Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Juneteenth--The Oldest U.S. Celebration of the Emancipation of the Slaves
The Emancipation Proclamation was presented to Congress by President Abraham Lincoln in September 1862, to take effect on January 1, 1863. However, the slaves in Texas didn't know about their freedom until two and one-half years later--on or about June 19, 1865--after the end of the Civil War.
Because the exact date in mid-June when the Union Soldiers brought the news is not known, it could have been June Fifteenth, Sixteenth, or Seventeenth--it was "one of those "teenths" in June 1865. Therefore, the holiday was named "Juneteeenth".
Check out the website Juneteenth.com to find a Juneteenth Celebration near you and to learn more about this very important and historical African-American holiday.
"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
According to Tom Feelings, the author of The Middle Passage:
Juneteenth is a day of reflection, a day of renewal, a pride-filled day. It is a moment in time taken to appreciate the African American experience. It is inclusive of all races, ethnicities and nationalities - as nothing is more comforting than the hand of a friend.
Juneteenth is a day on which honor and respect is paid for the sufferings of slavery. It is a day on which we acknowledge the evils of slavery and its aftermath. On Juneteenth we talk about our history and realize because of it, there will forever be a bond between us.
On Juneteenth we think about that moment in time when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas received word of their freedom. We imagine the depth of their emotions, their jubilant dance and their fear of the unknown.
Juneteenth is a day that we commit to each other the needed support as family, friends and co-workers. It is a day we build coalitions that enhance African American economics.
On Juneteenth we come together young and old to listen, to learn and to refresh the drive to achieve. It is a day where we all take one step closer together - to better utilize the energy wasted on racism. Juneteenth is a day that we pray for peace and liberty for all.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Old School Friday: "Summertime" by Billy Preston
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Historic Boston-Edison Garden Tour THIS Saturday!
3rd Annual Boston-Edison Garden Tour
Saturday, June 18, 2011
10:00 am - 5:00pm
Be a Sponsor!
Tickets
- Advance Tickets - $15
- 6 Tickets - $80 (A savings of $10)
- 10 Tickets - $130 (A savings of $20)
Check-in
Ordering Tickets
Historic Boston-Edison Garden Tour
P.O. Box 02244
Detroit, Michigan 48202
Please include your personal check for the full amount of your purchase, made out to "Historic Boston Edison Association." Please make sure your order is postmarked by Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
Jazz on Thursdays in New Center Park in Detroit
Today and every Thursday this summer, come to the New Center and experience FREE Jazz and Blues Concerts at 6 pm! There are lots of yummy choices for food and drink at the New Center Park Cafe'--your purchases help to support the free concerts. Come hang out at W. Grand Blvd. and Second Avenue!
Plan your summer Thursdays around our Al Fresco Jazz and Blues series at New Center Park. This series includes some of Detroit's finest players, all nationally renowned, and ready to establish New Center Park as the best place for summer Jazz and Blues. Stayed tuned to NewCenterPark.com for weather updates.
*All shows are FREE and start at 6:00 pm*
6/16/11 - Duane Parham Sax Appeal
6/23/11 - Alexander Zonjic
6/30/11 - Rayse Biggs and friends
7/7/11 - Sean Blackman & Wayne Gerard's VIOLAO with vocalist Genevieve Marentette
7/14/11 - Tim Bowman
7/21/11 - Thornetta Davis
ABOUT NEW CENTER PARK:
New Center Park is a unique green space located on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and West Grand Boulevard across from the Fisher Building. It represents an exciting opportunity for New Center Council to provide a “quality of life” amenity for residents, employees and visitors of the neighborhood. Renovation of this existing “pocket park” into a flexible outdoor concert, activity and concession venue (1200 person capacity) and seasonal programming will begin on June 4th and continue throughout the summer.
With an Alfresco Cafe Menu and Full Bar, New Center Park is available for Private Rentals and is actively identifying Sponsors for 2011′s 90 Shows!!
Food and beverage purchases support the free activities and free entertainment in New Center Park, so come hungry, come thirsty! Sorry NO outside food or beverage permitted during programming.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
DAM! It's the Detroit Artists Market!
TOMORROW-RAIN OR SHINE! 2011 DAM Garden Party and Art Sale June 16- 4:00-8:00 pm Party Location: |
 A DAM tradition since 1934, the Garden Party and Art Sale features more than 100 Detroit-area artists this year. Please join us on Thursday, June 16, 2011, from 4pm - 8pm at the beautifully renovated home of Angela Topacio and Matt DiDio, found in the historic setting of the Woodbridge area. Artists' works for sale include paintings, prints, photographs, fiber, jewelry, glass, ceramics, and more. Entertainment by Sean Blackman and Wayne Gerad's Violao, featuring Pathe Jassi on bass and vocals. The DAM Garden Party and Art Sale is FREE to DAM Members. Please RSVP to 313.832.8540. If you are not yet a member or need to renew your DAM membership, you can do so at the door. Please join our celebration of the arts - support the Detroit Artists Market! Your membership makes the Garden Party possible - thank you $20 Student $30 Artist $40 Individual $65 Household Associate Members and up enjoy 10% discount on all Garden Party art sales $100 Associate Circle of Art Members (Patron and up) enjoy 10% discounts on on all DAM art sales throughout the year $250 Patron $500 Devotee $1000 Collectors' Circle $2500 Directors' Circle DAM Garden Party and Art Sale Thursday, June 16, 2011 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 4226 Lincoln St., Detroit MI 48208Entertainment: Sean Blackman and Wayne Gerad's Violao, featuring Pathe Jassi on bass and vocals. Refreshments provided by: 24 Grille, Angelina Italian Bistro, Detroit Institute of Bagels, Good People Popcorn, McClure's Pickles, Mudgie's Deli, Valentine Vodka SEE YOU IN THE GARDEN! |
Detroit Artists Market |
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Things to Do Thursday: Shop the Urban Spirit Market in Midtown Every Thursday
Perma Detroit posted on Facebook today:
Spirit Market today from 2-6pm lettuce, eggs, green onions, and veggie pie; curried sweet potatoes, onions, greens, wrapped in phyllo. We will be in the shade of the playground or if it's raining in the basement. Follow the signs. We also have mystery heirloom tomato plants, not sure what they are but they will be good and cheap! Stop by this Thurs. or any Thurs. this summer. ♥
Spirit Farm 1519 Martin Luther King Blvd. enter front gate on MLK. where the playground fence and the garden fence meet.
Perma Detroit "Urban Roots" the movie tonight at Eastern Market starts @ 6pm This is an excellent movie about the Urban Farming movement in Detroit! Go see it! ♥♥♥
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The war on drugs is a joke, we know it's a joke, so why don't we change course?
Sometimes the answer to a problem is sitting right there in front of you, jabbing a finger in your face, screaming, and wondering why you can't see it. The drug problem in this country happens to be one of those problems. For decades our government has been waging a so-called 'drug war' that has been nothing short of an embarrassing joke. The saddest part of the joke is that our government knows the drug war is a joke, has known this for quite some time, yet insists on trudging down the same path toward an ending that we all know is a disaster because we've been witnessing the fallout of that policy failure in our cities for as long as the policy has been in existence.
Albert Einstein's definition of insanity would be appropriate here.
Yesterday, the Global Commission on Drug Policy issued a report that essentially said what most sane observers of the drug crisis have been saying for years, namely that the drug war waged by the United States has failed miserably. There are considerably better ways to deal with this crisis that have been proven wildly successful in other countries.
From the Global Commission on Drug Policy June 2011 Report:
A number of well-established and proven public health measures6,7 (generally referred to as harm reduction, an approach that includes syringe access and treatment using the proven medications methadone or buprenorphine) can minimize the risk of drug overdose deaths and the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections.8 However, governments often do not fully implement these interventions, concerned that by improving the health of people who use drugs, they are undermining a ‘tough on drugs’ message. This is illogical – sacrificing the health and welfare of one group of citizens when effective health protection measures are available is unacceptable, and increases the risks faced by the wider community.
Countries that implemented harm reduction and public health strategies early have experienced consistently low rates of HIV transmission among people who inject drugs. Similarly, countries that responded to increasing HIV prevalence among drug users by introducing harm reduction programs have been successful in containing and reversing the further spread of HIV. On the other hand, many countries that have relied on repression and deterrence as a response to increasing rates of drug-related HIV transmission are experiencing the highest rates of HIV among drug using populations.
An indiscriminate approach to ‘drug trafficking’ is similarly problematic. Many people taking part in the drug market are themselves the victims of violence and intimidation, or are dependent on drugs. An example of this phenomenon are the drug ‘mules’ who take the most visible and risky roles in the supply and delivery chain. Unlike those in charge of drug trafficking organizations, these individuals do not usually have an extensive and violent criminal history, and some engage in the drug trade primarily to get money for their own drug dependence. We should not treat all those arrested for trafficking as equally culpable – many are coerced into their actions, or are driven to desperate measures through their own addiction or economic situation. It is not appropriate to punish such individuals in the same way as the members of violent organized crime groups who control the market.
Finally, many countries still react to people dependent on drugs with punishment and stigmatization. In reality, drug dependence is a complex health condition that has a mixture of causes – social, psychological and physical (including, for example, harsh living conditions, or a history of personal trauma or emotional problems). Trying to manage this complex condition through punishment is ineffective – much greater success can be achieved by providing a range of evidence-based drug treatment services. Countries that have treated citizens dependent on drugs as patients in need of treatment, instead of criminals deserving of punishment, have demonstrated extremely positive results in crime reduction, health improvement, and overcoming dependence.
In a nutshell, we need to face reality and stop criminalizing drug use. Hell, if we just took the first baby step and de-criminalized marijuana the immediate benefits to our economy and our neighborhoods would be massive. In a devastated economy where too many cities are trying to figure out how to maintain a sizable police force capable of keeping the peace while still having enough money left over to keep the rest of the government functioning properly, freeing up police officers to deal with far more serious crimes that cause far more damage to far more people could be the single biggest boost needed to provide devastated communities with the resources they need to rebound.
If a drunk isn't a criminal, and a cigarette addict isn't a criminal, then who are we fooling?