Black Lives Matter Plaza Feels like Pilgrimage for Soul

Washington, DC

Charlotte Jones remembers when the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened on the Mall in Washington, DC. "That day had such an important meaning to my family and me. A museum telling the story of our people," recalls Jones. A Maryland resident says visiting the Black Lives Matter Plaza feels like a sleeping giant, "an awakening to me that yes Black Lives Matter." The retired government worker explains, "I saw what was happening on tv and was drawn to the plaza, a pilgrimage it felt like." What Jones is describing is echoed by many people you speak to on the plaza. A feeling of reckoning with America's ugly past and history.
Calvin Stuart sits with his feelings across from the White House, trying to understand why police officers kill Black people. "So many young Blacks who never got to grow up. I need to reflect here. My soul is calling me." A fence lays before visitors photos of over 30 Black men and women killed by police officers. Leslie Fitzgerald, who is visiting her daughter, Brianna Bradley, from Pennsylvania, remarks how peaceful the street is during her visit and loves the beautiful artwork. Daughter, Brianna, who works in the healthcare industry, talks about racism "it's across our industry and Blacks are a big spending power in America. We must hit them in their pockets." The mother and daughter say, standing together to change a system is the right thing to do now in this current climate. For Jerome Mack, the trek from North Carolina had special meaning, "it's history-making." Jerome timed his trip for Juneteenth, planning to march on the Lincoln Memorial. As Charlotte Jones expresses, "Black and White, people in America are sick and tired of what is happening, and Black Lives Matter Plaza is our new start."