Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's the week of July thirteenth, twenty twenty five, and
this is what's on the People's News. Tools for living
in the convicted felon's police state, remembering the celebrations of
June teenth, All that and more on the People's News.
I'm Steve Gallington. This is the People's News, and the
(00:26):
People's News starts now. We start off thistition of the
People's News with the reading from Timothy Snyder's on Tyranny,
Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, which was published in
twenty seventeen and something I used as a guidebook to
(00:47):
get me through the first Donald Trump presidency. We're reading
number fourteen of the twenty lessons, which is entitled establish
a Private Life. Nastier rulers will use what they know
about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of
malware on a regular basis. Remember that email is skywriting.
(01:08):
Consider using alternative forms of the Internet or simply using
it less. Have personal exchanges in person for the same reason.
Resolve any legal trouble. Tyrants seek the hook on which
to hang you. Try not to have hooks. What the
great political thinker Hannah Arendt meant by totalitarianism was not
(01:29):
an all powerful state, but the erasure of the difference
between private and public life. We are free only in
so far as we exercise control over what people know
about us and in what circumstances they come to know it.
During the campaign of twenty sixteen, we took a step
toward totalitarianism without even noticing it, by accepting as normal
(01:52):
the violation of electronic privacy, whether it is done by
American or Russian intelligence agencies, or for that matter, by
any institution. The theft, discussion, or publication of personal communications
destroys a basic foundation of our rights. If we have
no control over who reads what and when, we have
no ability to act in the present or plan for
(02:14):
the future. Whoever can pierce your privacy can humiliate you
and disrupt your relationships at will. No one, except perhaps
a tyrant, has a private life that can survive public
exposure by hostile directive. The timed email bombs of the
twenty sixteen presidential campaign were also a powerful form of disinformation.
(02:36):
Words written in one situation make sense only in that context.
The very act of removing them from their historical moment
and dropping them in another is an act of falsification.
What is worse, when media followed the email bombs as
if they were news, they betrayed their own mission. Few
journalists made an effort to explain why people said or
(02:58):
wrote the things they did the time. Meanwhile, in transmitting
privacy violations as news, the media allowed themselves to be
distracted from the actual events of the day. Rather than
reporting the violation of basic rights, our media generally preferred
to mindlessly indulge in the inherently salacious interest we have
in other people's affairs. Our appetite for the secret thought
(03:22):
arnt is dangerously political. Totalitarianism removes the difference between private
and public, not just to make individuals unfree, but also
to draw the whole society away from normal politics and
toward conspiracy theories. Rather than defending facts or generating interpretations,
we are seduced by the notion of hidden realities and
(03:45):
dark conspiracies that explain everything. As we learn from these
email bombs, this mechanism works even when it is revealed
it is of no interest. The revelation of what was
once confidential becomes the story itself. It is striking that
the news media are much worse at this than say,
fashion or sports reporters. Fashion reporters know that models are
(04:08):
taking off their clothes in the changing rooms, and sports
reporters know that their athletes shower in the locker room,
but neither allow private matters to supplant the public story
that they are supposed to be covering. When we take
an active interest in the matters of doubtful relevance at
moments that are chosen by tyrants and spooks, we participate
in the demolition of our own political order. To be sure,
(04:31):
we might feel that we are doing nothing more than
going along with everyone else. This is true, and it
is what aren't described as the devolution of society into
a mob. We can try to solve this problem individually
by securing our own computers. We can also try to
solve it collectively by supporting, for example, organizations that are
(04:52):
concerned with human rights. That was an excerpt of the
book on Tyranny twenty less from the twentieth Century by
Timothy Snyder. Federal agents, under the direction of the corrupt
and criminal Trump administration, are making warrantless arrests around the country,
holding people without charges for days. Added to this is
(05:16):
the illegal detention of people that are protesting ICE actions
at businesses and at people's homes. The National Guard and
the US military is being used to detain US citizens
on US soil. Now this is being challenged in courts.
In Irvine, California, ICE agents drove a failings of military
(05:38):
vehicles in the Orange County suburb to rest a single person,
though not for illegal immigration. They were seeking a resident's
son who had allegedly posted flyers alerting neighbors to the
presence of ICE agents. Leojuarezeporino, a Washington State farm workers
union organizer, was another ICE target. In an unmarked car
(06:01):
stopped him as he was driving his wife to her
job at a tulip farm. The agents, who didn't show
badges or identification, smashed his window and pulled him from
the car. According to Familias, you're not a support of Lojestica,
a farm worker union. Lincoln Goldfinch is an immigration attorney
an owner CEO of Lincoln Goldfinch Law. We asked her
(06:24):
about the state of America right now.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
We're talking about ICE. They're wanting this risks masked and
so you don't know and you can't even you can't
even get any type of information from who's trying to
risk or what you're being arrested for. You want to
talk about it. And it's the legality of it.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Sure, I mean, if there's not a blanket prohibition against
an officer in playing clothes making arrest. If you think
about it, there are like detectives who are in playing clothes.
Of course we know that. But what officers do have
to do is identify themselves and give the you know,
what agencies are with, what their name is, what their
er make it very clear who they are. And the
(07:03):
way that these officers are showing up, you know, with
masks over their faces, in plain clothes, they don't seem
to be identifying themselves, are really giving any information, And
a lot of these detentions, the way that they are
behaving is that is illegal. Number one. It's also really
bad policy because you know, it turns into what looks
(07:24):
and in many cases could be just a kidnapping off
the streets. And we also know that this is a
time where the delantes or anti immigrant people are out
on the street pretending like they are law enforcement, and
so more than ever before, it's really critical that law
enforcement behaves ethically and morally and that if they are
going to go so far as to detain someone, they
(07:46):
make it very clear who they are and that they
are legitimately law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
And this is going on. This is this is going
off for National guardsmen because they seem like they're using
all not just National Guards, the brand and Marines, and
they're deputizing them as as law.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Enforcements, right, I mean, and that adds a whole other
layer to what's happening. So we see arrest by ice
in plain clothes around the country, and then we have
protests in la and in an unprecedented way, the president
is commandeering the National Guard and sending in the Marines
to essentially attack US citizens on US soil. And that
(08:23):
is a very very concerning action by the president. I
think a lot of people are bothered and paying attention.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
But he continues on and he has the course to
back him up on a lot of this. I think
California Governor Newsom went to court on an appeal as
they went back to supporting the Trump administration, so it
seemed like it's a back and forth case and that's
what the administration wants. Am I correct on.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
That what's happening with the deployment of the National Guard
is that the state of California brought a lawsuit. The
original federal court issued a tro which is essentially a
block of the usage by the Trump administration of the
National Guard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted that
tro essentially allowing the National Guard to be commandeered by
(09:15):
the Trump administration. But this is all very temporary. There's
a hearing scheduled in just a few days on June seventeenth,
and so no one really knows what's going to be happening.
But I would say at this point it's very up
in the air what is going to happen with the
National Guard? And the question is can the president commandeer
of the National Guard? Because even though it's the National Guard,
(09:38):
typically the National Guards are under the control of governors
in the.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
States, and these are these feneral agents. Are they getting
away with breaking the constitution? Because you know, you're supposed
as a law enforcement you're supposed to identify yourself, right well.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I mean, if these National guardsmen or Marines are making arrests,
which they're not supposed to be doing right now, and
they are failing to identify themselves, they're violating that several
laws and policies.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Even if they're breaking the law, it seems like this
administration is given a blanket, a blanket to do whatever
they want.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
For the most part, I think that's true. Yeah, I mean,
the Trump administration is certainly not going to turn to
the National Guardsmen and say, oh, you're misbehaving in the
way that you're arresting people. That's too aggressive. But I
do think that the way all of this is playing
out on the ground will become relevant to the lawsuit
in Federal court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
(10:48):
as they hear an argument. If there have been instances
where the National Guardsmen or the Marines are detaining people
against policy, and especially doing so without identifying themselves, I
think that would be all the more reason that the
court would rule against the usage of these military forces
against US citizens.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
That was Immigration Attorney Kate Lincoln Goldfinch.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
This is Steve Gallington, producer and host of The People's News.
The People's News is people powered News. We are free
to report the unvarnished and unspun truth and challenge the
status quo of corporate propaganda and social media advertising. Disguised
as real news. Shiny new one hour episodes of The
(11:31):
People's News drop each Sunday on The People's News Podcast.
Thanks for listening. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham
Lincoln on January first, eighteen sixty three, had established that
all enslaved people in Confederate States in rebellion against the
Union shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. June teenth
(11:56):
commemorates June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five. That was when Union
General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that
over two hundred and fifty thousand enslave people in Texas
were free. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation
was issued by President Lincoln. It took two years for
(12:18):
blacks to find out they were free in Texas. That
day is celebrated around the country now and even has
been made a federal holiday by President Joe Biden during
his administration. This year marks the one hundred and sixtieth
year since the announcement of being free of slavery in
the state. This year, President Joe Biden came to Galveston
(12:40):
to remember and celebrate at the small church where black
slaves gathered to hear that they were free.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
I in.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
President Joseph R.
Speaker 7 (12:53):
Biden, they we'll let you.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Then we'll let you make some remark. And so President
Vanda we get here. We kind of brought it in.
Speaker 8 (13:16):
Here so that they could sweeping when it is theme
for you.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
This is a gift for visit gay Wiston. And it's
got some swag and so there are some other things
(13:43):
in here for you, some Wilson and whatnot.
Speaker 9 (13:47):
But then we have some very special gifts that we
would also like to present to you.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
This one is.
Speaker 8 (14:14):
This reads.
Speaker 9 (14:16):
Galvason International Junete Museum, President Joseph Biden Junior Dr. Ronald
Myers Legacy Award, June nineteenth, twenty twenty five, the.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
QT Level Foods Foundation.
Speaker 9 (14:43):
And then from Reed Chapel, we have the church there
the June so you'll never forget what looks like and
it says presented to the Onlold Joseph R. Biden, Junior
President of the United States, and heartfelt.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
Appreciation for your presence at the.
Speaker 9 (15:04):
One hundred and sixtieth June teen Celebration service Reading Chapel
Am Church, Alveston, Texas, June nineteenth, twenty twenty five and
gratitude for signing the juneteenth National Independence Day Act into
law on June seventeenth, twenty twenty one, making June nineteen
(15:26):
a federal holiday holiday.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
And President.
Speaker 9 (15:39):
But I want to I love that we have an
astronaut that is a member of Ready Chapel av Church
and her name he already knows.
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Her name is Stephanie Wilson.
Speaker 10 (15:50):
And she couldn't be here today because she was training
in corporate and she couldn't different thing prepared because she
has to go through a NASA in order to But
she said it's her her gratitude and her heartfelt love
and appreciation to you.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
Well, my grandmar movie should say God love me, folks.
Speaker 11 (16:25):
It's she carried on Bishop by or Patterson the waters
because I held her.
Speaker 8 (16:33):
Members of the congregation, thank you for inviting me back.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
It's not that hard to get away at once, but
give it that night's back. It's a big deal, folks.
Speaker 11 (16:45):
I just want to say something to uh the bishop,
I uh suld send treated to you. But I hadn't
planned how to say this to be talked about her.
I spent welk a lot of time many be sure,
that's right.
Speaker 8 (16:59):
I mean it's the service.
Speaker 11 (17:01):
When I moved from twenty Pennsylvania as a kid, when
Cole died and school whatever the shriveled up with John A.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Della and I got.
Speaker 8 (17:10):
Deeply involved in the Civil Rights Pass.
Speaker 11 (17:13):
One of the things that occurred moving to Delawhere, my
hometown is the only town History of America says a
Civil war occupied by the military for ten months. The
John by its every corner. Doctor King was killed with
Signify before the series burned down.
Speaker 8 (17:29):
I quit my.
Speaker 11 (17:29):
Job as a as a as a lawyer and a
fancy calall firm, became a public defendity of off call
my friends and I grew up to the east side
of ammigants in the African American community and would be very,
very bad in the Treaty.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
I became a public defendant.
Speaker 11 (17:45):
One of the things that I started doing it I'd
go I had to be a practicing Catholic and I'd
go to seven o'clock manage the Saints Chousin's unfer anyway and.
Speaker 8 (17:54):
Ten o'clock ten o'clock services that any church.
Speaker 12 (18:01):
All the way do you go?
Speaker 8 (18:03):
Bishop Beeman, who now is heading out of the business, council.
Speaker 13 (18:07):
UH has told the bishop he knows the relationship and
my whole, my whole being, particularly as at a high
school and college student, was formed by the black to
complement area where were the third or third largest percent
of African American Many state and Union Dola were in
(18:29):
a strange state. Delaware is a first state, but also
a state that was a slave state. Our great chain
that fought inside of the north and getting to the
south like Maryland and Georgia states. And so even when
the when we did Junichia didn't affect people.
Speaker 11 (18:47):
Thus they weren't from they weren't through competition, the compedi
wait until the manscated proclamation has occurred.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
That's what I'm trying to say is that I I
I just learned to loah them for me and UH
that's why.
Speaker 14 (19:03):
I worked with the East Side. So I worked as
a lawyer, and that's why I got involved in public life.
Bart Brown, we talked.
Speaker 11 (19:11):
To a lawyer and I thank you for the beautiful
gift how to get into consuming and the gobags the
city council, and I thanked that as well. There's another
to be here in a city where freedom rang out
one hundred and sixty years ago one six years ago.
Speaker 14 (19:26):
I often said, imagine what would have happened to after
in my community, out of the black church.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Years, Just imagine what would happen.
Speaker 8 (19:38):
It has been heart souls. He is host you know.
I want to acknowledge powers to.
Speaker 11 (19:47):
When Eric Creek the great part for momlaw we lost
last year, a shi was Actually he was a good
friend I served with. I thank you as well. I
don't get to be here.
Speaker 14 (19:59):
If we hope sport then they may be here. But
the term candy and purpose, and they had they had
the photos.
Speaker 15 (20:06):
Look.
Speaker 14 (20:08):
June teeth is a day of liberation, the day of Novembrance,
the day of celebration. The Book of Songs tells us
we be made orful night for joy covering her morning.
June Teeth represents both the long and hard night of
(20:28):
slavery and subjugation and the promise of joyful warning to
come up. This sacred day reminds me of another sacred day,
that wonderful day four years ago East Tam of the
White House.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
I had a great honor for some objective from Song
of making Dune Teeth a federal holiday.
Speaker 11 (20:55):
Nonsense. Doctor Martine McKinney to your day. The first hold sincident.
The social believers there, grandmother of Juneteenth novel is determined
that all Americans should.
Speaker 8 (21:08):
Know kind of reading power is dead. And I was
very proud to be that. I'm very proud to do that.
Speaker 11 (21:15):
Look, Blackie Street is American district. I think sometimes you
need community underestimates.
Speaker 14 (21:26):
No, look for nearly a decade, really a decade, well, okay,
let's not forget when June.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
Tea was passed as law. Okay, it was passed.
Speaker 14 (21:47):
If it starts to to junet were introduced on the
station year after year by Shilah Jackson Lee. We don't
finally pass the past as strong by far as the support,
by far, the support Jennercratri the numbers moralize this profound
(22:12):
moment in American history. I'll tell you maybe proud, Proud
we were united, Proud despite all our differences, we can
still come together from things that matter most. And this
matters as much as anything in American history. Holiday, said
(22:32):
a black who we are as Americas, but we celebrate
so the remality. And now we have a national holiday
dedicate the emancipation black enslaved people.
Speaker 8 (22:46):
I've been I used been cheering the Africans sub to me,
I've been through all of Africa. I used to be
there for a long long time.
Speaker 14 (22:54):
After Africa, I've been to the origins of where slavers
started from.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
And so listen for them to talk about it now,
how things are changed.
Speaker 14 (23:04):
We have to remember our country is found on the
promise of freedom, freedom for everybody.
Speaker 12 (23:15):
So the that's in your.
Speaker 11 (23:16):
Team, our mom and medial importance to the America's story
and yes for fix years.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
All too often the story.
Speaker 14 (23:28):
What happened here to not written in our facebooks, not
taught in our classrooms, our children children, I slow is
still today. So say to me the you that's Sun
deserves to the offenial holiday. They don't want to remember her,
(23:52):
but we all are here, the moral saved, the well
saved of slavery. I've often called Americas regional city with
America's regal city. God forbid. Well, I took the view
of as president, we need to be honest about history,
especially as behind my having embrace our history.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Not just here but this guy.
Speaker 8 (24:26):
Too many peoples the time to erase.
Speaker 14 (24:29):
Our history, especially to face hilde efforts to erase history
from our textbooks and our classrooms.
Speaker 8 (24:37):
I played a role.
Speaker 12 (24:38):
I'm changing day involved military camps to have saved. What
are you doing now?
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Ra shaking those days?
Speaker 14 (24:48):
Bote you're in the darkest and high much, but can
erase something, to erase.
Speaker 8 (24:57):
They're not even true.
Speaker 11 (25:00):
Become justice in here and help the truth the folks.
I don't come here today only commemorate the past. I
come here because we know the Good Lord isn't done
with the ship.
Speaker 12 (25:17):
The wont work to do.
Speaker 14 (25:20):
Scripture tell us faith without works is dead. Faith without
works are dead. So it's not enough to keep the
faith they work to do. We need to keep pushing
the America forward because we may make real the promise
of liberty and equality.
Speaker 8 (25:39):
And justice for all We've led the world anere sagu
in ror. The power belongs to the people, and.
Speaker 12 (25:51):
The way we show that power is by voting. Don't
the junt let's we can make the.
Speaker 14 (26:07):
Most fundamental task of democracy to stop those to try
to make more difficult the difficult to vote and helping
people register to vote. Let's reach out our families, our friends,
our neighbors. They minded it are critical it, folks. By voting,
(26:28):
anything is possible. Without voting in America, nothing is possible
like that. The folks they closing with the words or
they friend a friend of mine, John Lewis.
Speaker 16 (26:41):
John said, freedom is not a state, it's an act.
Freedom is not stated, it's an act.
Speaker 14 (26:53):
Today we celebrated the freedom of millions of people one
hundred and sixty years ago.
Speaker 8 (26:59):
The imagination.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
The emancipation was saved Black Americans, by the way that
said when this was signed became law. Slaves in Delaware
were still slaves because we felt the side of the
dark that only the Confederates right. That it did not
mark the end of America's work to deliver the promise
(27:24):
to fall. It only marked the began Donald the true
meat of Junet have to continue works for that promise.
Speaker 8 (27:34):
It sounds appointing to say, I mean.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Thinking about it returns. Let's continue to work for the promise.
If you continue to act for freedom, mocketed for America itself.
The folks that remember who we are.
Speaker 8 (27:50):
For the United States of America. You heard him say,
any time, my hopethy we're on our capacity, but we
act together. I can tell you I've built every major
(28:11):
world lead in the last thirty years. No by the
first name. I sat with my family and Derek Wonder
was beason. I mean, it's to sue.
Speaker 14 (28:23):
An aut America will be in the world and the
basic value of the fresh world.
Speaker 8 (28:28):
Wong st who's gonna do?
Speaker 15 (28:32):
Love them so folks, Yeah, I like it. I just
think plead thinking it's true. I want to celebrate. Let's
get the hell of work and get more done.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
People waited in the hot Texas sun to get a
glimpse of the former president. They commented on the state
of the holiday, and it's important.
Speaker 17 (28:56):
My name is Cornelia Harris Banks. I'm a member of
Reedy Chapel African Methods the Episcopal Church, and I'm one
of the stewarts.
Speaker 18 (29:09):
Tell us about your teenth and his church.
Speaker 17 (29:12):
Wow, it's just wonderful knowing that as I grew up
that Reedy Chapel had something to do with June teenth.
In January of eighteen sixty five is where they had
the first celebration of June teenth. And so as Diane
(29:38):
is saying, now, so what happened was they went to
the courthouse and then from the courthouse they came back
to the church. You know, they actually marched in the
same area. And we've been doing the same thing for
the last forty years and in doing so, it just
(30:02):
makes you feel the experience that those people were having
the jubilance of their new feelings.
Speaker 19 (30:14):
And so.
Speaker 17 (30:17):
We are just happy to be the I'll say, the
persons or we are here to keep the history going.
We've had I think about forty five ministers of the church.
We have a wonderful, dynamic minister not Reverend Leernette Patterson
(30:40):
at this time. And we are very happy to open
the doors during Juneteenth. And of course we're ystatically happy
to have former President Biden coming to so breaks we
(31:01):
think is befitting because he is the reason why we
have a Federal House Day, but we have always had
a state holiday, so it has always been been actually celebrated.
Speaker 20 (31:16):
Bishop Jay Baker Senior, grateful to be here on the
celebrators jun Chief. And the important over there is to
acknowledge the struggle that our people have been through in
this country. We're still fighting for equality, but on the
(31:36):
books to say we're free but together in unity, we
stand as one and we can do more things together.
Thought about what our folks, our ancestors, did, our forek
fathers before us, when it came out of those fields,
they went to work and it kept on working. That
you're accomfortabed something. And when you look today, you fixed
(32:01):
look and see where we came from and seem like
we're going back with and it's gonna check. All of
us come together collectively and get something done. We had
to stop separating one another by class, well, I say,
(32:25):
education status. Whatever devised you is what's throwing us. Did
our communities need us all of us on board. They
dropped drugs in our neighborhood and the late seventies early
eighties they served as an opportunity to fund the campaign
(32:47):
in the Garago. But they dropped drugs in our neighborhood.
Could congr with May for it. We'll still struggling. Come
to the table in love and that's find a better solution. Everyone,
not discriminating to get your new human being because God
created us all nothing but love. She'll come from you
(33:08):
that we can have a both gesture and better union.
God bless you, God bless your mirror.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Oh give me your name and title for Okay, I'm
I'm I'm Diane Henderson Moore and I've been a member
of this church all my life. Basically when I worked
in Houston, for a number two years, Bud. He used
come to Ready every other weekend just about so so
much so that when the person who was superintendent Sunday
(33:36):
School moved to Houston, my pastor made me superintendent and.
Speaker 6 (33:39):
I said, I'm already Jine.
Speaker 5 (33:41):
But anyway, it was okay because I was coming here
and kind of like, you know, especially when my grandmother
was living and she was in a wheelchair and so
you know, when we come down and they would bring
her to church on first Hunday. But this church was
starting eighteen forty eight by the White Methodist Church South,
which decided to have some offspring churches here there, and
(34:07):
they decided they'd set up one an area for their
slaves to worship. So they did that in eighteen forty eight,
and I think they basically had like tents to worship
him when in eighteen sixty three they built the church,
and then after juneteenth massurpation, they deeded that church over
(34:28):
to the formerly enslaved people. The people it was just
known as the Negro Methodist Church or the Colored Methodist
Church on Broadway. But once the people decided that they
wanted to become a part of the church founded by
Richard Allen.
Speaker 15 (34:46):
In.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
But did they Okay, they decided to no, I mean
Vesthors anyway, they decided to join it and become an
ammet ch okay and those who wanted to stay with
the United Methodist Church moves. And that church is Saint
Paul United Methodist Church on fifteenth and Broadway. And I
(35:11):
was so I would say I knew about as many
people at that church as.
Speaker 17 (35:13):
I knew over here, you know.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
But anyway, so then when when the church was the
second pastor was a Reverend h Houston reading, and his
daughter taught people right here. Anybody wanted to learn to reads,
come on and she taught them ah here the church
until her father was Uh's moved to another church in
I think in Louisiana.
Speaker 21 (35:39):
Cool the significance of June two and this.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Church, well, this was where the people when when when
Emancipation Proclamation was now put into effect with the arrival
of John Gordon Granger and the and also the rivals
of the black troops that came with that happened to
be hit the same time some city. They didn't come
with him, They just they were here. But you know,
(36:04):
I'd have to go more, you know, study that you
know for sure, but I know they were here at
the time.
Speaker 7 (36:09):
And so.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
They were at the courthouse, which is like two and
a half blocks away down the street, and this is
where they came to worship. They notice it and put
on the door of the boy the emancipation that they
came here because it was it was a black church.
There is another one that's older that happened will Baptist Church,
but it's a little bit further away from then.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
So people came over.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Here to read and I mean read, to pray and
to thank God and to worship, and that's they It
was done on the nineteenth of June. That following year
in eighteen sixty six, on January second, the people that
is churched then had a celebration because actually that's when
(36:53):
you know the massurpation of population wasn't to have been
put into effect on that day. So but because has
he actually arrived here on the nineteenth of June and
they just combined it and started worshiping at So.
Speaker 21 (37:06):
Hey, can I give y'all names and then what price
you does down to Galveston for the June team celebration.
Speaker 19 (37:12):
My name is Kolunda Maurice Kolunda. I'm a detroittera that
lives in Texas, so I needed to come down to
do I needed to come to I've been to Galveston
several times, but this June teen celebration. Usually I'm in
Austin for Juneteenth or in Huddle. This is our fourth
June teenth. I had to tell everyone to know I'm
going to Galveston because OZ wants to be freezed, so
I want my papers today.
Speaker 22 (37:39):
I'm doctor Lee Carl Whittaker. I was born here in Galveston,
went away in the military, came back today to celebrate
June nineteenth. Right now, I live in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands,
and I think this is a very important holiday because
it was kind of ghosted for a long time and sequestered,
and people didn't know. I was even lied to you
about why I took it years later for to get
(38:01):
the message here as if you know, they didn't know, Uh,
they were just totally they were just too ignorant. Only
to find out, you know, the colonizers want them a
little lawyer to do their guarding and stuff like that.
But when those union shows that showed up seventy five
percent of which way black form of slaves. With the
guns and muskets, it was pretty easy for them to say, Oh,
why'd you say? So, go and get your freedom, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
So that's why I'm here, and.
Speaker 22 (38:23):
I'm happy to be around all these wonderful black brothers
and sisters.
Speaker 19 (38:26):
One of the brief one of the surprises that Granger
found when he got here, black troops are already here.
Speaker 6 (38:33):
Were where were they standing?
Speaker 8 (38:35):
They were down toward the harbor. They were down toward
the harbor.
Speaker 19 (38:38):
So he got here, he was surprised to see that
what they knew they had to get their troops in
order turned out to love the truths for black.
Speaker 23 (38:45):
But well, I'm from Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 24 (38:49):
I am from a freedman town.
Speaker 23 (38:50):
I was going there and moved back ten years ago
and have always wanted to come to Galveston and you know,
just experience the history of us being free. So that's
why I'm here, and just to gather more information, you know,
in regards to it. And these young gentlemen have really
helped a love.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is it experience?
Speaker 21 (39:10):
Have you experienced, like June teenth being a lot of
other cities have been cutting back on Juneteenth because of
d I and what the president is doing around the country.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
So have you seen that?
Speaker 21 (39:21):
And what's and how important is June teen to the
treature of young black youths, not just black and black
and brown, somebody else's lives or not march, which is
not our truth. Another man's lives is not much truth.
What happened has happened, is documented, and this documental paper.
Speaker 22 (39:39):
Is in the minds of hearts of the descendants of
the people who are here at this church to Rea
Chapel aid the church in Alveston, And so there's not
very much documentationy for lies, but there's a lot of
documentary for truth.
Speaker 19 (39:53):
So we keep it right there and we'll go with
the truth, you know. To answer your question important it
is for the students, for kids. And you said black
and brown, I'm not interested in brown. I'm only answered
in North America, the United States born blacks whose four
parents were stolen from African continent and forced them to
(40:15):
enslavement here. And as the honormal Elijah Muhammad used to
call us the soul called quote the so called legal
unquote just us because it's only us. And if we
don't understand that history, we don't understand what happened to us,
and that's why we also fight the dropout. And that's
what my dissertation was, was the dropout situation usually by
(40:35):
teens because your tenth grade. I was dealing with black
tenth grade students, because that's when you kind of get
your still in your old you're fifteen, you're feeling your olds.
I can put to school when I want, and that's
where we start. That's where we're seeing the majority of
our kids dropout is not just here in Texas, it's
all over the country. So our numbers are dropping out
of the school are still real high. You have to
ask a question why what happened in the educational system
(40:57):
that we're still losing all of our kids or losing
our kids because they don't understand who they are. So
here's a fun thing. Got a minute, here's a fun Okay,
I'm asking you a question. I'm asking you a question.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Who are you?
Speaker 19 (41:12):
Normally, when you hear that somebody says, my name is Maurice. No,
I didn't ask you what is your name? I asked you,
who are here? Oh? Well, I'm a doctor.
Speaker 8 (41:22):
No, that's what you do.
Speaker 19 (41:23):
That's not who you are. Who are you. So when
you go back, you're gonna go home and think about
it that Well, I'm a child of God.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Know that's what you are.
Speaker 19 (41:30):
Right, I'm my mama's baby. No, that's what you are.
You still have not answered the question who you are?
And trust me, all of us know who we are,
but we cannot answer. So when you ask me that question,
why is it so important? Yes, the students, the children
need to know who they are. And that was one
of my last lectures I did for Black history my
dot in Ottawa. I just did a lecture, a two
(41:51):
power lecture dealing with who, arguing.
Speaker 10 (41:54):
Who are we?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Black Americans have served and fought in every war since
the existing of the bounding of America. The National Buffalo
Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas celebrated the one hundred
and sixty years of June teenth by opening the doors
and showing people the history of black involvement in the
founding of the country. They had exhibitions and re enactments
(42:16):
that showed how they were trained and fought during the
Civil War. Desmond Bertrand Pitts MBA. Meed is the chief
executive officer at the Buffalo Soldier National museum. He told
the People's News about the importance of keeping this holiday
alive and the importance of the museum.
Speaker 24 (42:36):
We are doing June teenth at one sixty festival. We
had an opening exhibition at TSU University Museum on Thursday
night on Juneteenth, and then to yesterday and today we
have a festival living history encampment. We've got youth activities,
We've got community and veteran resources, We've got food, we've
(42:57):
got bounce house, we have all the things that can
meet the need of the community. And our goal is
really just to get people here into the museum to
understand and domestify UH Juneteenth and give them the true,
uh unapologetic history of what happened during that time, but
also the impact that that had on civilization, social, cultural
(43:20):
and everything that came after.
Speaker 18 (43:22):
Listen or it for people that kind of dismiss and
not saying who, but the people that dismiss Junie teenth
or say it's not important. And we have administration now
that that dismisses DEI and called it up and irrelevant
in history, Tell uh why it's so?
Speaker 5 (43:36):
H point.
Speaker 24 (43:37):
Yeah, And I've been saying a lot lately, and we
we often you know, as Black Americans have to use
this phrase that our history is more important now than ever,
but it literally is because of the things that are
going on with that administration. You have the the lack
of UH historical contexts and the educational system. So we
(43:58):
have to meet that need here at the museum. We
have to give them what they're not getting at the school.
And then you have things like DEI being pulled out
and corporations are pulling those programs out. So it also
affects us in terms of funding and corporate partnerships and
things like that. So you know, I've always been told
that you know, all money and good money, so that
(44:21):
goes same here. You know, if we're not you know,
if we're not accepted in our total being and who
we are, you know, then that might not be the
group for us. So what we do here is make
sure that we tell the untold stories, we tell the
overlooked stories. We make sure that people know that not
(44:43):
only Juneteenth, but the Buffalo Soldiers in any black military
woman or man who has served has a place here.
And so we're about to do some renovations on our
exhibits and we're gonna do exactly that We already tell
the story from very beginning up until now, but now
we're gonna be more inclusive of community stories, uh and impact.
Speaker 18 (45:05):
One thing that's that's I think it's important is we
see media and every time you see somebody talk about
George Washington and the starting of America, Yeah, you never
see that black face, right, But we've been or of
African Americans have been a part of this country's wars
since the fun the founding of.
Speaker 24 (45:22):
The Skins, the founding. Yeah, I you know, I I
truly believe and and know that black American, African American,
whoever you identify as. You know, our bloodsweat and tears
went into the fabric of building this country. You know,
our name is Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. But think about
their story. If they were not on the front lines
(45:44):
of the Westwood Expansion, you know, Texas and some of
the other states would have not been a part of
the United States.
Speaker 15 (45:50):
Right.
Speaker 24 (45:51):
And so we can't discount the fact that we played
a role in building this country and we still do
today and anything that's going on administration or anywhere outside.
We need to make sure that people understand that this
is not just black history. This is American history and
that's the story that we want people to understand.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
That's the importance of it all.
Speaker 24 (46:11):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely important for everybody to come.
What we create is an experience, and in the renovations
that's exactly what we're doing. We're going bilingual, so we'll
be a Spanish space as well. We want to ensure
that it's a multi generational and multicultural institution that's also
being inclusive of the Native American story and how they
(46:32):
played a role in that timeframe with the Buffalo soldiers,
and you know, we're sitting on the Native lands, right,
so why aren't we telling that story too. As being
a black man, I can understand being marginalized, being oppressed,
and so we need to make sure that other communities
are also welcome, welcome here. There's a lot of stuff
(46:52):
going on with immigration. You know, we've opened our space
for community dialogue and conversations, so we're not just a
museum or a space for community, uh, and so we
were welcome in on those conversations as well.
Speaker 8 (47:05):
I think it's also important.
Speaker 18 (47:06):
To include Black Canadians that were a part of not
all the wars that were were fought here yeah, a
lot of black Americans left to go to Canada. Yeah,
and they had the same stigma yeah that at that
we had here in the United States there, but not
as harsh ha for sure.
Speaker 24 (47:23):
Yeah, so we we definitely want to recognize that.
Speaker 8 (47:25):
And there is.
Speaker 24 (47:29):
There was a large community of soldiers that also were
in France, and so we want to recognize that. You know,
we played not only a pivotal role in building this country,
but we've been in Canada and France and a lot
of the other places and then come back home and
were treated, you know, like second class citizen or no citizen.
(47:49):
And so often a lot of those veterans, a lot
of those soldiers stayed overseas because of the harsh treatment
that they would have here, whether they're a civilian art
in the service.
Speaker 18 (47:59):
They started encampments in Nova Scotia in Canada and also
in Toronto area, you know, so you see those those
black faces there and now they represent they celebrate Juneteen's
there too.
Speaker 8 (48:11):
Absolutely.
Speaker 24 (48:12):
Yeah, I am really excited that Juneteenth is a national holiday,
a federal holiday. But I don't want us to be
stuck on the celebration aspect of you know, a big
party and a big barbecue and the drinking and all
of that stuff. So that's what we did differently here
(48:33):
for the Juneteenth at one sixty festival is that we
made the highlight and the focus the Living History Encampment,
which is living historians, people who live and breathe this
history day in and day out, so they can do
be here and have conversations and do presentations. And then
everything else we have around the food and all the
other things. It's so that you can enjoy other aspects
(48:55):
of the event, but that's why we want you here,
and then inviting in the other resource for that. And
then the art exhibition was another component. Like a lot
of people get their history and they get their knowledge
from how art is exhibit, and so.
Speaker 8 (49:10):
That's what we created.
Speaker 24 (49:11):
We created a full experience of bringing all of those
ways of interpretation into one space.
Speaker 8 (49:18):
One event that.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Was Desmond Bertrand Pitts MBA meed the chief executive officer
at the Buffalo Soldier National Museum. You can find out
more information at Buffalo Soldier Museum. All put together, dot
org an off Tudy Houston Police officer and a retired
HPD officer shot and almost killed Keith Meyer who was
(49:40):
walking his dog at the time. He had walked on
a neighbor's property and an argument had ensued. He was
shot three times in the leg and stomach. We talked
to civil rights attorney Randall L. Callaman about this case
and another case in the city of Santa Fe, south
of Houston in Galveston County, where a woman was held
(50:01):
down in a bed of ants by law enforcement.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
Keith Meyer was walking his dog late one night in
February near his own property. He had lived there for
over thirty years, and he got kind of lost because
there's no street lights or anything in the forest, of course,
and he ended up on his neighbor's property, and who
(50:28):
was the daughter of a retired police officer who lived
really close and a current duty police officer lived next door.
And he was unarmed, yet they shot him in the leg,
and then they shot him in the stomach, and then
they shot him in the face. He almost passed away.
(50:51):
He's had several surgeries, three or ready for maybe and
then he has to do more reconstructive surgery on his face.
And the investigating officer or Montgomery County, because this happened
in Montgnolia, which is in Montgomery County. She has stated
that Keith Meyer, the victim, had no weapon on him
(51:13):
and he did not assault anyone. What the officers are
claiming is, you know, the common thing, you hear he
reached toward his waistband and that he threatened them verbally,
which is denied by Keith. So it's really disturbing and
so we need to get to the bottom of it.
I was very disappointed that neither the Montgomery County Sheriff's
(51:37):
Department nor the Houston id Department, who claims is investigating this,
have collected the medical records, because of course the medical
records would show how many times he was shot, where
he was shot, potentially the angle he was shot at,
and all that, And neither one of those people who
claim to be investigating organizations who claim to be investigating
(51:58):
even asked for those medical records, which makes me think
maybe they don't want the evidence, They don't want to
be hold in holding any evidence, because of course then
then if they have evidence, you know, if there's no evidence,
then maybe there can be reasonably no actions against the
two officers.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Right right, So there are they gonna is this gonna
go to a grand jury at all?
Speaker 4 (52:25):
Well, there is always the potential for a grand jury,
and he in Texas, in Houston anyway, in Harris County,
all shootings by the police do go to a grand jury.
It's a policy. But this is Montgomery County and so
I do not know the policy there.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
Every case, even if you're retired, you still have to
go through the same process.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
No, I remember one of the officers was retired. The
other one was active duty with nine years on the force.
He was in the homicide division. That's the active duty one.
So so the ID would be in reference to the
active to the officer and is he taken off the
force or is he under is he suspended or anything.
(53:07):
There's currently no restrictions. He's on duty just like he
always is.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
Mhm h is HBD Internal Affairs isn't involved with this
at all.
Speaker 4 (53:18):
H HBD I D claims they're investigating, but in the
three or three four months in which has happened, they
have not got the medical records, which I would think
would be very important. So where does where do we
stand now? Because it is Montgomery County. As far as
far as grand jury's I think that's up to the
(53:40):
District attorney and the District Attorney. There is Brett Ligan
who used to be a Harris County prosecutor, so he's
very familiar, has worked with HPD for many years.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Also, you're working on another case too, dealing with the
Santa Fe Santa Fe Police Department. Well, Santa Fe I
s D.
Speaker 4 (54:00):
You want to talk about that for both, it's both
the Santa Fe ID and the Santa Fe Police Department
because in that particular case, there's a video which shows
that this Santa Fe police officer held my client's face
in a fire and bed while she was not resisting
and in handcuffs.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Police departments has been an
investigation also for a while now. Uh, this is asked
more to the scrutiny of that at that police department,
and and and the the city officials as they're running it.
They're running it that that little square, that little town.
Speaker 8 (54:40):
Go to speak.
Speaker 4 (54:42):
Yeah, well, you know, elected officials are in the end
responsible for what their officers do. So if there's any
you know, they definitely need to have some discipline. In
this instance, there was I don't believe there was any
discipline again any of the officers. And they're they're still
working for both of their respective agencies.
Speaker 2 (54:58):
How is a woman as involved, How.
Speaker 4 (55:00):
She doing well? She's recovered physically but not mentally.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
That was civil rights attorney Randall L. Callanan. Hi, this
is Steve Gallington, producer and host for The People's News.
One of the things that I got in preparation for
going to the No King's rally on June fourteenth was
a presentation from the ACLU, which I want to repeat
(55:27):
the information from for you in light of the convicted
felon opening up Alligator Alcatraz and the Republican House and
Senate passing this big, ugly, expensive, devastating bill. Among those
things is one hundred and thirty five billion dollars for
increased secret police activity or ICE funding. And so you
(55:51):
have rights when dealing with the police or ICE, no
matter or immigration status. Number one, if they do not
have a warrant, an arrest warrant or a search warrant,
you do not have to open the door for the
police or ICE. You do not have to answer any
questions about status or country of origin. The right to
(56:14):
remain silent is protected under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
You have the right to ask to see a lawyer.
You have the right to refuse searches of your person
and your car if the police do not suspect a crime.
This is the fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Never sign
(56:36):
anything without knowing what it says. And you have a
right to record what happens. And if you're hearing this
and you can speak and read Spanish, the People's News
would love for you to read the script in Spanish,
so we can accompany that with this as well. So
(56:56):
be safe out there, look out for each other, and
we'll get through this together. The People's News is a
production of Steve Gallington and Richard Hannah, and is protected
by copyright laws. All the information broadcast on air and online,
as well as published in both print and or online,
including articles, audio clips, illustrations, graphics, photographs, and videos, are
(57:21):
protected by these copyright and other state and federal intellectual
property laws. Therefore, you may not use our content in
any prohibited way, including reproducing, publishing, transmitting, selling, rewriting, broadcasting,
or posting on the Internet without the expressed written permission
of the People's News. Prohibited use also includes publication of
(57:41):
our material in printed or electronic brochures, newsletters or flyers,
as well as all website or email distribution. To obtain
permission to use copyrighted material, email Steve Gallington at Steve
at gallington dot com. Thank you,
It's the week of July thirteenth, twenty twenty five, and
this is what's on the People's News. Tools for living
in the convicted felon's police state, remembering the celebrations of
June teenth, All that and more on the People's News.
I'm Steve Gallington. This is the People's News, and the
(00:26):
People's News starts now. We start off thistition of the
People's News with the reading from Timothy Snyder's on Tyranny,
Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, which was published in
twenty seventeen and something I used as a guidebook to
(00:47):
get me through the first Donald Trump presidency. We're reading
number fourteen of the twenty lessons, which is entitled establish
a Private Life. Nastier rulers will use what they know
about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of
malware on a regular basis. Remember that email is skywriting.
(01:08):
Consider using alternative forms of the Internet or simply using
it less. Have personal exchanges in person for the same reason.
Resolve any legal trouble. Tyrants seek the hook on which
to hang you. Try not to have hooks. What the
great political thinker Hannah Arendt meant by totalitarianism was not
(01:29):
an all powerful state, but the erasure of the difference
between private and public life. We are free only in
so far as we exercise control over what people know
about us and in what circumstances they come to know it.
During the campaign of twenty sixteen, we took a step
toward totalitarianism without even noticing it, by accepting as normal
(01:52):
the violation of electronic privacy, whether it is done by
American or Russian intelligence agencies, or for that matter, by
any institution. The theft, discussion, or publication of personal communications
destroys a basic foundation of our rights. If we have
no control over who reads what and when, we have
no ability to act in the present or plan for
(02:14):
the future. Whoever can pierce your privacy can humiliate you
and disrupt your relationships at will. No one, except perhaps
a tyrant, has a private life that can survive public
exposure by hostile directive. The timed email bombs of the
twenty sixteen presidential campaign were also a powerful form of disinformation.
(02:36):
Words written in one situation make sense only in that context.
The very act of removing them from their historical moment
and dropping them in another is an act of falsification.
What is worse, when media followed the email bombs as
if they were news, they betrayed their own mission. Few
journalists made an effort to explain why people said or
(02:58):
wrote the things they did the time. Meanwhile, in transmitting
privacy violations as news, the media allowed themselves to be
distracted from the actual events of the day. Rather than
reporting the violation of basic rights, our media generally preferred
to mindlessly indulge in the inherently salacious interest we have
in other people's affairs. Our appetite for the secret thought
(03:22):
arnt is dangerously political. Totalitarianism removes the difference between private
and public, not just to make individuals unfree, but also
to draw the whole society away from normal politics and
toward conspiracy theories. Rather than defending facts or generating interpretations,
we are seduced by the notion of hidden realities and
(03:45):
dark conspiracies that explain everything. As we learn from these
email bombs, this mechanism works even when it is revealed
it is of no interest. The revelation of what was
once confidential becomes the story itself. It is striking that
the news media are much worse at this than say,
fashion or sports reporters. Fashion reporters know that models are
(04:08):
taking off their clothes in the changing rooms, and sports
reporters know that their athletes shower in the locker room,
but neither allow private matters to supplant the public story
that they are supposed to be covering. When we take
an active interest in the matters of doubtful relevance at
moments that are chosen by tyrants and spooks, we participate
in the demolition of our own political order. To be sure,
(04:31):
we might feel that we are doing nothing more than
going along with everyone else. This is true, and it
is what aren't described as the devolution of society into
a mob. We can try to solve this problem individually
by securing our own computers. We can also try to
solve it collectively by supporting, for example, organizations that are
(04:52):
concerned with human rights. That was an excerpt of the
book on Tyranny twenty less from the twentieth Century by
Timothy Snyder. Federal agents, under the direction of the corrupt
and criminal Trump administration, are making warrantless arrests around the country,
holding people without charges for days. Added to this is
(05:16):
the illegal detention of people that are protesting ICE actions
at businesses and at people's homes. The National Guard and
the US military is being used to detain US citizens
on US soil. Now this is being challenged in courts.
In Irvine, California, ICE agents drove a failings of military
(05:38):
vehicles in the Orange County suburb to rest a single person,
though not for illegal immigration. They were seeking a resident's
son who had allegedly posted flyers alerting neighbors to the
presence of ICE agents. Leojuarezeporino, a Washington State farm workers
union organizer, was another ICE target. In an unmarked car
(06:01):
stopped him as he was driving his wife to her
job at a tulip farm. The agents, who didn't show
badges or identification, smashed his window and pulled him from
the car. According to Familias, you're not a support of Lojestica,
a farm worker union. Lincoln Goldfinch is an immigration attorney
an owner CEO of Lincoln Goldfinch Law. We asked her
(06:24):
about the state of America right now.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
We're talking about ICE. They're wanting this risks masked and
so you don't know and you can't even you can't
even get any type of information from who's trying to
risk or what you're being arrested for. You want to
talk about it. And it's the legality of it.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Sure, I mean, if there's not a blanket prohibition against
an officer in playing clothes making arrest. If you think
about it, there are like detectives who are in playing clothes.
Of course we know that. But what officers do have
to do is identify themselves and give the you know,
what agencies are with, what their name is, what their
er make it very clear who they are. And the
(07:03):
way that these officers are showing up, you know, with
masks over their faces, in plain clothes, they don't seem
to be identifying themselves, are really giving any information, And
a lot of these detentions, the way that they are
behaving is that is illegal. Number one. It's also really
bad policy because you know, it turns into what looks
(07:24):
and in many cases could be just a kidnapping off
the streets. And we also know that this is a
time where the delantes or anti immigrant people are out
on the street pretending like they are law enforcement, and
so more than ever before, it's really critical that law
enforcement behaves ethically and morally and that if they are
going to go so far as to detain someone, they
(07:46):
make it very clear who they are and that they
are legitimately law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
And this is going on. This is this is going
off for National guardsmen because they seem like they're using
all not just National Guards, the brand and Marines, and
they're deputizing them as as law.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Enforcements, right, I mean, and that adds a whole other
layer to what's happening. So we see arrest by ice
in plain clothes around the country, and then we have
protests in la and in an unprecedented way, the president
is commandeering the National Guard and sending in the Marines
to essentially attack US citizens on US soil. And that
(08:23):
is a very very concerning action by the president. I
think a lot of people are bothered and paying attention.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
But he continues on and he has the course to
back him up on a lot of this. I think
California Governor Newsom went to court on an appeal as
they went back to supporting the Trump administration, so it
seemed like it's a back and forth case and that's
what the administration wants. Am I correct on.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
That what's happening with the deployment of the National Guard
is that the state of California brought a lawsuit. The
original federal court issued a tro which is essentially a
block of the usage by the Trump administration of the
National Guard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted that
tro essentially allowing the National Guard to be commandeered by
(09:15):
the Trump administration. But this is all very temporary. There's
a hearing scheduled in just a few days on June seventeenth,
and so no one really knows what's going to be happening.
But I would say at this point it's very up
in the air what is going to happen with the
National Guard? And the question is can the president commandeer
of the National Guard? Because even though it's the National Guard,
(09:38):
typically the National Guards are under the control of governors
in the.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
States, and these are these feneral agents. Are they getting
away with breaking the constitution? Because you know, you're supposed
as a law enforcement you're supposed to identify yourself, right well.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I mean, if these National guardsmen or Marines are making arrests,
which they're not supposed to be doing right now, and
they are failing to identify themselves, they're violating that several
laws and policies.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Even if they're breaking the law, it seems like this
administration is given a blanket, a blanket to do whatever
they want.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
For the most part, I think that's true. Yeah, I mean,
the Trump administration is certainly not going to turn to
the National Guardsmen and say, oh, you're misbehaving in the
way that you're arresting people. That's too aggressive. But I
do think that the way all of this is playing
out on the ground will become relevant to the lawsuit
in Federal court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
(10:48):
as they hear an argument. If there have been instances
where the National Guardsmen or the Marines are detaining people
against policy, and especially doing so without identifying themselves, I
think that would be all the more reason that the
court would rule against the usage of these military forces
against US citizens.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
That was Immigration Attorney Kate Lincoln Goldfinch.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
This is Steve Gallington, producer and host of The People's News.
The People's News is people powered News. We are free
to report the unvarnished and unspun truth and challenge the
status quo of corporate propaganda and social media advertising. Disguised
as real news. Shiny new one hour episodes of The
(11:31):
People's News drop each Sunday on The People's News Podcast.
Thanks for listening. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham
Lincoln on January first, eighteen sixty three, had established that
all enslaved people in Confederate States in rebellion against the
Union shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. June teenth
(11:56):
commemorates June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five. That was when Union
General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that
over two hundred and fifty thousand enslave people in Texas
were free. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation
was issued by President Lincoln. It took two years for
(12:18):
blacks to find out they were free in Texas. That
day is celebrated around the country now and even has
been made a federal holiday by President Joe Biden during
his administration. This year marks the one hundred and sixtieth
year since the announcement of being free of slavery in
the state. This year, President Joe Biden came to Galveston
(12:40):
to remember and celebrate at the small church where black
slaves gathered to hear that they were free.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
I in.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
President Joseph R.
Speaker 7 (12:53):
Biden, they we'll let you.
Speaker 6 (13:08):
Then we'll let you make some remark. And so President
Vanda we get here. We kind of brought it in.
Speaker 8 (13:16):
Here so that they could sweeping when it is theme
for you.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
This is a gift for visit gay Wiston. And it's
got some swag and so there are some other things
(13:43):
in here for you, some Wilson and whatnot.
Speaker 9 (13:47):
But then we have some very special gifts that we
would also like to present to you.
Speaker 6 (13:58):
This one is.
Speaker 8 (14:14):
This reads.
Speaker 9 (14:16):
Galvason International Junete Museum, President Joseph Biden Junior Dr. Ronald
Myers Legacy Award, June nineteenth, twenty twenty five, the.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
QT Level Foods Foundation.
Speaker 9 (14:43):
And then from Reed Chapel, we have the church there
the June so you'll never forget what looks like and
it says presented to the Onlold Joseph R. Biden, Junior
President of the United States, and heartfelt.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
Appreciation for your presence at the.
Speaker 9 (15:04):
One hundred and sixtieth June teen Celebration service Reading Chapel
Am Church, Alveston, Texas, June nineteenth, twenty twenty five and
gratitude for signing the juneteenth National Independence Day Act into
law on June seventeenth, twenty twenty one, making June nineteen
(15:26):
a federal holiday holiday.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
And President.
Speaker 9 (15:39):
But I want to I love that we have an
astronaut that is a member of Ready Chapel av Church
and her name he already knows.
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Her name is Stephanie Wilson.
Speaker 10 (15:50):
And she couldn't be here today because she was training
in corporate and she couldn't different thing prepared because she
has to go through a NASA in order to But
she said it's her her gratitude and her heartfelt love
and appreciation to you.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
Well, my grandmar movie should say God love me, folks.
Speaker 11 (16:25):
It's she carried on Bishop by or Patterson the waters
because I held her.
Speaker 8 (16:33):
Members of the congregation, thank you for inviting me back.
Speaker 6 (16:38):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
It's not that hard to get away at once, but
give it that night's back. It's a big deal, folks.
Speaker 11 (16:45):
I just want to say something to uh the bishop,
I uh suld send treated to you. But I hadn't
planned how to say this to be talked about her.
I spent welk a lot of time many be sure,
that's right.
Speaker 8 (16:59):
I mean it's the service.
Speaker 11 (17:01):
When I moved from twenty Pennsylvania as a kid, when
Cole died and school whatever the shriveled up with John A.
Speaker 6 (17:08):
Della and I got.
Speaker 8 (17:10):
Deeply involved in the Civil Rights Pass.
Speaker 11 (17:13):
One of the things that occurred moving to Delawhere, my
hometown is the only town History of America says a
Civil war occupied by the military for ten months. The
John by its every corner. Doctor King was killed with
Signify before the series burned down.
Speaker 8 (17:29):
I quit my.
Speaker 11 (17:29):
Job as a as a as a lawyer and a
fancy calall firm, became a public defendity of off call
my friends and I grew up to the east side
of ammigants in the African American community and would be very,
very bad in the Treaty.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
I became a public defendant.
Speaker 11 (17:45):
One of the things that I started doing it I'd
go I had to be a practicing Catholic and I'd
go to seven o'clock manage the Saints Chousin's unfer anyway and.
Speaker 8 (17:54):
Ten o'clock ten o'clock services that any church.
Speaker 12 (18:01):
All the way do you go?
Speaker 8 (18:03):
Bishop Beeman, who now is heading out of the business, council.
Speaker 13 (18:07):
UH has told the bishop he knows the relationship and
my whole, my whole being, particularly as at a high
school and college student, was formed by the black to
complement area where were the third or third largest percent
of African American Many state and Union Dola were in
(18:29):
a strange state. Delaware is a first state, but also
a state that was a slave state. Our great chain
that fought inside of the north and getting to the
south like Maryland and Georgia states. And so even when
the when we did Junichia didn't affect people.
Speaker 11 (18:47):
Thus they weren't from they weren't through competition, the compedi
wait until the manscated proclamation has occurred.
Speaker 8 (18:56):
That's what I'm trying to say is that I I
I just learned to loah them for me and UH
that's why.
Speaker 14 (19:03):
I worked with the East Side. So I worked as
a lawyer, and that's why I got involved in public life.
Bart Brown, we talked.
Speaker 11 (19:11):
To a lawyer and I thank you for the beautiful
gift how to get into consuming and the gobags the
city council, and I thanked that as well. There's another
to be here in a city where freedom rang out
one hundred and sixty years ago one six years ago.
Speaker 14 (19:26):
I often said, imagine what would have happened to after
in my community, out of the black church.
Speaker 6 (19:34):
Years, Just imagine what would happen.
Speaker 8 (19:38):
It has been heart souls. He is host you know.
I want to acknowledge powers to.
Speaker 11 (19:47):
When Eric Creek the great part for momlaw we lost
last year, a shi was Actually he was a good
friend I served with. I thank you as well. I
don't get to be here.
Speaker 14 (19:59):
If we hope sport then they may be here. But
the term candy and purpose, and they had they had
the photos.
Speaker 15 (20:06):
Look.
Speaker 14 (20:08):
June teeth is a day of liberation, the day of Novembrance,
the day of celebration. The Book of Songs tells us
we be made orful night for joy covering her morning.
June Teeth represents both the long and hard night of
(20:28):
slavery and subjugation and the promise of joyful warning to
come up. This sacred day reminds me of another sacred day,
that wonderful day four years ago East Tam of the
White House.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
I had a great honor for some objective from Song
of making Dune Teeth a federal holiday.
Speaker 11 (20:55):
Nonsense. Doctor Martine McKinney to your day. The first hold sincident.
The social believers there, grandmother of Juneteenth novel is determined
that all Americans should.
Speaker 8 (21:08):
Know kind of reading power is dead. And I was
very proud to be that. I'm very proud to do that.
Speaker 11 (21:15):
Look, Blackie Street is American district. I think sometimes you
need community underestimates.
Speaker 14 (21:26):
No, look for nearly a decade, really a decade, well, okay,
let's not forget when June.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
Tea was passed as law. Okay, it was passed.
Speaker 14 (21:47):
If it starts to to junet were introduced on the
station year after year by Shilah Jackson Lee. We don't
finally pass the past as strong by far as the support,
by far, the support Jennercratri the numbers moralize this profound
(22:12):
moment in American history. I'll tell you maybe proud, Proud
we were united, Proud despite all our differences, we can
still come together from things that matter most. And this
matters as much as anything in American history. Holiday, said
(22:32):
a black who we are as Americas, but we celebrate
so the remality. And now we have a national holiday
dedicate the emancipation black enslaved people.
Speaker 8 (22:46):
I've been I used been cheering the Africans sub to me,
I've been through all of Africa. I used to be
there for a long long time.
Speaker 14 (22:54):
After Africa, I've been to the origins of where slavers
started from.
Speaker 8 (23:00):
And so listen for them to talk about it now,
how things are changed.
Speaker 14 (23:04):
We have to remember our country is found on the
promise of freedom, freedom for everybody.
Speaker 12 (23:15):
So the that's in your.
Speaker 11 (23:16):
Team, our mom and medial importance to the America's story
and yes for fix years.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
All too often the story.
Speaker 14 (23:28):
What happened here to not written in our facebooks, not
taught in our classrooms, our children children, I slow is
still today. So say to me the you that's Sun
deserves to the offenial holiday. They don't want to remember her,
(23:52):
but we all are here, the moral saved, the well
saved of slavery. I've often called Americas regional city with
America's regal city. God forbid. Well, I took the view
of as president, we need to be honest about history,
especially as behind my having embrace our history.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Not just here but this guy.
Speaker 8 (24:26):
Too many peoples the time to erase.
Speaker 14 (24:29):
Our history, especially to face hilde efforts to erase history
from our textbooks and our classrooms.
Speaker 8 (24:37):
I played a role.
Speaker 12 (24:38):
I'm changing day involved military camps to have saved. What
are you doing now?
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Ra shaking those days?
Speaker 14 (24:48):
Bote you're in the darkest and high much, but can
erase something, to erase.
Speaker 8 (24:57):
They're not even true.
Speaker 11 (25:00):
Become justice in here and help the truth the folks.
I don't come here today only commemorate the past. I
come here because we know the Good Lord isn't done
with the ship.
Speaker 12 (25:17):
The wont work to do.
Speaker 14 (25:20):
Scripture tell us faith without works is dead. Faith without
works are dead. So it's not enough to keep the
faith they work to do. We need to keep pushing
the America forward because we may make real the promise
of liberty and equality.
Speaker 8 (25:39):
And justice for all We've led the world anere sagu
in ror. The power belongs to the people, and.
Speaker 12 (25:51):
The way we show that power is by voting. Don't
the junt let's we can make the.
Speaker 14 (26:07):
Most fundamental task of democracy to stop those to try
to make more difficult the difficult to vote and helping
people register to vote. Let's reach out our families, our friends,
our neighbors. They minded it are critical it, folks. By voting,
(26:28):
anything is possible. Without voting in America, nothing is possible
like that. The folks they closing with the words or
they friend a friend of mine, John Lewis.
Speaker 16 (26:41):
John said, freedom is not a state, it's an act.
Freedom is not stated, it's an act.
Speaker 14 (26:53):
Today we celebrated the freedom of millions of people one
hundred and sixty years ago.
Speaker 8 (26:59):
The imagination.
Speaker 11 (27:01):
The emancipation was saved Black Americans, by the way that
said when this was signed became law. Slaves in Delaware
were still slaves because we felt the side of the
dark that only the Confederates right. That it did not
mark the end of America's work to deliver the promise
(27:24):
to fall. It only marked the began Donald the true
meat of Junet have to continue works for that promise.
Speaker 8 (27:34):
It sounds appointing to say, I mean.
Speaker 11 (27:35):
Thinking about it returns. Let's continue to work for the promise.
If you continue to act for freedom, mocketed for America itself.
The folks that remember who we are.
Speaker 8 (27:50):
For the United States of America. You heard him say,
any time, my hopethy we're on our capacity, but we
act together. I can tell you I've built every major
(28:11):
world lead in the last thirty years. No by the
first name. I sat with my family and Derek Wonder
was beason. I mean, it's to sue.
Speaker 14 (28:23):
An aut America will be in the world and the
basic value of the fresh world.
Speaker 8 (28:28):
Wong st who's gonna do?
Speaker 15 (28:32):
Love them so folks, Yeah, I like it. I just
think plead thinking it's true. I want to celebrate. Let's
get the hell of work and get more done.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
People waited in the hot Texas sun to get a
glimpse of the former president. They commented on the state
of the holiday, and it's important.
Speaker 17 (28:56):
My name is Cornelia Harris Banks. I'm a member of
Reedy Chapel African Methods the Episcopal Church, and I'm one
of the stewarts.
Speaker 18 (29:09):
Tell us about your teenth and his church.
Speaker 17 (29:12):
Wow, it's just wonderful knowing that as I grew up
that Reedy Chapel had something to do with June teenth.
In January of eighteen sixty five is where they had
the first celebration of June teenth. And so as Diane
(29:38):
is saying, now, so what happened was they went to
the courthouse and then from the courthouse they came back
to the church. You know, they actually marched in the
same area. And we've been doing the same thing for
the last forty years and in doing so, it just
(30:02):
makes you feel the experience that those people were having
the jubilance of their new feelings.
Speaker 19 (30:14):
And so.
Speaker 17 (30:17):
We are just happy to be the I'll say, the
persons or we are here to keep the history going.
We've had I think about forty five ministers of the church.
We have a wonderful, dynamic minister not Reverend Leernette Patterson
(30:40):
at this time. And we are very happy to open
the doors during Juneteenth. And of course we're ystatically happy
to have former President Biden coming to so breaks we
(31:01):
think is befitting because he is the reason why we
have a Federal House Day, but we have always had
a state holiday, so it has always been been actually celebrated.
Speaker 20 (31:16):
Bishop Jay Baker Senior, grateful to be here on the
celebrators jun Chief. And the important over there is to
acknowledge the struggle that our people have been through in
this country. We're still fighting for equality, but on the
(31:36):
books to say we're free but together in unity, we
stand as one and we can do more things together.
Thought about what our folks, our ancestors, did, our forek
fathers before us, when it came out of those fields,
they went to work and it kept on working. That
you're accomfortabed something. And when you look today, you fixed
(32:01):
look and see where we came from and seem like
we're going back with and it's gonna check. All of
us come together collectively and get something done. We had
to stop separating one another by class, well, I say,
(32:25):
education status. Whatever devised you is what's throwing us. Did
our communities need us all of us on board. They
dropped drugs in our neighborhood and the late seventies early
eighties they served as an opportunity to fund the campaign
(32:47):
in the Garago. But they dropped drugs in our neighborhood.
Could congr with May for it. We'll still struggling. Come
to the table in love and that's find a better solution. Everyone,
not discriminating to get your new human being because God
created us all nothing but love. She'll come from you
(33:08):
that we can have a both gesture and better union.
God bless you, God bless your mirror.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
Oh give me your name and title for Okay, I'm
I'm I'm Diane Henderson Moore and I've been a member
of this church all my life. Basically when I worked
in Houston, for a number two years, Bud. He used
come to Ready every other weekend just about so so
much so that when the person who was superintendent Sunday
(33:36):
School moved to Houston, my pastor made me superintendent and.
Speaker 6 (33:39):
I said, I'm already Jine.
Speaker 5 (33:41):
But anyway, it was okay because I was coming here
and kind of like, you know, especially when my grandmother
was living and she was in a wheelchair and so
you know, when we come down and they would bring
her to church on first Hunday. But this church was
starting eighteen forty eight by the White Methodist Church South,
which decided to have some offspring churches here there, and
(34:07):
they decided they'd set up one an area for their
slaves to worship. So they did that in eighteen forty eight,
and I think they basically had like tents to worship
him when in eighteen sixty three they built the church,
and then after juneteenth massurpation, they deeded that church over
(34:28):
to the formerly enslaved people. The people it was just
known as the Negro Methodist Church or the Colored Methodist
Church on Broadway. But once the people decided that they
wanted to become a part of the church founded by
Richard Allen.
Speaker 15 (34:46):
In.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
But did they Okay, they decided to no, I mean
Vesthors anyway, they decided to join it and become an
ammet ch okay and those who wanted to stay with
the United Methodist Church moves. And that church is Saint
Paul United Methodist Church on fifteenth and Broadway. And I
(35:11):
was so I would say I knew about as many
people at that church as.
Speaker 17 (35:13):
I knew over here, you know.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
But anyway, so then when when the church was the
second pastor was a Reverend h Houston reading, and his
daughter taught people right here. Anybody wanted to learn to reads,
come on and she taught them ah here the church
until her father was Uh's moved to another church in
I think in Louisiana.
Speaker 21 (35:39):
Cool the significance of June two and this.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
Church, well, this was where the people when when when
Emancipation Proclamation was now put into effect with the arrival
of John Gordon Granger and the and also the rivals
of the black troops that came with that happened to
be hit the same time some city. They didn't come
with him, They just they were here. But you know,
(36:04):
I'd have to go more, you know, study that you
know for sure, but I know they were here at
the time.
Speaker 7 (36:09):
And so.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
They were at the courthouse, which is like two and
a half blocks away down the street, and this is
where they came to worship. They notice it and put
on the door of the boy the emancipation that they
came here because it was it was a black church.
There is another one that's older that happened will Baptist Church,
but it's a little bit further away from then.
Speaker 6 (36:31):
So people came over.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Here to read and I mean read, to pray and
to thank God and to worship, and that's they It
was done on the nineteenth of June. That following year
in eighteen sixty six, on January second, the people that
is churched then had a celebration because actually that's when
(36:53):
you know the massurpation of population wasn't to have been
put into effect on that day. So but because has
he actually arrived here on the nineteenth of June and
they just combined it and started worshiping at So.
Speaker 21 (37:06):
Hey, can I give y'all names and then what price
you does down to Galveston for the June team celebration.
Speaker 19 (37:12):
My name is Kolunda Maurice Kolunda. I'm a detroittera that
lives in Texas, so I needed to come down to
do I needed to come to I've been to Galveston
several times, but this June teen celebration. Usually I'm in
Austin for Juneteenth or in Huddle. This is our fourth
June teenth. I had to tell everyone to know I'm
going to Galveston because OZ wants to be freezed, so
I want my papers today.
Speaker 22 (37:39):
I'm doctor Lee Carl Whittaker. I was born here in Galveston,
went away in the military, came back today to celebrate
June nineteenth. Right now, I live in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands,
and I think this is a very important holiday because
it was kind of ghosted for a long time and sequestered,
and people didn't know. I was even lied to you
about why I took it years later for to get
(38:01):
the message here as if you know, they didn't know, Uh,
they were just totally they were just too ignorant. Only
to find out, you know, the colonizers want them a
little lawyer to do their guarding and stuff like that.
But when those union shows that showed up seventy five
percent of which way black form of slaves. With the
guns and muskets, it was pretty easy for them to say, Oh,
why'd you say? So, go and get your freedom, you know.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
So that's why I'm here, and.
Speaker 22 (38:23):
I'm happy to be around all these wonderful black brothers
and sisters.
Speaker 19 (38:26):
One of the brief one of the surprises that Granger
found when he got here, black troops are already here.
Speaker 6 (38:33):
Were where were they standing?
Speaker 8 (38:35):
They were down toward the harbor. They were down toward
the harbor.
Speaker 19 (38:38):
So he got here, he was surprised to see that
what they knew they had to get their troops in
order turned out to love the truths for black.
Speaker 23 (38:45):
But well, I'm from Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 24 (38:49):
I am from a freedman town.
Speaker 23 (38:50):
I was going there and moved back ten years ago
and have always wanted to come to Galveston and you know,
just experience the history of us being free. So that's
why I'm here, and just to gather more information, you know,
in regards to it. And these young gentlemen have really
helped a love.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is it experience?
Speaker 21 (39:10):
Have you experienced, like June teenth being a lot of
other cities have been cutting back on Juneteenth because of
d I and what the president is doing around the country.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
So have you seen that?
Speaker 21 (39:21):
And what's and how important is June teen to the
treature of young black youths, not just black and black
and brown, somebody else's lives or not march, which is
not our truth. Another man's lives is not much truth.
What happened has happened, is documented, and this documental paper.
Speaker 22 (39:39):
Is in the minds of hearts of the descendants of
the people who are here at this church to Rea
Chapel aid the church in Alveston, And so there's not
very much documentationy for lies, but there's a lot of
documentary for truth.
Speaker 19 (39:53):
So we keep it right there and we'll go with
the truth, you know. To answer your question important it
is for the students, for kids. And you said black
and brown, I'm not interested in brown. I'm only answered
in North America, the United States born blacks whose four
parents were stolen from African continent and forced them to
(40:15):
enslavement here. And as the honormal Elijah Muhammad used to
call us the soul called quote the so called legal
unquote just us because it's only us. And if we
don't understand that history, we don't understand what happened to us,
and that's why we also fight the dropout. And that's
what my dissertation was, was the dropout situation usually by
(40:35):
teens because your tenth grade. I was dealing with black
tenth grade students, because that's when you kind of get
your still in your old you're fifteen, you're feeling your olds.
I can put to school when I want, and that's
where we start. That's where we're seeing the majority of
our kids dropout is not just here in Texas, it's
all over the country. So our numbers are dropping out
of the school are still real high. You have to
ask a question why what happened in the educational system
(40:57):
that we're still losing all of our kids or losing
our kids because they don't understand who they are. So
here's a fun thing. Got a minute, here's a fun Okay,
I'm asking you a question. I'm asking you a question.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Who are you?
Speaker 19 (41:12):
Normally, when you hear that somebody says, my name is Maurice. No,
I didn't ask you what is your name? I asked you,
who are here? Oh? Well, I'm a doctor.
Speaker 8 (41:22):
No, that's what you do.
Speaker 19 (41:23):
That's not who you are. Who are you. So when
you go back, you're gonna go home and think about
it that Well, I'm a child of God.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Know that's what you are.
Speaker 19 (41:30):
Right, I'm my mama's baby. No, that's what you are.
You still have not answered the question who you are?
And trust me, all of us know who we are,
but we cannot answer. So when you ask me that question,
why is it so important? Yes, the students, the children
need to know who they are. And that was one
of my last lectures I did for Black history my
dot in Ottawa. I just did a lecture, a two
(41:51):
power lecture dealing with who, arguing.
Speaker 10 (41:54):
Who are we?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Black Americans have served and fought in every war since
the existing of the bounding of America. The National Buffalo
Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas celebrated the one hundred
and sixty years of June teenth by opening the doors
and showing people the history of black involvement in the
founding of the country. They had exhibitions and re enactments
(42:16):
that showed how they were trained and fought during the
Civil War. Desmond Bertrand Pitts MBA. Meed is the chief
executive officer at the Buffalo Soldier National museum. He told
the People's News about the importance of keeping this holiday
alive and the importance of the museum.
Speaker 24 (42:36):
We are doing June teenth at one sixty festival. We
had an opening exhibition at TSU University Museum on Thursday
night on Juneteenth, and then to yesterday and today we
have a festival living history encampment. We've got youth activities,
We've got community and veteran resources, We've got food, we've
(42:57):
got bounce house, we have all the things that can
meet the need of the community. And our goal is
really just to get people here into the museum to
understand and domestify UH Juneteenth and give them the true,
uh unapologetic history of what happened during that time, but
also the impact that that had on civilization, social, cultural
(43:20):
and everything that came after.
Speaker 18 (43:22):
Listen or it for people that kind of dismiss and
not saying who, but the people that dismiss Junie teenth
or say it's not important. And we have administration now
that that dismisses DEI and called it up and irrelevant
in history, Tell uh why it's so?
Speaker 5 (43:36):
H point.
Speaker 24 (43:37):
Yeah, And I've been saying a lot lately, and we
we often you know, as Black Americans have to use
this phrase that our history is more important now than ever,
but it literally is because of the things that are
going on with that administration. You have the the lack
of UH historical contexts and the educational system. So we
(43:58):
have to meet that need here at the museum. We
have to give them what they're not getting at the school.
And then you have things like DEI being pulled out
and corporations are pulling those programs out. So it also
affects us in terms of funding and corporate partnerships and
things like that. So you know, I've always been told
that you know, all money and good money, so that
(44:21):
goes same here. You know, if we're not you know,
if we're not accepted in our total being and who
we are, you know, then that might not be the
group for us. So what we do here is make
sure that we tell the untold stories, we tell the
overlooked stories. We make sure that people know that not
(44:43):
only Juneteenth, but the Buffalo Soldiers in any black military
woman or man who has served has a place here.
And so we're about to do some renovations on our
exhibits and we're gonna do exactly that We already tell
the story from very beginning up until now, but now
we're gonna be more inclusive of community stories, uh and impact.
Speaker 18 (45:05):
One thing that's that's I think it's important is we
see media and every time you see somebody talk about
George Washington and the starting of America, Yeah, you never
see that black face, right, But we've been or of
African Americans have been a part of this country's wars
since the fun the founding of.
Speaker 24 (45:22):
The Skins, the founding. Yeah, I you know, I I
truly believe and and know that black American, African American,
whoever you identify as. You know, our bloodsweat and tears
went into the fabric of building this country. You know,
our name is Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. But think about
their story. If they were not on the front lines
(45:44):
of the Westwood Expansion, you know, Texas and some of
the other states would have not been a part of
the United States.
Speaker 15 (45:50):
Right.
Speaker 24 (45:51):
And so we can't discount the fact that we played
a role in building this country and we still do
today and anything that's going on administration or anywhere outside.
We need to make sure that people understand that this
is not just black history. This is American history and
that's the story that we want people to understand.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
That's the importance of it all.
Speaker 24 (46:11):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely important for everybody to come.
What we create is an experience, and in the renovations
that's exactly what we're doing. We're going bilingual, so we'll
be a Spanish space as well. We want to ensure
that it's a multi generational and multicultural institution that's also
being inclusive of the Native American story and how they
(46:32):
played a role in that timeframe with the Buffalo soldiers,
and you know, we're sitting on the Native lands, right,
so why aren't we telling that story too. As being
a black man, I can understand being marginalized, being oppressed,
and so we need to make sure that other communities
are also welcome, welcome here. There's a lot of stuff
(46:52):
going on with immigration. You know, we've opened our space
for community dialogue and conversations, so we're not just a
museum or a space for community, uh, and so we
were welcome in on those conversations as well.
Speaker 8 (47:05):
I think it's also important.
Speaker 18 (47:06):
To include Black Canadians that were a part of not
all the wars that were were fought here yeah, a
lot of black Americans left to go to Canada. Yeah,
and they had the same stigma yeah that at that
we had here in the United States there, but not
as harsh ha for sure.
Speaker 24 (47:23):
Yeah, so we we definitely want to recognize that.
Speaker 8 (47:25):
And there is.
Speaker 24 (47:29):
There was a large community of soldiers that also were
in France, and so we want to recognize that. You know,
we played not only a pivotal role in building this country,
but we've been in Canada and France and a lot
of the other places and then come back home and
were treated, you know, like second class citizen or no citizen.
(47:49):
And so often a lot of those veterans, a lot
of those soldiers stayed overseas because of the harsh treatment
that they would have here, whether they're a civilian art
in the service.
Speaker 18 (47:59):
They started encampments in Nova Scotia in Canada and also
in Toronto area, you know, so you see those those
black faces there and now they represent they celebrate Juneteen's
there too.
Speaker 8 (48:11):
Absolutely.
Speaker 24 (48:12):
Yeah, I am really excited that Juneteenth is a national holiday,
a federal holiday. But I don't want us to be
stuck on the celebration aspect of you know, a big
party and a big barbecue and the drinking and all
of that stuff. So that's what we did differently here
(48:33):
for the Juneteenth at one sixty festival is that we
made the highlight and the focus the Living History Encampment,
which is living historians, people who live and breathe this
history day in and day out, so they can do
be here and have conversations and do presentations. And then
everything else we have around the food and all the
other things. It's so that you can enjoy other aspects
(48:55):
of the event, but that's why we want you here,
and then inviting in the other resource for that. And
then the art exhibition was another component. Like a lot
of people get their history and they get their knowledge
from how art is exhibit, and so.
Speaker 8 (49:10):
That's what we created.
Speaker 24 (49:11):
We created a full experience of bringing all of those
ways of interpretation into one space.
Speaker 8 (49:18):
One event that.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
Was Desmond Bertrand Pitts MBA meed the chief executive officer
at the Buffalo Soldier National Museum. You can find out
more information at Buffalo Soldier Museum. All put together, dot
org an off Tudy Houston Police officer and a retired
HPD officer shot and almost killed Keith Meyer who was
(49:40):
walking his dog at the time. He had walked on
a neighbor's property and an argument had ensued. He was
shot three times in the leg and stomach. We talked
to civil rights attorney Randall L. Callaman about this case
and another case in the city of Santa Fe, south
of Houston in Galveston County, where a woman was held
(50:01):
down in a bed of ants by law enforcement.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
Keith Meyer was walking his dog late one night in
February near his own property. He had lived there for
over thirty years, and he got kind of lost because
there's no street lights or anything in the forest, of course,
and he ended up on his neighbor's property, and who
(50:28):
was the daughter of a retired police officer who lived
really close and a current duty police officer lived next door.
And he was unarmed, yet they shot him in the leg,
and then they shot him in the stomach, and then
they shot him in the face. He almost passed away.
(50:51):
He's had several surgeries, three or ready for maybe and
then he has to do more reconstructive surgery on his face.
And the investigating officer or Montgomery County, because this happened
in Montgnolia, which is in Montgomery County. She has stated
that Keith Meyer, the victim, had no weapon on him
(51:13):
and he did not assault anyone. What the officers are
claiming is, you know, the common thing, you hear he
reached toward his waistband and that he threatened them verbally,
which is denied by Keith. So it's really disturbing and
so we need to get to the bottom of it.
I was very disappointed that neither the Montgomery County Sheriff's
(51:37):
Department nor the Houston id Department, who claims is investigating this,
have collected the medical records, because of course the medical
records would show how many times he was shot, where
he was shot, potentially the angle he was shot at,
and all that, And neither one of those people who
claim to be investigating organizations who claim to be investigating
(51:58):
even asked for those medical records, which makes me think
maybe they don't want the evidence, They don't want to
be hold in holding any evidence, because of course then
then if they have evidence, you know, if there's no evidence,
then maybe there can be reasonably no actions against the
two officers.
Speaker 2 (52:19):
Right right, So there are they gonna is this gonna
go to a grand jury at all?
Speaker 4 (52:25):
Well, there is always the potential for a grand jury,
and he in Texas, in Houston anyway, in Harris County,
all shootings by the police do go to a grand jury.
It's a policy. But this is Montgomery County and so
I do not know the policy there.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
Every case, even if you're retired, you still have to
go through the same process.
Speaker 4 (52:47):
No, I remember one of the officers was retired. The
other one was active duty with nine years on the force.
He was in the homicide division. That's the active duty one.
So so the ID would be in reference to the
active to the officer and is he taken off the
force or is he under is he suspended or anything.
(53:07):
There's currently no restrictions. He's on duty just like he
always is.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
Mhm h is HBD Internal Affairs isn't involved with this
at all.
Speaker 4 (53:18):
H HBD I D claims they're investigating, but in the
three or three four months in which has happened, they
have not got the medical records, which I would think
would be very important. So where does where do we
stand now? Because it is Montgomery County. As far as
far as grand jury's I think that's up to the
(53:40):
District attorney and the District Attorney. There is Brett Ligan
who used to be a Harris County prosecutor, so he's
very familiar, has worked with HPD for many years.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
Also, you're working on another case too, dealing with the
Santa Fe Santa Fe Police Department. Well, Santa Fe I
s D.
Speaker 4 (54:00):
You want to talk about that for both, it's both
the Santa Fe ID and the Santa Fe Police Department
because in that particular case, there's a video which shows
that this Santa Fe police officer held my client's face
in a fire and bed while she was not resisting
and in handcuffs.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Police departments has been an
investigation also for a while now. Uh, this is asked
more to the scrutiny of that at that police department,
and and and the the city officials as they're running it.
They're running it that that little square, that little town.
Speaker 8 (54:40):
Go to speak.
Speaker 4 (54:42):
Yeah, well, you know, elected officials are in the end
responsible for what their officers do. So if there's any
you know, they definitely need to have some discipline. In
this instance, there was I don't believe there was any
discipline again any of the officers. And they're they're still
working for both of their respective agencies.
Speaker 2 (54:58):
How is a woman as involved, How.
Speaker 4 (55:00):
She doing well? She's recovered physically but not mentally.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
That was civil rights attorney Randall L. Callanan. Hi, this
is Steve Gallington, producer and host for The People's News.
One of the things that I got in preparation for
going to the No King's rally on June fourteenth was
a presentation from the ACLU, which I want to repeat
(55:27):
the information from for you in light of the convicted
felon opening up Alligator Alcatraz and the Republican House and
Senate passing this big, ugly, expensive, devastating bill. Among those
things is one hundred and thirty five billion dollars for
increased secret police activity or ICE funding. And so you
(55:51):
have rights when dealing with the police or ICE, no
matter or immigration status. Number one, if they do not
have a warrant, an arrest warrant or a search warrant,
you do not have to open the door for the
police or ICE. You do not have to answer any
questions about status or country of origin. The right to
(56:14):
remain silent is protected under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
You have the right to ask to see a lawyer.
You have the right to refuse searches of your person
and your car if the police do not suspect a crime.
This is the fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Never sign
(56:36):
anything without knowing what it says. And you have a
right to record what happens. And if you're hearing this
and you can speak and read Spanish, the People's News
would love for you to read the script in Spanish,
so we can accompany that with this as well. So
(56:56):
be safe out there, look out for each other, and
we'll get through this together. The People's News is a
production of Steve Gallington and Richard Hannah, and is protected
by copyright laws. All the information broadcast on air and online,
as well as published in both print and or online,
including articles, audio clips, illustrations, graphics, photographs, and videos, are
(57:21):
protected by these copyright and other state and federal intellectual
property laws. Therefore, you may not use our content in
any prohibited way, including reproducing, publishing, transmitting, selling, rewriting, broadcasting,
or posting on the Internet without the expressed written permission
of the People's News. Prohibited use also includes publication of
(57:41):
our material in printed or electronic brochures, newsletters or flyers,
as well as all website or email distribution. To obtain
permission to use copyrighted material, email Steve Gallington at Steve
at gallington dot com. Thank you,
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