As many of you know, Manasota Remembers is a three-part initiative to acknowledge and honor lives lost to racial terror lynching in our region.Our community's journey toward truth and reconciliation began with our young people. Through the Manasota Remembers Racial Justice Essay Contest last spring, local high school students courageously explored what racial justice means in our time. Their words helped us confront our past and envision a future of understanding and inclusion. In February 2024, we gathered for the unveiling and dedication of a historical marker - a permanent testament to six lives lost to racial terror lynching in our community. Now, you're invited to join us for the third and final chapter of this journey, The Soil Ceremony, on Saturday, November 9 at 10 a.m. Through song, spoken word, and the symbolic transfer of soil from lynching sites into memorial jars, we will honor Henry Thomas, Sam Ellis, Wade Ellis, Mr. Ruddy, William English, and James Franklin, whose lives were tragically taken between 1903 and 1934.