Memorial Day Commemorating… and Campaigning; Charlie Rangel
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Memorial Day
Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May, has roots that trace back to the aftermath of the Civil War. The conflict prompted the establishment of national cemeteries and widespread mourning.
One of the earliest known observances occurred on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, when formerly enslaved Black Americans held a ceremony to honor Union soldiers buried in a mass grave. This powerful act of remembrance is considered by some historians to be the first Memorial Day.
The tradition became more formalized in 1868 when General John A. Logan, leader of a Union veterans' group, called for a nationwide “Decoration Day” on May 30. Graves were decorated with flowers in tribute to the fallen. Over time, the holiday expanded to honor all fallen U.S. service members. In 1971, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday, observed on the last Monday in May to create a long weekend.
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Memorial Day Commemorating… and Campaigning
All of the candidates on the ballot for statewide office were out campaigning on Memorial Day. At the Falls Church Memorial Day Parade, Lt. Governor Winsome Sears showed up with a large group of supporters. Lieutenant Governor hopeful Aaron Rouse attended the Memorial Day Parade with his Senate colleague L. Louise Lucas, and Shannon Taylor was also in Falls Church and the annual ViVa! Vienna! street festival.
“There is no higher honor than raising your right hand to serve this country—and no greater sacrifice than laying down your life in its defense. On this Memorial Day, we remember and honor the brave men and women who gave everything for our freedom, our safety, and our future,” said Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates, Don Scott in a statement today.
Above: Lt. Gov. Sears in Falls Church, Senator Rouse in Portsmouth.
“On this Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their bravery and commitment will never be forgotten,” wrote Senator Rouse on social media.
“Today, we join families and communities across the Commonwealth in honoring those Virginians who sacrificed their lives for our nation and the freedoms we hold dear,” wrote Senator Ghazala Hashmi, who is also running for Lieutenant Governor. The primary is on June 17.
A Legend of Black Politics in Harlem and Beyond, CBC Charlie Rangel Dies at 94
Charlie Rangel, the long-term Congressman and a heavyweight in New York politics as a member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four”, has died at 94. His colorful and charismatic personality, bowties, and raspy voice made him a character on Capitol Hill who was impossible to forget. Rangel was simultaneously larger than life but also approachable and engaging. Rangel was the last living member of the “Gang of Four” made up of powerful African American leaders in New York: David Dinkins (1927-2020), Basil Paterson (1946-2014), and Percy Sutton (1920-2009).
Above: Legendary Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel in 2009 and 2011 on Capitol Hill.
The four dealmakers were powerbrokers at a time when political decisions were made in smoke-filled rooms over poker games. In 2010, President Obama suggested that Rangel resign from Congress “with dignity” after he was targeted by an ethics investigation that would eventually mean he had to give up the Chairmanship of the Ways & Means Committee. “This guy from Lenox Avenue is retiring with dignity,” Rangel would later tell reporters as he departed Congress on his terms and at the time of his choosing. Read entire at Black Press USA
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