Cleansing Water – Natalie Solomon

In our civil rights journey, we have spent time at several memorials that honor important events and people.  They have been at the same time beautiful and horrific as we have learned about the terrible ways white people have treated Black people when they were kidnapped, enslaved and even brutally lynched after emancipation.  The memorials that were the most impactful to me included water – either cascading down walls or feeding up through granite monuments listing names and dates of victims and events.  The water reminded me of a mikveh – clear, fresh, rejuvenating and calm.  I hope the water can help all Americans understand the wrongs that have been and continue to be committed against Black people, while helping us find the good in everyone and allowing us to change society to eliminate these injustices.