PHOTOS: Faith leaders in Southland gather for family unity prayer walk
The Black faith community, along with people of faith from across Los Angeles County, marched in solidarity through the streets of downtown LA for a peacefulinterfaith prayer walk for family unity.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Juneteenth celebrations across the US commemorate the end of slavery
In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Robert Reid waved a large Juneteeth flag at the city's African Burying Ground Memorial Park, where African drummers and dancers led the crowd in song and dance. Reid, 60, said he attended in part to stand against what he called Trump's 'divide and conquer' approach. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It's time for people to get pulled together instead of separated,' he said. Advertisement Jordyn Sorapuru, 18, visiting New Hampshire from California, called the large turnout a 'beautiful thing.' 'It's nice to be celebrated every once in a while, especially in the political climate right now,' she said. 'With the offensive things going on right now, with brown people in the country and a lot of people being put at risk for just existing, having celebrations like this is really important.' The holiday to mark the end of slavery in the U.S. goes back to an order issued on June 19, 1865, as Union troops arrived in Galveston at the end of the Civil War. General Order No. 3 declared that all enslaved people in the state were free and had 'absolute equality.' Advertisement Juneteenth is recognized at least as an observance in every state, and nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C., have designated it as a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. In Virginia, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for rebuilding the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the nation's oldest Black churches, In New Hampshire, Thursday's gathering capped nearly two weeks of events organized by the Black History Trail of New Hampshire aimed at both celebrating Juneteenth and highlighting contradictions in the familiar narratives about the nation's founding fathers ahead of next year's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 'In a time when efforts to suppress Black history are on the rise, and by extension, to suppress American history, we stand firm in the truth,' said JerriAnne Boggis, the Heritage Trail's executive director. 'This is not just Black history, it is all of our history,' During his first administration, Trump issued statements each June 19, including one that ended with 'On Juneteenth 2017, we honor the countless contributions made by African Americans to our Nation and pledge to support America's promise as the land of the free.' New Hampshire, one of the nation's whitest states, is not among those with a permanent, paid or legal Juneteenth holiday, and Boggis said her hope that lawmakers would take action making it one is waning. 'I am not so sure anymore given the political environment we're in,' she said. 'I think we've taken a whole bunch of steps backwards in understanding our history, civil rights and inclusion.' Advertisement Still, she hopes New Hampshire's events and those elsewhere will make a difference. 'It's not a divisive tool to know the truth. Knowing the truth helps us understand some of the current issues that we're going through,' she said. And if spreading that truth comes with a bit of fun, all the better, she said. 'When we come together, when we break bread together, we enjoy music together, we learn together, we dance together, we're creating these bonds of community,' she said. 'As much was we educate, we also want to celebrate together.'
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Whoopi Goldberg compares living in U.S. to Iran in ‘The View' clash: 'LET'S NOT DO THAT'
The View co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, left, and Alyssa Farah Griffin. Photo by Collin Rugg / X Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Farah Griffin were at odds on Wednesday's episode of The View over living in America versus living in Iran. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account As the panel of hosts discussed President Donald Trump's call for Iran to surrender amid the increasing conflict with Israel, legal expert and co-host Sunny Hostin explained that Israel's decision to preemptively bomb Iran was 'not legal' under international criminal law. Goldberg then stressed the importance of organizations like the United Nations to assist with resolving these issues. 'Let's just remember too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings, they don't adhere to basic human rights,' Griffin remarked. Goldberg quickly replied, 'Let's not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car. I'm sorry, they used to just keep hanging Black people.' The Republican co-host argued that 'the Iranian regime today, in 2025, is nothing compared to the United States,' adding, 'It is not even the same — I couldn't step foot in this outfit in Iran right now.' The Ghost actress tried to explain that all hate-based violence is the same, no matter what the country, but Griffin wasn't having it. 'No, it's not!' she blasted Goldberg. 'The year 2025, the United States is nothing like if I stepped foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now… I can't have my hair showing. I can't wear a skirt. I can't have my arms out.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Holy shit, Whoopi Goldberg said it's not different to live in the US and Iran in 2025. How can you be this clueless? Her co-host, who has Iranian heritage, is trying to point out that women can't even dress like she is on the show. Gets shouted down: — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 18, 2025 Goldberg paused before reacting to the former Trump staffer. 'And that's why I am saying that it is the same,' the EGOT winner said. 'Murdering someone for their difference is not good whoever does it. It's not good! So that's why I said … what I heard is not what you meant.' Griffin noted, 'I think it's very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran in 2025,' prompting Goldberg to reply, 'Not if you're Black.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO She continued, 'Listen, let me tell you about being in the country, this is the greatest country in the world. I know that, and we all know that. But every day we are worried. Do we have to be worried about our kids? Are [our] kids gonna get shot because they're running through somebody's neighbourhood?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Griffin then attempts to find middle ground and point out that two things can be horrible but don't need to be compared. 'Look, nobody wants to diminish the very real problems we have in this country, that is no one's intent,' she said. 'But I think it's important we remember there are places much darker than this country, and people who deserve rights, and we should …' 'Listen, not everybody feels that way,' Goldberg interrupted. Read More 'Listen, I'm sorry, when you think about the fact that we got the vote in 1965 …,' Whoopi continued, to which Griffin responded, 'But they don't even have free and fair elections in Iran! It's not even the same universe!' Goldberg gives up, telling Griffin, 'There's no way I can make you understand.' But the Sister Act star eventually admits that Iran is 'doing worse things,' but that didn't mean that it didn't feel 'bad on this side' either. 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Refinery29
2 hours ago
- Refinery29
Brooklyn's Juneteenth Celebration Overflowed With Black Joy & Community
A rainy Sunday in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park looked like a scene from an early 2000s Black film. Hundreds danced and sang along to Carl Thomas' 'Summer Rain' under delicate showers, seemingly without a care in the world. It felt like community, freedom and joy. This was a scene from The Lay Out 's 2025 Juneteenth celebration. Despite the gloomy weather, thousands of attendees gathered to enjoy the sixth annual event, which included Black-owned vendors, tennis clinics, double dutching, giveaways from Fenty Skin and the Brooklyn Nets. There was also a special appearance by the Liberty mascot and turn-up queen herself, Ellie the Elephant. 'I've been coming to The Lay Out since 2020 when there were like 40 or 50 of us,' said Tulani Foy, 37. 'It was during the pandemic, but it was a way for all of us to be among each other, and I think the spirit of that is still the same. It's raining, we're still out here, and I just appreciate that we're all in our most expressive way here. It's a powerful event to come back to.' Though Juneteenth became an official federal holiday in 2021, it was first celebrated in Galveston, Texas, in 1865—when the last enslaved Black people learned they were free. The news was delivered by Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops, who spread the word until all Black people knew about the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Abraham Lincoln had signed about two and a half years earlier. Today, Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, has grown far beyond Texas, becoming a national symbol of freedom, reflection and celebration. The Lay Out founder, Emily Anadu, honors the holiday by throwing a free celebration for Black New Yorkers. The event has attracted thousands of attendees since it first began. But Anadu wants you to know: this isn't just a party in the park. Their mission is bigger than that. 'It's about creating an intergenerational space for Black joy,' Anadu said during a Zoom interview. 'We are about centering Black joy at the intersection of Black expression, our right to be, our right to do, to double dutch, braid hair. Like we can be proud about who we are and what we do and the cooperative economics of it.' Anadu officially founded The Lay Out in June 2020 amid the pandemic and the collective mourning and outrage over the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others. In the midst of protests, citywide curfews and rising anxieties, Anadu — who would often stay behind to clean up after protests — wanted to bring a sense of community back to her neighborhood. Along with co-founders Manushka Magloire, Cyrus Aaron, Briyonah Mcclain and Michael Oloyede, Anadu did just that. Attended by creatives, engineers, doctors, nurses, businesspeople, children, babies, and everybody in between, their Juneteenth event has become a homecoming and annual sanctuary—a place where people can reconnect and feel at ease. Whether folks choose to be by the DJ booth dancing, on the grass playing games or chilling along the perimeter of the park, just enjoying the day, it's become a space for Black people to just be. Acclaimed artist Derrick Adams told Anadu the event feels like his 'paintings in motion' because, like his work, The Lay Out reflects 'the Black body at rest and the Black body at joy.' Six years later, though the mission to cultivate Black joy is still the same, there's another urgent priority for Anadu: to sustain. 'Now my mission is about holding on to what it is, as much is about what happens in the moment,' Anadu said. 'I spend a lot of time now just trying to hold on and the delicate balance of welcoming new people in, but also letting people understand, like, we kind of got a thing going here.' A very real anxiety exists for Black New Yorkers right now as community staples disappeared left and right in recent years, including Bed-Vyne Brew, Lovers Rock and Ode to Babel. Gentrification and rising property costs have made it hard for businesses that center on Black communities to survive. Not to mention, beyond economics, increasing restrictions on public social gatherings, overbearing police presence at community events and social media virality culture have made it harder for free, Black-run events to gain traction in Brooklyn. Anadu felt those anxieties and pressures in the days leading up to Sunday. She notes that, contrary to what people may see with the brand collaborations and production, she doesn't make much off of the events. The former marketing director says it takes tens of thousands of dollars to pull off an event like this, and much of the budget goes towards cleanup. 'Coming out of the pandemic, when a lot of things died, to be here, celebrating this for the sixth time, it takes a lot,' she said. 'It takes honoring the community and making sure that The Lay Out is about our right to gather and to take up space. One woman described in one of our recap videos black people doing black things without judgment, without our bodies being policed, without any of that. And that hasn't happened by accident.' The Lay Out is a reminder that building community doesn't just happen. It takes care, consistency and intention. It takes people willing to listen, give back, and take care of each other, including the spaces we occupy. Because of the work organizers have put in, The Lay Out has been able to host programming that feeds those in need, brings visibility to Black-owned businesses, and makes Black presence visible in spaces where we're often left out. They've even sparked a few love stories and helped two couples get engaged. Anadu said she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. 'I want people to feel entitled to joy,' she declared.'It is our inalienable right to happiness with the pursuit of happiness, the pursuit of joy. And I truly believe that for us. I wouldn't put what I put into it — time, space, emotional, physical — if I didn't truly believe in our right to the pursuit of joy. I just want all of us to be supportive of that.'
