In these posts we have recognized Juneteenth, the defeat of the slave-state insurrection at Gettysburg on July 3, the ending of slavery in New York on July 4, and the celebration of that emancipation on July 5 as foundational for New York State and for our country. Now the New York Times Magazine is recognizing August of 1619 when over 20 enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia as the time of “our true founding.”
The opening piece by Nikole Hannah-Jones is a powerful rejoinder to those who continue to argue that is ok for African Americans to be systematically excluded from public institutions because they “didn’t work as hard.” Throughout history, she points out, the hard work of African Americans has opened doors for other groups, including poor whites.
Contact us here at NY Appleseed to join us in our work to combat systemic racism in our educational system that continues to disenfranchise African Americans.
