The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - CP Time with Roy Wood Jr.: The Origins of Juneteenth and the History of Runaway Slaves

Episode Date: June 20, 2020

Roy Wood Jr. discusses Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery, and shares stories of heroic runaway slaves like Henry Box Brown, and Ellen and William Craft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. Welcome to CP Time. The only show that's for the

culture. The month of June is a special time in America. It's the start of summer. It's the time allergies wreak havoc on our sinuses. And it's the month my hyperactive child is out of school and back in the house all day. The whole point of having kids is for them to be somewhere else. If I knew my son was going to be around as much, I wouldn't have had them. June is also a special month for black people because it marks the holiday Juneteenth celebrating when slavery ended on June 19th 1865. Now many people think slavery was ended in 1863 by everyone's favorite exhausted magician Abraham

Lincoln but many slaves weren't actually freed until two and a half years later proving that even black people's freedom runs on CP time. So in celebration of Juneteenth, I'd like to talk about some of the slaves who celebrated their freedom early by escaping from slavery on their own. Slaves like Henry Box Brown, a Virginia slave who snuck inside of a wooden crate and shipped himself to Philadelphia where he could live as a free man. The trip took 27 grueling hours. It could have been same day, but Box Brown couldn't afford Amazon Prime. Luckily, Henry Brown arrived safely in Philadelphia and turned his story into a stage act.

Every night, Henry would climb into that same wooden crate to reenact the arduous journey that carried him to freedom, which was brave of him. I don't know if I could relive a traumatic experience like that over and over again. And I've had bad experiences with packages. Back in the day I used to work for a moving company. One time I moved all of a customer's possessions th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, tho, tho, thi, thi, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi.ea, thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thiii. thi, thi, thi, th day, I used to work for a moving company. One time I moved all of a customer's possessions to the wrong apartment. My customer thought I was a thief, and the people in the apartment thought I was a reverse burglar. Everyone was equally upset.

Another slave who took his freedom into his own hands was Louis Williams. He actually escaped slavery not once, but twice. After his first escape he was caught and brought to trial, but he got a look-alike to switch places with him in the courtroom. And by the time the courts realized what had happened, Lewis had escaped again. Although that look-alike was probably just a random black guy if we were being real about it. Because Lewis knew that those white folks couldn't tell black people apart. Just the other day I was mistaken for Forrest Whitaker, which would normally be flattering.

But unfortunately Mr. Whitaker owed this gentleman a substantial amount of money. He won't my ass for us. You owe me. But maybe the most heartwarming escape is that of William and Ellen Kraft, two slaves who got married and decided to run away. Because Ellen had light skin, they hatched a plan where she dressed in men's clothing, wrapped her head in bandages and posed as an injured white man. William then posed as her servant and the two bordered a train north.

Now being on a train full of white man must have been scary, but I can only assume that Ellen practice her white man small talk. Well, yes, fellow white person, I too am afraid of the sun. There's some block, some block, SPF, UV, some block, some block. So the next time June 19th comes, remember these stories of heroic slaves, which I planned to do to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to that, but that, but that's, but the their their that's that's their that's that's that's that's that's their. But, but I that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I, but I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the time June 19th comes, remember these stories of heroic slaves, which I plan to do with the Juneteenth celebration in Bloomington, Indiana this evening. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get that fast and airfare is ridiculous. But thankfully, Box Brown is an innovator. I'm Roywood Jr. and this has been CP time. And remember, before the culture.

Somebody come push me to the post office. Just need to get me a couple of snacks and some audit trick dip and some pretzels. I'll be on my wait list. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.