This Juneteenth was refreshing.

Embora eu tenha aprendido sobre o Juneteenth há anos, este foi o primeiro ano em que participei de festividades da comunidade e usei esse tempo para refletir, intencionalmente, sobre a dor e os triunfos daqueles que tornaram esse dia possível. No fim de semana do Juneteenth, aproveitei para assistir filmes, ouvir apresentações e artistas expressando suas artes sobre a história, contar histórias pessoais e apoiar negócios pertencentes às minorias negras em Boston.

In addition to my time of reflection, I also used this time to further educate myself and others on how we keep the true essence of this day alive with future generations. Juneteenth weekend, I enjoyed watching films, listening to presentations and performers express their arts of history, telling personal stories, and supporting minority black-owned businesses in Boston.

This Juneteenth, CommCorp held a fireside chat wrap-up to openly share the takeaways of this Juneteenth and how they will continue to use their influence to carry on the truth of history for the many years to come. As I celebrate with colleagues various ways to honor this holiday, I felt a great deal of hope, pride, and joy to celebrate the actual day of freedom of the brothers and sisters who were enslaved. We recognize, we all play an important role in honoring Juneteenth and recognizing the origin of this holiday.

Together we will continue the conversations of freedom and take steps towards creating a more just and equitable society for all. As an advocate for elevating black voices and emerging leaders this Juneteenth and beyond, I pledge to continue the conversations to drive racial equity across my spaces of influence.