Wow! This has been some month, huh?! Did we EVER think that #FreedomTweet 2010 would come to mean so much, to so many, OUTSIDE of our genea-family?

Did the Ancestors EVER think that we — their children — would be living as FREE as we do today? I often wonder if my Ancestors dreamed or imagined a better day. God, in my heart, I hope so.

Today marks the 145th Anniversary of Juneteenth — the nationally observed day commemorating the end of Slavery in the United States. On this day, starting in 1865 Galveston, Texas, Emancipated Slaves celebrated their new-found, but still greatly challenged — freedom.

So today, we speak and stand-up for FREEDOM. What it meant for our Ancestors of yesterday, and what it means to us today, their living legacies…

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Luckie Daniels, Our Georgia Roots | CoAAG 4th Edition: FreedomTweet 2010 ~ What Does FREEDOM Mean To Me? ~ Freedom means far more to me today, than it did a month ago when I first thought of #FreedomTweet.

Jacky Gamble, Vermont Genealogy | Juneteenth Events ~ Thank you Jacky for sharing with us the Juneteenth event of Portsmouth, NH & supporting FreedomTweet 2010!

Vicky Daviss-Mitchell, Mariah’s Zepher | Texas Tradition Arizona Style: Honoring Juneteenth ~ Thank you Ms. V for showing us how to celebrate Juneteenth, Arizona style!:-)

Angela Walton-Raji, My Ancestor’s Name | In the Spirit of Juneteenth: They Fought for Freedom ~ Thank you Angela for educating us on the important role the Colored Troops played in the Civil War, fighting for our freedom.

Sandra Taliaferro, I Never Knew My Father | Carnival of African American Genealogy ~ Freedom Tweet 2010 ~ What does FREEDOM Mean To Me? ~ Thank you Sandra for summing freedom up quite nicely — Freedom for me is a life without barriers.

Joann, J-Macs Journey | A Legacy of Freedom – Life Lesson’s for Grand’s Girls ~ Thank you Joann for sharing the freedom legacy you’ve both inherited and pass on through your descendants.

Toni Carrier, LowCountry Africana | We’re Celebrating 7 Days of Juneteenth! ~ Thank you Toni & LCA for this PHENOMENAL contribution to the 4th Edition of CoAAG — 7 days of new FREEDOM historical records! Preservation of history offers freedom to many!

Toney Holley, For All My Relations | What Freedom Means to Me ~ Thank you Toney for sharing your reflections on freedom & how its meaning changed when you journeyed to Washington, DC.

Kristin Williams, Finding Eliza | To Be Where You Can Breathe… ~ Thank you Kristin for sharing the  beautiful 1917 letter to your Grandfather Mershell Graham. It’s a bittersweet reminder that though “free” our Ancestors did not truly experience “freedom”.

Susan, Nolichucky Roots | What Does Freedom Mean To Me? ~ Thank you Susan for reflecting on your Ancestors freedom journey from Europe and committing to heal slavery’s legacy so that we all can live free. So glad we could encourage you to *tweet*!:-)

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Thanks to all the Genea-Contributors and supporters of FreedomTweet 2010! You have indeed made this 145th Juneteenth a day of true celebration and thanksgiving!:-)

Hugs to you,

Luckie.

Many years ago, I coined myself the Accidental Buddhist because at the time, I considered my finding the spiritual path to Buddhism an “accident”, a “fluke”.

Of course once I began to follow the Path, I realized that my spiritual journey was no fluke at all — it was my destiny. Today, I see it as my rock.

Buddhism did for me what all spiritual paths are intended to do — it saved me from myself. Does it make me perfect? No. Does it make life trouble-free? No. However it does make me forever conscious of my impact to those [and things] around me and aware of my accountability to mankind in both large and small ways.

I am thankful. The Path is the only source capable of calming the fire of rage I’ve often felt in respect oppression, racism and suffering. The Path is the only comfort allowing me to rise each day as my heart is challenged with watching more and more of Mom transition away due to Alzheimer’s Disease.

After all these years, I am still working on accepting that I am, right now FREE. I am happy. There is much good in this season because Mom is still here, right now and there are lessons for me to learn in the present. I am working on accepting reality (or the illusion that looks like it) with grace, peace and ease.

So you should know, following the June 19th FreedomTweet event, I will be taking an indefinite hiatus from the genea-space to just… well, be.

There are other needs calling my name. I need to connect with a Sangha so that I continue learning the Teachings I’ve vowed to. I am committed to investing more time in helping to alleviate suffering and hardship wherever I find it. I want to read books again — I haven’t read Walker’s Temple of My Familiar in ages, it’s time. I want to roller skate with my children again and just be in the moment.

What this means for the genealogy community is that the Carnival of African-American Genealogy definitely and possibly, A Friend of Friends will *pause* with me. Likewise, my presence among the Twitter GeneaBloggers will also be vacationing. Our Georgia Roots and Our Alabama Roots will both remain up as a resource to fellow researchers and a connector to me. I vowed NEVER to pull my sites offline again, I’m keeping my word.

There will be some of you relieved to see me absent (smile) but take no comfort because you don’t physically see my presence.  Like my Great Grandmother Annie used to say “every shut eye ain’t sleep, and every goodbye ain’t gone“!

The Genea-community is my Family too and I always protect Family.

While researching and planning for FREEDOMTweet 2010, I discovered the Road To Freedom Exhibit currently at the Bronx Museum. I plan to visit this too and take my kids with me. I don’t know they REALLY grasp what’s been sacrificed so that they today could continue the Liberation Fight.

I encourage you to support FreedomTweet 2010. Not for Luckie Daniels and not just for CoAAG.

Be you black, brown, red, yellow or white — there is a Liberation Fight for you too.  We are all in this together and there are MORE than enough social, civil and environmental causes to go around.

Lastly, I leave you with this. Just because you have the right to make a choice,  doesn’t remove your obligation to choose what’s right; what’s just. There has been sacrifice lent to afford us a choice. It was not and is not FREE.

We are put on this planet to evolve and to make life better — both for ourselves and others.

Dare to stand-up and accept the gift [and challenge] of loving and being accountable for each other. It is the only hope we have.

I truly love you,

Luckie.

Sometime before 1865 in Washington-Wilkes, my 4th Grandfather Philip CARTER, a slave, returned at the end of the day from working the fields to find his Wife and Children sold away.

Oral history says that when Grandpa Phil thought to question his owner’s actions, he received a stern warning to “let things be”, being told he could choose another wife and make more babies.

Grandpa Phil did just that — “let things be” and in 1869 married my 4th Grandmother Annie FAVER CARTER and yes, they had many babies.

Fast-forward 20 years.  In 1885 in Washington-Wilkes, my other 4th Grandfather, James WINGFIELD, an emancipated slave, returns from harvesting his land and heads to town to cash in his crops. Family history says that he purchased a pair of “brogans” and pick-up needed supplies for his pregnant Wife, Grandma Catie DICKEY WINGFIELD and their children, before heading to church to pray.

At some point between Downtown Washington-Wilkes, church and home something happened.

The details are unclear but it has been said my Grandpa James was accused of “talking back” to a white man. As a penalty, he was removed from his home on Whitehall Street, never to be seen again.

Grandma Catie was 7 months pregnant, with 4 small children at home at the time James disappeared. A year or so later, relatives found my Grandfather’s brogans and boots in the woods, at the bottom of a hanging tree.

Two Grandfathers and two instances that totally shifted my Family’s destiny. Both men defenseless; one a slave who dare not speak-up;  one a free man, murdered because he dared to speak-up.

What Does FREEDOM Mean To Me?

Freedom means that not only do I have the RIGHT to advocate for fairness and justice ~ I have a RESPONSIBILITY to do so!

When I speak-up, my Grandfathers and all the other Ancestors who sacrificed that I might know FREEDOM, are assured their sacrifice was not in vein.

My community advocacy says, that I REFUSE to shame their memory and FREEDOM gift with complacency and idleness.

There are MANY days I am startled, saddened and angered by the reality of just how fragile our civil liberties are in this Democracy we live in.

When Congressman John Lewis can be spat upon and called nigger in 2010 Washington, DC  — something is WRONG. When discrimination can be passed into law in 2010 Arizona — something is WRONG. When “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is still being debated on Capital Hill in 2010 – something is WRONG.

I’m honest in saying I’ve lost patience with prejudice and resent having to burden my children with the skill of navigating around its constant presence.

And for the record, I am completely comfortable with my ability to make folks [begrudgingly] shed their blinders — if even temporarily — to see that there is more to living up to the premise of equality than just speaking it.

No you will not find silence here. No, you will not be able to take comfort in my complacency. No, I will not allow you to make me invisible or my considerations unimportant.

I have the right — the FREEDOM — to demand as much from society as it demands of me.

To answer the blogger’s question ~ What does diversity matter?

EVERYTHING when you live in a culture that doesn’t offer it freely. EVERYTHING when to abide by it laws must be passed, sanctions invoked. EVERYTHING when as a consequence of silence and diminished action, one witnesses the very liberties her Ancestors have fought and died for, fade away.

Diversity, as does FREEDOM matters because there are those who believe it doesn’t matter. There are those that don’t face the challenge of its lack — DAILY, as I do.

So long as these people have a voice (or blog), God willing, so will I.

~ Luckie.
FreedomTweet2010 Blog | Twitter.com/Juneteenth2010