While there are some points of division in our country about race, there are also points of commonality and intersectionality. There are experiences that unite Americans, that galvanize us and bring us hope. They are something we can all celebrate.
Read more Latter-day Saint leaders dedicate church’s 225th, 226th temples in Idaho, Nicaragua
One such experience is the significant donation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the National Juneteenth Museum. The church recently donated $3 million to support the construction of the museum on the south side of Fort Worth, Texas. The previous facility underwent demolition this month.
Some might ask why this is so significant. It is significant not only because of the size of the gift, but because African American museums and many historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have lost funding in recent years as diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been cut.
It is significant because we have seen Lonnie G. Bunch III, a renowned African American museum curator and the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, step down.
It is significant because we have seen our books removed, our stories revised, and our history redacted. It is significant because in the midst of our journey being rewritten and dismantled, someone cared enough to make an investment not just in African American history, but American history.
It is also significant because when many of us cannot track our heritage, the museum will include a genealogy center in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ. This will allow us to discover and preserve family history and origin. The new museum will serve as another beacon of hope, not just in Texas, but around the world.
The donation to the National Juneteenth Museum conveys that history matters. It demonstrates that the many years of advocacy, setbacks and sacrifices of Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” were not in vain. It also ensures that the work of the Juneteenth Museum will continue, and that millions of people will visit and experience history through a different lens.
Read more Sen. Curtis says all ideas are on the table to save the Great Salt Lake — including Trump’s budget
Like any individual or community that experiences dark or challenging times, we remember who was there for us. We remember who saw us, heard us, lifted us and walked alongside us. We remember who shouldered the burdens with us and made them a little lighter. We remember who was curious about our struggle and worked behind the scenes to offer support, friendship and relief. We remember who gave and expected nothing in return.
The museum’s CEO, Jarred Howard, expressed the profoundness of this gift.
“The synergies between the National Juneteenth Museum and the church were evident from the onset of our engagement. We’re thrilled about the partnership, excited about the resource being made available for our guests, and ecstatic about the impact the center will have on the lives of the people that use it,” Howard said. ”It’s been a blessing to get to know the church and to experience the way its members embody the charge of the Great Commission.”
The gift will make an immediate impact in that it will bolster the museum’s capacity to curate more artifacts, capture stories, purchase land, expand exhibits and portray a journey that could have otherwise been forgotten. It is a strategic and sustainable donation that will ensure the museum’s growth and viability. It is also an inspirational investment. Let’s hope that other churches, institutions and organizations will follow suit and not only donate to the Juneteenth Museum but to other museums around the country.
This is more than a donation to the museum. It is a gift of benevolence that honors Lee, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. The church gave Lee her flowers while she can see and smell them. (“I’m so happy I could do a holy dance, and these old legs won’t respond, but let me tell you how thankful I am and that this deed won’t go unnoticed,” Lee said earlier this month at the groundbreaking.)
The gift also signals a continued commitment to the African American community.
In addition, the church donated 38,000 pounds of food to the community and collaborated with JustServe and America250 as 24 pallets of food were distributed to local food banks.
One of the best ways to describe this generous gesture is love in action. It’s God’s personification of love — unending, indiscriminate and faithful.
Read more Watch how BYU and its fans celebrated a program-defining victory — beating No. 2 Notre Dame