By Autumn Child, Arizona State University, Family and Human Development (M.S.), Parents2Partners intern.
Much of my internship with Parents2Partners founder Leila Kubesch and fellow interns focused on storytelling: exploring our own stories and learning the stories of others. As part of that work, I learned more about the history of Juneteenth.
Stories from our land
I watched a panel called “Stories from Our Land: A Discussion About the Role of the Natural Environment and Landscape in People’s Journeys to Freedom,” with panelists Dr. Matthew Reeves, Michael Carter Jr., and Rebecca Davis. The recording is available on YouTube.
A lesson from a plant
My biggest takeaway came from Michael Carter Jr., owner of Carter Farms and Small Farm Resource Center Coordinator at Virginia State University. He spoke about horse nettle, a spiky, poisonous weed common in U.S. fields, and its close resemblance to gboma, an edible, welcomed plant in Ghana. He compared the two plants to the way African Americans have been unjustly perceived in America, and showed how even the land holds evidence of that history.
What I can do
I will never fully understand every experience, but I can keep learning. I can listen. I can ask how to support my community members, acknowledge what I do not know, and grow. I am grateful to Michael Carter Jr. for sharing his story.