Discussion

"Maroon communities throughout #Texas, Louisiana, and other places were brought here for [their] knowledge; they were able to take it into these landscapes and continue to figure it out. And they also exchanged knowledge with #Indigenous people." https://www.texasobserver.org/juneteenth-emancipation-freedom-marronage-east-texas/

#Louisiana #history #culture #Juneteenth #slavery

Black women grow the majority of the world's food, yet in the U.S., their representation in agriculture is tiny. @19thnews and @gbhnews look at why that's the case, and projects that are trying to change things.

https://flip.it/onHoU8

#BlackHistory #Agriculture #Juneteenth

What would a #DeclarationOfIndependence rooted in #belonging look like?

“Without belonging, there can be no true democracy. This moment requires us to affirm that commitment. It is in this spirit that I offer a new declaration.”

by Errin Haines

In the lead-up to our country’s 250th anniversary, Errin Haines is writing a series of columns to contemplate the complicated expansion of #US #democracy.

#Juneteenth
https://19thnews.org/2026/06/revolutionary-america-250-declaration-of-belonging/

“Human beings, regardless of their race, want to live their lives without restriction. Juneteenth is about a spirit of renewal that celebrates freedom and opportunity.”

To understand Juneteenth, one must visit Galveston, its birthplace: https://www.texasobserver.org/a-visit-to-galveston-the-birthplace-of-juneteenth/

#Juneteenth #Texas #GulfCoast #history

Photographs of early #Juneteenth celebrations across Texas and beyond: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/juneteenth-photographs #JuneteenthDay #juneteenth2021

Do not provide your ID or facial scan to access social media.

I repeat, do NOT provide your ID or facial scan to access social media when requested.

This is not a drill.

If everyone refuse to comply, and let their accounts dormant instead, I promise you the platforms themselves, with their immense budget and network of lobbyists, are going to fight these absurd laws to recover their users.

They need you more than you need them.
Make them fight for your rights.
Do not comply.
Spread the word and boycott ID checks ✊

#StopIDSurveillance #AgeVerification #Privacy #HumanRights #Democracy #Safety #MassSurveillance #Authoritarianism

#OnThisDay #PeoplesHistory #USPol
JUNE 12, 1937: OLIVER LAW BECAME BRIGADE COMMANDER

Oliver Law became first Black commander of a U.S. army, the integrated Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/law-oliver/

The Houston Chronicle was just accidentally sent a government contract that was never meant to be publicly released.

It revealed what taxpayers are really paying to run America's only family detention center in Dilley, Texas
— and the number is staggering. 

$15.6 million taxpayer dollars every month,
paid in full whether the facility is packed or not.

A for-profit prison company collecting guaranteed revenue while the people inside
— parents, children, babies
— endure medical harm, food shortages, and months without school.

Many people held at Dilley have active asylum claims or legal status.

RAICES has documented over 1,500 medical complaints inside the facility in a single year,
including negligence that put infants' and children's lives at risk

“That is what happens when private prison companies are awarded multibillion-dollar detention contracts funded by taxpayer dollars with minimal and impeded oversight,”
says Faisal Al-Juburi, co-CEO of RAICES, a nonprofit that provides legal and social care to immigrants and refugees. 

RAICES is inside Dilley week in and week out,
advocating for those suffering and providing a legal lifeline.

Because when families have legal representation, they are up to 10x more likely to succeed in their fight for due process and pursuit of safety. 

This life-changing work is entirely funded by generous people like you.

Support RAICES as we defend families, halt deportations,
and document abuses.

𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 https://raices4tx.org

@DemocracyMattersALot@mstdn.social ​I was also fortunate to meet a Freedom Rider, Rev. James Dennis. My parents grew up in his church (he later performed their marriage).

#OnThisDay #PeoplesHistory #USPol
JUNE 8, 1961: FREEDOM RIDERS ARRESTED

Freedom Riders traveling from New Orleans, Louisiana to Jackson, Mississippi were arrested in 1961.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/freedom-riders-arrested/

That is how you do it 👏🏼 https://www.comicsands.com/talarico-trump-paxton-real-man?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=infeed&utm_campaign=linkprogram

Why sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue, matters more than ever in the age of AI share.google/sacL9GxDcbZAkTu4l

#stoic #stoicism #philosophy

Could VGER return in 2031?

On August 28, 1988, A Technician Misplaced A Single Hyphen. It May Ruin A 2031 Mission To Land On Asteroid 1998 KY26. | IFLScience share.google/ajWFjPQqt2BO6hueh

Crows keep giving 'thank you gifts' to B.C. woman https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/sawatsky-sign-off/article/woman-who-rescued-injured-crow-keeps-getting-thank-you-gifts-from-other-birds/

Update from Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News:

Jeff Bezos went on TV to whine about Zohran Mamdani to stop demonizing billionaires and the very next day Mayor Mamdani responded by forcing Amazon to pay $9M in fines accrued by Amazon delivery trucks for illegally idling and blocking NYC traffic.

This is what happens when you elect a mayor for the people, not the corporations. We need more of this.

When you build for humanity, with an ethical mission, nothing can stop you.

Some may try. Some may try to get you de-funded.

But when you build something so impactful that people actually use, the targeted hate and negativity becomes quieter, and people see the truth.

You've been building escape hatches and better homes for the ones who need it most.

Then it starts to make sense. The hate is ego driven. They want you to believe I'm the enemy so they have control.

Less ego. More code. 🚀

Falling in love with photography again

"I’ve never really fallen out of love with photography, but my feelings have definitely grown stronger again as of late. I’ve always been fascinated by light. How could you not be? The way it filters through the fresh green leaves in spring, or the golden quality it gets just before sunset. The bluish tints of surprise snowfall in a Dutch winter. I think part of my love for photography is to be able to share those moments. "Just look how beautiful this is!"

https://kedara.eu/love-photography-again/

This is my submission for the #Indieweb Carnival of May 2026, hosted by @hamatti The theme is “A love letter”. Thank you for the great prompt!

#blogpost #photography #BelieveInFilm

@futurebird@sauropods.win ​You actually collect queen ants? What do you do with them once you have them?