“…Juneteenth, the day we celebrate the end of slavery,
the day we memorialize those who offered us hope for the future,
and the day when we renew our commitment to the struggle for freedom.”
(Angela Davis)
Merciful God, as we remember the end of chattel slavery in the U.S., on June 19, 1865, we are grateful for our African American ancestors who trusted in a future they could not see and who did not surrender to despair when promises of liberty for all did not materialize.
Help us continue to dismantle the oppressive systems that some of us still benefit from. Give us the courage to face our fears, resistance, pride, shame, whatever conscious or unconscious motives hold us back from valuing an anti-racist, multicultural society. Guide our civic and religious decisions to uphold and promote the rights of all persons, especially those stifled by the lingering trauma of slavery. Because of the faith and resilience of our African American ancestors, we know that unity and liberation for all are within our reach. May it be so.—AMEN.