Art (and flowers) from downtown Raleigh walk June 17, 2020

[Mira]

10. Thank you - it all makes my heart cramp

I envision walking it with you. A wonderful tribute to so much diversity, emotion, stamina, talent, and ultimately to the power of protest. Once, if I may tell this story, I was a rare white person at the funeral of a black friend, who was a performing artist with many friends. There were numerous numbers of people performing listed on the program, and I asked the person who put the program together how she had found so many talented people willing and able to perform on short notice. She looked at me, slowly with a small smile and said: "All I had to do is point".

That has opened my eyes and ears and taught me recognition of the untold capacities in so many areas of the arts that lie dormant, or unrecognized, or uncelebrated, and mainly not supported in the black communities.

WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN about each other.