Juneteenth as Celebration and Lament

 

Last Sunday was the Indigenous Day of Prayer in the United Church but it was also Juneteenth in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, enslaved people in the state of Texas were declared free, even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1862.  This has become an increasingly important day of commemoration and celebration and it is now a federal holiday.

Because Juneteenth fell on a Sunday this year many congregations observed it within worship, with hymns and messages, followed by meals and marches. 

An NPR article describes what would transpire: 

However, many will start the day with a long-standing tradition: worship.

The Lord by Moses to Pharaoh said:

"O let my people go!

If not, I'll smite your firstborn dead,

Then let my people go!"


Go down, Moses

Way down in Egypt's land

Tell old Pharaoh

Let my people go

These lyrics, from The Song of the Contrabands: O let My People God will have a special significance at services this Sunday because they echo the spirit of the holiday. It's a biblical story about the experience of Israel — from Egyptian bondage to their exodus. The enslaved Africans identified with the story. Generations later, this hymn is still sung to remember how it felt to be a slave and to continue to seek equality and justice. 

"Gospel music has been a comfort to the Black community indeed," says gospel singer Tye Tribett, who is performing at the Juneteenth Unityfest 2022 event Sunday. "Its power to harness the ability of hope, aspiration, and faith to give courage over fear during our culture's most difficult times is part of our and the music's legacy."

While Juneteenth is not a holiday in Canada we can acknowledge its significance. There was slavery in the British Empire, including Canada, where we now observe Emancipation Day on August 1st. It was only last year that the House of Commons voted unanimously to officially designate August 1 Emancipation Day. It marks the actual date in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into effect across the British Empire.

Slavery is a terrible legacy in many nations and slavery still exists in parts of the world. It's important that we remember. The NPR article had the apt title Juneteenth is a jubilant celebration — and a sacred lament.

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