Author: tourist_yp6g7u

We’ve debated—even right here in these pages, this week—who owns Juneteenth, and what aesthetic the cultural expressions and yearly observances should take on because of the dispute over where the origins of the holiday lie. Does it reflect Texas, where owners of human property delayed their recognition that enslaving people in the United States was unconstitutional? Or how about the broader South, aka the former Confederate States, where enslavement was king? But certainly not up North, right?

It turns out that for more than a century since Juneteenth was first marked, New Yorkers—and Black Americans across the North and Midwest as a whole—were concurrently observing the holiday with their neighbors to the south and southwest, after learning more about the significance of the day. The AmNews has reported on Juneteenth happenings for almost a century; the earliest mention of “Juneteenth” comes in 1936, and in many instances the holiday is also noted in archives as Emancipation Day—either alongside Juneteenth, or individual celebrations incidentally held on June 19.

“Nowhere in the Southwest is Emancipation Day held with greater ardor—nowhere else in the country could there be a setting more beautiful! Emancipation Day, better known as ‘Juneteenth’ to Southwesteners, seems strange to Northern and Eastern visitors, being celebrated this time of the year,” reads our 1938 dispatch, culled from a Black wire service.

Throughout the decades prior to it being declared a national holiday, New Yorkers would mark Juneteenth with parades, concerts, community service and education. But there was one notable observance of June 19 that’s lost to New York history that, as AmNews’ news editor, needs to be briefly brought back to the spotlight to illustrate just how many ways this holiday can be acknowledged.

In our June 22, 1946 issue, we report under the headline “Joe Louis Made Harlem Holiday” on how on June 19 of that year, Joe Louis became “Heavyweight Champion of the World,” defeating opponent Billy Conn with a knockout punch in the eighth round.

Louis, the “Brown Bomber” from Detroit, was Black America’s national hero during his time in the ring, becoming not just a symbol of prime athleticism but a beacon of hope during the fight for civil rights. The June 19, 1946 parade would go down as the biggest parade in Harlem’s history at that point, with “half a million strong” attendees, we put on the front page.

“Somebody found firecrackers from somewhere and Juneteenth day, June 19th, came to Harlem with exploding firecrackers, blank pistols, sparklers, red torches, and all the paraphernalia of a real old fashioned down home Emancipation Day celebration,” P.B. Kaye wrote in his AmNews report.

Harlemites and the rest of New York saw liberation in Louis and serendipity in his performance landing on what was then becoming one of the most critical days of remembrances in Black American history. They took to the streets as free people who weren’t just a generation prior, and reminded the world that they were.

The post Looking back at when Harlem turned out for Joe Louis – and Juneteenth appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

As Perri Page prepares for her junior year at Columbia University, she is not only emboldened by the Lions’ first-ever trip to the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament, but her own journey of being a student-athlete with a voice. Last month, the 5-11 guard/forward from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania participated in the Black Student-Athlete Summit held at the University of Southern California.

“It was incredible to see how many people showed up, student-athletes from all across the country,” said Page, who is involved in the Black Student-Athlete Alliance at Columbia and in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. “There were even professional athletes on panels, speaking about what they learned as a student-athlete and what they wish they could have done if they could do it all over again.”

The student-athletes were able to engage with current and former student-athletes on numerous aspects of the collegiate experience. “I was able to attend an Ivy League plus Duke University panel,” said Page. “They spoke about the experiences they had, some things that made other groups butt heads with them and what they have done to bring Black student-athletes together to help empower them. Also, what they can do to move forward and help raise awareness for what they need on their campuses.”

Each school on the panel shared strategies to help Black student-athletes have satisfying college experiences. Page is the wellness coordinator for the Columbia women’s basketball team.

Former Lions basketball standout Kaitlyn Davis attended USC for graduate school this past year. Although Davis, a New York Liberty draft pick, headed out to her professional team in Mexico before the Summit, she was able to connect Page with several people.

“It was good for me to understand and meet with people who had the same ambitions and goals as I do, who aspire to be great and successful,” said Page. “[At Columbia], it’s great to build awareness about all different cultures and communities. It brings us together to have these conversations and share experiences.”

Page has returned to campus to help with basketball camps. This summer, she will balance an internship with training for the upcoming season. With the graduation of Abbey Hsu, Columbia’s first-ever WNBA draft pick, the pressure is on to keep the wins coming.

“I was just named captain for my junior and senior years,” said Page. “It is a big honor for me to have a voice and to take on this leadership role.”

The post Columbia basketball standout Perri Page attends Black Student-Athlete Summit appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here