JUNETEENTH

JUNETEENTH

Today we honor the celebration of Juneteenth, which is now a national holiday in the USA.  Here’s a brief background of its history, courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

On “Freedom’s Eve,” the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across America awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations in the south reading copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and spreading the joyous news of freedom in Confederate States.

But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until 2½ years later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as “Juneteenth” by the newly freed people in Texas. 

Juneteenth marks our nation’s second independence day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans.  The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.

And so it is…

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!