Rasheeda's Freedom Day 2021

Directed by Dija Renuka

Rasheeda's Freedom Day is a new short film from Harrison Center and Dija Henry of The Blue House that tells the true story of longtime Indianapolis resident and Greatriarch (a member of a community who has helped write the story of the neighborhood) Ms. JoAnna LeNoir. She has spent her life learning that her story is worth sharing and now she's sharing it with you. In 1962, Ms. JoAnna found the courage to take herself, her mother Rasheeda, and her siblings out of an abusive family situation to find freedom and community in the Indianapolis neighborhood Martindale-Brightwood. Every year since then, they have invited their family, friends, and neighbors on Columbia Street to celebrate "Rasheeda's Freedom Day" on the anniversary of their escape. As the film shows, a healthy community gives us the courage to share our stories with our neighbors so we can be known and loved.