Black history is American History.
“Whether you know it or not, you are constantly going through or experiencing Black history,” said Gail Harris, a musician and activist at Durango’s Juneteenth celebration.
Speaking to about 200 people gathered in Buckley Park to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, Harris highlighted some of the many contributions Black Americans have made to modern life. She cited Dr. Charles Drew’s discovery of plasma separation techniques that led to the modern blood fusion, Garrett Morgan’s invention of the yellow caution light and George Crum’s creation of the potato chip ‒ spurred by a customer’s complaint.
All around, old and young attendees chatted among themselves, some goofing around. The grass was decorated with blankets and chairs. A lone Frisbee was tossed around but didn’t seem to belong to anyone.
Parents watched their children cartwheel and dance around. Some dripped maple syrup from bubble pancakes down their shirts.
Speaking with several of the parents, it’s clear no such Juneteenth celebration ever occurred when they were growing up. In fact, most of them hadn’t been aware of the holiday or it’s historical significance until well into adulthood.
“It’s definitely not something that we ever learned in school here growing up,” said Cecelia Evans of Durango.
“They made sure to teach us about slaves, but not the rest,” she added, trailing off. She’s bouncing her son in her arms, a toddler with a shock of tightly coiled curls.
Her friend, Stefan Park, agreed. He attributed his own knowledge of Juneteenth and Black history to his many conversations with Evans, who is half-Black.
Celine Donnelly, a local jeweler, said she first learned about Juneteenth following George Floyd’s murder and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Since then she has made an effort to educate herself and her 9-year-old son. He’s Black; she’s white.
While the school district is more inclusive than in the past and teaches some Black history highlighting the important holidays and contributions of Black civil rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Donnelly said she needs to supplement that at home.
Her child is young, so it largely comes in the form of books.
The other day, Donnelly found a treasure trove of children’s books that seemed pointedly inclusive, which she found funny. She bought them. Her son’s favorite is the one about a two-person family unity – white mother and Black son – just like them.
“He was just drawn to it,” she said. “It was clear to me the importance of (representation).”
Harris, in her presentation, touched on “the talk,” in which parents must explain to their Black children that the color of their skin could mean they are treated differently, including in police encounters. But the talk also includes a message of affirmation.
“The primary reason for the talk is to tell the children that the United States of America is the greatest country in the world,” she said. “It is a country where dreams are for everyone, even a young girl, 5 years old, in the ghetto of New Jersey with no contacts.”
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