CLEANSING

An underground hallway leads the visitor into the “Cleansing” space. The sound of water rushing pulls them into the location of the well that once existed on the property. The same well that Willie Reed confronted J.W. Milam when he heard the piercing screams of Emmett from the Barn. Water-stained red with tinted lighting continuously pours into the ground below. This space is inspired by the quote from Mississippi 1955 by Langston Hughs “Tears and blood should mix like rain.” This space memorializes those lives that continue to face brutality and injustice. It undeniably connects us to the present moment and state of our society today and the perspective of the infinite. It is a space of collective grief. Cleansing a wound is not peaceful - it stings like pouring alcohol on a cut. Here, the broader scope of Emmett’s story is understood. Its impact becomes more present and urgent. Emmett cannot be put to rest until the blood and the tears stop. 35

There is healing through the recognition of oneself in another. That we are each made of the same material. In seeing our reflection in a pool of water, in the source of blood and tears, we come to realize that we are each equally the inflictor as the inflicted. I think Mamie said it best herself, “What happens to one of us is the business of all of us.” The physical representation of the hill rising from the ground shows the earth beginning to heal, but is not yet mended. Although Emmett’s story is one that catalyzed dramatic racial change, the visitor leaves with a sense that there is still work to be done. The visitor comes with the intention to learn about the story of a 14-year-old boy but leaves learning more about themselves. Now is the time to speak out and stand up to make a difference. We all have the power to heal these wounds.