EXCERPT:
PAYNE: “When I think of Juneteenth, I also think of my mother. Born and raised in Uniontown, Alabama, she saw and lived through things that no longer happen in America. She was never bitter, and she hid the pain of her life the best she could although she would cry on Sundays while she was listening to Mahalia Jackson and other gospel greats. She raised us to seize the future and to not be chained to the past, not to allow the bondage of yesteryear stall our own potential, our own opportunities. When I think of Juneteenth, I think of freedom, I think of America moving forward, I think of the greatness of people that endured the harshest of human treatment to see their children enjoy those certain unalienable rights endowed by their Creator. Juneteenth is a good thing for all Americans, so let’s all go out and seize the day. We'll be right back."