In June, I had the honor of joining the Race Coalition of Fredericksburg at a beautiful commemoration of Juneteenth – a day of liberation. I reflect on how this day came in a week marked by a horrific event in Charleston – the ruthless murder of nine innocent people by a racist young man filled with hate and armed with a gun.
I search for words to try to stay uplifted and strong, so I can be an effective witness and an instrument for peace. I struggle with being so angry at this mayhem and the racism that caused it. Every time I have to drive by that racist flag on I-95, evidence that the evil of racism resides here in our community, I feel this anger. It would be easy to give into it, but Dr. King told us, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Justice will be served. But to drive out the hate that brought this tragedy, we must love one another. I am reminded to keep building the Beloved Community that Dr. King wanted for us all. “The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends … It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.”
And so, Juneteenth. A day born of celebration for the righting of a wrong. A day when justice and freedom were finally brought to an enslaved people. A day we can focus on goodwill and understanding, and building our Beloved Community.
I am running for the House of Delegates, and if I am given that honor of representing our community, I will do everything I can to make Juneteenth a state holiday so that our Commonwealth can spend this day working for freedom from fear, and freedom from hate as we build the Beloved Community that we all deserve.
Kandy Hilliard
Candidate for House of Delegates, 28th District
On the web at http://www.kandyhilliard.com/
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