Slaves Started Memorial Day
"For two weeks in April, former slaves had worked to bury the soldiers. Now they would give them a proper funeral.
The procession began at 9 a.m. as 2,800 black school children marched by their graves, softly singing “John Brown’s Body.”
Soon, their voices would give way to the sermons of preachers, then prayer and — later — picnics. It was May 1, 1865, but they called it Decoration Day.
On that day, former Charleston slaves started a tradition that would come to be known as Memorial Day."
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But need a "Black History Month"? Why would we need that?
Side note: You might go to the link to this story. It's great history--national history--and it's actually a fascinating, even beautiful story.
