Soul of the Southside
Juneteenth commemorates a day when slavery ended in Galveston, Texas. It was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 to free enslaved people before news reached Galveston in 1865. How times have changed when we can now hear and see life impacting news from around the world instantly.
I spent some of my formative years in Galveston. As a matter of fact, my favorite fifth grade teacher, an African American teacher named Ms. Evans encouraged me in math and spelling and took me to see the “The Wiz” musical, my first introduction to my now love for the arts and theater. I know these early foundational years of learning were essential to building confidence, academic skills and life-long lessons. Grateful for the care and compassion that Ms. Evans showed me!
So what does this have to do with Juneteenth? This is a day to reflect and celebrate the freedom, strength and resilience of the Black community. I have to admit that we never celebrated or were even taught about this history growing up, however, it is never too late to learn what this holiday represents for our country. Slavery to liberation for all.
Ms. Evans taught us to have a growth mindset and encouraged us to pursue our dreams. She demanded excellence which taught us resiliency and a belief that we could do anything we put our minds to. She uplifted us because she knew that our paths were going to be met with challenges and obstacles from a world filled with unconscious bias and racism.
As part of the Soul of the Southside, our team from the Historic Coliseum Building will be joining in this Juneteenth Celebration. The Coliseum (coming in Spring 2024) will be a place where all will not only be welcomed but also seen, valued and heard. It is the future home of our SHAKE community where we will be…
Disrupting the norm to create positive outcomes, changes and transformation.
Doing good, to show up for one another, to SERVE in our respective circles of influence in order to transform ourselves, our families, work, and communities.
Being authentically HONEST and ADAPTABLE with KINDNESS generates creativity, innovation and resilience.
Sharing our EXPERIENCES, we continually renew our commitment to demonstrate excellence and inspire others to lift while climbing and as we give, we receive
It is this same kind of modeling that Ms. Evans instilled in me that we hope to pay forward through our SHAKE community. Here’s more info on the celebration for today’s events at https://soulofthesouthside.com
