Wednesday, June 19, 2024
The Rev. Nathan Bourne
Healing toward freedom
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. –Galatians 5:1
Today is Juneteenth. On this day in 1865 – two months after the end of the Civil War and more than two years after the emancipation proclamation was signed – Union General Gordon Granger and his troops entered Galveston, Texas and read a federal proclamation declaring that all slaves in the state of Texas had been freed. The following year, those free African Americans celebrated the day of their liberation, and Juneteenth was born. It spread across Texas and the South, and was brought north as free people migrated all over the country.
Juneteenth marks a major step in our nation’s journey towards living up to its own ideals – the promise of liberty for all. The end of slavery was a pivotal moment in our country's history, but it didn’t bring an end to oppression and the suppression of rights of African Americans. The celebration is aspirational – honoring African American culture and history while also looking towards a time when justice and equality are fully realized. It’s a celebration of progress made, but also a reminder of the gulf between the promises of liberty and justice and the reality of them.
The promise of freedom is at the heart of Christ’s teaching – freedom to turn away from the wrongs of our past and towards more perfect love. The freedom for our lives not to be ruled by what is expected or demanded of us, but by the simple principle of love. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom – not just for the black community, but for all of us. It’s also a reminder that the freedom of all our fellow humans concerns all of us. In the words of the 19th century poet and activist, Emma Lazarus, “until we are all free, we are none of us free.”
I pray that on this Juneteenth we can rejoice with those who rejoice, be grateful with those who are grateful, and remember the work still left to do until the promise of Juneteenth becomes reality.
This reflection was adapted from the original published on June 19, 2020.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
There are some Juneteenth events happening today!
JUNETEENTH FREEDOM WALK
Presented by the Seacoast African American Cultural Center
June 19 at @ 9:30am
Celebrate Juneteenth side-by-side with others of goodwill by walking from Kittery, Maine to the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth, New Hampshire!
Meet at the John Paul Jones Memorial Park on the Kittery side of the Route 1 Memorial Bridge. Walkers will gather by 9:00 AM begin the 0.8 miles at 9:30 AM to the Burying Ground, located at 386 State Street, Portsmouth NH led by The Leftist Marching Band.
This walk is hosted by The Seacoast African American Cultural Center, Green Acre Bahá’í Center of Learning, and Seacoast NAACP. Parking for those participating in the walk is available at Kittery Walk-in Care, 35 Walker Street, as well as wheelchair accessible parking spots across Hunter Ave by the Warren’s Lobster sign.
If you rather join after the walk we will meet at the African Burying Ground at 10:00 AM. Enjoy African Drumming, THE HEALING RHYTHM OF THE DRUMS, presented by the Black Heritage Trail.
BRING A SIGN! BRING A TAMBORINE! COME CELEBRATE AFRICAN AMERICAN FREEDOM!
AFRICAN DRUMMING
A Time to Praise
A Time to Honor
A Time to Heal
Ceremony begins at 11:00 AM at the Portsmouth African American Burying Ground.
Traditionally the drum was the heartbeat and soul of African communities, thus holding deep historic and symbolic significance. The drums herald political and social events and ceremonies of birth, death, and marriage. They spark courtships, home-coming and going, and accompany religious rites and rituals that call up ancestral spirits while creating an atmosphere that promotes healing and social resilience.
This commemorative event, live streaming from the Portsmouth African Burying Ground, is a celebration of Black Joy that pays homage to the ancestors. The healing beat of the drums provided by Akwaaba Ensemble, an African drumming and dance group and a ceremony by The Rev. Robert Thompson will honor the ancestors who survived upon these shores.
AFRICAN TOUCH
African Drumming Workshop
at 10:30 AM
Prior to African Drumming Ceremony
Theo Martey, Director of The Akwaaba Ensemble, will lead the "African Touch" drumming workshop for kids and parents as we connect with our ancestors to celebrate Juneteenth through rhythms, dances, and songs.
There are still a few seats left at the Music Hall TONIGHT! Hailed by audiences as “THE BEST MOTOWN SHOW IN THE COUNTRY,” the show will dazzle you for over two hours! This cast of 18 people EMBODY the BEST OF MOTOWN, delivering all the hits from The Temptations, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and more! The show’s pitch perfect harmonies, dynamic choreography, & costuming perfectly capture the sights & sound of Motown.