Juneteenth. Racial Equity. Justice for All

Written on: June 16, 2021

Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day – Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.

Originating in Galveston, Texas, it is now celebrated annually on June 19 throughout the United States, with varying official recognition. It is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 announcement by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas.

Let us all commemorate this day and reaffirm our efforts to work for true racial equity and justice for all.

Learn more about the history of Juneteenth.

• What is Juneteenth, PBS, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.
• So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?, New York Times, June 19, 2020

Prayer resources

• Prayer for the day from the Archdiocese of Baltimore
• Liturgy from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Worship resources from the United Methodist Church
• Augsburg University Prayer for Juneteenth.

This entry was posted in With a Heart for Justice and tagged: 1865, abolition, African-Americans, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Galveston Texas, General Gordon Granger, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth, Justice, Liberation Day, Liturgy, PBS, Prayer, racial equity, slavery, worship