It took 2 years and six months for slaves to learn of their freedom--because what we know all too well in this moment, is that passing legislation is often more symbolic than it is transformative. As Juneteenth is now recognized as a federal holiday, we must be reminded that actual justice does not come with the signing of a bill, it comes with persistent and strategic action by the people. In today’s episode, we get a world-class history lesson from Majority Whip James Clyburn, a former history teacher himself, who shares the story of the most significant person in South Carolina’s history: Robert Smalls. Smalls was a former enslaved person who recruited 40,000 African Americans into the Union Army and later became a congressman. Let us be reminded this Juneteenth that legislation is but a small step of many on the road to reparations.
Executive Producer: Adell Coleman
Producer: Brittany Temple
Distributor: DCP Entertainment
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