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From YouTube: Juneteenth at Bellevue City Hall 2023
Description
The city of Bellevue hosted its second annual Juneteenth celebration on June 20th at City Hall.
A
A
A
Oh,
we
will.
Freedom
cannot
rest
until
it
comes
not
needing
to
cut
for
power.
We're
not
needing
the
light
to
shine
on
me.
I
just
need
to
be
in
the
number
as
we
stand
against
tyranny
to
me.
Young
people
come
first.
They
have
the
courage
where
we
fail
and
if
I
can
shine
a
light
on
them
as
they
carry
us
to
the
ground.
Oh,
we
who
believe
in
Freedom
and
not
a
red.
A
B
Declare
you
see
me
dimly
through
a
glass
which
will
not
shine,
though
I
stand
before
you
boldly
Trim,
in
rank
in
marking
time.
You
do
own
to
hear
me
faintly
as
a
whisper
out
of
range.
While
my
drums
beat
out
the
message
in
The
rhythms,
never
change,
equality
and
I
will
be
free.
Equality
and
I
will
be
free.
You
announce
my
ways
are
a
wanton
that
I
fly
from
man
to
man,
but
if
I'm,
just
a
shout
out
to
you,
could
you
ever
understand?
We
have
lived
a
painful
history.
B
We
know
the
shameful
past
but
I
kept
on
marching
forward
and
you
kept
on
coming
last.
Equality
and
I
will
be
free.
Equality
and
I
will
be
free.
Take
the
blinders
from
your
vision,
take
the
padding
from
your
ears
and
confess
you've
heard
me
cry
and
admit:
you've
seen
my
tears,
hear
the
tempo
so
compelling
hear
the
blood
throb
in
my
veins.
Yes,
my
drums
are
beating
nightly
in
The
rhythms.
Never
change,
equality
and
I
will
be
free
equality
and
we
will
be
free.
C
C
Everyone
you
have
done,
my
heart
will
and
then,
most
importantly,
I,
want
to
welcome
you,
our
community.
Thank
you
so
very
much
for
being
here
tonight.
I
must
admit,
I
wrote
a
nice
speech
and
I
deleted
it.
So
this
is
just
me
speaking
to
you.
Why
do
we
celebrate
Juneteenth?
Well,
one
reason
why
we
celebrate
Juneteenth
couldn't
just
simply
stated,
as
we
also
call
it
Freedom
Day
and
it
is
called
Freedom
Day,
because
many
years
ago
it
took
a
very
long
time
for
over
250
000
men,
women
and
children
to
know
that
they
were
free.
C
It
took
two
and
a
half
years
after
President
Lincoln
signed
the
emancipation
for
the
enslaved
men,
women
and
children
in
Galveston,
Texas
were
told
of
their
freedom.
So
what
did
they
do?
They
waited
and
they
waited
so
yes
tonight
we
celebrate
this
moment.
We
celebrated
because
they
waited
and
they
waited
so
with
that.
I
would
like
to
turn
you
on
over
to
our
mayor
to
come
up
and
say
a
few
words
as
well.
D
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
Dr
Whitehead.
She
also
wrote
me
a
speech
and
now
wonder
if
I
should
throw
it
away
as
well.
D
We
also
get
to
enjoy
the
Artistry
of
one
of
my
favorite
artists,
Banya
Bynum
and
her
amazing
arts
groups.
Vanya
VC,
Bynum,
Arts,
I,
hope
you'll.
Take
the
time
tonight
not
only
to
reflect
on
Juneteenth
and
its
significance,
but
also
on
the
amazing
contributions
that
our
Bellevue
black
community
has
had
to
the
region,
to
the
culture,
to
the
vibrancy
and
to
the
success.
I
want
to
thank
Dr
Whitehead
and
the
diversity
Advantage
team
for
bringing
this
programming
to
you
today
to
all
of
us
and
for
all
the
work
that
they
do.
D
E
All
right
good
to
see
all
of
you
here
in
celebration
of
Juneteenth
I
I
know
we
had
a
celebration
last
year,
but
it's
so
good
to
see
so
many
more
of
you
in
the
space
today
we're
going
to
have
a
an
amazing
panel,
so
I'm
going
to
invite
each
of
the
panelists
up
as
I
call
your
name.
If
you
could
please
come
on
up
Solon
McCurdy
senior,
vice
president
of
chief
chief
diversity
and
equity
and
inclusion
officer
for
symmetra.
E
Thank
you.
There
we
go
Equity.
Oh
where's,
my
plug
from
the
mic
is
out
Equity
Ron
Lewis,
Deputy,
executive
director,
Sound
Transit.
E
All
right,
Juneteenth,
as
you've
heard,
celebrates
the
recognized
and
official
abolishment
of
slavery
in
the
United
States
that
all
people,
no
matter
their
color,
were
and
always
will
be
free
from
the
chains
of
Chateau
slavery.
We
must
never
forget
that
shameful
period
in
our
country's
history,
when
black
men,
women
and
children
were
legally
not
equal,
but
were
the
rightful
property
of
another
person.
E
F
Thank
you
very
much
and
good
evening.
Everyone
very
pleased
to
be
here
and
I
want
to
start
by
thanking
the
city
of
Bellevue
for
the
vision.
This
type
of
event
doesn't
happen
automatically.
It
only
happens
when
there's
a
champion
when
there's
a
receptive
leadership
and
when
there's
a
force
and
a
will
to
do
something
different,
and
this
is
a
great
example.
So
thank
you.
F
The
question
regarding
Freedom
being
just
the
beginning,
I'm
going
to
answer
it
in
in
two
parts
and
I'm
gonna.
First.
F
G
F
Thinking
about
this
question,
what
can
an
individual
do?
What
can
one
individual
do?
A
single
person
I
was
thinking
about
the
African-American
experience.
My
experience
growing
up
black,
my
sister
actually
is
in
the
audience,
so
you
can
verify
this
story,
but
storytelling
is
a
very
important
part
of
our
culture
and
that's
how
we
got
these
stories.
Is
they
came
down
through
generations?
We
need
to
continue
sharing
our
experience,
our
stories,
our
history,
with
our
people
community.
F
We
all
have
different
communities
that
we
participate
in
those
are
vessels
that
we
can
use
to
share
information
to
be
provocative
and
have
folks
folks
think
about
how
that
organization,
whether
it's
a
faith-based
organization,
a
community-based
organization,
can
have
a
voice
and
play
a
role
in
striving
for
equity
in
our
broader
community.
Our
work
environment.
Events
like
this
can
provide
opportunities
in
a
safe
place
to
share
with
our
co-workers.
How
We
are
perceiving
the
world
and
how
we
are
perceived
in
the
world,
and
those
can
be
very
incremental
changes
that
happen
over
time.
F
F
Political
awareness
and
action
is
through
voting
through
peaceful
protests
through
individuals,
joining
hands
and
representing
larger
swaths
of
our
community.
F
D
F
Were
ideas
that
that
I
had
as
I
was
thinking
about
the
question?
Let
me
go
to
quickly
to
part
two.
My
answer,
which
is,
we
are
at
a
a
pivotal
moment,
as
the
era
of
artificial
intelligence
is
taking
off.
So
when
I
talk
about
information
being
power,
that
power
is
Amplified
by
AI,
so
I
went
on
Bing
Microsoft
search
engine
and
I
asked
chat,
GPT
the
same
question
that
I
was
just
asked
and
what
chat
GPT
said
was
start
a
petition
reach
out
to
elected's
peaceful
protest.
F
Fundraise
volunteer
support,
local
businesses,
educate
yourself,
talk
to
kids
and
family
check
in
with
loved
ones.
This
came
from
jet
chat,
GPT
I
was
blown
away,
but
what
it?
What
it
tells
me,
though,
going
back
to
the
information
is
power,
is
that
we
as
a
black
community
and
we
as
a
broader
Community,
need
to
make
sure
we're
plugged
in
with
not
only
what's
happening
today,
but
where
we
are
headed.
F
E
Awesome.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
So
much
for
that
response
and
I
really
appreciate
it.
The
the
balance
between
what
we
as
a
black
community
can
do
and
what
the
rest
of
the
broader
Community
can
do
and
tying
in
the
role
of
each
of
the
different
parts
of
our
society,
government,
business
and
so
forth.
I
want
to
open
it
up
see
if
anyone
else
has
thoughts
around
that
particular
question
before
I
provide
the
next
question.
E
So
I
think
maybe
we
can
keep
a
parking
lot
of
audience
questions
for
maybe
afterward.
Thank
you
for
that
question
all
right,
so
so,
then,
for
you
question
so,
given
that
this
also
has
implications
for
Juneteenth
has
implications
for
our
broader
Society.
Obviously
we
fit
in
a
broader
context.
What
actions
do
white
people
need
to
prioritize
to
dismantle
racism
and
white
supremacy
in
our
communities
in
our
day-to-day
lives?.
G
That
is
quite
a
question,
because
some
people
would
say
that
racism
and
the
systems
of
Injustice
around
it
are
white
people's
problem
that,
in
fact,
those
systems
were
created
by
other
white
people
who
are
not
in
this
room
to
to.
D
G
For
me
and
my
specific
examples
for
today,
you
know
I
think
about
the
fact
that
I
have
the
privilege
of
working
in
an
organization.
That's
focused
around
insurance
and
annuities,
and
all
these
things
that
I
won't
Amaze
you
with
right
now,
but
the
leadership
is
predominantly
white.
G
The
depending
on
what
level
most
of
the
organization
is
predominantly
white
I
sit
in
about
five
percent
of
a
group
of
black
employees
who
are
committed
to
this
idea
of
Financial
Freedom
every
single
day
for
our
organization
and
for
the
people
we
serve
and
the
percentages
of
other
people
of
color
are
quite
small
as
well.
So
there
is
a
real
opportunity
for
white
people
to
lean
into
this
and
be
true
allies
and
and
I
think.
G
Sometimes
the
idea
of
allyship
can
be
quite
tokenized,
but
people
fall
into
this
idea,
potentially
acting
paternalistic
or
even
performative
and
and
as
people
of
color
I.
Don't
think
that's
what
we
need
right,
I
I
believe!
G
G
G
Our
back
in
times
of
need
and
trust
us
in
times
of
need
and
more
so
not
just
provide
support,
but
actually
give
up
some
of
their
privilege.
You
know
I
think
about
the
idea
and
the
opportunity
we
have
to
truly
change
lives
and
not
just
individual
lives,
but
the
systems
that
have
been
built
around
us
that
hold
us
back
and
keep
us
down.
G
So
I
think
about
my
CEO
as
an
example:
Margaret,
a
a
white
woman
who
has
been
in
this
industry
for
over
35
years,
a
white
woman
who
openly
identifies
as
lesbian
or
gay
part
of
the
LGBT
community
and
one
of
my
first
conversations
with
her
coming
into
this
role
was
about.
You
know,
Margaret.
G
Margaret
has
been
at
the
front
line
every
single
time,
with
a
few
Choice
curse
words
in
her
mouth
as
well,
but
she's
been
there
and
so
she's
created
a
runway
for
me
and
all
of
our
allies
to
do
this
work.
So
she
puts
herself
on
the
line
every
single
time
in
the
name
of
this
Mission
and
this
work.
But
it's
also
about
thinking
about
the
policies
we
have.
So
if
we
want
to
hire
a
more
diverse
group
of
individuals,
how
do
we
shift
the
hiring
process?
G
How
do
we
think
about
Recruitment
and
promotion
and
in
a
way,
that's
not
about
just
checking
a
box
or
getting
a
number
of
folks
to
fulfill
a
percentage
or
some
mystery
number,
but
in
the
future?
How
does
that
entire
leadership
team
at
symmetra
look
dramatically
different
than
it
does
now?
That's
the
kind
of
commitment
we're
making.
How
do
you
operationalize
systems
so
that
the
products
and
services
that
we
offer
don't
just
serve
those
who
have
wealth
but
who
truly
need
the
wealth
that
they
need
and
deserve
and
have
been
denied
for
countless
Generations?
G
Those
are
the
things
we're
thinking
about
and
how
do
you
also
invest
so
that
we
bring
in
that
Capital
every
year?
It
just
doesn't
sit
in
our
bank
think
or
our
benefits
or
our
bonuses,
but
it
goes
back
to
the
communities
who
need
it
most
and
in
my
mind,
that
is
what
white
people
who
have
power
who
have
privileged
positioning
and
title,
have
the
infrastructure
and
the
ability
to
do
every
single
day
and
it's
risky
and
it's
hard
and
you
might
have
a
lot
of
tears
and
be
in
your
feelings.
E
Want
to
throw
in
a
something
to
hopefully
Inspire
your
response
to
I
love,
the
talk
around
systems
and
performance
performance
and
just
curious
from
you,
also
Dr,
Greer
and
anyone
else
who
wants
to
comment
sort
of
we
talk
about
it
in
allyship.
But
what
does
that?
You
gave
an
example
of
of
strong,
allyship
and
I
think
we
should
maybe
talk
and
dig
a
little
bit
deeper
on
what
performativism
is
I.
Don't
know
that
a
lot
of
people
understand
what
that
is.
But
let's
go
to
Dr
Greer
with
your
response.
H
Please
sure,
if
this
there
we
go
okay,
it
works.
Yes,
so
yeah
we're
all
in
sync
here.
So
what
I
was
going
to
add
on
you
started
perfectly
with
allyship
right
and
if
you
all
aren't
familiar
with
the
work
of
Dr
Bettina
love
around
co-conspiratorship
write
that
down
right
now,
Dr
Bettina
love!
Look
it
up.
She
has
a
wonderful
talk
that
she
gives
about
the
difference
between
allyship
and
co-conspiratorship
and
I.
H
Remember,
for
a
long
time,
I
work
in
higher
ed
and
I've
been
in
the
education
space
for
a
long
time,
people
would
have
always
come
by.
Can
I
get
one
of
those
Ally
ship
stickers?
No,
you
may
not
we're
not
ordering
them
anymore,
we're
not
giving
them
out
because
you
don't
get
to
designate
yourself
as
an
ally.
I
get
to
tell
you
whether
or
not
you
have
been
an
allyship
with
me.
H
And
then
I'm,
not
that
interested
in
allyship
I
want
co-conspiratorship
if
I'm
going
to
jail
for
this
protest.
You
jumping
in
in
front
of
me,
because
we
all
have
layers
of
privilege
and
frankly,
cisgender
heterosexual,
white
men.
Y'all
have
the
most
stacked
up
layered
privileges,
whether
you
want
to
admit
it
or
not.
That's
what
it
is
when
Dr
Bettina
love
gave
talked
about
the
story
about
Bree
Newsome,
the
black
woman,
who
climbed
up
a
flagpole
and
decided
to
take
down
the
Confederate
flag.
The
whole
story
goes
on.
H
H
H
Why?
Because
he
knew
that
in
his
white
body
those
police
were
not
gonna
tase
that
flagpole,
that
is
co-conspiratorship.
So
when
we
talk
about
what
it
looks
like
you,
gotta
have
some
skin
in
the
game:
not
the
sticker,
not
the
bumper
sticker,
not
the
button
right
like
sometimes
those
can
be
important.
Signaling
things
for
people
to
know
who's
in
the
room
and
who
has
their
back.
But
what
you
got
to
do
is
you
gotta
show
up
you
gotta
speak
you
gotta,
say
the
things
and
again
we
all
have
different
layers
of
privilege.
H
H
H
Equity
is
about
making
sure
that
our
outcomes
begin
to
look
the
same,
and
what
does
that
mean?
That
means
we
got
to
go
ahead
and
humble
ourselves.
We
have
to
think
about
the
privilege
that
we
have
leverage
that
for
other
people
we
have
to
use
our
voices,
we
have
to
speak
up
and
we
have
to
put
our
hand
on
the
flagpole
when
we
see
danger
coming
for
other
folks.
E
E
I
I
think
my
mic's
not
working
okay.
My
mic
is
working
I,
wanna,
I
wanna
come
over
to
judge
Whitehead,
because
this
has
implications
for
justice
and
how
Equity
shows
up
in
our
justice
system
and
so
I
wanted
to
get
your
thoughts.
A
E
How
how
you
see
allyship
in
in
the
courts,
maybe
to
the
extent
that
you
can
talk
about
what
you
can
or
where
we
could
see
more,
where
there's
opportunity
for
more
allies
or
co-conspirator.
I
Y,
yes
sure
I
mean
I,
can't
use
the
phrase
co-conspirator
as
as
a
city
United
State
judge,
but
what
I
can
talk
about
is
in
is
an
unwavering
commitment
to
equal
justice
under
the
law
and
it
starts
with
people
bringing
cases
to
court
and
when
you
look
at
some
of
the
cases
that
work
their
way
through
the
system,
it's
large
well-heeled
law
firms
that
take
on
those
cases
because
they
are
resource
intensive
and
you
know
years-long
cases.
So
you
know
when
you
ask
the
question
about
allyship
I
mean
that's.
I
The
first
example
that
comes
to
my
mind
is
the
case
selection
of
larger
firms.
In
doing
pro
bono
work,
that's
going
to
you
know
impact
Society
on
you
know
more
systemic
type
level.
So
you
know,
for
me,
like
I,
said
Equal
justice
under
the
law,
but
it
starts
with
the
sort
of
cases
that
matriculate
through
the
system.
E
Thank
you.
Anyone
else
shot
a
Ron
want
to
respond
at
all
about,
maybe
anything
that
you've
seen
in
terms
of
allyship
co-conspiracy
shipper.
J
Keep
it
because
at
this
point
going
behind
such
these
speakers
I'm
just
like
I'm
wild
right,
I'm,
I'm,
taking
it
all
in
right
now,
so
I'm
not
gonna,
go
behind
the
doctor
and
and
the
judge
and
and
then
I'm
still
learning
I'm
still
they
pouring
into
me
right
now.
So
I'ma
stand
still
and
I'm
gonna
continue
to
educate
myself,
while
I'm
listening
to
them
I'm
taking
it
all
in,
sounds
good.
E
So
judge
why
he
had
one
one
follow-up
to
that,
given
what
you've
seen
in
the
courts
who,
who
is
either,
who
was
a
black,
either
historical
figure
or
a
black
inspiration
that
influences
the
work
that
you
do.
I
Yeah
I
mean
I,
I
can
say
without
a
doubt,
Thurgood
Marshall
I
mean
I,
think
that's
a
name
that
we
all
know
and
it
certainly
comes
to
mind.
I
I
mean
if
we
look
at
many
of
the
gains
that
blacks
have
made
in
America
and
civil
rights,
I
mean
they're
lawyers
like
Thurgood
Marshall,
advancing
the
cost
through
the
system
and
making
change
in
that
way,
but
I
never
met
Thurgood
Marshall
I
I
have
met
United,
States,
District,
Court,
Judge,
Richard
Jones,
that's
the
man
whose
seat
that
I
took
and
when
I
look
at
the
example
of
the
work
that
he's
done
within
the
community,
not
just
hiding
in
the
Ivory
Tower
of
the
courthouse
I
could
come
in
My
Little,
Secret
parking
garage.
I
I
I
looked
to
the
contributions
of
people
like
limbert
Howe
and
the
work
that
he
did
in
taking
on
civil
rights
cases
when
no
one
else
would
I
look
at
the
contributions
of
The,
Honorable,
Charles,
Haley,
Donald,
Haley
rest
in
peace,
I,
Look
to
Charles
Johnson
in
the
contributions
that
they
made
and
the
organization
they
started.
Lauren
Miller
Bar
Association
that
I
had
the
the
privilege
of
being
the
president
of
it's
namesake.
Another
lawyer,
Lauren
Miller
litigated,
the
Shelley
V
Kramer
case
outlawing
restrictive
racial
covenants
in
the
Deeds
to
homes.
I
So
you
know
when
I
think
of
people
that
have
impacted
my
career,
that
I
look
up
to
certainly
Thurgood
Marshall,
but
please
believe
there
are
people
here
in
our
community
that
have
done
the
work
and
they
continue
to
do
so.
F
I'm
gonna
jump
on
that
wagon
because
it's
one
that's
carrying
a
lot
of
our
heroes.
One
of
my
staying
local
is
former
Seattle
City
council,
member,
Sam,
Smith
and
I.
Don't
know
if
you've
been
around
long
enough
to
have
remembered
Sam
Smith
on
the
city
council,
but
he
was
a
black
man
who
led
by
values,
and
he
was
an
old
school
politician
and
when
councilmember
Smith
was
on
the
city
council,
I
was
very
young
in
my
career.
C
F
The
one
of
the
I
was
in
the
Seattle
engineering
department
at
the
time,
and
one
of
my
first
assignments
was
to
work
on
the
classification
of
streets.
We
classified
streets
for
the
level
of
arterial
and
whether
it
was
a
truck
Street
or
buses,
because,
as
Janice
knows,
it
requires
a
little
more
infrastructure
to
support
those
heavy
vehicles
and
it.
F
In
in
the
engineering
department,
because
it
wasn't
a
flashy
big
project,
but
I
got
the
assignment
and
quickly
learned
that
it
was
the
best
thing
I
could
do,
because
once
a
quarter,
I
was
able
to
spend
time
one-on-one
with
the
members
of
the
transportation
committee,
which
included
council,
member,
Smith
and
I,
got
to
go
to
his
office
and
talk
to
him
about
buses
running
on
streets
and
serving
communities.
What.
F
To
do
is
listen
to
how
he
was
connected
to
the
communities
and
how
he
knew
that
that
bus
service
wasn't
just
a
bus
running
down
the
street.
It
was
an
opportunity
to
connect
neighborhoods
an
opportunity
to
connect
people
with
jobs,
people
with
education,
people
with
people
So
I,
listened
to
him
talk
about
not
the
bus,
but
what
was
behind
the
bus,
and
he
quickly
became
one
of
my
mentors
and
heroes.
And
now
we
live
two
blocks
from
a
park
named
after
him
and
he's
one
of
the
folks
who
locally
was
a
champion
early
on
before.
D
F
G
I'll
try
to
keep
it
short
because
I
can
be
long-winded,
sometimes
so
I
admire
the
folks
that
you
named
I
think
I'm
going
to
go
a
little
more
personal,
because
I
think
in
this
moment,
and
and
really
throughout
the
year,
not
just
on
juneteen,
but
throughout
the
year.
We
need
to
honor
our
elders,
our
ancestors
and
those
who
have
come
before
us
who
we
stand
on
the
shoulders,
though
so
I'm
actually
going
to
talk
about
my
grandmother,
Pauline
Smith
McCurdy,
who
recently
passed
last
fall.
G
G
Because
I
remember
many
moons
ago,
when
I
was
about
eight
years
old.
She,
it
was
the
one
time
she
took
me
to
her
home
in
McDonough.
Georgia
and
I
was
with
some
cousins
who
faces
I,
don't
even
remember,
but
they
was
jerks
and
they
had
me
throwing
pebbles
in
the
street
and
this
pickup
truck
rolled
by
and
hit
the
back
of
the
man's
cabin
and.
G
Cussing
screaming
I,
don't
even
know
what
he
said,
but
the
first
thing
he
said
is
I'm
gonna
arrest
this
little
black
and
put
him
where
he
needs
to
be,
and
my
grandmother
walked
up
to
this
man
and
said:
I'ma.
Try
it
and
see
how
fast
I
cut
you,
and
when
that
man
got
in
his
truck
and
left
my
grandmother
grabbed
me.
G
So
what
are
you
gonna
do
to
blaze,
a
trail
for
those
who
are
coming
after
you,
and
so
this
idea
of
being
a
centering,
Community
being
engaged
and
active
in
community.
That
has
stayed
with
me,
my
entire
career
from
what
I
was
working
in
the
non-profits
to
be
in
an
intermediate
organizations
to
even
now
being
in
the
corporate
space.
H
I
love
that
you
talk
about
your
grandmother
in
that
way,
and
you
know
I,
think
thinking
about
the
question
that
you
asked,
but
also
the
fact
that
we're
talking
about
Juneteenth
Juneteenth
is
not
new.
For
me,
I
was
raised
to
know
what
Juneteenth
was
and
I
remember
as
a
child.
You
know
it's
fun
on
the
fourth
of
July
to
eat
the
barbecue
and
have
the
fireworks
right,
especially
when
you're
a
kid.
It's
fun,
but
I,
remember
early
being
like
this
wasn't
freedom
for
everyone.
So
why
are
we
all
celebrating
this?
H
Wasn't
we
how
many
of
us
were
not
considered
independent
on
Independence,
Day
and
I?
Remember
that
as
a
child
being
so
perplexed
that
everyone
was
so
happy
and
yet
what
we
were
talking
about
was
a
lie,
and
so
I
knew
that,
because
of
my
grandmother
and
my
parents
I
knew
that
because
of
the
people
who
raised
me
so
full
circle,
when
we
talk
about
what
you
can
do
as
one
individual,
you
can
always
teach
the
people
behind
you.
You
can
always
bring
people
along.
You
know
they
say
you
know.
H
H
It
is
talking
to
people
about
the
truth
that
is
talking
about
where
we're
at
it's
not
waiting
for
Juneteenth
to
be
recognized
by
a
city
or
a
state
or
a
country,
it's
knowing
the
history
and
talking
about
it
and
deciding
what
you
will
do
with
it.
So,
when
I
think
about
those
who
influence
me,
it
really
was
the
people
closest
to
me.
It
was
my
grandmother
not
being
afraid
to
speak
up
both
of
my
grandmothers.
H
It
was
my
mom
knowing
the
spirit
that
was
inside
of
me
and
not
breaking
that
letting
that
be
letting
that
flourish
and
when
I
think
about
you
know,
I've
been
fortunate
to
work
with
young
people
working
in
education
for
so
many
years.
You
know
people
say
all
these
students
they're
making
trouble
I'm
like.
D
H
Well
answer
the
question:
was
the
question
valid?
It's
absolute
answer,
the
question:
can
you
not
answer
the
question?
That's
on
you
not
on
the
students
right
so
as
we
think
about
like
the
example
that
we
show
young
people
not
just
that
we
have
the
day
off
now,
I
mean
we
were
in
Disneyland
for
Juneteenth,
but
nonetheless,
I
was
like
yeah
just
so
you
know
why
we're
not
in
school
today.
This
is
why
we're
gonna
talk
about
that
on
the
way
to
the
park.
E
E
And,
and-
and
just
can't
just
can't
say
enough
about
how
much
that
that
plays
into
our
development
as
a
community
and
as
a
people,
so
this
one's
for
you
Sade
how?
How
can
given
all
of
what's
happening
in
terms
of
curriculums
across
the
country?
E
J
So
normally
I
don't
like
using
microphones,
because
I
talk
a
lot
louder
than
this,
but
when
I,
when
I
got
this
question
and
I
seen,
this
question
come
through
the
first
thing
that
I
thought
about
was:
oh,
this
sounds
like
that's
my
phone
going
off.
It
should
be
on
silent.
Hey
work,
never
stops
right
even
through
this
week,
but
just
I
like
data
I
work
at
Amazon
right,
so
I
am
a
mother.
J
I
have
a
13
year
old
daughter
who
is
completing
stuff
in
the
create
tomorrow
and
is
going
into
eighth
grade
and
just
out
of
a
show
of
hands
right.
We
have
a
lot
of
parents
in
here,
but
how
many
of
you
are
active
in
your
child's
everyday
activities
in
school?
You
show
up
to
school.
You
talk
to
the
principal
you
talk
to
the
teachers.
J
You
talk
to
the
staff,
okay,
a
few
of
you
that
is
me
I
wish
I
could
put
both
hands
up
right
I
amongst
all
the
many
hats
that
I
wear
at
such
a
young
age.
I
will
not
say
that
over
the
mic,
but
I
am
my
daughter's
school
PTA
president-
and
this
is
my
second
year
I'll-
be
going
into
my
third
year
as
in
PTA,
and
it's
in
truly
sorry.
J
Okay,
okay,
I
just
feel
like
I'm,
echoing
right,
so
I'll
keep
this
a
little
bit
back
here,
but
I
show
up
all
the
time
to
my
daughter's
school
and
you
know
I'm
finding
ways
to
engage
and
create
relationships
with
her
with
her
teachers.
J
Academically
I,
walk
the
hallways
I
have
annual
meetings
with
the
principal
I
meet
with
the
school
psychologists,
I
meet
with
the
school
counselors
I
meet
with
the
vice
principal
I,
even
coach,
at
the
school
right
and
then
throughout
you
know
my
many
jobs
I
find
time
as
a
parent
to
be
engaged
and
to
be
active,
and
if
you
are
a
parent
or
a
godparent
or
a
aunt
or
a
grandparent
or
whatever
title
you
may
have,
even
if
you
have
a
school,
that's
close
to
your
home
just
find
a
way
to
be
involved.
J
I
can't
tell
you
all
how
many
times
I've
showed
up.
You
know
I
want
to
know.
What's
going
on,
I
want,
you
know
the
kids
to
see
me
I
covet,
didn't
do
much
of
our
kids
any
justice
right.
My
daughter.
She
is
a
social
butterfly
at
school,
but
she's
very
quiet
at
home,
but
she
didn't
really
know
what
Juneteenth
was.
She
didn't
really
know
what
MLK
was
and
I
didn't
grow
up
like
many
of
our
panelists
here.
J
Having
that
information
matter
of
fact,
to
be
very
honest
with
you,
I
didn't
have
that
knowledge
until
about
five
years
ago
so
and
then
just
going
back
and
reviewing
like
you
know
my
own
Heritage
and
where
I
come
from,
that's
what
I've
been
spending
a
lot
of
my
time
doing
over
the
last
couple
years
and
I
want
to
thank
Amazon
Shameless
plug
for
giving
me
an
account
to
ancestry
where
I
was
able
to
go
in.
J
We
have
an
account
a
customer
with
ancestry,
and
they
gave
me
a
premier
account
for
free,
which
I
was
able
to
go
in
and
figure
out
exactly.
Where
does
Sade
come
from
my
own
Heritage?
But
as
we
talk
about
education
as
we
talk
about,
what
can
the
schools
do
right?
It
starts
with
the
parents
right
making
sure
that
you're
you're
active
you're
showing
up
the
community.
If
you
have
schools
near
you,
show
up
be
engaged,
be
involved.
We
all
don't
have
time
right,
but
making
time
is
so
important
you
hear
about.
J
You
know
what's
happening
in
Florida
it
just
there's
so
much
out
there
and
again
as
a
young
parent
as
a
as
a
student
myself
I'll
be
finished
with
my
doctorate's
degree
in
winter,
so
yes,
full-time,
student,
full-time,
employee,
full-time
Community,
member
full-time
parent,
I,
I'm
doing
it
all
and
I'm
striving
to
be
there
every
day,
not
only
to
show
up
for
my
daughter
but
to
show
up
for
those
kids
who
don't
have
parents
who
are
actively
involved
in
their
education
and
what
they're
doing
academically
I'll
just
stop
there,
because
I
know
that
some
of
our
other
panelists
may
want
to
speak
to
this.
J
The
Doctor
Who
is,
you
know,
been
in
education
for
so
many
years.
I
would
love
to
hear
her
thoughts
on
this
as
well,
but
just
again
as
being
a
young
adult,
a
young
professional.
You
know
it's.
It's
really
important
for
me
to
still
get
rooted
and
and
and
embrace
in
what
I'm
hearing
today,
just
to
hear
again
and
I
want
to
give
our
panelists
a
shout
out,
because
this
is
my
first
time
meeting,
all
four
of
them
and
I'm
just
listening
and
I'm
soaking
it
in
so
just
that
educational
Factor.
J
Just
me
being
a
young
Community
member,
a
young,
a
young
leader
like
this,
is
extremely
rewarding
and
important.
And
for
you,
parents
here
you
know,
or
just
those
of
you
that
are
professionals
or
in
the
community.
I
really
hope
that
you
take
this
information
you're
able
to
bring
it
back
home
and
you're
able
to
bring
it
back
to
your
children
and
really
have
those
meaningful
conversations
around
history
around
Juneteenth
and
around
MLK
day
and
around
so
many
other
amazing
observance
days
that
we
don't
necessarily
move
forward.
J
Then
right
I
was
just
having
a
conversation
about
Veterans
Day
aside
from
Juneteenth
right
how
it's
a
Federal
holiday,
but
necessarily
a
lot
of
companies
aren't
giving
their
employees
that
day
off
right.
I
know,
there's
probably
a
lot
of
active
military
in
here
or
our
veterans.
But
it's
the
same
with
Juneteenth
I
spent
my
Juneteenth
yesterday
in
the
community
right.
How
can
I
serve?
How
can
I
educate?
How
can
I
teach?
How
can
I
be
a
servant?
J
So
again,
that
aspect
is
extremely
important
to
me.
If
I
didn't
say
anything
again,
get
involved
in
the
schools
get
involved
in
what's
happening
with
our
youth,
be
just
be
BB
right,
be
you
be
be
be
transparent,
again,
I'm.
Just
listening
and
I
heard
everybody
say
something
today
on
the
panel
and
like
I,
said
a
lot
of
this
information.
I
didn't
have
no
knowledge
about,
and
so
you
all
spoke
so
I.
J
Thank
you
for
just
giving
me
a
little
bit
of
history
today
as
a
young
leader
as
a
young
mother
as
a
young
professional,
because
it's
just
extremely
rewarding
and
I
don't
want
to
tear
up
right,
but
I
love
being
around
black
people
who
are
able
to
set
that
stage
for
me
and
to
hand
off
that
mantle.
It
means
so
much
means
so
much.
H
H
H
Because
you
know
we,
educators
are
amazing.
First
off
I
mean
they
do
they
do
a
thankless
job
that
many
of
us
could
not
do.
It
takes
amazing
patience
and
skill
to
just
manage
a
classroom,
let
alone
get
any
education
in
there,
so
it
requires
support
and
patience
and
I.
Think
if
you're,
if
you're
a
parent
you
do
have
to
show
up-
and
you
got
to
talk
to
your
kids,
ask
them.
What
did
you
learn
today
and
you're?
Probably
gonna
get
them
nothing.
H
H
I
look
at
my
son's
grades
every
single
day
we
talking
about
okay,
so
you
got
a
D
on
the.
What
happened?
Did
you
not
understand
the
assignment?
Was
it
too
difficult?
Did
you
not
follow
the
instructions?
What
was
it
right
and
it's
to
understand
it's
not
about
what
it's
not
about
the
one
grade?
It's,
whether
or
not
you
understood,
and
then
it's
also
about
well,
what's
happening
in
this
class,
because
you're
not
doing
well
in
this
one
class
and
understanding.
Is
there
an
interaction
with
another
kid?
Is
it
the
teacher?
H
Is
it
the
material
right
it's
getting
beyond
the
surface,
but
that's
with
anything,
that's
with
sitting
down
and
talking
to
somebody
and
being
able
to
share
stories
and
information
and
if
you're
not
connected
to
a
young
person,
or
you
no
longer
have
kids
in
school
vote
right.
We
can
all
do
that.
We
can
all
support
our
schools
and
our
teachers
better.
H
H
H
That
is
the
reason
why
it
looks
the
way
it
looks
and
when
you're
not
investing
in
schools,
you're
not
investing
in
communities,
because
that's
a
common
place
that
everybody
has
to
go.
We
have
to
pay
attention
to
these
things.
The
other
thing
that
I
would
say
is
read
and
pay
attention
to
what
else
is
happening
in
the
country?
Don't
think
that
what
just
happened
in
Texas
and
just
happened
in
Florida
cannot
happen
here.
H
H
D
E
E
Rotate
four,
four,
four
four
for
taking
the
time
you
know,
there's
a
concept
of
diversity,
tax,
right
and
and
the
amount
of
time
and
effort
that
we
put
in
as
black
people
as
bipoc
folks
into
this
work
and
educating
our
communities
and
I
just
want
to
encourage
everyone
here
to
move
Beyond,
just
listening
and
consuming
what
you've
heard
today.
But
thinking
about
not
just
the
individual
change
but,
more
importantly,
I
think
the
systemic
and
policy
changes
and
living
and
looking
at
the
outcomes
as
opposed
to
just
actions.