The Black family has been a target for destruction from the early days of slavery, to the rise of single-parent households, and all the way to modern times of mass incarceration. For example, the War on Drugs, extreme racial profiling, and limited civil rights have all forced Black families to make hard decisions and face difficult situations just to provide for their loved ones. There’s an unfair stereotype that Black Americans unproportionately benefit from the federal welfare system more than other demographics. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on the history of welfare, the negative stereotypes placed on Black Americans, and who actually benefits the most from the system.

Freedom for Black American slaves didn’t happen all at once. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being delivered in January 1893, slavery continued in the Deep South untouched for multiple months and even years later. Slaveowners didn’t willingly give up control and feared that the infrastructure, which heavily relied on manual labor, would collapse. While we’re aware of national celebrations like Juneteenth that have grown in notoriety over the years, join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on one of the smaller celebrations of freedom local to Tennessee and Kentucky that is still revered today.