Honoring The Legacy
Practice
Reflect on stories. Who were the pioneers, the visionaries, the unsung heroes who left their mark on the landscape of your neighborhood?
Preserve the past. Foster a sense of belonging and shared identity by affiliating with, celebrating, and preserving local history.
Pay homage to the past. Visit historical landmarks, monuments, or gravesites. Be an ambassador of retelling the stories you discover.
Extend hospitality. In the spirit of honoring the legacy of our ancestors, extend hospitality and care to our neighbors, recognizing each person carries within them a unique story and connection to the place we call home.
“Every place is a story, and every story whispers into the wind the secrets of those who came before”
Have you ever stopped to listen to the whispers of your neighborhood? What stories rustle through the trees in your neighbors' yards? Who walked the paths and gathered in the spaces before you in your community? Every street corner, park bench, and towering tree carries the echoes of generations past; their lives and legacies shaped the communities we now steward. Embracing this awareness has the power to revolutionize our interactions with our neighbors and neighborhoods, sparking curiosity and nurturing a deeper sense of connection, compassion, and responsibility.
Reflecting on our history and the legacies carried in the whispers of the wind, we are encouraged to nurture the practice of honoring those who preceded us in leadership and life. Consider offering moments of quiet reflection or gratitude for the contributions of those who came before us and acknowledge their enduring impact on the present. Imagine integrating this mindset into our daily living. How might our commitment to the practice of honoring the legacy shape us?
As we make this ritual a common practice, we not only enhance our reverence for the sanctity of place but also accept our spiritual and social responsibility to uphold the communities we call home. By walking hand in hand with the past, may we all journey forward together, writing new chapters into the richness of our shared history.
MiDian Holmes is the founder and Executive Director of The Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership. She serves and leads as the co-director of Histories of Christianity in Our City.
