Hey Afro Frenzies!!! Welcome back to the blog. So some pretty big news happened since we last spoke. Juneteenth, although celebrated for over a century is now being recognized as a federal holiday. If you ask me it was long over due. Also Idk about you but I was about tired of folks saying they would love to do something for Juneteenth but they gotta work. Now let’s be honest some of us still will have to work but it’s definitely a legit holiday and should be recognized. It’s kind of a big deal. If you have no idea what Im talking about keep reading.

Im just going to give you a short history lesson on the importance of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 and has been since its first celebration in 1865. On 1865 June 19 the slaves of Texas were informed that they were free men and women according to the proclamation. What proclamation you might ask well if you guessed the emancipation proclamation you would be right. I know what you’re thinking that was passed on September 22, 1862. It was then made affective in 1863 oh and then it was that 13th amendment that crept in there January 31st 1865 that really shut things down.

Well the thing is there was that whole civil war going on. After Texas fell then General Gordon Granger gave a military order. The order was on you guessed June 19 1865. He gave word that according to the proclamation that they were indeed free men and women. The order actually encouraged the former slaves to stay at their perspective plantations and begin to collect pay for their labor.

After the former enslaved found out they were free they celebrated. They celebrated with song, dance, prayer and food.In 1866 the tradition continued. The former slaves of Texas moved all through out the U.S spreading the tradition with them.

We celebrate Juneteenth to remember and to celebrate our freedom. Slavery wasn’t over until we all were free and that wasn’t until June 19th 1865. Juneteenth is a celebration recognizing that all of us were no longer recognized as slaves but free men and women on this day over a century ago. If freedom from slavery isn’t a reason to celebrate to you I dont know what is.

So this Junetenth celebrate however you feel like it. No matter if that means you enjoy your day in the sun, a barbecue, spend time with family, or just want to be left the heck alone to watch Django unchained kidding not really but you have every right to do so because you are a free. I pray that black joy exudes from every decedent of slavery on today.

Oh and don’t think I forgot happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. I have to give a shout out to a few fathers that I hold dear to my heart. First happy Father’s Day to my father the man that raised me and loved me from birth. And because this is a blog about hair I must share that I must commend this man on keeping up his own hair and beard my entire life. He hasn’t even set foot in a barber shop to my knowledge for I don’t know how many years.

To my brother happy Father’s Day you are an extraordinary dad and has always had a way with babies and little ones. He was even amazing with my son who he swaddled and put to sleep with in minutes when he was only a few months old. I was sick and sleep deprived and you didn’t even ask for a thank you and I love you for it. Again this is a hair blog so I must mention he has done so much with his hair from cornrows, to box braids, to curly tops, fades and low cuts you are one of the flyest guys I know. But what I love the most about his hair adventures is that now he shares them with his son. He started with Taking him for his first hair cut and now making it tradition to take him to the barbershop with him.

To my Mr. Nixon for standing in and stepping up for my beloved brother and loving us all so much. I have watched him cut my brothers hair through low cuts, fades, and even locks. Always loving and patient with him and we all love you for it and so much more.

To my uncles who check up on me and make me feel loved. I literally still run into one of my uncle arms, I love them all. They love their hair and I have never known them to be ashamed of their hair or hair textures even my one uncle who I won’t name that dyed his beard with black boot polish(grey hair where?). They all are amazing dads who love their children fiercely.

Last but not least to the father of my beloved son Happy Father’s Day. We are not two perfect people but we have a perfect love for our son and that is why you deserve to be recognize today. Also thanks for not sneaking off to the barbershop and cutting Edens curls with out me. I don’t know if I will ever be ready to let them go (bites nails). There are so many other reasons why we celebrate this guy today like the late nights and dealing with the poop, pee, vomit, and being treated like a human jungle gym especially after we introduced the Hop on pop book by Dr. Seus (sorry not sorry its a great book).

Father’s Day often gets a bad rap. We end up bashing dads that don’t do their part. We can even spend the day trashing it because of our own issues. Today I want to encourage you to take the energy that you would use to put fathers down and redirect that energy to lifting up a good one. Fathers that are present deserve to be acknowledged and up lifted. Fathers are not perfect people, they may not always get it right but if they are willing to show up for you, show up for them today. Remember, be happy, be curly, be you , and you will never fail.

P.S Big news Afro Frenzy is now a podcast on anchor.fm check me out! Also more big news Afro Frenzy now has an online store its Afro frenzy’s official merchandise on bonefire.