Inbox Inspiration: June 22, 2022: Juneteenth

 Juneteenth       

 

Dear Friends,

Until a year or so ago, I was unaware of Juneteenth or its significance. So, I needed to learn something about this and what I have learned has helped me. 

 

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued an order to free the last enslaved people on United States’ soil. President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. That proclamation freed all slaves and was intended to end the institution of slavery in our country. However, two factors delayed the effect of this. First, communications were not instant as they are today. And second, some slaveowners resisted and were unwilling to free their slaves. So, it was not until June 19, 1865, a year and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation, that all enslaved African Americans were freed. This is why June 19 is called Juneteenth or Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. 

The first Juneteenth was observed in 1866. What is called the “Modern Juneteenth Movement” began in 1994 when a group of national leaders met in New Orleans to promote the recognition of this date. One year ago, this date was made a federal holiday. By the way, the word or name Juneteenth refers to the date of the holiday, June 19^th, and is a combining or conflation of the words June and nineteenth.

 

Why is this day and commemoration important? Why do I write about it here? Several reasons.

·      It reminds us of a blight in our American history. The enslavement of anyone, in this case, of African or black people for the development of this country or for any purpose, is a serious injustice. We need to remember that. If we don’t recall the mistakes of history, we might repeat them. 

·      Remembering this date has led me to be aware of the trauma inflicted on the African or African American people. To be treated as chattel, as property, to be abused, degraded, and even brutalized as a people has had dramatic effects on the self-identity, family structure, and culture of African Americans. This trauma, professionals advise, takes centuries – centuries – to come to full healing. 

·      I see myself as a white person not as being burdened by guilt, but as being responsible. I feel responsible to do what I can to assist today in the righting of the injustice that was inflicted. 

 

Father Michael Schleupner