Yes, Juneteenth has been discussed. I append for your reading pleasure
the post that stimulated the last major discussion.  Note that:

1. The main thrust is, in fact, a question about a Virginia event and
Virginia history.

2. The focus of the post is the history of Emancipation celebrations in
Virginia.

As to your post being a "factual comment": 

1.  This is a discussion list that deals in historical facts and
content, not breaking news (see above).  

2.  The event you mention just happened (in Texas).  As we have seen
with various recent news stories, for instance the Duke lacrosse case,
initial media reports are not always the best indication of what
actually happened.  That is one reason that we generally discourage
discussions of this type.

3.  Your accusation that I am surpressing "a factual comment that
doesn't conform to the current politically correct perspective on
historic events" is off the mark.  There are no facts about any
historical event in your post.

Finally, I would note that many of your posts seem to be one liners on
topics calculated to evoke strong responses.  Bumper stickers might work
in politics, but most folks on this list will and should demand more. If
you wish to discuss public violence in Virginia history, by all means
dig into the available research and enlighten us.  There are many good
topics in this vein: Richmond's Municipal War, the Danville Riots, etc.

Gregg

P.S. Thanks to all who sent private emails.

________________________________________________

I see in today's New York Times that Delegate Frank D. Hargrove (R-??)
now suggests that Virginia officially celebrate "Juneteenth" (June 19,
1865). I have a couple of other suggestions since Juneteenth was
originally a Texas emancipation celebration.

In Virginia, many urban emancipation celebrations took place on January
1, I suspect because that was the date when the final Emancipation
Proclamation took effect. In the rural Southside, firmly documented in
Boydton, Mecklenburg County, the annual celebration of emancipation from
1866 until right around WW II was April 9. April 9 presumably celebrated
the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to the various Union
armies involved in the complex assault on Richmond usually called the
Siege of Petersburg.

Harold S. Forsythe

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 2:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Juneteenth

Juneteenth has been discussed at length in the forum, and as recently as
last Monday.
 
I don' t know of any reason a factual comment on a subject that has been
discussed in the past in this forum would be considered a "a transparent
attempt to wind up various folks on the list."
 
Or, are you suggesting that a factual comment that doesn't conform to
the current politically correct perspective on historic events is not
welcome among this distinguished group of historians since it would be
considered "a transparent attempt to wind up various folks on the list"?
Surely, I hope  not.
 
J South



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