The growing Juneteenth Celebration in Miami is linked to the Annual Sunrise Ancestral Remembrance of the Middle Passage Ceremony, held each year on the Sunday closest to the summer solstice. This year it will be held on the Sunday of the solstice itself, June 21, which is also Fathers Day, beginning at 5:45 a.m. (Those who think that is too early to get up are often reminded of the time not too long ago when our Ancestors had no choice.) The Ceremony takes place at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park (turn left at the second traffic signal on Rickenbacker Causeway, after going through the toll gate [$1.50], just before the Bear Cut Bridge to Key Biscayne).
The Ceremony honors the millions who perished in the Middle Passage (the so-called Atlantic "slave trade") and those who survived to give life to us and future generations. It is traditionally opened by members of the native American community, to invoke the permission and the blessings of the Ancestors of this land. Drummers and musicians are especially welcome, and participants are invited to bring offerings of fruits, grains, nuts, eggs, flowers or other appropriate items, which are placed on a raft of palm fronds and carried out to sea. Brief prayers, performances, artwork, words of wisdom, etc. are also welcomed, as we honor those who endured the horrors of the Middle Passage by "showing ourselves strong."
(We also remember that the Middle Passage was not the first or the only time that Africans crossed the Atlantic to the Americas, but its impact on the making of the world today, and the creation of new African peoples cannot be overlooked or forgotten. And, in the spirit of Juneteenth, we also remember the most important lesson of that observance: "Until all of us are free, none of us is free.")
For more information or directions, please feel free to contact Brother Gene at (305) 904-7620 or Sis. Altine at 786-260-1246. Please spread the word. Asante sana.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment