The Often Overlooked Black Origins Of Memorial Day

Essence Magazine:

Joe Raedle / Getty Images By Melissa Noel ·Published May 29, 2023

The initial commemoration of Memorial Day is often disputed, with several places across the U.S. claiming to be the birthplace of the national holiday. 

However, it’s believed that one commemoration took place in Charleston, South Carolina before any others around the nation. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David W. Blight, newly freed African Americans who had fought

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