Memorial Day’s African American Origins, Argentina’s Black History, and a Hidden Figure of Horse Racing
Catch up on the race and racism news you might have missed this week.
We’re in the middle of graduation season — praise and congratulations for all those who have completed their high school, college, or advanced degrees! But even if school is out, there’s still so much interesting race and racism news to learn about. This week’s roundup features some African and African American history you might not have seen in your textbook.
Memorial Day’s Black roots
Whether you marked Memorial Day with barbecue or with solemn reflection on the nation’s war dead, you have formerly enslaved Americans in Charleston, S.C., to thank for it. That’s right — Black people originated the holiday. In 1865, the city’s Black laborers took it upon themselves to disinter 257 Union soldiers from a nearby prison camp’s mass grave, create a cemetery, and give them a decent burial. To honor the soldiers’ sacrifice, thousands of African Americans gathered to march to their new burial place, bearing flowers and crosses to decorate the graves. This video at The Root tells the story.
