June 19, 1865, was the day when the enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom for the first time, even though President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, which declared that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the United States shall be free.
Ever since, the day has been commemorated in Black communities everywhere. More than 150 years later -- Congress has finally made June 19th a federal holiday by passing the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. And just before the Congress made their decision, Governor Pritzker had signed a House Bill, recognizing Juneteenth as National Freedom Day in Illinois.
What saddens me though, is that while we are making public statements to acknowledge the freedom of all enslaved people, the practice of ‘enslaving’ people has not really gone away. I say that because of what we are experiencing around us --
We all know that voting rights are under attack in our nation and laws have been passed in a number of states to restrict access to voting. The Brennan Center for Justice reports that at least 22 bills designed to restrict the right to vote have been enacted in 14 states and more are on the way to becoming law. And we know that the suppression of voter turnout affects communities of color in particular.
Despite protests and community demands, police reform legislation has not been prioritized at federal or state levels. Our justice system needs a much overdue reform as it continues to favor white supremacy and criminalize BIPOC and Immigrants. In Illinois the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance was up for a vote this morning.
Speaking of Immigrants -- our Immigration system is broken as well. So the point I am making is that while we make Juneteenth a national holiday -- our nation continues to cause harm to the very people whose freedom is acknowledged by Juneteenth.
Beloved, as baptized people of faith -- we are called to ‘resist evil and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.’ Let us continue to do the work of resisting evil and injustice. Our United Methodist Board of Church and Society invites us
to support laws that guarantee the right to vote for all, including our siblings of color -- by contacting our Senators and urging them to support the For the People Act;
Friends, let us not stop at having Juneteenth as a public holiday, but let us do all we can so each person living on this land can experience the freedom that every human deserves. Let us continue our strive for racial justice and equity for every one and every day, and remember, I am always your partner in this work of justice! I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday!
