Main Street Independent

TAG  ·  Religion & Society

society

How Memorial Day has evolved from its Civil War origins

Illustration accompanying article: How Memorial Day has evolved from its Civil War origins
  • Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May and is May 25 this year, according to the Congressional Research Service as reported by the Associated Press.
  • The holiday’s origins trace to Decoration Day observances that followed the U.S. Civil War, including a first national observance in 1868 and earlier or parallel ceremonies in other places.
  • Frederick Douglass used the 1871 Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery to urge Americans not to forget the war’s impetus, according to the Associated Press.
  • Ben Railton and other historians describe how the holiday’s meaning shifted over time, including concerns about “white Memorial Day,” as well as how it later evolved alongside three-day weekends and leisure.
  • Congress changed Memorial Day in 1971 from May 30 to the last Monday in May, and historians tied the shift to a broader remembrance of the dead plus leisure time.
 3 MIN READ

'Be The People' campaign targets more than $200M to connect Americans with local problems

Illustration accompanying article: 'Be The People' campaign targets more than $200M to connect Americans with local problems
  • The new ‘Be The People’ campaign wants to unite hundreds of millions of Americans to solve problems
  • The new ‘Be The People’ campaign wants to unite hundreds of millions of Americans to solve problems
  • Asha Curran, the CEO of the nonprofit GivingTuesday, said small actions can build on each other like exercising a muscle.
  • The initiative comes against a backdrop of deep polarization, economic inequality and the degradation of democratic norms and institutions in the U.S.
  • “They’re more likely to be invited into things where people are asked to let professional staff do most of the problem solving and they show up and give their time or their money,” she said.
  • The result is that people feel less committed and don’t see their participation as helping to achieve their interests or goals.
 6 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: NYC Mayor Mamdani moves into Gracie Mansion, leaving Queens apartment behind