GR Museum Director: Juneteenth ‘Catalyst’ for Awareness, Equality

GR museum director: Juneteenth ‘catalyst’ for awareness, equality

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As Juneteenth approaches, George A. Bayard III, executive director and curator of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, says the holiday can drive meaningful awareness, particularly in underrepresented fields like STEM. Bayard said Juneteenth encourages deeper exploration into overlooked contributions of African Americans in science and technology, many of whom hailed from Michigan. “We learn things …

Oak Park youth program director speaks on the importance of Juneteenth

Chris Thomas is executive director of YourPassion1st, a youth empowerment organization offering mentorship for male students in grades 6-12. The purpose is to help them find and follow their passion into the work force or entrepreneurship. Thomas explained what Juneteenth means to him and why it’s important to commemorate it. “Juneteenth is important because we still deal with a lot of racial inequities,” Thomas said. “I think that a lot of Blac…