A rose to all the fathers out there today on Father’s Day. Established in the United States as a national holiday by Congress in 1972 — 58 years after Mother’s Day was enshrined as a national holiday — the holiday recognizes the important roles fathers play in our lives. Ideas about what those roles should be have evolved over the years. As parenting becomes more of a shared experience, the father’s role in child-rearing, especially, has increased. But there will always be distinctions made where moms and dads are concerned. As was noted long ago, in good times, we turn to our mothers to share our joy. In bad times, we turn to our father’s for advice. As Mark Twain once noted, a father’s wisdom can be invaluable. Twain wrote: “When I was 17, my father was so stupid, I didn’t want to be seen with him in public. When I was 24, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in just seven years.” Happy Father’s Day!
A rose to mark the arrival of another important day in our nation’s history. Today, June 19, is Juneteenth, which celebrates, symbolically, the day slavery ended in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, more than two months after the end of the Civil War, Union troops under the command of General Gordon Granger entered Galveston, Texas, and announced to the people there that enslaved Blacks were henceforth free. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had declared freedom for the enslaved in rebellious states more than two and a half years earlier, it was not until June 19, 1865 that the enforcement of President Lincoln’s executive action by the Union Army in the South began. Of course, the day of emancipation varied throughout the country. In Columbus, that day was May 8, 1865 and is celebrated as “Eight ‘O May” in the city. For some Blacks, however, the day of freedom came much later. Slaves held in border states, which were excluded from Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, did not gain their freedom until the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the country, on Dec. 6, 1865. Over the ensuing years, communities all over the nation — including the Golden Triangle — celebrate the day not only as the symbolic end of slavery, but to to celebrate the achievements of Black culture, community and heritage in the United States and beyond. Happy Juneteenth!
A rose to the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees, which approved the purchase of software that will create a new online platform to enhance communications with its stakeholders and community partners. Parents, faculty and staff, taxpayers and students will be able to give the district insight to help with strategic planning, parental and community engagement and more through an online platform called InnovateK12. The program is an online platform that allows people to share thoughts, suggestions and concerns with the district. Stakeholders can see the posts and give on-topic feedback. We believe making it easier to communicate with school officials builds bonds with the community. Too often, rumors and speculation strain those relations. A forum where those issues can be addressed publicly will do much to help the district in its mission. We look forward to the rollout of InnovateK12 on July 1.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
