By Felecia Piggott-Long, PhD
More than 100 supporters joined Triad Cultural Arts (TCA), Cornerstone Theater and the Happy Hill Community during the week of Sept. 15-19 for a morning walk from the Bitting Bridge in Happy Hill Neighborhood. The walkers progressed silently on the pathway to Happy Hill’s historic Shotgun Houses that are undergoing a transformation. On Friday, Sept. 20, the walks culminated in a gathering to honor the legacy of resilience, liberation, and community that is connected to the newly restored Shotgun Houses.
I gathered with the participants on the Salem side of the Bitting Bridge at 5:30 p.m. The water still flows beneath the bridge and welcomed us all to Happy Hill. On this historic day, we walked the neighborhood, pausing to sing, listen, tell stories, recite poetry, connect with the Happy Hill burial ground, the Happy Hill neighborhood garden, and the intersection of Liberia Street and Free Street before arriving at the Shotgun Houses. There we paused to commemorate the ancestors of Happy Hill through the ritual of libation. …