WCLK's The Local Take along with Dr. Kwesi deGraft Hanson will present The Weeping Time during the Juneteenth Celebration at the Atlanta History Center on June 15th at 1pm. Saturday on the show I talked with Ananda Blalock and Trevion King, members of the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA Teen Leadership Council who joined us on the 160th Commemoration trip in March of this year.
They were the youngest people on our trip but bonded with the other participants who were decades older than themselves.
I ask the young people their thoughts on these stories that are missing from our history. Even Juneteenth was mostly forgotten until recent years. These stories are not taught in schools.
Ananda shares the emotional impact of being on the grounds where The Weeping Time took place. Trevion shares his thoughts on how these stories should be taught. They both mention having more opportunities to actually visit our histories with road trips.
After the Teen Leadership Council members share their thoughts, I speak with their counselor from the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA, Michael Supreme. I share with him the maturity level of the teens and ask how he's able to produce this when others cannot. He speaks to the history of the YMCA and their Christian founding. He talks about teaching the children that they are preparing not only for themselves but for their grandchildren and their grandchildren's, grandchildren.
He talks about the Teen Leadership Summer program around the theme of Lead by Example. He also shares that they are promoting creativity and entreprenuership. Teens can still join the summer program.
For more information on the Juneteenth Program at The Atlanta History Center
For more information on the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA
