JUNETEENTH
I’m writing this on the eve of Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. It’s a recent federal holiday with a story dating back to 1865 when, two years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union Soldiers delivered orders to Galveston, TX to free enslaved people. We are rather distant from 1865, but not that distant from the meaning and movement started in early American history. And especially for RootBound, not that distant from the continued community dialogue of the Unified Civic Monument Project, commemorating MLK Jr. in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, MI.
We wrapped up the Unified Civic Monument Project last fall and had a massive celebration and unveiling on a cool, drizzly day in mid-November. Without a question, we were supporting actors at best. The artist team of David Allen Clark, which produced amazing figures, were all on deck. The committee and community advocates who raised copious funding were there to celebrate. And Dr King’s eldest son himself, was on stage to share his thoughts and appreciation. We had an early meet and greet with Martin Luther King III at the African American History & Literature Gallery that morning in Benton Harbor. This led to a full day of events on both sides of the river with both communities in attendance.
On our side of things, much more behind the scenes, it had been all hands-on-deck for many months leading up to this. We spent some years in bi-weekly meetings with the committee and artists. We had granite on order from overseas, debated materials and layout of signage, engineered substantive footers, and generally fussed over every detail leading up to the start of installation. One night, Foster, our 6’ tall King stand-in, stood outside while we moved the planned lighting that was to be embedded in the concrete a few inches here and there to find the optimal angle and location. Then, with work started and an unveiling date picked (being published all over the US), and almost every detail in place and on a drawing, we began the slog. Months of contractors going above and beyond the call to get pieces in place. Step by meticulous step, first fencing, then pre-grade, footers, granite, concrete – all the way to a final planting, washing, hauling off of trash, setting figures, and turning on the lights.
Let’s not be fooled. RootBound shared some anxiety on final timing, weather, and details. But with all things that bring us that empty gut feeling comes the adrenaline rush of a successful event. After the unveiling, a late lunch with the artists helped to smile away all those worries and start to revel in the actuality of what we all had accomplished. This lasted for many days, months, and now that Juneteenth is on the horizon, a friendly reminder of the fingerprint of good that was put on by the community. I’ve received texts from members of the UCMP committee many times over the last year, with them still in awe of the grassroots effort. For them, it was many years in the making, many hurdles to overcome, but persistence and passion saw them through. And we, and the entire community, get to reap the benefits.
We couldn’t have done it without the artist team (David and MJ Clark and Harold Woodbridge), the community activists, and every single one of the contractors who met our deadlines and lofty expectations. Warm hearts here in the studio as Juneteenth rolls around, and a heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked late, in the rain, on the 8th and 9th day of the week, constructing this civic art monument.