On Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, We Need Diverse Books remembers that no one is free until everyone is free. Today we remember stories too frequently left untold:
Trayvon Martin wanted to be a pilot. Michael Brown loved playing pranks. Tamir Rice filmed silly videos with a friend. Eric Garner tended plants as a horticulturist. Sandra Bland wanted to stop racial injustice in the South. Philando Castile remembered the allergies of all the students in the cafeteria where he worked. Ahmaud Arbery made his mother laugh to get out of trouble. Breonna Taylor planned to start a family. George Floyd grew up making banana mayonnaise sandwiches with his brother. Dominique Fells was quick with a smile. Riah Milton adored her family. Rayshard Brooks wanted to take his daughter skating for her birthday.
Their lives, the lives behind every hashtag, and the lives of those whose names we do not know mattered. Their loved ones and communities matter. The stories of Black people in the United States have always been more than the ways in which they ended. Today we honor all of them.