Soil Collection Ceremony
a brief overview
On the day of the Soil Collection Ceremony, there was a weather event in Colorado. An ice storm was moving across the plains; I-70 was covered in a glassy film and drivers reported that their wipers froze to their windshields while they were driving.
We know that some people, realizing the danger involved, turned back but still approximately 90 people made it to the event.
Soil was brought from the Denver and Limon soil collections and combined in a ceramic bowl, made for the occasion so that it could then be transferred to two jars; one to go to the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum, in Montgomery, Alabama, and the other to remain in Colorado.
Each person who attended the ceremony was given the opportunity to come to the bowl and transfer soil to the jars. Some used a trowel and some used their hands.
The event culminated with the reading of a poem written and spoken by Jovan Mays, for Preston. It gave voice to the deep emotions that everyone was experiencing.
After the ceremony, we joined in the Limon community center across the street from where the ceremony took place. There were lots of constructive, joyful, and healing conversations that took place.
