MISSING JUNETEENTH
Walking through downtown Asheville I encounter all kinds of people. They touch me for one reason or another, some of which I couldn’t put my finger on.
I went downtown on Sunday to see the second day of Juneteenth, the celebration of the last enslaved people freed at the end of the American civil war, a new national holiday, which I thought was being celebrated on the park in front of the courthouse in the center of town. There was a Christian group of young people drawing in chalk on the sidewalk, families with little children running through the spurting water in a childrens’ play area and people sitting on park benches. But there was no sign of the Juneteenth Celebration with bands, and performers and tents of black restaurants and sellers of African merchandise. I thought that I had misread the article in the paper announcing the celebration and that it must be in another part of town.
But I wasn’t wrong, it had been cancelled. Saturday night at the end of the first evening celebration of Juneteenth a 16 year old shot two other boys. One was in the hospital in critical condition and the boy who shot him was in jail. I am used to reports of people being shot in public as all Americans are, so felt no shock. So instead of a celebration I found another sunny Sunday afternoon in Asheville as I walked around photographing.
I was particularly interested in the woman who was standing on a corner at the center town in front of the removed Vance Memorial which is kind of Asheville’s Hyde Park. Anyone who wants to proclaim a message is welcome to stand there and proclaim to the world. Sometimes the messages are liberal Asheville messages. But this woman wanted to share the news that Jesus would save you from death or from sin, it wasn’t quite clear which. But Jesus would certainly make you fully alive again. I asked her how often she came to stand on the corner with her signs. She said she came whenever He asked her to. I asked if the hot sun bothered her. She said that usually she sweat a lot but on this hot day when she was doing His will she didn’t sweat or feel hot at all. I asked her how long she would be there. As long as He asks me to. I asked if I could take her photograph and she said yes, as long as I didn’t obscure her signs. I did hear one person honk in approval. She was very cheerful, all by herself, with her signs.
There was a man selling bow ties from a portable table covered with bow ties. His bow tie was very attractive. I asked if I could take his photograph and he let me and smiled, I don’t know if he smiled because I seemed harmless or because he hoped to make a sale or because he enjoyed having someone to talk with.
I didn’t ask anyone else if I could take their photograph. I took a few random shots and then drove home. Photographing like that lifts me and it doesn’t do anyone else any harm.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 