Read

This Juneteenth, A Moment to Recall ‘Where We’ve Been’

Published:
February 15, 2024
June 19, 2021
Take a look at these Juneteenth images to recall "where we've been."|Take a look at these Juneteenth images to recall "where we've been."

Black people have been marking Juneteenth since the late 1880s, but others are catching on — especially since the Black Lives Matter protests that captured our attention in 2020 raised new awareness of persistent racial inequality.

Juneteenth is a holiday that comes from combining June and 19 (the date in 1865 when news reached Texas that the Civil War had ended), but it is also known as “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” Families are gathering to spend time together, pray, and share a meal today — in some cities there are parades and festivals.

It’s a day to celebrate freedom — but it’s important that we remember this is a freedom from exclusion and prejudice and racism. Though we’ve made strides in that journey, we’ve not yet reached the promised land of full equality and opportunity and dignity. Remembering the specifics of where we’ve been can light the way forward by giving us courage and hope.

That’s why we were captivated by a photo exhibit that demonstrates how racism has been embedded in the very physical structures of our cities. Rich Frishman collects images of buildings that still bear the scars of racism: from now-bricked over separate entrances to old movie theaters in Mississippi to beaches in Chicago that used to hold segregated crowds.

Here’s how Rich describes an image of an ice-cream shop in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which shows a separate window on one side of the building:

Edd's opened in 1954, during the era of Jim Crow. Until the late 1960's, people of color had to order at the segregated window on the far right, and they could only place their order when no white customers were waiting. When I asked the manager about the window, she indicated that while many people think it's an old drive-up window, the owners retained it as a reminder of the suffering so many have endured. "If we forget where we've been," she said, "we can get lost again."

So take some time today to browse these images and descriptions — to remember the stories that unfolded in the lives of people living in these specific places. The memory of what happened here reminds us that it can be different — that people created these spaces, and that people can change them. That’s a change worth remembering and celebrating because it proves that others walked ahead of us, and reminds us that more will walk behind us.

Creators:
Grotto Shares
Published:
February 15, 2024
June 19, 2021
On a related note...
Building Bridges as a Missionary in Cambodia

Building Bridges as a Missionary in Cambodia

Karen Bortvedt

What I Learned from a Year in Service after College

What I Learned from a Year in Service after College

Caelin Miltko

Children's Author Teaches Kids How to Draw

Children's Author Teaches Kids How to Draw

Grotto

The Impact of the 'Welcome Your Neighbor' Signs

The Impact of the 'Welcome Your Neighbor' Signs

Grotto

Feast Day: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feast Day: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Grotto

"Examination"

"Examination"

Lesley Clinton

Finding Hope in a 100-Mile Race

Finding Hope in a 100-Mile Race

Lillie Rodgers

5 Lessons I Learned from a Two-Year-Old Burn Victim

5 Lessons I Learned from a Two-Year-Old Burn Victim

Liz Palmer

The Sacred Gray Area

The Sacred Gray Area

Sarah Adams

5 Things You Need to Know About Meditation

5 Things You Need to Know About Meditation

Martha Reilly

Good and Decent S2 | E3: New Beginnings

Good and Decent S2 | E3: New Beginnings

Grotto

CASA Volunteer Shares Her Story | Little Ways: Advocate

CASA Volunteer Shares Her Story | Little Ways: Advocate

Grotto

Singing Opera to Bring Beauty to the World

Singing Opera to Bring Beauty to the World

Grotto

What an Imaginative Prayer Experience Taught Me

What an Imaginative Prayer Experience Taught Me

Kate Fowler

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Thérèse of Lisieux Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Transforming Skid Row with Stunning Street Art

Transforming Skid Row with Stunning Street Art

Grotto

What Should You Do if You Get in a Minor Car Accident?

What Should You Do if You Get in a Minor Car Accident?

Grotto

“The Lost Cardigan”

“The Lost Cardigan”

Judith Sornberger

Answering Violence with Forgiveness

Answering Violence with Forgiveness

Grotto

How to Start Your Own Organic Yard

How to Start Your Own Organic Yard

Emily Bouch

newsletter

We’d sure love to be pals.

Like what you see? Make it easy on yourself and we’ll meet you right in your inbox next time.