We celebrate this day, which commemorates the true emancipation of enslaved persons on June 19, 1865, when finally freedom reached those persons held in bondage in the deepest parts of the Confederacy. This day is a reminder that justice and freedom for black people has always been delayed. We, as people of faith and as community members of St. Paul & St. Andrew, pledge to continue to fight for the full freedom and flourishing of black persons and black communities. In the words of President Barack Obama, “Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do.”
