June 19 marks the day the last enslaved people in the United States were finally informed they were free. Since 1866, communities have gathered on this date to remember, to honor, and to celebrate. As one of the oldest continuing African American holidays, it invites us to pause and remember a moment of long‑delayed freedom. And that liberation is rarely a single event; it’s a slow, uneven unfolding, shaped by voices that are loud and forces that are quiet, by systems that harm and by people who heal.

Reverend Margo offers this prayer in reverence for the day:

Juneteenth Prayer by UU minister, Ali K.C. Bell

Spirit of Life,

We lift our hearts and intentions to you. As we commemorate this day of freedom for many, let us not forget the enslaved people in states that fought for the Union, who were still waiting for their freedom on this day.

May we remember the atrocities that brought us here. May we honor the courage, fortitude, and strength it took for enslaved Africans to endure these horrors and prevail.

We lift up both those who enslaved and those who were enslaved, as we, their descendants, seek to reconcile our past, live righteously and freely in our present, and protect our future from repeating these histories of oppression.

Ashe, Amen, Blessed Be.