June 19, 2021
Dear Earth Ministry/WAIPL community,
Today we honor Juneteenth, the date when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last community of Black Americans who were still enslaved over two years after being freed by President Lincoln. It is a day that recognizes Black freedom and Black resistance.
Here in Washington State, our legislature just passed a law that will make Juneteenth a full state holiday in 2022, and now Congress has made it a national holiday. To learn more about the history behind Juneteenth, I suggest this New York Times article.
We acknowledge that racial prejudice and colonialism are not only historic but also an ongoing injustice. Our diverse religious and spiritual traditions call us to work for systemic change and a more just society. This work is sacred, not secondary.
At Earth Ministry, we are doing our own work to better address systemic racism and anti-Blackness, both organizationally and through our advocacy for environmental justice. We recognize that environmental, social, and racial justice are interlinked and that the faith-based movement is strongest when all people can bring their unique strengths and diverse experiences to the table.
We encourage you to take time today to mark Juneteenth and consider your role within the Black Lives Matter movement. Here are some of the opportunities and events happening across the Northwest:
If you are in the Seattle area, you can join King County Equity Now’s #Juneteenth21 Freedom March and People’s Assembly starting at noon today. The Northwest African American Museum is hosting Juneteenth events all weekend, and the award-winning American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths is at the Museum of History and Industry through June 21.
The Bellingham Unity Committee is hosting a Juneteenth celebration at Maritime Heritage Park; in Tacoma, both the Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma Public Library are offering resources to honor the holiday.
In Spokane, check out the Juneteenth: A Celebration of Resistance exhibit at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture or join in the Block Party at the MLK East Central Community Center. There are also the Little Free Diverse Library Ribbon Cutting with Black Lives Matter Walla Walla, a Zoom presentation by the Vancouver NAACP, or the livestream of the 2021 Juneteenth Oregon Celebration online.
No matter where you live, you can celebrate by finding an event near you or diving deeper with these two Juneteenth reading lists by the Chicago Public Library and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
At the core of Juneteenth is one clear message: Black Lives Matter. We pray for ongoing liberation, give thanks for the many activists leading this movement, and invite you to join us in honoring and celebrating the unique contribution of Black people within the struggle for justice in the United States.
Blessings,
LeeAnne Beres (she/her)
Executive Director
Honoring Juneteenth
