This year, Juneteenth arrived on June 19, 2022, having been declared a national holiday in 2021. Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas received word from General Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers that slavery had ended, two years AFTER the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. The Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom to all enslaved African Americans in the Confederate states. Those enslaved in Texas were the last in the country to be set free. Allow the educator in me to provide this brief history lesson…
Think for a moment how these enslaved African Americans felt on that day, June 19, 1865. Absolutely elated, right? I am sure elated to see a battalion of Black Union soldiers who looked like them marching toward each plantation; elated to see a Union General riding into town leading these soldiers (hoping he would have influence and authority over the slavers), and of course, elated to be FREE (see The Complete Juneteenth Story )!! However, the realization that for 2 years, they had remained enslaved when they should have been freed, must have been a painful pill to swallow. It is said that through “grapevine” conversations from plantation to plantation that many enslaved would have been aware of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, without anyone to enforce the Proclamation or “force” the slavers to release them, there was little left for them to do but remain trapped in this inhumane system or attempt to run away, risking being caught and being killed. It would take the 13th amendment ratified later that year to fully abolish slavery in the United States (except as punishment for a crime; more on that in a future post), however the country is still wrestling with the stain of this economic and inhumane institution today. Reconstruction, the period following the Civil War, appeared to be pointing the country in the direction of healing & equity but unfortunately this period in our nation’s history was short-lived. When the enslaved were freed, they were told they would be given land that they could farm and build communities. Unfortunately, President Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor, overturned the Order in the fall of 1865 (see The Truth Behind Forty Acres and a Mule ) and the land was returned to the slavers. Adding further insult to injury, the enslaved were never compensated for almost 250 years of enslavement. However, many slave owners were given financial “restitution” for the “loss” of free labor. (see April 16, 1862: Compensated Emancipation Act).
My husband and I have been celebrating Juneteenth since the late 80’s. He has chaired several local festivals, Juneteenth being among them. What a time of food, fellowship, and commemoration! These festivals also provided a way to teach our children about their history and to teach our friends and allies, as well. The current climate & discourse of our country is so disheartening particularly since 2020 (Check out my thoughts on the events of 2020 in the essays & posts below). These cultural events provide both opportunities to commemorate as well as opportunities to educate.
On the morning of Juneteenth this year, my mind recalled a time when I was sitting in a white evangelical church in the early 2000’s listening to a pastor who was desperately working towards diversity & inclusion in his church. I recall at the time that many likened his quest to “attempting to turn the Titanic.” Long established traditions that balked at the suggestion to rethink, reassess and provide the proverbial seat at the table. His bold quest was to be a part of a church that looks like Heaven (Rev. 7:9 NLT). Even as the world of Christianity was broaching conversations at that time around Racial Reconciliation, that root was a stubborn one to dig up!! Two large denominations, the Assemblies of God, and the Church of God in Christ, made symbolic gestures toward reconciliation at the time, acknowledging the contentious beginnings and split between the two groups. Here is a link to an article about that meeting: U.S. AG and COGIC Leaders Unite in Historic Pentecostal Meeting
I recall at the time that this pastor asked, “every Black person in the room to stand.” A bit taken aback, no one knew what he was going to say. He then stated that the day before had been Juneteenth, and he had only recently discovered its meaning. He went on to apologize for his lack of knowledge and the years of systematic racism we had endured as a people. We were in shock but not as shocked as that “ship” that did not necessarily want or asked to be turned!! That day stayed in my memory. He is no longer pastor at that church, but the quest continues….
As I celebrated Juneteenth this year, that morning, I penned the following note to that pastor:
I will never forget the day you acknowledged Juneteenth during a Sunday morning church service of over 2,000 people in Michigan. Many of us had been celebrating it for years while others had no idea of its significance. Your acknowledgment in that space was a monumental gesture to those of us who often felt invisible there. We will never know the extent of the repercussions that you & your family experienced as a result. Fast forward to 2021, when Juneteenth was declared a National Holiday. We had no idea we would live in much more outwardly divisive times as a nation. However, I revisit that day from time to time in my memory & continue to cling to the hope that acknowledging the lived experiences of others, WITHOUT exception, will become the norm in the Body. It is the manifestation & embodiment of the command to “Love Your Neighbor.” … Thank You & Happy Juneteenth!
I am reminded of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, instituted following the fall of Apartheid there. These discussions involve, first & foremost, acknowledgment and then, hopefully, changed behavior. These Restorative Justice hearings were not without their own flaws. However, what should be noted is that participants were provided an opportunity to share in detail their lived experiences under Apartheid. If only we had summoned the courage to discuss racial healing in 1865 openly. 1965, 2005, or 2015, seeking meaningful reconciliation & change. Imagine where we would be today! DPB
