Taylor Hall takes a moment to rest on top of picnic blankets and a red, black, and green stars-and-stripes flag while watching clouds in Stockton Park in Detroit on Juneteenth 2021. I took this photo because it feels like not enough images are made of Black women relaxing and just being. She looked so content and relaxed that I had to snap a photo. All images in this post taken by Val Waller for Momentum at Medium.

File This Under: Black Joy

Juneteenth 2021 in Detroit: Relaxation Amid the Struggle

Close friends and a cookout commemorate a historic moment in time

Growing up, I remember being excited for Independence Day — family, fun, food — all the ingredients necessary for a day of celebration. As I grew older and learned more of the world, and my…