“What we now know as Memorial Day began as “Decoration Day” in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Civil War. It was a tradition initiated by former slaves to celebrate emancipation and commemorate those who died for that cause.” – Liberation News
If you do a quick internet search about the history and significance of Memorial Day, a whitewashed version of the origin of Memorial Day will propagate, even though the truth of the official commemoration of our nation’s fallen soldiers is rooted in African-American history following the Civil War. This assertion is backed by historians of U.S. history, including Howard Zinn and David W. Blight.
“Over time several American towns, north and south, claimed to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. But all of them commemorate cemetery decoration events from 1866. Pride of place as the first large scale ritual of Decoration Day, therefore, goes to African Americans in Charleston. By their labor, their words, their songs, and their solemn parade of flowers and marching feet on their former owners’ race course, they created for themselves, and for us, the Independence Day of the Second American Revolution.” – David W. Blight. Blight, professor of American history at Yale University and director of the Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition.
Click HERE to learn more about the political hijacking of Decoration Day. For an additional historical account of the origin of Memorial Day or Decoration Day, click HERE.
Wikipedia participates in the disinformation campaign of Memorial Day, even crediting those who feigned ignorance of Decoration Day and denied the origin of these sacred commemorations.
Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on the last Monday of May. It commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
Origins of Memorial Day
The origins of Memorial Day can be traced back to the American Civil War (1861-1865). What we now know as Memorial Day began as “Decoration Day” in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Civil War. It was a tradition initiated by former slaves to celebrate emancipation and commemorate those who died for that cause.
Meaning of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor the sacrifices made by those who died in service to their country. It is also a day to reflect on the true meaning of freedom and democracy.
Memorial Day Traditions
There are many ways to observe Memorial Day. Some people visit cemeteries to pay their respects to fallen soldiers. Others attend parades or memorial services. Many people also spend time with family and friends, remembering those who are no longer with us. Regardless of how Americans decide to mark Memorial Day, it is imperative to remember and teach that its history and origin is in African-American history and culture. This piece of American history matters in the pursuit of a better nation for all.
“At 9 a.m. on May 1, the procession stepped off led by three thousand Black schoolchildren carrying arm loads of roses and singing “John Brown’s Body.” The children were followed by several hundred Black women with baskets of flowers, wreaths and crosses. Then came Black men marching in cadence, followed by contingents of Union infantry and other Black and white citizens. As many as possible gathering in the cemetery enclosure; a childrens’ choir sang “We’ll Rally around the Flag,” the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and several spirituals before several Black ministers read from scripture. No record survives of which biblical passages rung out in the warm spring air, but the spirit of Leviticus 25 was surely present at those burial rites: “for it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you. . . . in the year of this jubilee he shall return every man unto his own possession.”
“Following the solemn dedication the crowd dispersed into the infield and did what many of us do on Memorial Day: they enjoyed picnics, listened to speeches, and watched soldiers drill. Among the full brigade of Union infantry participating was the famous 54th Massachusetts and the 34th and 104th U.S. Colored Troops, who performed a special double-columned march around the gravesite. The war was over, and Decoration Day had been founded by African Americans in a ritual of remembrance and consecration. The war, they had boldly announced, had been all about the triumph of their emancipation over a slaveholders’ republic, and not about state rights, defense of home, nor merely soldiers’ valor and sacrifice.”
Memorial Day Quotes
- “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country have always stepped up to the plate. They have run toward danger in order to protect the people they love and the values they hold dear. That’s the story of Memorial Day.”—Barack Obama
- “Memorial Day is a day to remember those who gave their lives for our country. It is also a day to reflect on the true meaning of freedom and democracy.”—John F. Kennedy
