JUNETEENTH INDEPENDENCE DAY

Sankofa—a word in the Twi language of Ghana which means “to go back and get”, to “return.” This term has been adopted by African Americans as a symbol of remembering the past in order to build a bright future. The African proverb “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten” has deep meaning and relevance, especially in today’s world. Slavery was a scourge upon our nation and world and the institution existed for far longer than it’s been ended. Slavery has existed for thousands of years; however, the enslavement of Africans in the New World began around 1492 when African slaves arrived with Christopher Columbus and it will take several more generations before we feel “free” from its horror. To help us pave a way forward, we must remember the errors of our ways, however horrific and tragic they may be. May we never forget so that we may never repeat.

It's difficult to comprehend in today’s age of communication that the news of Emancipation was slow to travel in 1863. (One wonders if this was due to the “inconvenience” of having to give up slavery, thereby prolonging the inevitable to hold on to slavery as long as possible.) However, this scenario played out in Texas and Louisiana where slavery existed for a full two years longer as the news of freedom from slavery didn’t reach there until June 19, 1865, a day whereby all slaves were finally free.

Freedom Day—Jubilee Day—Liberation Day—Emancipation Day—Black Independence Day—Juneteenth National Independence Day

This joyous day of celebration has taken on many names and today is remembered mostly as Juneteenth and most recently was declared a Federal Holiday by President Joseph Biden on June 17, 2021. Looking back, it’s difficult to believe that this historically significant moment took this long for the nation to finally recognize it officially.

This Sunday, we will celebrate the joy of Juneteenth Independence while remembering the millions who suffered and died at the hand of their captors. May we allow this day to make a difference in our lives by how we remember our past, how we honor our present, and how we move into our future.

Blessings,

Tim Brumfield

Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.”

~ Harriet Tubman

Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down. They know its power.

Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, founded in injustice and wrong, are sure to tremble, if men are allowed to reason…equally clear is the right to hear. To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.”

~ Frederick Douglass