🖤 A Legacy I’m Proud to Live 🖤

Today, we honor Juneteenth—our nation’s second Independence Day.

It’s a day rooted in the long-overdue recognition of freedom that so many were promised… yet waited over two years to hear. A moment etched in time not simply by the signing of a document, but by the delayed delivery of a dream.

While the Emancipation Proclamation became law in 1863, freedom didn’t ring for all. In places like Texas, it took until June 19, 1865 for word to reach the enslaved. And even then, the journey was far from over.

The account of Juneteenth that inspired this reflection comes from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, where the truth of our struggle is preserved in honor, not forgotten in silence.

Because of the bravery of those men and women—who survived chains, separation, and silence—I am afforded the opportunity to dream out loud.

Because of the price they paid, I get to build, speak, and rise on this platform with boldness and grace.

Because of what happened in 1863 and again in 1865, I get to raise my children in a world that, while not perfect, allows them to be judged more by the content of their character than the color of their skin.

And let us not overlook this truth—Black brothers and sisters in arms have fought for this country since the Revolutionary War. They wore the uniform with honor, swore the oath with pride, and shed blood for freedoms they were often denied in return. From segregated units to unacknowledged valor, their contributions shaped this nation even while they stood outside the circle of full equality.

As a veteran of our armed forces, I carry that paradox with pride—not as a burden, but as a badge. Because progress is forged not in comfort, but in courageous contradiction.

That didn’t happen by accident. It happened because people like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and many unnamed others chose to stand upright when the weight of oppression tried to crush them.

I stand on the shoulders of those who built this country with calloused hands and courageous hearts.

I am the legacy of African ancestry, of Native American roots, of enslaved resilience and generational grit. And today—I don’t mourn, I honor. I celebrate. I remember.

My family helped build this country. And I’m proud to live in the dream they died hoping to see.

📚 My book launches later this year—join me as we honor the past and shape the future.

☕ Let’s connect: Zoom coffee chats, real conversations, shared journeys.

#Juneteenth #RememberAndRise #FaithInTheFuture #MyAncestorsDream #HonoringThePast #FreedomToDream #PoiseUnderPressure #Legacy