Memorial that reminds of the past serves as an inspiration

A few steps away from the site where three African American men were attacked and lynched 94 years ago, Duluth residents convened Monday at the monument which marks that event to celebrate the memory of those men and the recent designation of the site as a local landmark.
“We are rightfully proud of our community, how this city was built and the values of this community,” Duluth Mayor Don Ness said. “And at the same time and in the same breath, we also are ashamed of the things that have happened in this community. A healthy community is one that sees and honors both of those and doesn’t turn our back on the things that we’re ashamed of.”
The Duluth City Council voted unanimously last week to award Heritage Preservation Landmark status to the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, which honors Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie, the three victims of the lynching.
Taneasha Muonio, who received a scholarship for $2,500 from the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Inc., appeared on the verge of tears at several points during the ceremony.
“I’m honored and sad at the same time,” Muonio said. “Honored, because what a blessing it is to have a memorial like this. But sad, because of what (the victims) had to go through.”
Muonio, a 2014 graduate of Denfeld High School who will be attending Augsburg College in Minneapolis in the fall, said underlying themes of racism and
discrimination are too often ignored.
“We’re acknowledging it this day,” she said. “Every other day of the year and leading up to this, it’s swept under the rug.”
Muonio’s godmother, Natasha Lancour, is the woman whose encounter with a Superior police officer outside a bar in downtown Superior in January sparked allegations of police abuse of force. Lancour read a poem she wrote for Muonio and praised Muonio’s ability to cope with difficulties in her life, many stemming from race.
“Being here makes me think of all the trauma that everyone has been through, especially my godmother having to go through that horrible beating,” Muonio said. “It’s like a wound that you take the scab off.”
Muonio said she plans to major in social work or neuroscience and minor in international cultures. She chose to go to college in Minneapolis because she thought it would connect her with a culturally diverse group of people, she said.
“I’m going to learn about a lot of different people, come back, use my knowledge, and there’s going to be a change,” Muonio said. “I’m not okay with this. It hurts.”
Landmark status establishes a preservation plan for the memorial, which is often littered with cigarettes, according to Jodi Broadwell, committee chair for the memorial organization.
According to Muonio, who said she dealt with racism on a daily basis at Denfeld High School, the memorial is about more than acknowledging that racism has had and continues to have ugly effects in the community.
“Just because people look at this memorial, it doesn’t mean they’re only thinking of racism,” Muonio said. “It means so much more than that. It means hope and strength.”