Happy Juneteenth?

In Daniel 9, Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophetic words and discovered that there was a set time for the captivity of his people to come to an end. But he needed the angel of the Lord to help him understand what he was reading and what actually needed to happen for the Jews to experience true liberation—in practice. Jeremiah had pronounced it, but it had not come to pass.

Similarly, the United States had lawfully pronounced the freedom of slaves in the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Still, it did not happen in practice—it was not fully enforced until two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. On that day, Union Army general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. His announcement put the two and half-year-old proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, into effect. That day, now celebrated as a federal holiday on June 19th, is called “Juneteenth” and is also called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day,” “Emancipation Day,” or “Jubilee.”

The enslavement of Blacks in America was inhumane, brutal, and treacherous, to say the least, and has had lasting detrimental effects on the families, finances, and daily functioning of African Americans for centuries. An estimated 2 million Africans died in the Middle Passage (Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade), and only 388,000 made it to North America.[1] Thousands more who made it would die under dire conditions on slave plantations in the South or be brutally beaten to death by their slave masters. According to the Smithsonian, nearly 6,500 Blacks were lynched between 1865 and 1950.[2]

And these are only a few of the inhumane effects on African Americans. We have not even discussed the rape and abuse of Black women by their White owners. Those in Galveston had unlawfully endured two extra years of this treatment. So why wouldn’t Christians, people who believe in justice, liberty, and God’s love for people, celebrate Juneteenth?

Our God loves justice; His throne is established on justice. King David said, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (Psalm 89:14). And He calls His followers to also stand for justice: “This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!” (Jeremiah 22:3 NLT). 

Indeed, wherever the Gospel is preached, there must be liberation, and His people should stand for justice. So we should celebrate Juneteenth, the end of a brutal phase of American history and the beginning of the liberation of a people who, like the Jews under Egypt, were destined for greatness but had been ill-treated, abused, and enslaved. It may not have been happy, but let’s remember Juneteenth and its significance not only for African Americans but also for the nation and all who love justice.

#Juneteenth #MondayMotivation #pastorlenita

Lenita is the senior pastor of Action Chapel Baltimore and Action Chapel North Carolina churches. She is an author of nine books, international speaker, founder of PrayerWatch with Pastor Lenita, and creator of the Purpose/full Institute, which helps people discover and hone their divine purpose. She is a former Accenture consultant with college teaching experience, professional instructional design experience, a member of the RAINN speaker’s bureau, a trained pastoral counselor, and a Christian International/Bishop Hamon authorized prophetic instructor. Sign up to connect, receive more blog posts, and updates on courses, books, and events.

[1] Henry Louis Gates, “How Many Slaves Landed in the U.S.?” PBS, accessed June 19, 2023, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/how-many-slaves-landed-in-the-us/.

[2] Alex Fox, “Nearly 2,000 Black Americans Were Lynched During Reconstruction,” Smithsonian Magazine, June 18, 2020, accessed June 19, 2023, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-2000-black-americans-were-lynched-during-reconstruction-180975120/.