- November 18, 2024
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Donald Bryant stood in the front of the assembly Saturday, June 14, at the African American Cultural Society, pouring small amounts of water out of a pitcher as he called on the ancestors to join the assembly.
The annual Juneteenth celebration commemorated the ending of slavery in the United States and marked 151 years of freedom. But AACS President Stephanie Ecklin said that during the celebration, it is also important to remember those who are not free, speaking of the 300 girls who were kidnapped by Islamist militant group Boko Haram April 15, from their school in Chibok, Nigeria.
“We are united as one people hoping to merge our voices and become a voice for those Nigerian girls,” Ecklin said. “It is so important that we as a community start to open our mouths about that.”
Ecklin said that it is easy sometimes for people to look at international news such as this kidnapping and say ‘that’s not here.’
“But it is also happening in our own back yard and is something we all need to be aware of,” she said. “Florida is one of the number one states for sex slaves, abducted little girls and boys, women — so often we turn on the news and we see these women and children missing and we take for granted that they’re our families, but today we are hoping to unite as one voice and say ‘bring back our girls.’”
