Biblical stories guide us in our walk of faith and are often told through the land— the Isrealites journey through the desert, Moses’ burning bush, gatherings by the shore to hear Jesus preach, and the journey to Emmaus. These stories are not only preserved in our sacred text but Israelites honored some of these stories by erecting stone remembrances on the landscape (Joshua 4:9).
God continues to speak to us through present-day stories – stories that call us to join in God’s work of justice and reconciliation – which are important guides in our faith walk and in need of preservation. These stories can also be told through the land. The recent designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, for instance, shines light on the tragic events in Illinois that laid bare an entire community as a result of racially motivated violence. This public land designation also shows the Black fortitude that helped found a major civil rights organization in the wake of the tragedy. Today, this community is marked by its resilience, perhaps as a result of its ability to face its traumatic past in order to heal and reconcile and its insistence that the land where the story occurred be permanently preserved.
These national monuments also serve as an opportunity to honor our country’s diverse national mosaic
The community of Tulsa, Oklahoma, provides another opportunity to memorialize tragedy, resilience and reconciliation through a national monument designation. Black Wall Street, built in the early 20th century by entrepreneurs and families in the face of systemic racism and oppression, was one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States. In May of 1921, a White mob descended upon the district, burning 35 blocks to the ground and killing hundreds of Black residents. The story of Black Wall Street, however, does not end there; it includes the perseverance and agency of the Black community as they rebuilt the Greenwood District and continue the fight for justice and reconciliation today. A Black Wall Street National Monument would protect the land where the events occurred, honor the legacy of those who were killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and advance our nation’s healing and reconciliation.
National monuments, part of the National Park System, are designated to protect existing federal land so that every American can enjoy these open spaces, and benefit from their protection. But in addition to historic, scientific or ecological purposes, these national monuments also serve as an opportunity to honor our country’s diverse national mosaic by preserving these stories through land conservation. Most importantly, these lands tell our collective stories— Pullman National Monument in Chicago clearly articulates the importance of black unions in building a black middle class. César Chávez National Monument commemorates the Latino leader who formed the first farmworker union. Bears Ears National Monument preserves the stories and precious places of Native American groups. These, and many other public lands and national monuments, tell the stories of us and propel us in our quest for community and justice.
In 2017, after the designation of three important Civil Rights sites as national monuments, national and state religious organizations sent a letter to Congressional leadership celebrating the designations. The letter, signed by some of the nation’s largest religious denominations states: “Our responsibility to care for Creation is coupled with our duty to preserve and honor the story of all Americans, and ensure all our children have equitable access to healthy recreation and the opportunity to find their own story in our park system.”
Stewardship of our national public lands and preservation of the full breadth of our history is an important part of our responsibility as caretakers of current and future generations. When national monuments tell honest stories like the story in the Greenwood District about the past and lift up communities and voices which have been historically marginalized, these sites have the capacity to be instruments of healing and justice.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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