July: The Light We Carry Forward

by Elisha Oliver, PhD
Executive Director, Texas Folklife

Some of my earliest Fourth of July memories involve sparklers. 

As a child, I remember standing in my grandmother’s yard illuminated by fireflies and the porch light, tracing bright circles into the warm Oklahoma night sky (Yes, this Texas Girl has deep Oklahoma roots). For a few fleeting moments, it felt as though I could write my name in light and it would last forever. There was an innocence to those evenings — a certainty that the world was good, that family would always be gathered nearby, and that tomorrow would arrive much the same as the day before — without worry — easy and innocent.

Like many of us, I have learned that life is more complicated than a sparklers and fireflies filled childhood imaginary. Adulthood introduced us to histories we did not understand as children, struggles we could not yet see, and realities that challenge our childhood notions of fairness, belonging and freedom. We come to recognize that the stories of our families, communities, state, and nation are marked not only by triumphs but also by tribulations and contradictions. Yet, I have also come to believe that growing older offers something childhood cannot. It offers the opportunity to hold complexity and hope at the same time. Perhaps that is why July feels so meaningful.

As communities across the nation begin commemorating America 250, we are invited to reflect not only on where we have been but also on what we choose to carry forward. Anniversaries ask us to remember. They ask us to celebrate. But they also ask us to imagine.

Much like the sparkler that briefly illuminates a summer night, traditions shine brightest when they are shared. Their purpose is not simply to be remembered, but to light the way for those who follow us. They live in people. They are carried through stories told around kitchen tables, songs sung across generations, recipes written in worn notebooks, dances learned from grandparents, and traditions shared within families and communities. Folklife teaches us that inheritance is about more than what we receive. It is also about what we leave behind.

As I think about those childhood sparklers, I am reminded that their beauty was never in how long they lasted.  It was in the light they shared while they burned.  Traditions work much the same way.  Their purpose is not to remain frozen in time.  Their purpose is to illuminate a path for those who come after us. 

Across Texas, communities have long practiced this kind of stewardship.  Indigenous peoples have sustained cultural knowledge across centuries. Mexican, Tejano, and Mexican American families have preserved language, music, and traditions that remain foundational to our state’s identity. African American communities have transformed memory into legacy through foodways, faith traditions, storytelling, and music. Immigrant communities from around the world continue to enrich Texas with new expressions of culture while honoring the places they call home. Collectively, they remind us that the story of Texas has never belonged to one people or one place. It belongs to all who have contributed to its making. 

This summer, Texas Folklife continues its commitment to preserving and celebrating those stories. Through our youth folk and traditional arts programs, apprenticeships, community-based documentation efforts, cultural convenings, and partnerships with tradition bearers across the state, we are investing in something larger than any single event or program. We are investing in continuity. We are helping ensure that future generations inherit not only artifacts and archives but inherit living traditions. We are creating opportunities for young people to learn from elders, for communities to tell their own stories, and for cultural knowledge to remain vibrant and relevant in an ever-changing world. In many ways, that may be the most important work any of us can do.

To leave a place, this place, a little better than we found it. 

To share what we know. 

To honor those who came before us. 

To create space for those who will come after us. 

And, to keep the light moving forward.

As you celebrate this July and lean into America 250, I encourage you to spend time with the people, places, and traditions that matter most.  Attend a community gathering. Ask an elder to tell a story. Learn a family recipe. Listen to local musicians. Support artists and culture bearers. Make time for remembrance and celebration. Be present.

The story of America is still unfolding. The story of Texas is still unfolding. And each of us has a role to play in what comes next. As Ralph Ellison reminds us, “The end is in the beginning and lies far ahead.” The future is built from what we choose to pass on. 

In Gratitude of the Collective Light We Carry Forward,

Elisha R. Oliver, PhD
Executive Director

My Little Culture Keepers circa Fourth of July 2025

PS: MOSAIC is almost here! Our inaugural issue celebrates the people, places, traditions, and communities that continue to shape Texas. An annual subscription is $60 and directly supports Texas Folklife’s work across the state. Stay tuned for subscription details and special launch announcements.

Book I’m Reading:
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

On Repeat:
“This Land Is Your Land” performed by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings