19/06/2024
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I've really wrestled with this question over the past few years. "Happy Juneteenth" feels uncomfortable, given the holiday's meaning, but not acknowledging it feels wrong. I'm embarrassed to admit that the first I'd ever heard of the holiday was in 2007, the year my son was born. A friend brought it up, and I had to research it. I really didn't learn much about Black history in the US as a kid. What a shame.
Today, as I reflect, I'm so grateful for this day and the freedom it represents. But I also grieve knowing that almost half of the states in our country don't recognize it as a public holiday. I grieve as I think about the horrors of slavery and the atrocities committed against my fellow image-bearers. I grieve knowing that the echoes of slavery still ring out in systemic ways. I grieve knowing that my ancestors likely benefitted from the subjection of Black and Brown bodies. My soul bears the weight of their sin.
I asked my dear friend, Janay Barkesdale, how a White girl should acknowledge Juneteenth, and she gave me permission to share this:
* Share resources, like podcasts, books, shows, & movies (links in comments)
* Gather White friends and go to a Juneteenth event
* Support Black organizations like Abide Women's Health Services (link in comments). Support with your money AND your time.
* Commit to supporting one or more Black-led organizations for a year
* Go to Black-centric events throughout the year, because Black history isn't relegated to a month + a day.
Here are my additions:
* Spend time in prayer asking the Lord to reveal my blind spots
* Continue to educate myself on US history
* Listen more than I speak or post
To my BIPOC friends, I long for the day when every tribe, tongue, and nation will stand before the throne of justice and grace, worshipping Christ Jesus. Come soon, Lord.