On this Juneteenth 2020
It’s Juneteenth! June 19th, 1865 is the day when enslaved people in the farthest US territory of Texas learned that they were free, nearly 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863.
We in the African American community have celebrated Juneteenth for 155 years. Traditionally we read the Emancipation Proclamation; prayed; reflected on progress made against broken promises of freedom and citizenship. We reserved a special place to hear elders’ stories, reminders of the struggle from those still closest to slavery. We had picnics with barbecue, watermelon and red drink — soda or punch the color of blood and struggle. Somehow, generation after generation, African Americans understand that the US is not a democracy yet. It may not be for quite some time. But we must put the country on our backs and push it to fulfill its founding promise. For us, an unrequited sense of duty and source of pride.
This Juneteenth does seem different: people in the streets, statues tumbling (even Robert E. Lee in Richmond, once-capital of the Confederacy), and majorities of Americans, even those who perceive them as violent, supporting the protests. These are signals that we are in a “flow period,” a truly disruptive moment when intense contradictions upend the status quo and much of what was once normalized suddenly seems unreasonable.
But, flow periods can end well or they can end badly. The country has been teetering on the verge of authoritarianism for four years; white supremacist backlash could still carry us over the edge. Juneteenth reminds us, even as we celebrate, that there is still much work to be done.
Exciting News about CoLab Radio
We are proud to announce the re-launch of CoLab Radio, a student-led publication that has operated in waves since 2009. From its start until today, the initiative has aimed to be a platform showcasing stories, projects, and ideas centered around community improvement and action from the ground-up.
From the CoLab Radio team, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to all the interviewees, community members, student researchers, and supporters who have gifted us their time, insight and financial support to made this platform possible. We believe democratic participation is key to building great societies and through CoLab Radio, we hope to celebrate and engage with diverse voices.
CoLab Radio Featured Content
Reclaimed Land: Growing Peace and Justice in Nashville
In this 2-part interview, Sizwe Herring of New Earth Matters Tennessee discusses his philosophy on earth, art, and building “communities of seen”.
Rap Advocacy: Counterculture and Political Change in Kenya
Kenyan-born rap artist, political scientist, and academic activist Monaja shares what drives his motivation to infuse his artwork with socio-political commentary, and why the current trajectory of our unequal societies is unsustainable.
When I Glimpsed The World Through Their Eyes
"What those of us who take liberty for granted can do is open ourselves to narratives from our brothers and sisters in whose minds foreboding always flutters." -Peter Rajchert
More CoLab Radio Recent Content
Decolonizing Science: Episode 1
In the first episode of the “Decolonizing Science” podcast series, MIT researchers Priyanka deSouza and Jia-Hui Lee discuss the history and impact of movements working to decolonize scientific practice.
Growing Together: Regenerating Community in Nashville, TN
Lauren Bailey of the Nashville Food Project talks about the power of gardens to cultivating community, dignity, and purpose for newcomers to Nashville.
Another Kind of Applied Research? Interventions across the academic hierarchy
Kevin Lee argues for the importance of increased attentiveness to provincial modes of intellectual production in planning scholarship, to better understand the political dimensions of planning practice in different geographical contexts.
Music City's Changing Tune Displaces Long-time Residents
Middle school students in Nashville use an urban design lens to describe the changes in their city, and envision a more equitable future.
Voices from the Field: What We’re Reading
Mapping the Black Lives Matter Movement
Frank Romo, Malcolm MacLachlan and the RomoGIS team are mapping the hundreds of BLM protests occurring across the U.S., showing visually a nationwide demand for change.
Our Country, ‘Tis A Thief
Former CoLab intern Alula Hunsen authors a piece in Noema Magazine about the long history of legal and extralegal systems of looting from black citizens in the U.S.