On January 1, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This important document declared that the slaves in the Confederate states (those rebelling against the US government) were free.

Southern states continued to hold people in slavery until the end of the Civil War, when US troops could more easily enforce the terms.  During the Civil War, there were about 250,000 slaves in Texas. Most of these slaves did not know of the Emancipation Proclamation or even that the war had ended in May 1865.

US Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK 1st. Dist.) joined constituents for breakfast Saturday June 15 in uptown Tulsa and spoke about meeting with Donald J. Trump and Republican Congressional leadership.

“I wish everyone in America could know Donald Trump in a personal setting,” Hern began. “He could come in here and have a conversation with you. He connects with people. That is why he has such large crowds at his rallies. The media can go crazy with excerpts, but you don’t get the full impact.

“We were sitting in a room with people – everybody [on Capital Hill] was there – but there were a couple of people sitting next to me that haven’t endorsed Trump and he hasn’t endorsed them, but Trump connected with them. Some liken him to Ronald Reagan in being able to cut through media filters and connect with people personally.

“I believe Trump is the Everyday Person’s President,” Hern said.