One of the things I enjoy about SAI is their commitment to diversity. So when my daughter Elizabeth suggested that we patronize local black-owned businesses in celebration & observance of Juneteenth, the date that marks the end of slavery in the United States, I enlisted my coworker, Amanda Titus, (SAI’s graphic artist) to commemorate the moment.
We took a ride to Happy Day Dessert Factory on the North Side for some of their delicious ice cream and had the pleasure of meeting the store’s owner, 20 year old Galen Moore, Jr. Galen opened the store during the pandemic. His savviness, grit, and determination are inspirational and impressive (and not to mention the birthday cake ice cream is outstanding!).
A holiday in Pennsylvania since 2019, we, too, wanted to mark the date. This was our quiet way of celebrating, and as we enjoyed our dessert, we thought about the folks in Galveston that June day in 1865 who were jubilant when General Granger arrived and announced the end of slavery. We imagined the day must have been joyful and poignant all at once Juneteenth reminds us that in order to get to where we want to go, we must pause to remember where we’ve been. Written by: Laurie Kolich