with Gloria Holiday
Greetings from the City.
It is always a blessing to be with you every week. You may be reading the Independent at your kitchen table, at work, out of state or overseas while serving the country. Wherever you are, I would like to say, “Thank you and remember that this is the day the Lord has made; enjoy it.”
Just a reminder that Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 20. It is now time to start looking for something special for your Dad. To all of the fathers out there, I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day.
Monday, June 14, was Flag Day. In the United States, Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Flag Day is a day for honoring the flag and what it stands for. It is the symbol of our great nation. It has flown in good times and bad. It has flown during peace time and war. It is an enduring symbol of freedom expressed all around the world. The U.S. Army also celebrated their 246th birthday on June 14.
Well, the rain has gone for a while, and the sun is out. The temperatures have been from 95-100 degrees, and guess what? Summer will officially arrive on June 21. How HOT will it get this year? However, we do welcome the summer season in.
Many black Americans will commemorate an important day in our nation’s history Saturday. It is a holiday most Americans have never heard of but need to know about – Juneteenth. I have a brief history I want to share, so if anyone asks you about Juneteenth, you will know.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger marched to Galveston, Texas, to spread the word that slavery had ended in America. Although the Civil War had ended, many of the nearly 250,000 black men, women and children still enslaved in the South were unaware that they had been officially freed on Jan. 1, 1863. With the South rebelling at the time the proclamation was issued, Lincoln had no way of enforcing it. The announcement that slavery had been abolished resulted in widespread celebrations among newly freed black Americans and the establishment of a spontaneous holiday on June 19, 1865 that they called Juneteenth. (https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth). Although considered an official holiday in Texas since 1980, Juneteenth still goes largely unrecognized by our country as a whole. That is too bad.
On Saturday, June 19, we want you to come out to the JUNETEENTH Celebration at the Old Vincent High School, now known as North Chester County Alternative School, located at 186 Luray Ave, Henderson TN. The festivities will be from 1-8 p.m. The Gospel Miracles’ and Dr. Johnny Hill along with many other singers will be featured. The program is sponsored by Oasis CDC Good360 and Toys for Tots. It is a FREE event, and FREE toys will be given away. The toys giveaway is from 9 a.m-1 p.m. For more information, call 608-2222, do not miss this great event. Come one, come all! Hope to see you there!
The City would like to say Happy Birthday Brian Signaigo; he celebrated his birthday on June 12. Happy Birthday to Jerry Wilson on June 20 and his niece Trear Gilbert also on June 20. Let us not forget to wish Ms. Shirley Wilson happy birthday on June 16. My sweet, little cousin Zelmar Bass celebrates her birthday on June 19, and my one and only grandson LaDerrick Mean celebrates his birthday on June 21. We pray the Lord will bless you to have many more!
On our prayer request list this week: continue to pray for people who are in the hospitals, for the ones that are sick in their homes, for our children, teachers and families, for the men and women who are serving our country and for the incarcerated. Please remember to pray for OUR United States of America.
Continue to patronize with our local businesses here in town; let us try to support our own as much as we can.
If you live in the City of Henderson and have news about your families, birthdays, anniversaries, announcements or things happening in the City, I need to HEAR from you. Call me at 989-1907/608-6132 and leave your message, or you may email me at gloria_holiday@msn.com.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
