Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery in the U.S. The original legal declaration was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln which instituted Emancipation Proclamation. The African American community has been devastated by COVID-19. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led thousands of federal troops to Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed.

In 2020, people are working towards dismantling structural, systemic, and individual racism. The work of addressing racism is intersectional, and stems from historical unjust business practices, and policies and laws impacting every aspect of our lives. Racial justice advocates are being charged with a monumental yet important work that will evolve into a movement for years to come in the life of the United Church of Christ. God is calling us to journey back (Sankofa), live into our present realities, and then plan and move forward with keeping our African diaspora descendants in the forefront as a global priority.

Join the Movement Juneteenth 2020 is the beginning of a 4-year campaign within the United Church of Christ to dismantle racism. Join the Movement and be part of the Calls to Action.

For more information contact Rev. Dr. Velda Love Lovev@ucc.org.

The Juneteenth webinar is available on the United Church of Christ YouTube channel.

Read the UCC article about it here.

Share the resources, and invite your friends, family, and worship communities to experience Juneteenth 2020.