"Deep Roots" Nae’Ary Wilson , 2026 Juneteenth Essay Contest

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The 2026 Juneteenth High School Essay Contest invited high school students in the Battle Creek area to respond to this year's prompt, rooted in the theme Rooted in Culture. United in Freedom.

“Earning freedom not only means that the chains are removed, but that individuals are provided with the opportunity to obtain dignity, enjoy life with a purpose of living, and invest in their future self’s.”

This year we received 18 essays from students across the Battle Creek area. Nae'Ary's essay took third place.

Deep Roots

Juneteenth is a very important holiday for the African American community because it honors the long-awaited freedom that many individuals devoted their life to get. It is the time in which African Americans and their ancestors are acknowledged for the challenges and struggles they endured during the times of publicly acceptable racial discrimination. African Americans were enslaved and taken advantage of for centuries. Earning freedom not only means that the chains are removed, but that individuals are provided with the opportunity to obtain dignity, enjoy life with a purpose of living, and invest in their future self’s.

My understanding of freedom comes from my roots. During small intermediate family gatherings, my elders were known for sharing memorable lifetime events. Due to the stories that are passed down, especially those from my 85-year-old great-grandmother, I am blessed with the opportunity to learn about a ton of different stories from a primary source. She shared with me that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated when she was a little girl. Not too long after his assassination, she was able to hear the rioters from her bedroom window because they were as close as one block away. Her testimony does not just provide information regarding the historical event, but what motivated people to continue fighting for the right: freedom. To add, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was known for his determination to integrate the community, and his legacy was kept alive by individuals who refused to give up on their personal desire to achieve the state of freedom.

My great-grandmother also shared information from her childhood while we were on vacation. A few years ago, we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. As we were walking through and exploring, she began to tell stories about nearly everything exhibited. When she was pointing out the different things displayed, I came to the epiphany of how close we are to the slavery era. Furthermore, slavery has been officially abolished for 161 years, yet racism and discrimination still exists around the world.  Why are African Americans still receiving harsh treatment up until present day? It is very disheartening and inhumane that African Americans are still mistreated years after the abolishment of slavery. Oftentimes, I wonder if racism will ever vanish because it is not embedded in an individual’s DNA, it is something that is taught, but perhaps that can only happen if people choose resistance.

To me, African American history and culture is powerful because it is built on struggle and patience. Due to the fact that every African American has struggled personally or knows someone who has, it shows that life is far more difficult for those of color. It was not and is not easy to live in a world that contains individuals who obtain deep hatred for people because it is something that is taught in their household. Although this is reality, African Americans were not discouraged from accomplishing their ultimate goal of obtaining freedom. Simply put, this shows that African Americans are strong, resilient, and patient.

To conclude, my understanding of freedom was developed based on the stories that my family shared with me. I learned about a ton of historical events and the emotional attachment they left on her. However, my great grandmothers stories left the biggest impact on me because she has lived the longest and makes me feel a sense of connection to the history behind African American culture. Needless to say, the stories made me realize that African Americans do not receive enough recognition for the difficulties they experienced to earn basic human rights, something that they should have been born with. I now carry the thought that freedom should be extremely valued because without our brave and bold ancestors, this would not be possible.

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The High School Essay Contest is led and coordinated by the Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (BCTRHT) as part of the Juneteenth Planning Committee's annual celebration.