1/10: This #Juneteenth, we confront a horrific but essential part of American history:
The brutal exploitation of enslaved Africans, whose unpaid labor fueled the rise of the United States as an economic powerhouse. #BlackHistoryIsAmericanHistory
2/10: From the early 1600s, millions of African people were forcibly brought to the U.S. and exploited for their labor.
They were the engine that powered America’s rise as an agrarian economy, particularly in the South. #slavery
3/10: Enslaved Africans were integral to lucrative industries such as tobacco, indigo, and rice in the 17th & 18th centuries.
However, it was the cotton industry in the 19th century that turned the U.S. into an economic colossus. #EconomicHistory
4/10: Cotton, “King Cotton,” was at the center of the booming textile industry, powering industrial growth not only in the South, but in the North and even across the Atlantic.
5/10: This brutal system of slavery created wealth for plantation owners, industry magnates, and financial institutions.
Much of America’s early economic growth and industrial power can be traced back to the labor of the enslaved. #BlackHistoryIsAmericanHistory
6/10: Despite the profound contributions of enslaved Africans, the narrative is often excluded or diminished in our history education.
7/10: Recognizing this truth is more than a nod to historical accuracy.
It’s about acknowledging a historical debt owed to the enslaved and their descendants.
8/10: This #Juneteenth, as we celebrate the end of slavery, we must also remember its economic legacy.
9/10: This recognition is not just about honoring the past, but about informing the present.
To build a just and equitable future, we must understand and confront the historical injustices that have shaped our society and economy. #TruthTelling
10/10: As we honor Juneteenth, let’s not just celebrate freedom, but also commit to enlightening ourselves and others about the full, unvarnished history of our nation.
DeSantis regularly lies about science and vaccinations. His demagoguery related to a virus likely contributed to the deaths of thousands of Floridians.
Christina Pushaw, Ron DeSantis’s political adviser, failed to register as a foreign agent.
🚨A lawsuit filed against NC House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland County) accuses him of having an affair with another man's wife and engaging in group sex with people seeking political favor.
It is a vital part of the very fabric of American history and it continues to play a role in shaping our country’s future.
This thread will help illustrate that point by diving into an important piece of history – the arrival of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
2/10: In August 1619, about a year before the Mayflower’s voyage, a ship arrived in Point Comfort, Virginia carrying the first enslaved Africans to English North America.
3/10: The “20 and odd” Africans, as historical documents refer to them, arrived on the “White Lion,” a ship that had captured them from a Portuguese slaver.
They were sold in exchange for food and some were transported to Jamestown, the first permanent English colony.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
America’s democracy problem is also a literacy problem:
“More than half (54%) of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level, according to a piece published in 2022 by APM Research Lab.” @snopes.
The quality of our democracy is directly proportional to the quality of our participation in it. If someone can’t read, they are at the mercy of those who can.
This is not purely an education issue, it's a societal problem that touches upon all aspects of where we have failed; the lack of universal healthcare, the lack of universal pre-k, the lack of universal maternity care, a culture that punishes intellectualism, a culture steeped in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
"Both The Washington Post and The Associated Press obtained evidence that Barrett, who has refused to discuss the subject publicly, served as a “handmaid” for the People of Praise." @Forbes
@Forbes "The term "handmaid,” a nod to Jesus’s mother Mary who in the Bible is described as “the handmaid of the Lord,” was originally awarded to female leaders within each of the organization’s branches—including Barrett, per a 2010 directory." @Forbes
"The organization recently changed the title to "woman leader,” due to negative associations with "The Handmaid's Tale," the popular television show based on the 1985 novel by @MargaretAtwood, @Forbes.