“But, if this part of our history could be told in such a way that those chains of the past, those shackles that physically bound us together against our wills could, in the telling, become spiritual links that willingly bind us together now and into the future – then that painful Middle Passage could become, ironically, a positive connecting line to all of us whether living inside or outside the continent of Africa…” Tom Feelings, The Middle Passage
Tom Feelings allowed us a glimpse of the horrific history this country fails to acknowledge repeatedly so that we can move forward and become the country we want to be. We urge you to continue your learning and continue the charge to move toward equality, fairness and freedom for all. We are moving through a time when uncertainty and injustices reveals their ugly heads. But then Juneteenth arrived just in time. A celebration of Freedom and Achievement among the African American community. It is beautiful to see the wide-spread celebration among all communities and globally.
But to get there, we must continue the fight, the education and the conversations. Lean in to the uncomfortable feeling you get when talking about race and racism. Understand that none of us have THE answer, expect errors and mistakes. We learn in Computer Science that when we have errors in our code, we research, ask the hard questions so that we can find A solution. Multiple solutions is part of the learning. Asking the questions is part of the learning. Making mistakes is part of the learning. So be open to not having the answers but willing to get there, together.
Continue Your Learning
Below are resources to continue your learning about Juneteenth, Racism and Institutional structures that have kept Black people from truly realizing freedom. Together, we’ll be the change we want to see.
Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
Structural Racism and myocardial infraction in the United States
#Juneteenth2020