if we
wanted
to.
people of color
could
burn the world down.
for what
we
have experienced.
are experiencing.
but
we don’t.
-how stunningly beautiful that our sacred respect for the earth. for life. is deeper than our rage
by Nayyirah Waheed (from Salt)
————————–
On January 1st 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation officially ended 12 generations of slavery in the U.S, however enslaved people in Texas were not freed until 2.5 years later on June 19th, 1865 or Juneteenth.
History matters. Knowing what happened before is an essential part of understanding the full picture of what is happening now.
Now we are in a deep national reckoning with race; now we are watching video after video of police brutality targeting African Americans and folks of color; now we are watching police take selfies with white supremacists and confederate flags being hung in the capitol; now we are hearing about legislation being passed to ban critical race theory conversations in schools.
As a parent of a curious 7 year old, I think a lot about how to have these conversations with my daughter and am so excited to have connected to Amber Coleman-Mortley who leads a beautiful podcast with her three daughters, LetsK12Better. Besides being an important voice in elevating diverse voices and perspectives in the civic education space, Amber also runs a blog, MomOfAllCapes. She models the way I want to show up with my kids as they grow into tweens, with information, curiosity and respect for their wisdom.
I’m thrilled that Amber will be leading a workshop with Radici Studios this Saturday at 10am PST called Juneteenth Art Exploration: Family Session. We’ll explore the question, How do we liberate ourselves? How do we ensure that everyone’s constitutional rights are protected? In this one-hour session, we’ll explore ideas of freedom, liberty, and the significance of Juneteenth through discussion, art, and group activities. The class is designed for families or individuals of any age (though will be most relevant for those 7 and older)
Also, I was so excited to be a guest on the latest LetsK12Better podcast called Creation, Connection, and Collective Healing! I shared some personal stories, talked about the value of art in healing and we shared details about the workshop series. Check it out if you want to hear more – the kids asked some amazing questions.
Hope you can join us and please share with your community.
Happy Juneteenth!
