By Roxanne Cordonier
DWGC, 1st vice president
In June, we will kick off our Summer Evening Series. We move our meetings to 6 p.m. on the first Monday, so that members and friends who cannot get away from work or home during the day, can join us.
This year, we are kicking off summer with an exciting program leading with US Congressman Jamie Raskin as our featured speaker – joining virtually from DC. And Rueben Hayes, founder of Juneteenth GVL, will join us to discuss the importance of this day of independence.
Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday, (although not recognized in South Carolina) celebrated annually on June 19th to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War.
We will learn more about Juneteenth at our June meeting from Rueben Hayes, the founder and executive director of Juneteenth GVL. Rueben is a Navy veteran who grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles, he’s the owner and CEO of Crescent Surgical Supply, a medical supplies broker based in Greenville.
SC’s Largest Juneteenth Celebration | Juneteenth GVL Mega Fest
In 2022, Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin published his fourth book entitled Unthinkable, detailing two tragic events and their aftermath. The following paragraph is from the preface to that book;
“In the week between December 31, 2020 and January 6, 2021, my family suffered two impossible traumas, the shattering death by suicide of my beloved twenty-five-year-old son, Tommy and the violent mob insurrection at the U.S Capitol that left several people dead, more than 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers wounded and injured, hundreds of people fleeing for their lives, and the nation shaken to its core. Although Tommy’s death and the January 6 insurrection were cosmically distinct and independent events, they were thoroughly intertwined in my experience and my psyche.”
In the midst of his grief and trauma, Congressman Raskin, a constitutional law professor, was called upon to channel his overwhelming grief-both personal and professional-into leading the impeachment effort against President Trump for inciting the violence. Together, his nine-member team of House impeachment managers riveted a nation still in anguish, mounting a spellbinding Senate trial that produced the most bipartisan presidential impeachment vote in American history.
Democratic Women of Greenville County is proud to announce that Rep. Jamie Raskin will be our guest speaker at the June 9th meeting. We will be hearing from Rep. Raskin via Zoom during a break, as Congress will be in session that day. We hope to hear the latest developments in our ongoing Constitutional crisis and an update on the Democratic minorities ongoing opposition efforts against the Trump administration.
We also could use some encouraging words about the strength of our democracy in the face of these challenges and how we, as blue dots in a deep red state, can fight the power and make our voices heard. Rep. Raskin has a reputation as a fierce and knowledgeable defender of our constitution and we need his expertise more than ever in these challenging times. Be sure to make your reservations early, it’s sure to be a packed house.
We will also celebrate Juneteenth with Rueben Hayes, founder and executive director of Juneteenth GVL.
Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday, (although not recognized in South Carolina) celebrated annually on June 19th to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War.
Rueben is a Navy veteran who grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles, he’s the owner and CEO of Crescent Surgical Supply, a medical supplies broker based in Greenville.
If you’ve been avoiding the news of late, it’s perfectly understandable but even those who are staying away from social and mainstream media may have been personally affected by the deep cuts in the federal government and the gutting of entire agencies.
Democratic Women will delve into the human cost of DOGE and the actions of the Trump administration through the insight of local non-profit leaders and federally funded program administrators at our July 14th evening meeting.
If you have been personally affected by this administration, please get in touch and tell us your story. Send your stories to roxannecordonier@gmail.com and include your phone number in case we need to get in touch.
In the meantime, keep making those calls to our representatives, consider becoming a precinct leader and take time to care for yourselves and Resist!