Free your mind and the rest will follow
- Christine Vrem-Ydstie
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
The federal holiday Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of freedom to the last enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy.
Today, communities celebrate with festivals, traditional foods, and support for Black-owned businesses. They also reflect on a broader truth: throughout American history, control over who can read, learn, and tell their story is often reflected in who holds power.
Among Momentum Summit 2026's featured presenters is Dr. Duchess Harris. As an author and scholar, she is deeply familiar with the ongoing debate over who gets to shape public understanding of history.
Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 school book bans nationwide. Harris, the DeWitt Wallace Professor of American Studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, has seen multiple books she’s written challenged or restricted.
Four of her titles appeared on a list of 850 books compiled by Texas State Representative Matt Krause for review by school districts, while other works—including Male Privilege and Growing Up LGBTQ—have been documented by PEN America as subject to school library bans or restrictions.
The connection to Juneteenth is hard to miss. For generations, Black Americans fought not only for freedom under the law, but for the right to read, learn, and preserve our historical truths.
Harris is not surprised by the controversy. “We're still fighting for our democracy,” she says. Or, as the song goes: Free your mind, and the rest will follow.
Client Wins
GreenLight Fund Twin Cities’ Executive Director (and LW client) Simone Hardeman-Jones was interviewed on the Butternomics podcast this month and the episode just dropped. Title of the episode: How To Raise $30 Million For Communities Everyone Else Ignores. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Congrats, Simone!
Simone also wrote a powerful and ultimately uplifting newsletter reflecting on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder through the lens of ICE’s occupation of the Twin Cities early this year. We encourage you to read and share it.
Our clients at the McKnight Foundation recently unveiled and celebrated Belonging to the Entire Universe, an original mural their commissioned for their new headquarters. It was created by artist and two-time McKnight Visual Artist Fellow Leslie Barlow. Cheers to public art!
Leverette Weekes News
LW contractor Danielle Butler had her written celebration of Juneteenth published in Our Daily Bread Ministries. Her question to the reader: How can you celebrate Juneteenth as resistance or remembrance? Congrats, Danielle!
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