At a community garden in east Charlotte, Juneteenth was marked through a return to something deeply rooted in Black history: the land itself.
The Grier Heights Park community has spent years digging their hands into the soil. Resident Taylor Crawford-Williams explained why staying connected to such soil remains potent.
“Just start. It doesn’t have to be big. If you’re in an apartment, you can grow in a bucket from Home Depot,” Crawford-Williams said. “If you just start, you’d be amazed at what you can get.”
The tribute also included a prayer as community members reflected on the history held in the land.
Organizer Dr. Stacey Brown said the celebration honored generations of Black Americans whose connection to the land continued long after emancipation.
“Those individuals who were enslaved and didn’t find out that they were free until two years later, they were continuing to cultivate the land and harvest and make sure that not only their families but America could eat,” Brown said.