Today I celebrated Juneteenth by hosting an online writing retreat with a group of brilliant thinkers and activists. I am in awe anytime I am in the presence of a collective that places the well-being of community at the center of their work. How lucky I am to sit with, and be inspired by, so many kind and fierce academic activists.
It has been a good day, all day, right from the beginning. I started the day off by reaching out to Dr. Jennifer M. Gómez, Black feminist trauma psychologist, about her recent quotes in Newsweek. I asked if I could please share her inspiring words with my writing retreat friends. Dr. Gómez generously agreed. I’ll paste below the quote I shared. The spirit of Dr. Gómez’s words reminds us of the intertwining anger, and hope, that often fuels, and sustains, the work that activists and our beloved protectors do. All around us, we can see people speaking out, challenging systems and monuments that represent a hateful past, and providing us with a beautiful vision of the future.
Happy Juneteenth, all.
Michelle M. Jacob 