Rep. Mo Brooks, R-AL, provided a reminder this week of why intellectually challenged politicians are best served by not trying to explain their votes.
Brooks was one of just 14 Republicans to oppose the overwhelmingly bipartisan bill that made Juneteenth a federal holiday this week. When he tried to explain why, it just made matters worse.
The QAnon-friendly congressman (and Alabama U.S. Senate candidate) feebly tried to make his vote about money, as reported at Al.com: Continue reading.
For Father’s Day in 2020, what Donald Trump mostly wanted was to avoid his son-in-law.
It was Jared Kushner who had talked the president into hiring Brad Parscale to run a campaign that was now, just months before the election, in freefall. And when most Americans rejected Trump’s unreasonably truculent response to the civil unrest that was sweeping the country, the president also blamed Kushner.
The frustration and anguish that had accrued among Black Americans after decades of debasing systemic racism had been emphatically—finally—cracked open by the death of George Floyd, who’d been murdered by police a few weeks earlier. As protesters poured into the streets of the nation’s capital and major municipalities, Trump privately told advisers that he wished he’d been quicker to support police and more aggressive in his pushback against protesters. Continue reading.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement in commemoration of Juneteenth:
Continue reading “DFL Party Statement on Juneteenth”“On this day, June 19th, 1865, some of the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. Juneteenth was the end of the beginning of one of the most important undertakings in our nation’s history: the ongoing work of granting full equality and dignity to African Americans.
“Working to achieve that equality is especially important here in Minnesota, where we have some of the worst racial disparities in the nation that stand as an unacceptable obstacle to so many Black Minnesotans. We cannot tolerate the current Tale of Two Minnesotas that has our state as one of the best in the nation if you are white and one of the worst if you are Black.”
Following the federal government’s recent declaration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, members of the Minnesota United Black Legislative Caucus (UBLC) plan to introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday. The UBLC released the following statement on this important holiday:
“As we look forward to celebrating and honoring the 155th Juneteenth today, it is important that we recognize the significance of this holiday throughout Minnesota. Juneteenth recognizes the end of a dark era of American history and allows us to acknowledge how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. This recognition of American history is important, but it does not signify the end of our work. In a time when laws are being passed across the nation which seek to suppress voting rights, block the teaching of America’s full history, and disinvest in Black communities, we know that we must continue to fight to reach a true justice. We look forward to seeing this bill pass into law and wish all Minnesotans a very happy Juneteenth!”
The United Black Legislative Caucus includes Representatives Esther Agbaje (59B), Cedrick Frazier (45A), Hodan Hassan (62A), Athena Hollins (66B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), John Thompson (67A), and Senators Bobby Joe Champion (59), Omar Fateh (62). The People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus stands in solidarity with the UBLC.
NOTE: We’re posting this after the holiday has become a reality so people know where the hold up was.
The measure is now expected to move quickly through the House
Juneteenth is on its way to becoming a federal holiday. Hours after Sen. Ron Johnsonannounced he would drop his objections Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill.
The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas learned they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years earlier. Celebrated in 47 states and the District of Columbia, Juneteenth has long unofficially marked the day slavery in America truly ended.
Last year, in the wake of millions marching under the Black Lives Matters banner following the killing of George Floyd, a bipartisan group tried to get Congress to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, introduced the measure in the House, while Edward Markey, D-Mass., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, made the push in the Senate. Continue reading.
The federal government will give employees the day off on Friday after President Biden signs a bill making Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in America, a federal holiday.
“Today @POTUS will sign the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing June 19th as a federal holiday. As the 19th falls on a Saturday, most federal employees will observe the holiday tomorrow, June 18th,” the Office of Personnel Management tweeted on Thursday.
Biden is scheduled to sign legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday on Thursday afternoon during an event with Vice President Harris in the East Room, during which they both will give remarks. Continue reading.
The House voted 415-14 on Wednesday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The big picture: All those voting against the measure were Republicans. The vote comes one day after the Senate unanimously approved the bill and three days before the holiday.
Catch up quick: Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, memorializes when the last enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation. Continue reading.
On Tuesday, county commissioners established Juneteenth as a paid holiday for Hennepin County employees.
“Juneteeth commemorates the end of slavery and the triumphs, culture and achievements of African Americans locally and across the United States. This is an opportunity to think about the centuries of work that African Americans have done to advance equity in this county and build this country,” said Commissioner Angela Conley, District 4.
Juneteenth falls on Saturday, June 19, in 2021. Therefore, Hennepin County will observe the previous workday, Friday, June 18, as a paid holiday for employees and close county offices.
Continue reading “Hennepin County establishes Juneteenth as a paid holiday for staff”
Hi Neighbors,
I’m writing to let you know that my offices are closed today in observance of Juneteenth. My team and I are spending the day learning more about the history of racism in America, and reflecting on the role we play in creating a more equitable and just future for all Minnesotans – and we invite you to join us, read on to find out why…
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This Juneteenth, I’m dropping in to extend a thank you, an announcement, and an invitation. Click here to watch. |
Why June 19th?
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, celebrates freedom, and highlights the ongoing fight for racial equality. Here’s the history of this important date in American history:
Continue reading “Rep. Dean Phillips: In Honor of Juneteenth”
