Hello Neighbor,
We kick off this week celebrating fathers! Happy Father’s Day to all of the people who show up for souls gifted to them. As a parent myself, I know the privilege of it all, to hold the lives of kids in one’s hands. I hope you take some time to read about a few dads who are showing up for kids in the Wilcoxson School community by volunteering in their Father’s Club.
On June 19th, 1865, the Union Army announced in Galveston, Texas, that all enslaved African Americans were free. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, it took two years for slavery to end. If you’re looking for a non-judgmental way to better understand some of our history, this Juneteenth go and visit The Ruby and Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum on East Broadway here in Stratford.
On a personal note, I got to see the musical Ragtime at the Goodspeed Theatre in East Haddam over the weekend. If you’ve not had a chance to see it, whether at Goodspeed or anywhere else, I highly recommend it. It is a musical which paints a profound picture of the social, racial, and economic struggles of the time, and yet I could not help but consider how history certainly repeats itself.
Art reflects life, and I hope you will take time to read a bit about Hairspray, a play that will go up in a few weeks put on by The New Paradigm Theatre right here in Stratford. You’ll find more about that in this week’s Crier.
And if you’re looking for a few laughs, take a peek at Norah Christianson’s new column, Cheeseburgs From Outer Space, for her wonderfully quirky take on life. This debut of the column is titled Kitchen Bitchin’, which gives you a hint of how she feels about ‘the joy of cooking’.
Wishing you a week of reflection and joy with your neighbors.
Yeah Nikkya!!!