It is hard to put into words all that the past 9 days have meant to me, the people, the places, the kindness, the heartbreak, and all the in-between. I have cried, I have laughed and I have had to take a long hard look at the person I am and think about who I want to be.
As we made our way through Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, we were faced with the harsh realities of a world we thought we knew. We were also enlightened and empowered by freedom fighters, foot soldiers, and agents for change. We toed the line of hope and hurt. Our day in Montgomery exploring the Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Justice and Peace, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park embodied that juxtaposition. In the Legacy Museum, my heart ached from the statistics and gross numbers of humans abducted and trafficked across the ocean, ripped from their families, dead bodies tossed overboard like litter as they wash upon the shore. The unbelievable sadness I felt as I read the names of children who were terrorized and lynched, toddlers and infants, teens, and families. What fuels this kind of hate? It hurt to read their names, their ages, but I felt as though I owed it to them, they deserve to be remembered and I don’t deserve to be complacent in my avoidance. The National Memorial of Justice and Peace, drove that message forward as steel boxes progressively hung from the ceiling, marked with states, counties, and the known names of individuals who have been lynched. What a haunting tribute. The reality is that the Emmett Till Antilynching Law was not passed until 3/2022, making lynching a federal crime. Even more so, it was not a unanimous decision, Andrew Clyde (GA) Thomas Massie (KY) and Chip Roy (TX) opposed making lynching a hate crime. The Freedom Monument Sculpture Park was hauntingly beautiful sandwiched between the river and railroad tracks. Larger-than-life sculptures tell even bigger stories. No wonder they won’t let you take pictures and video, no 2D image could do these artists justice.
I chronicled our journey with daily sketch notes taking down quotes, statistics, images, and musings of the day.
Marching Down Freedom’s Road, was made complete by the humans I shared this journey with. Truly passionate individuals that I danced with, dined with, laughed with, cried with, unlearned and learned with, and marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with. I learned through your kindness and grace. I’m inspired by your journeys. I am in awe of the love and respect you showed each other. Despite all the atrocities we have studied, I still believe that humanity is innately good. I know 26 beautiful humans who will inspire even more greatness in the world.
“Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” -Wicked