Today, we pause to recognize Juneteenth—a day that may not yet live in everyone’s memory but one that is certainly worth knowing, honoring, and remembering. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally told they were free. Freedom had been declared, but it hadn’t yet reached everyone.
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is still injustice and that the work of liberation is far from over. It is more than a moment to look back; it is a moment to ask: What does freedom mean today? Who still doesn’t benefit from it? Who has been overlooked, excluded, or ignored in our collective pursuit of liberty?
Today, let us be reminded to act in a way that brings us closer to the purpose of justice. In the words of our baptismal covenant, let us strive for justice and peace among all people!
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