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Juneteenth Reflections

In honor of Juneteenth, the Brooks asked several black creatives based here in Memphis to share what the holiday means to them, and more broadly, their views on the role of art and cultural institutions at this time. The selected individuals -- categorized as “the collector,” “the arts advocate,” “the artist,” “the curator” and “the leader” -- differ in their perspectives and approaches, but are all united in their belief in the power of art. 

The Collector: Elliot Perry

Community Advisor for the Poplar Foundation and friend of the Brooks

What does Juneteenth mean to you?

The complete freedom of our people from slavery, although the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them two and a half years earlier. It is a celebration that allows us not only to honor our ancestors, but celebrate how resilient they were and to pass this tradition on to present generations that they too must carry on that resilience in our communities.

What role do art museums and cultural institutions have at this moment?

To support and advance the Black Lives Matter message. Museums also have the responsibility to adhere to those messages by working to diversify their staff. This is critically important as we certainly need more black and brown people working in museum settings, lending their voice to increase the ideas that help reach a broader audience, help inform the direction of the museum through their community engagement, as well as; making sure they are being proactive by diversifying their collecting practices. That means adding black and brown artworks to their permanent collection.

How does art bring you joy?

The art we collect brings us joy because it highlights and document current issues. It is not only aesthetically beautiful, but socially conscious and brings to light the incredible talents of black artists. It also allows us to support their voice through their work.

The Arts Advocate: Rachel Knox 

Thriving Arts and Culture Program Officer for the Hyde Family Foundation, lifelong patron of the Brooks, and current grantmaker to the museum

 

What does Juneteenth mean to you?

Juneteenth is incredibly special to me. My mother taught me about Juneteenth when I was about six years old and wanted a strawberry soda. She told me about the holiday and how enslaved Black people in Texas finally learned that they had been set free two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Learning about the holiday set me on a course to understand the effects of white supremacy and how it continues to shape policy in this country. Juneteenth symbolizes hope but it also symbolizes the fundamental need for continued pressure to support human and civil rights.

What role do art museums and cultural institutions have at this moment?

Culture brings us together whether it’s a meal or sharing space to hear stories about our humanity or view art. Cultural institutions and art museums have a moral imperative to not only reflect every aspect of our communities but also to serve as centers of civic conversations. Artists bear witness and interpret the world around us and museums are uniquely positioned to help tell the stories of all of us. 

How does art bring you joy?

Art brings me joy because it can manifest in so many ways. Art gives me beauty when the world feels indifferent and downright cruel. Art puts into words the righteous indignation I feel nowadays. Art brings me joy because it is constant and always relevant.

The Artist:  Kenneth W. Alexander II  

Artist and curator, whose work was exhibited at the Brooks in 2015’s “Surreal Kingdoms” and who surrently serves on the museum’s Interpretive Planning Committee

 

What does Juneteenth mean to you?

This marks the day that my ancestors fought and died for the rights I am blessed to live with today. We couldn’t even get common decency to have an exact date for Juneteenth. This day should be recognized as a national holiday, in appreciation of those sacrifices made from my forefathers and foremothers. America was built by black people, but we aren’t respected still by America. We couldn’t even get common decency to have an exact date for Juneteenth. September 22nd 1862, Lincoln signed the proclamation and was effective January 1st 1863. My ancestors didn’t know until June 1865. So yes, I feel that this should be a widely accepted and celebrated holiday. 

 

What role do art museums and cultural institutions have at this moment?

More black creative involvement. Involvement of artists that have a story to tell about their pain and the black artists who wants to show what black emotions could look like past the pain. Afro-futurism. Artistic institutions needs to pull back from “what they think they know” and listen to voices of the future. Everything is about to change and the institution should keep a healthy record of it. 

 

How does art bring you joy?

Art gives me inner peace. This world is hard enough, and facing the injustices I do everyday as black man is tiring. I must keep my mental , physical and emotional strength up as much as possible. Art helps me see my strength and able to train it to higher levels. I see parts of this universe I can only fathom, and translate it to my work. Is my meditation, job, training regimen and my door to enlightenment. 

 

The Curator: Heather Nickels

Joyce Blackmon Curatorial Fellow in African American Art and Art of the African Diaspora at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from Washington, DC

What does Juneteenth mean to you?

"What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? The answer: a day that reveals to him, more than any other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is a constant victim." Ever since finding this excerpt from Frederick Douglass' 1852 speech, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" several years ago (already out of school and in my mid-20s), I have found traditional Fourth fo July celebrations at best hypocritical and at worst a personal affront. While I have not celebrated Juneteenth with any formality or intention in the past, this year will be different for me. Not only will it be for me a day of self-reflection, self-education, and self-care, but one that I plan to celebrate among supportive friends, acquaintances, allies and strangers. I hope that with increased awareness, June 19, will soon become a national holiday that is written about in history books and taught in every school, so that future generations will not be learning about this monumental occasion as I did, through their own research or once they are an adult.  

What role do art museums and cultural institutions have at this moment?

For a long time, museums have resisted taking a close look at the foundations on which they are built (empire, colonialism, capitalism, nepotism, elitism), all of which are reflected in the narrative told by their collections, the individuals that make up the most and least powerful positions among their staff, and the cost of admission, to name a few. While calls have been made in the past to "decolonize" museum spaces, recent ones feel more urgent, or at least have more support from the field and the general public than ever before. Until museums recognize that the problem lies at their very core and origin, and are willing to make extremely difficult decisions and invest time and money into implementing these changes from top to bottom, the calls for change will only get louder. Museums, like other powerful institutions, are slow to change, but a few have taken crucial steps in recent days. Museums and cultural institutions have always had an obligation to support their community. Their connection to the larger community is both their biggest strength and often where they fall short. Museums are not solely repositories of objects of the past, devoid of meaning and relevance in our current world; they reflect and uphold supremacy in all its forms but simultaneously have the ability (responsibility) to do something about it. 

How does art bring you joy?​

Art constantly reminds me that the world is made up of millions and millions of people who often have perspectives that differ from my own. This may not seem like a "joyful" realization, but for me, I find peace knowing that each of our life experiences (those which are unique to each of us) influence how we see the world, and that my view of the world is no more "valid" or "correct" than anyone else's. It reminds me to be accepting and open to possibilities that may not have occurred to me and while this realization can be daunting, it is also reassuring; it means that we're all capable of growth and learning from and sharing with one another. 

The Leader: Carl J. Person

Owner of Customized Solutions Company, Aperson2person consulting firm and Vice-Chair of the Brooks Board of Trustees, and a native of Somerville, TN

What does Juneteenth mean to you?

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  It is often called by many African Americans "the second Independence Day."  Growing up in the South during the 1960s, I loved hearing stories from my grandparents and others of what Juneteenth and the poetic justice of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery meant to them.  So, I will reflect the meaning of this special holiday into what they instilled in me as a child and throughout my adulthood.   Though multiple laws of independence have been on the books for centuries now, true independence and freedom lies within our faith, our thoughts and most importantly our actions as a people.  Our deeds and commitments to succeed afford us the opportunity to become mere versions of a George Washington Carver, Madam C.J. Walker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. President Barack Obama or Memphis' own example of Vasco and Maxine Smith. 

Unfortunately, history has proven that today’s climate of unrest may soon perish into darkness once again, but rest assured that the stem of injustice will ignite again if we don’t stump it out to its core.  Racism is a systematic learned cancerous mental disease that can only be defeated and cured by one race of people: the human race.  

Juneteenth is a day to reflect on the importance of being free and being truly united and equal as people in one nation called America.   

What role do art museums and cultural institutions have at this moment?

What a perfect place to breathe.  Art museums and cultural institutions are outlets for individuals, families, and communities to come together in spite of our diverse differences and backgrounds to relax and appreciate the serenity of 20th century American Art, varied exhibitions, or a Carroll Cloar masterpiece.  People in general are seeking refuge to be inspired, to be enlightened and to be educated in this season.  What better places to visit?   

How does art bring you joy?​

Art allows me the opportunity to dream.  It allows me the opportunity to view a stationary piece of fine work without touching and conclude creative mental interpretations that changes over time as I imagine it speaking to me personally.  Art is a language of its own without boundaries. The $120,000.00 banana duct-taped to the wall at Art Basel is a perfect example of joy through art or watching a Shelby County School 4th Grader eyes light up upon entering the museum is joy to me.