Governor Kristi Noem did act quickly this week to avoid having the ignominy of being the last state to issue any sort of recognition of Juneteenth, the celebration of the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery in 1865. We are now just the second-to-last state to do so. Yay, us.
But note that the Governor’s proclamation doesn’t make Juneteenth a holiday or a permanent observation. It just declares today as Juneteenth Day. It also seems less interested in celebrating the actual freedom and equality of black Americans and more about celebrating the white generals and soldiers who fought slavery:
Yay, General Granger. Yay Union soldiers who moved to South Dakota. Yay great white fathers of South Dakota history. But not one sentence in her Juneteenth proclamation places Black Americans as subjects of any sentence, only the objects of preopositions and white action.
Leave it to Kristi Noem to make Juneteenth a celebration of white goodness and fail to mention Black Americans’ achievements or their very salient continuing struggle for equality.
Related Racism: Governor Kristi Noem will celebrate Juneteenth tonight at a virtual Klan rally GOP fundraiser with white supremacist Ted Nugent. South Dakota Cares.
One can find a very interesting history of black people in South Dakota in the following link:
https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-7-3/black-people-in-south-dakota-history/vol-07-no-3-black-people-in-south-dakota-history.pdf
It’s interesting that blacks in South Dakota celebrated Emancipation, but didn’t appear to call it Juneteenth.
Do you suppose she had the guy from Dakota Provisions help her write this?
What story about a holiday or famous day would be complete without a complete snowjob by the head snowflake on who made that day special….
https://abc13.com/trump-juneteenth-tweet-rally-tulsa-takes-credit-for/6254444/
Francis, the writers you cite may share a certain mindset.
One of my banks, Great Western, is closing at 1 p.m. today in honor of the holiday. CEO Mark Borrecco explains better than Gov. Noem:
Borrecco properly focuses as much on the work we still need to do to live up to our ideals.
As the fight against social injustice continues, there is a heightened awareness and importance for Juneteenth, the national commemoration of the end of slavery. To honor this important date, we will be closing our branches and offices at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2020.
Will they be closed half days for other holidays to ensure social equality?
“AT THE COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW, we capitalize Black, and not white, when referring to racial groups. Black is an ethnic designation; white merely describes the skin color of people who can, usually without much difficulty, trace their ethnic origins back to a handful of European countries.”
is.gd/BOyKQv
There is more and no paywall.
“Juneteenth” is a stand-alone term to designate the holiday, it doesn’t need “day” to set it apart.
Just like certain holidays that are “moveable” and don’t really require “day” to set them apart;
Easter (always on a Sunday), Good Friday (obvious), Christmas (25 December), Thanksgiving (always a Thursday).
The use of “Day” in association with Juneteenth, would earn some red ink on the copy and an admonishment to look up tthe meaning of “redundant.”
Two responses to Cory’s statement re: Gr West Bank observance of holiday:
1) Cory, you have more than one bank?
2) The statement he quotes from the bank’s Pres and CEO is remarkable – clearly stated and on-point. If I had more than one bank, GWB would be one of them.
Ted Nugent, before the election of Obama to his second term, said if Obama wins, I’ll either be dead or in jail. I’m still waiting.
Please don’t insult a bank by using dumbass dubya’s initials gwb. I beseech thee.
Curt, it used to be a bank would only insure depositor’s accounts up to 100k. After that the losses were not covered which caused people to use more than one bank.
I hope that is Cory’s problem, too much money for one bank.
Oh. My. Gawd. Noem IS Trump’s sister-in-spirit. She, and her staff, like the occupant, are beyond redemable. Juneteenth is on its 155-year recognition. Yet, the fools in the state executive branch give the hollow proclamation 1 day?! Juneteenth should be a national holiday.
She acted hollower than the City of Gettysburg, SD. They wear a patch on their police uniform of a flag the confederates never flew during the Civil War while proclaiming ‘heritage’ for treasonous traitors.
Buckobear, thanks for catching that additional deafness to the topic from the Governor’s team.
(Curt, now that you ask, I’m a bit embarrassed to say, three.)
Just when I thought the state couldn’t be any more embarrassed by the current Trumpette in the governor’s mansion, that she and her people and party couldn’t go any lower or be any publicly dumber, she surprised yet again. How unbelievably embarrassing for the state. Then again, too much of the state continually brings this on themselves with their GOP-no-matter-what-or-die mindset that nothing ever seems to shake.
Mr. H, it should be no embarrassment to be rich enough to require three banks.
if one needs 3banks to handle their money ,thats fine with me so long as he or she uses the space between his or her’s ears to assist those who need help ! it’s what one does with wealth & power that counts with me.
There is no excuse for Confederate monuments, statutes, or flags in the US.
So said the defeated traitor, Robert E. Lee.
“This was clear even to Robert E. Lee, who opposed such monuments. “I think it wiser,” he wrote in 1869, declining an invitation to help decide where to erect memorials at Gettysburg, “not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.””
Gettysburg mayor, police chief, city council, local clergy – wake up. Find another way to celebrate your sister-city relationship with Gettysburg, PA.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/solving-the-confederate-monument-problem-is-easy-tear-them-all-down/2020/06/22/10bb8082-b4ae-11ea-a510-55bf26485c93_story.html
Vanity Fair has an article about the Tulsa rally fiasco. Per numerous leaks from the fast sinking white house, campaign manager Brad Parscale will either be fired or quit shortly. Moping Meathead is even mad at SIL Jared. The question is, who replaces Parscale. This is one of the names kicked around with leaked comments about him.
“Trump insiders are skeptical that Lewandowski would be put in charge of such a vast operation. ‘Corey was great when it was just Trump and an airplane. But let’s face it, he couldn’t manage a 7-Eleven,’ a person close to Trump said. ‘The serious operation will be run by serious people.’”
is.gd/DAxc1D
That may not bode well for Kruel Kristi’s Palinesque wet dreams.
Gettysburg, SD is the Mississippi of the north. They need to get rid of their confederate flag in the police patch.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/24/mississippi-flag-walmart-baptists/
https://www.bhpioneer.com/blogs/blog_three/blog_three_text/gettysburg-should-stop-waving-the-rebel-flag/article_4bd91af2-b57c-11ea-b221-a78008f387fb.html