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Black America Web
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
104: What An Angel Number Between Freedom And Fire Reveals About Black And Queer Survival
Source: David Espejo / Getty If you spend enough time around me, you'll hear me proudly say I was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska. To be Black in a place like Omaha is to wrestle for your identity. To craft your Blackness with care. You build it from scratch, from what's handed down and what's taken back. For me, that journey wasn't limited to my Blackness. It was the same when it came to queerness and to my identity as a Black trans woman. But here's the trick: society made queerness seem more accessible. Nobody told me the fine print came stamped in whiteness. That so much of queerness—as it's marketed and magnified—was filtered through white supremacy. That embracing that version of queerness could, in fact, dull the brilliance of my Black joy. I'll never forget the year when the Juneteenth Parade and the Pride Parade fell on the same day in my city. It was a crossroads. For many Black queer folks, there wasn't a question; they chose Juneteenth. I was there too, but that wasn't because I didn't love Pride. I had done my time. I'd been president of Pride, and built Youth Pride from the ground up. I had fought for Pride when it didn't fight for me. I had done the work of making space for my queerness. That day, I was finally making space for my Blackness. What I witnessed, though, was deeper. I saw younger queer folks—especially those partnered with non-Black people—being pulled between two identities that, in a just world, would never require a choice. That day didn't just symbolize a scheduling conflict. It symbolized the dailytightrope walk so many Black queer people perform in this country: to choose between being seen and being whole. Let's be honest; in many Black-centered institutions, queerness is welcome only when it plays small. To be embraced as queer, you often have to downplay what makes you different and keep your queerness at the bottom of your identity list. Because at the end of the day, you're Black first, right? Source: Olga Tsikarishvili / Getty But flip it. In most mainstream queer spaces, you're expected to check your Blackness at the door—unless that Blackness fits a stereotype or serves as a costume. Unless it entertains. Unless it's for consumption. So I need you to hear me when I say, it is not an accident that Juneteenth and Pride exist in the same month. It is not a coincidence that our most powerful Black changemakers were also queer. It is not by chance that the intersection of Blackness and queerness continues to be a birthplace for brilliance, resistance, and transformation. This is divine alignment. Now, I know I'm preaching to folks who feel me. But let me be clear: I write this not just for affirmation; I write this for the Black folks who don't see the world like I do. Not because your perception will limit my freedom, but because none of us are free if we believe we can get to the other side and leave our people behind. Especially the people who make us uncomfortable. Liberation isn't real if it's only for the versions of us that are palatable. White communities have spent the last 50 years mobilizing an agenda that has taken root in every corner of this country, and they didn't do it because they were all the same, or because they were all straight, or because they were all moral. They didn't do it because they agreed. They did it because they were all white. That was the only prerequisite. I'm not saying we should build coalitions based on scarcity and fear. Source: Michele Ursi / Getty I know that game. And I know the exhaustion it's bred in our communities. But we'd be foolish not to notice the power in what happens when people align, even amid difference. So let's look at what alignment has given us. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Texas were finally emancipated, triggering the birth of a freedom dream that gave us Michelle Obama on a float, Oprah commanding empires, Megan Thee Stallion reminding us we ain't got knees like we used to, and Brandy and Monica arguing over 'The Boy Is Mine.' It gave us Whitney. Mariah. Aretha. Patti. Jazmine. And 104 years later, on June 29, 1969, a Black Trans woman—Marsha P. Johnson—sparked a revolution at Stonewall that gave us TS Madison, the queen of media; Queen Latifah, a mogul and a mother; Laverne Cox, making Emmy history; Bayard Rustin, strategist to Dr. King; Nikki Giovanni, living her radical brilliance in real time; Miss Major, building a legacy of elder care for our community; Toni Bryce and Monroe Alise, reshaping television; A'Ziah 'Zola' King, whose Black girlhood became cinematic canon; and me—Dominique Morgan—who went from a prisonyard to walking down the street named after her in the same state. It was 104 years between June 19, 1865, the emancipation of the last enslaved Black people in Texas, and June 29, 1969, the night a Black Trans woman helped ignite a revolution at Stonewall. That gap isn't just historical. It's spiritual. In numerology, 104 is often seen as an Angel Number—a divine reminder to embrace change and align your actions with a higher purpose. It signals that transformation is not only possible; it's coming. It asks us to lean into discomfort with faith, to shift our mindset toward growth, and to recognize love as the connective tissue in our evolution. That's what alignment has always been — a form of divine choreography. We were always meant to be moving together—even when the rhythm was hard to hear. Source: Jackson State University / Getty You really wanna tell me we aren't aligned? Alignment doesn't mean we're the same. Alignment doesn't mean we never argue. Alignment doesn't mean it's easy. For me, alignment means that we are fighting harder to stay in tandem than we are eager to fall apart. That's the definition I want you to take from this piece. That's the call to action. That's the invitation. Because the world will give us 100 reasons to separate. They will whisper that your queerness disqualifies you. That your Blackness is too loud. That your transness is a liability. That your softness makes you weak. And all the while, they'll lie, steal, kill, and destroy, just to keep themselves aligned. As my Grandma Woodie used to say, 'Don't let the devil use you.' This Juneteenth, this Pride, I'm asking us to make a different choice. To honor our collective brilliance. To hold the line. To stay in tandem. To choose alignment—again and again and again. SEE ALSO: Pride Is Still Protest: World Pride in the Era of Trump 2.0 Kendrick Sampson's BLD PWR Teams Up With SisterSong And GBEF For Houston Juneteenth Event SEE ALSO 104: What An Angel Number Between Freedom And Fire Reveals About Black And Queer Survival was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Economic Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Juneteenth 2025 events near me: Is Juneteenth a Federal holiday in the U.S? What day is Juneteenth?
Image credits: X Synopsis Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., will be observed as a federal holiday on Thursday, June 19, 2025. This holiday marks the arrival of federal troops in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation. Banks and post offices will be closed, while FedEx maintains most services, honoring this significant day in African American history. Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of when freedom truly came for enslaved people in America. America's second Independence Day is just around the corner. ADVERTISEMENT Juneteenth honors the day when federal troops entered Galveston to seize Texas and guarantee the emancipation of slaves in accordance with the Emancipation date of the 2025 Juneteenth is Thursday, June 19. Per the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Juneteenth will be a federal holiday in abolition of slavery in the United States is commemorated on Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston to seize control of Texas and free the slaves in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the History Channel. ALSO READ: Was Melania dozing off during Trump parade? Videos go viral, here's the truth According to Juneteenth is a Federal Reserve bank holiday, so the bank regulator is closed. ADVERTISEMENT USA TODAY reports that Capital One, Bank of America, PNC, Truist, CitiBank, and JPMorgan Chase will close on was inspired by the arrival of Union troops in Galveston on June 19. "Juneteenth" is what the newly freed slaves in Texas called it, according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture, as per a report by The Columbus Dispatch. ADVERTISEMENT Here's the list of Juneteenth 2025 events near you, as per a report by CBS News. Juneteenth Family Festival - Beverly and Morgan Park, Chicago Date: June 19 ADVERTISEMENT Time: 12 p.m. - 7 A free public festival featuring live music, African dance, health scanning, and various activities at 110th & Longwood. Juneteenth Celebration - Skokie Date: June 19 ADVERTISEMENT Time: 1 p.m. - 5 Celebrating 5 years of community with live performances, food, and local Black-owned business vendors at Oakton Park. Juneteenth Festival - Dupage County Date: June 19Time: 1 p.m. - 5 Hosted by House Speaker Emmanuel Welch, this free event at Memorial Park District is open to the public. Juneteenth Parade - North Lawndale, Chicago Date: June 19Time: 9 The first annual parade starting at 1457 S. Kenneth Ave and ending at 3401 W. Ogden Ave, featuring floats, performances, and a free community breakfast. Juneteenth Freedom Celebration - Morgan Park, Chicago Date: June 19Time: 9 a.m. - 6 A celebration at 10810, 10824 & 10831 S. Halsted St. with a tribute to the United States Colored Troops and a live-streamed line dancing event at 2 p.m. Juneteenth Parade and Celebration - Evanston Date: June 21Time: 11 a.m. (Parade) & 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Celebration)Info: The parade starts at Dempster St. and Dodge Ave, followed by a celebration at Ingraham Park with live music, performances, and activities. Is Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2025? Yes. It became one in 2021, and this year it falls on Thursday, June 19. Will banks and mail services be open on Juneteenth? Most banks and all post offices will be closed. FedEx will still run most of its services. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman Davis to join Juneteenth events in eastern N.C.
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WNCT) — North Carolina Congressman Don Davis announces plan to travel across eastern N.C. for Juneteenth celebration. According to a press release, Davis will travel from June 14 to June 22, 'he will also celebrate our HBCUs, engage with Black farmers, hold a press conference in support of Seymour Johnson AFB, meet with students appointed to service academies, and meet with local clergy.' Saturday, June 14, 2025 10:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.: Juneteenth Parade & Celebration. Location: Downtown Plymouth, N.C. Congressman Davis will participate in the Plymouth Juneteenth Celebration Parade and deliver brief remarks honoring freedom and community. 2:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.: 9th Annual Wilson Juneteenth CelebrationLocation: Toisnot Park, 1500 Corbett Ave N, Wilson, N.C. 27893Congressman Davis will join the 9th Annual Wilson Juneteenth Celebration and deliver brief remarks honoring freedom and community. 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.: Wayne County HBCU Alumni Alliance: Trailblazer Scholarship BanquetLocation: H.V. Brown Hall, 801 Poplar Street, Goldsboro, N.C. 27530Congressman Davis will deliver opening remarks at the Wayne County HBCU Alumni Alliance Scholarship Banquet. For more information, visit: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Buffalo's Juneteenth Festival set to celebrate freedom, culture, and resilience this weekend
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the country returns to Buffalo this weekend, promising two days of music, food, art and history at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The annual Juneteenth Festival, approaching its 50th anniversary, honors the end of slavery in the United States and highlights the strength and resilience of the Black community. Organizers say this year's celebration is not only about honoring the past but also about building a stronger future. 'We know who we are,' said Carrone Evon Crump, president of the Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo. 'Empowered as a people, we're just as smart and worthy as anybody else. And just to be able to experience that on a holiday, now that it's a federal holiday, it's psychologically empowering.' The festivities begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the annual Juneteenth Parade. The route starts at St. Louis and Genesee streets and leads to the park. The parade, which draws large crowds every year, is a key part of the weekend's events. Organizers say the festival is about creating lasting memories and inspiring future generations. 'It feels full circle,' said Michael Smith, parade co-chair. 'As a kid, I watched the parade, came to the park, enjoyed the culture and the food. Now I have the opportunity, the privilege and the honor to create that same experience for the next generation.' Festivalgoers can expect live performances, local vendors, cultural programming and activities for all ages. For a full schedule of events, click here. Gwyn Napier is a reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of her work by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Access to Old Richton Road in Petal closed for utility work
PETAL, Miss. (WHLT) – Petal drivers could face delays while traveling. Officials with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) said access to Old Richton Road from Evelyn Gandy Parkway/State Route 42. Hattiesburg kicks off annual Juneteenth Parade on Saturday According to officials, access will be closed from June 11 to July 11 for utility work. East/west traffic on Evelyn Gandy Parkway/SR 42 will not be affected. Detour signage is in place to direct drivers in the area. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
