Journeying through his/her/ourstory: From Florida to Kansas City October 2, 2021

Does knowing history change history? In the form of an illustrated letter to family and friends, I take the reader on a journey through time. Determined curiosity leads me to encounters that reveal what I was not taught at school. I believe we become more humxn when we connect: with those who came before, with those around us, and with the spaces and places we all share, public as well as private.

In St. Augustine, Florida we meet women who made a difference during the Civil Rights Movement and Mrs. B. who continues to make a difference today – by sharing that history with small groups of people from around the world during walking tours from Lincolnville, also known as Little Africa, to the city Plaza.

In Liberty, Missouri, we meet Cecelia Robinson and Theresa Byrd and others who are making history come alive. They are researching the lives of Black people buried in Fairview and New Hope segregated cemeteries, building a monument to honor these people, some buried in unmarked graves, and raising questions about why the statue of a Confederate soldier, looking straight toward the Black part of the public cemetery, needs to come down.

Making Black Lives Matter and promoting healthy communities and an informed nation requires unspinning and reckoning with his/her/ourstory. We each have our part to play.

Click to read the letter, in PDF form. Buckle up and enjoy the trip.

11 Comments
Dramane October 2nd, 2021

Thanks for sharing an account of your travels. Reading through the letter gave me the feeling that I was part of this trip. Also, I learned a lot about what the African American community went through in the US and their fight for civil rights.

Michèle October 2nd, 2021

Kathryn, The letter not only provides an account of your travels, it contextualizes your travels in the geographical and historical contexts.

Theresa October 2nd, 2021

Wonderful to hear from you and thank you for sharing the sights, sounds and experiences from your travel. I am reading through the letter a second time, slowly.

Dale October 2nd, 2021

So informative! Thanks so much for sharing, Kathryn. I appreciated hearing about community-building in Liberty where I lived for 16 years and learning more about what nobody was teaching when I was in public schools in New Jersey.

Brenda October 2nd, 2021

Thank you so much for sharing your travel journal. What a great way to document such magnificent sites and stories. It has me itching to get on the road and reminds me of how much there is to learn.

Larry October 2nd, 2021

You covered a lot of territory. Your letter is a reminder for me to read “They Call Me George” – my uncle was a Pullman porter. Thanks for sharing this incredible journey of racial introspection.

Lissi October 2nd, 2021

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Without you, I would be more ignorant and uninformed! I too am in awe of his/her/ourstory that we were taught growing up and how far it is from reality.

Michel October 2nd, 2021

Merci Kathryn pour ce texte fort intéressant, documenté et illustré habilement.

Anonymous October 2nd, 2021

What a trip, and a historical lesson. Enjoyed reading your account of your travels and learning along with you.

Anne October 2nd, 2021

Just read your letter. You truly are a motivated researcher. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Carol October 7th, 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your letter. You take the reader on your journey and they ultimately walk beside you as you share sights, sounds, and meanings of the worlds/cultures you visit. You go beyond a tourist mentality and put heart and feeling into the places and people you describe, providing insights into how to really “see” into worlds all too often viewed only at a superficial level.

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