The United States is reckoning with a painful history of slavery, genocide and systemic racism. Protests continue across the country, bringing awareness to the impact that history continues to have on people of color. Today, commentator Scott Thybony brings us the story of his experience attending a ceremony in Texas to honor the ancestors of Black Seminole Indians. He was working on a story for Smithsonian magazine at the time. The Black Seminoles escaped from southern rice plantations in the 18th century, and by the late 1700’s, were building their own settlements in Florida, fighting a series of wars to keep from being enslaved. In his latest Canyon Commentary, Scott recounts the memorial gathering he attended to honor their bravery.