I hope that you had a happy and reflective Juneteenth.
I spent Juneteenth with my family and found myself reflecting on my oldest known ancestor, Fountain Blackwell, born in 1807 and enslaved, as well as my ancestors who were, in fact, enslavers. It has taken me a while to admit that they, the enslavers, are also my ancestors. I carry their generational traumas, too. This complicated legacy, which lives within my DNA and the DNA of so many other Americans, raises so many questions: How does the United States heal from this complicated legacy? How do my ancestors heal and what does repair look like for them? How do we acknowledge and address our generational traumas?
I’m thankful to be part of an organization that is right at the intersection of identifying the reparative programming that is needed for us to get to a place of healing. We are building models of repair that can be replicated and scaled to provide a blueprint for how the federal government can one day best implement reparative programming. The day is coming when our lawmakers will have no choice but to realize that if we want to stay together as the United States, we have to address this nation’s past.
While every holiday is symbolic, every year Juneteenth represents a monumental moment in American history. It represents the ideal that we can’t truly celebrate until we all are free. Today we are at yet another monumental moment in our country’s history. We have to decide once again whether we can truly enjoy all that this country has to offer while we are not all free. I invite you to lean into our work and make a contribution of any amount you are able to help this nation heal.
