newsletter

This Friday, we’ll celebrate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when news that slavery had been abolished in the U.S. finally reached Texas, the most remote state of the former confederacy. Although the end of slavery in the U.S. came slowly and over time, Juneteenth was a significant moment in the fight for freedom.

Juneteenth is both a time to commemorate this historical moment and to acknowledge that Black Americans still experience discrimination and injustice in this country. In a lot of ways, Juneteenth is aspirational. It acknowledges the hard-won achievements of the past while recognizing that there is still so much work to do. Historian Mitch Kachun argues that days like Juneteenth have three major goals: "to celebrate, to educate, and to agitate". To celebrate how far we’ve come, to educate ourselves and others about the history and current reality of racism and injustice in our country, and to agitate the public into taking action toward continued liberation.

As we celebrate this weekend, may we remember these three goals and continue to fight for a country that lives into the vision of Juneteenth.

-Pastor Julia