in the know: Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth, here's a lil quick history lesson:

"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.

Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory."

In observation of this important holiday, I am pampering my chemical-free natural afro hair, relaxing, reflecting, & still spreading as much knowledge to & 'waking up' as many ppl as possible.

My hair:
Today started w/ a co-wash using VO5 Herbal Escapes Kiwi Lime Squeeze Clarifying Conditioner. I'm sitting here, as I type, w/ organic raw honey & mayo on my hair (deep conditioning). I have some fresh rosemary & thyme herbs simmering in a pot of water on the stove. I'm using this infused water along w/ a few drops of rosemary & burdock essential oils as a delightful growth stimulant spray for my hair. As far as styling goes, I will be rocking a lovely, soft, fluffy afro today & tomorrow. I absolutely adore my afro & it sickens me when natural-haired black women complain about 'shrinkage'. I mean, at the end of the day, 'shrinkage' is only the measure of how tight or loose ur curls are when dry. It is what it is, ppl! There's absolutely nothing wrong w/ tight coils, kinks, or curls. As a matter of fact, I've heard/read on more than 1 occasion that the tighter the curl pattern, the BETTER the hair! LOL. Sounds backwards, huh? Well not really, the thicker & kinkier ur hair is...the more styling choices u have available to u. REAL TALK.

enuff of that blabbin. i'm about to wash this dc concoction out of my hair & enjoy my Juneteenth in style!