It’s Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. To many this day represents a commitment to remember the lives, stories and incredible contributions of the enslaved that have long been overlooked.

Last year, we spoke with Kathe Hambrick, founder of the River Road African Museum in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about the state’s Underground Railroad history. Today we give that conversation another listen. 

In May, Louisiana Public Broadcasting announced plans to make a documentary about the Colfax Massacre. The Massacre occurred on Easter Sunday in 1873, when a mob of armed white men attacked the courthouse in Colfax, where a group of Black men had gathered to protect their right to vote. Around 80 people were killed. 

Last April, the Colfax Memorial Organization unveiled a memorial to recognize this massacre. We spoke with Reverend Avery Hamilton, a Black man and the great-great-great grandson of Jesse McKinney, the first man killed in the massacre, and Dean Woods, a white man whose great grandfather Bedford Woods participated in the massacre. Today, we’ll revisit that conversation to learn how the two men came together to honor the victims.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz. Our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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