Juneteenth Celebration

This post is coming a little late, but I wanted to share what I did during the Juneteenth Celebration. It's been on my radar for a few years, though mostly in an educational capacity. This year I decided to take more active steps to practice allyship.

1. I read another article to refresh myself about the background of the holiday. This article, What is Juneteenth from PBS by Professor Henry Gates sent me in some new  research directions as well. I'm going to be checking out this documentary series about Black in Latin America. It's time I learn more about the experience of the Latinx community.

2. I finally ordered a book I've had on my reading list: The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty. I'll be writing more about my reading, but it is a really good book so far. I'm also reading it while in the middle of fasting every day. It is equal parts moving and painful, which seems to be appropriate for me.

3. I watched my friend Cheyney of Not Your Momma's History do an interactive presentation: Living History at Home: Cooking for Juneteenth. It was fun seeing the kids who were all learning in the moment. She's really good at making the lesson an interesting experience for kids and I 100% respect that as a teacher myself. Also, I combated some serious food cravings while learning yet again. Food is such a good way to learn about history!

4. I reflected about how I have benefited from white privilege, even as a Latinx woman. For years I would tell myself, "Hey, I'm Mexican! I'm not racist," but really I've been treated differently because I just look white. My experience is not similar to the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) community. I found some discussion questions and a video link on White Privilege Glasses Discussion Guide through the Chicago Theological Seminary. I highly recommend that you check it out. It really made me think about the experiences of others in this country.

5. I celebrated Juneteenth! I live very close to downtown Flint. I've spent time in the city over the past three years, participating in protests, watching a documentary on the Flint Water Crisis (which featured a doctor my fiance works with!) and going to the farmer's market (they have REALLY good food!). There was a socially distant gathering in one of the parks, complete with music and outdoor vendors. I  supported black owned businesses by purchasing a number of items. This was probably the easiest thing on the list, but something I've rarely thought to do. I always tell myself: "Kristen, put your money where your mouth is." So now I have some cute clothes and bath scrubs, which really wasn't that difficult of a decision to make. I'm going to be paying closer attention to who I financially support from now on.

To be honest, it was a rather exhausting day. But it opened my eyes to things I need to be doing. Practicing allyship is an action, one that I intend to continue. I hope you're inspired to do the same!

~Kristen