JUNETEENTH On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, more than 250,000 slaves in the Confederate state of Texas first learned from a Union general that they had been freed more than two years earlier. Slave owners had kept them in bondage and uninformed. June 19th has become known as Juneteenth. It became a federal holiday in June, 2021 and is officially called Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Note - the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Lincoln in January, 1863, declared that only the enslaved in the Confederate-controlled states were free. Moved by the fervor of Juneteenth, Congress abolished slavery throughout all the states by passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S Constitution in Dec. 1865. (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica.)
When I asked one of my caregivers, Sophia, ( African American in her fifties) about her thoughts regarding Juneteenth she replied she first learned of it a few years ago from the media- not taught in school, nor talked about in her family or with friends. She is glad it is now recognized and celebrated as an important part of American history. She also has a better understanding of her own heritage and hopes it is now included in American history classes.
Reflection: Next Sunday, June 19th, is a national holiday commemorating the day enslaved people of our nation learned of their freedom. Release from bondage restores the dignity and uniqueness of each person as a child of God - we honor Him by observing Juneteenth. Reflection by Helen Collins.
Interested in joining the Peace and Justice Ministry? Call Saralou Hendrickson at 314-440-2020.