface by National Book Award-winning author Charles Johnson “Ralph Ellison’s generosity, humor and nimble language are, of course, on display in Juneteenth, but it is his vigorous intellect that rules the novel. . . . A majestic narrative concept.”—Toni Morrison In Washington, D.C., in the 1950s, Adam Sunraider, a race-baiting senator from New England, is mortally wounded by an assassin’s bullet while making a speech on the Senate floor. To the shock of all who think they know him, Sunraider calls out from his deathbed for Alonzo Hickman, an old black minister, to be brought to his side. The reverend is summoned; the two are left alone. “Tell me what happened while there’s still time,” demands the dying Sunraider. Out of their conversation, and the inner rhythms of memories whose weight has been borne in silence for many long years, a story emerges. Senator Sunraider, once known as Bliss, was raised by Reverend Hickman in a black community steeped in religion and music (not unlike Ralph Ellison’s own childhood home) and was brought up to be a preaching prodigy in a joyful black Baptist ministry that traveled throughout the South and the Southwest. Together one last time, the two men retrace the course of their shared life in an “anguished attempt,” Ellison once put it, “to arrive at the true shape and substance of a sundered past and its meaning.” In the end, the two men confront their most painful memories, memories that hold the key to understanding the mysteries of kinship and race that bind them, and to the senator’s confronting how deeply estranged he had become from his true identity. In Juneteenth, Ralph Ellison evokes the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech to tell a powerful tale of a prodigal son in the twentieth century. At the time of his death in 1994, Ellison was still expanding his novel in other directions, envisioning a grand, perhaps multivolume, story cycle. Always, in his mind, the character Hickman and the story of Sunraider’s life from birth to death were the dramatic heart of the narrative. And so, with the aid of Ellison’s widow, Fanny, his literary executor, John Callahan, has edited this magnificent novel at the center of Ralph Ellison’s forty-year work in progress—its author’s abiding testament to the country he so loved and to its many unfinished tasks.
Publisher: Modern Library
ISBN: 0593242106
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
The radiant, posthumous second novel by the visionary author of Invisible Man, featuring an introduction and a new postscript by Ralph Ellison's literary executor, John F. Callahan, and a preface by National Book Award-winning author Charles Johnson “Ralph Ellison’s generosity, humor and nimble language are, of course, on display in Juneteenth, but it is his vigorous intellect that rules the novel. . . . A majestic narrative concept.”—Toni Morrison In Washington, D.C., in the 1950s, Adam Sunraider, a race-baiting senator from New England, is mortally wounded by an assassin’s bullet while making a speech on the Senate floor. To the shock of all who think they know him, Sunraider calls out from his deathbed for Alonzo Hickman, an old black minister, to be brought to his side. The reverend is summoned; the two are left alone. “Tell me what happened while there’s still time,” demands the dying Sunraider. Out of their conversation, and the inner rhythms of memories whose weight has been borne in silence for many long years, a story emerges. Senator Sunraider, once known as Bliss, was raised by Reverend Hickman in a black community steeped in religion and music (not unlike Ralph Ellison’s own childhood home) and was brought up to be a preaching prodigy in a joyful black Baptist ministry that traveled throughout the South and the Southwest. Together one last time, the two men retrace the course of their shared life in an “anguished attempt,” Ellison once put it, “to arrive at the true shape and substance of a sundered past and its meaning.” In the end, the two men confront their most painful memories, memories that hold the key to understanding the mysteries of kinship and race that bind them, and to the senator’s confronting how deeply estranged he had become from his true identity. In Juneteenth, Ralph Ellison evokes the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech to tell a powerful tale of a prodigal son in the twentieth century. At the time of his death in 1994, Ellison was still expanding his novel in other directions, envisioning a grand, perhaps multivolume, story cycle. Always, in his mind, the character Hickman and the story of Sunraider’s life from birth to death were the dramatic heart of the narrative. And so, with the aid of Ellison’s widow, Fanny, his literary executor, John Callahan, has edited this magnificent novel at the center of Ralph Ellison’s forty-year work in progress—its author’s abiding testament to the country he so loved and to its many unfinished tasks.