Social Justice
Editor’s note: Since the publication of this article, Juneteenth was declared a federal national holiday in 2021.
Each year around June 19, Black communities across the country unite for a family reunion of sorts. Juneteenth activities feature the sights and sounds of Blackness: People enjoying art, music and food that connect them to a shared ancestry and history. They celebrate being their authentic selves. They celebrate freedom in both solemn and festive ceremonies.
This celebration marks a day in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned they’d be free—two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War and two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Initially a uniquely Texan observance, Juneteenth has now been recognized in some form in every corner of the country.
Read MorePittsburgh teens volunteer in Israel, meet Ukrainian refugees and Israeli youth
Classrooms Without Borders cohort visits Children’s Village, develops friendships and greater appreciation for home READ ABOUT IT HERE
Read MoreReflections of a Shared Journey – Day 7
Ellen Resnek | Educational Programs and Outreach Manager, CWB We entered into our community of learners a band of educators, scholars, administrators and community change makers and in that space […]
Read MoreOur honored guest was Charles Person, one of two surviving Freedom Riders to have made the trip in its entirety from Washington DC to New Orleans. The songs of the movement sustained him, he said, especially so when he knew that he should have felt fearful, and no song strengthened him more than “Oh Freedom.”
Read MoreSites of Violence, Sites of Healing – Day 5
Laura Thomson Sites of Violence, Sites of Healing Today we visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum, both located in Montgomery, Alabama. We were warned […]
Read MoreWhat Bridges Do We Have to Cross Today? – Day 4
Jennifer Brown and Derek Chimner “We have come a great distance as a society, but we still have a great distance to go.”– Former Congressman John Lewis This was the […]
Read More“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived…” – Day 3
Deb SmithSocial/Racial Justice CoordinatorYWCA Hanover Montgomery, Alabama ‘History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.’ -Maya Angelou As I continue […]
Read MoreThe Beginning of a Beloved Community – Day 2
Lauren Hall | High School Administrator Day two began on Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard, the birthplace of the 1960-1965 Atlanta Student Movement and central location to 6 Historically Black Universities: […]
Read MoreSocial Awareness and Activism Through Music
Music is the universal language. Music has many messages. Music has been used as a means to combat social injustice and inspire social reform. Middle school students are mature enough […]
Read MoreWhat is an Upstander? What are Human Rights? Lesson for Young Children.
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