When I was asked to share poetry written by students in detention at a Juneteenth celebration outside of the Juvenile Detention Center, I hadn’t made the connection between that invitation and a flyer that I’ve received a few weeks before. In both instances I knew that I would participate. Also at both moments, I’d been serving the youth and through that service was introduced to an opportunity to celebrate my own history. It’s amazing to understand how when you help others discover valuable aspects of themselves you are served in the same way in tern. I’m thankful to be a part of an organization in Pongo that allows me to do that form of restorative service in multiple ways, for the Youth and for my community. Through Pongo poetry project I was able to bring the spirit of the youth that were incarcerated in the Detention Center and give their voices a chance to be present at this community event celebrating freedom for all people.
Free Food, Prizes and Performances
Upon entering I received a raffle ticket and a free tote bag. I was greeted by the host would also be reading poetry with me, presiding judge over the juvenile court, Judge Wesley Saint Clair. Judge Saint Clair was gracious enough to get me a slice of watermelon before was time to eat. The event began with the singing of the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, followed by a Juneteenth history reading. During the event there were a few raffles and performances by the Lincoln High School step and cheer team as well as Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. speaking of eating the organizing group, Sisters Who
Care served a bountiful amount of free food to everyone who attended: hot dogs, ribs, hamburgers, fish chips, rice, gumbo, an assortment of fruits an ample water. There were also plenty of desserts: cookies, cake and crumbles with plenty of shaded and sunny seating. The group also provided free face painting and cotton candy to attendees. The Goody Bagg Band performed old school RnB classics, community vendors as well as resale booths where I was told that I bought a very cute $150 bag for a steal at 7 Bucks. The very talented face painters from Sisters who care painted Princess Shuri’s battle makeup on my face. Performances included poets, like myself, as well as rappers, singers and step teams. I was honored to be able to introduce Pongo and share poetry that brought the youth to the event in a very special way.
Richardson’s Traveling American History Museum
Most incredibly though I was able to experience the Delbert Richardson’s Traveling American Museum. The museum displayed a collection of artifacts, posters, documents, photos and other American history memorabilia from the slave-era. The exhibit reminded us of the deep importance of recognizing Juneteenth every year. It is absolutely impossible for us as a people to move forward and grow from the experiences of our past without recognizing June 19, 1865, the day when slaves first got the word that they were free in Texas. Delbert Richardson, the founder of the American history traveling Museum is a passionate storyteller who’s artifacts open the mind and hearts of participants as we learn factual events from our past through historical pieces like identification collar, shackles, runaway collars and torture masks. The most impactful stories for me was one that Richardson told relating to the way that slaves were advertised in flyers. My jaw dropped when he told me about the way that lactating mothers would be advertised as ‘milk maids’. Naively I thought that this meant that a woman was experienced milking cows when in reality she was being marketed as the lactating cow, able to provide milk to the buyers children avoiding the decline of his own wife’s breasts. Richardson showed me the heavy ball chains that were placed on small slave children’s legs and the shackles that were placed on adults feet during auction. Most notably he pointed out the runaway collars that were created with bells and whistles attached to long iron metal talons that would surround the head of the slave who’d tried to run away. Richardson pointed out an interesting perspective that I now hold dear, the existence of runaway collars proves that even within the most beaten and abused of slaves was an uncontrollable desire for freedom that some were strong, bold and courageous enough to act upon.
Even then, the bells and whistles didn’t dampen the spirit of those who made the choice to act upon their desire freedom, slaves would spread mud over the bells to mute their sound as they continued to run away. This literal illustration shows that for people with the desire to be free there is nothing even when its designed to impeded our progress, that can truly a oppress the people so long as they maintain their will and persistence. Richardson is passionate about seeing the light spark in people’s hearts and jaws drop as they learn details about where they’re from and what their people have overcome. The fact that these practices that were used for hundreds of years aren’t general knowledge in our society is a dangerous example that’s how ignorance has been promoted while the truth has been suppressed. There’s a spark that goes off in someone’s heart when they learn more about the history of African Americans in American, which is a huge part of American history. What happened to black people is what happened to American people and to know that American people were treated as animal property for centuries and then until they were given their freedom is a very important thing to know for not only that segment of the population but for all of the population and Richardson brings that light everywhere that he parks his museum that day.
We Fought for Centuries for this Day, so Now We Must Celebrate
I’m thankful to the Sisters who Care and King County’s Superior Court for caring enough to put on a Juneteenth event right in the center of conflict and changing tides. On the same street where the new youth jail is being built (which now has progressed to having walls) and right next to where anywhere between 50 and 150 children are being held captive, we celebrate our progress and we must recognize that extraordinary progress has been made. The Museum’s display also included an illustration of the public school to prison pipeline which many of the kids detained in the jail just beside the celebration are products of. It is our duty as a people and as citizens of this nation who fought for our place within society to recognize this date. Chattel slavery is unique in that it is characterized by the dehumanization of those who are held captive. Dehumanizing tactics were used as practices for maintaining slaves’ behavior from starvation to abuse, rape, beating and lynching to name a few and the Willie Lynch Letter that these practices were popularized by was also on display in Richardson’s Museum. Every aspect of the event brought life to my soul and I was honored to be able to contribute to the event by sharing youth poetry and I look forward to attending the next time I have a chance. Not everyone around the country had the chance to be enlightened in this way and to feel the excitement of celebrating this moment that is so so important to American history. I hope that next year celebrations will be taking place around the nation as we recognize June 19th 1865 when Texas slaves first got word that they were free.
New Youth Jail Construction, June 2018
There’s freedom in healing, restoration and finding your voice. Poetry is freeing.
