Blog
A collection of weekly reflections written by BLK South community and board members.
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There Are Children on Grant Street Again
There are children on Grant Street again! In Durham’s Historic Hayti neighborhood, a new generation is discovering what it means to belong to a community shaped by generations of Black history, faith, resilience, and love. As my sister and her family make Grant Street their home, I reflect on the sacred gift of intergenerational relationships, the wisdom of our elders, and what it means for children to be woven into a neighborhood’s living legacy. Perhaps the future of our historic Black neighborhoods is not only found in what we rebuild, but in the stories, relationships, and traditions we pass down.
Facing the Storm
What keeps us going when the work of justice feels like an endless fight? In “Facing the Storm,” Desireé Lucas draws on her Black Pentecostal upbringing, the wisdom of church mothers, and Frederick Douglass’s witness to explore the struggles of everyday life and the pursuit of collective liberation. From recurring bills and strained relationships to community organizing and confronting systemic inequality, she names the burdens that can leave us weary and uncertain. Yet struggle also connects us to those who came before us and persevered toward freedom. With honesty and hope, Desireé invites us to make room for rest, gather our courage, and face the storm together—trusting that the progress we seek may lie beyond the clouds.