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Keeping history alive on Juneteenth

Rebecca Morin   Paste BN

👋 Hello! Rebecca Morin here. It’s Juneteenth, a time to celebrate the ending of slavery here in the United States! Here’s a special holiday edition of Short List, including a special guest!  

But first: A leap of faith! 🦆 A community came together to cheer on a group of ducklings jump from a New York bridge in to reunite with their mom.

Keeping stories from the past alive

On June 19, 1865, a Union general rode into Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation – two years after it was issued. It marked the end of slavery in the United States and now marks the date of the federal holiday, Juneteenth. It may be the nation's youngest federal holiday, but the commemoration of the death of slavery has celebrations and traditions that predate many others. In communities across the United States, efforts are underway to keep telling those stories for generations to come.

Galveston’s complicated past: Galveston, a port city, was once home to what is believed to be the largest slave auction house in Texas. It’s part of the city’s complicated past that Sam Collins III, a financial adviser by trade, doesn’t want the nation to forget. Collins is one of many Americans across the nation who are working to pass these stories on to new generations. 👉 5 communities keeping Juneteenth stories alive.

Juneteenth amid DEI rollbacks

Despite celebrations surrounding Juneteenth, historians, activists and other experts worry about a new backlash as aspects of Black American history come under attack as part of President Donald Trump's larger war against diversity, equity and inclusion. Juneteenth was named a federal holiday under former President Joe Biden in 2021, and Trump has not directly said he wants to change that. Jeremy Paul, a professor at Northeastern University's School of Law, said folks shouldn't be worried about Juneteenth’s future. On his own, the president does not have the authority to strike Juneteenth as a federal holiday and would need congressional approval to do so. 👉 See which states recognize Juneteenth. 

Real quick

You're gonna need a bigger boat...

Hello! I’m Brian Truitt, Paste BN movie critic and the guy behind the Watch Party newsletter. It’s a big weekend for film lovers because Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” is turning 50, and from the infamous John Williams two-note musical theme to some gnarly shark attacks, it still holds up so many decades later. We’re diving all in on that killer fish flick, with shark movie rankings, a look at “Jaws” legacy and a rundown of the best summer blockbusters since 1975. 🦈 Why we never got over "Jaws."

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