In 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops
arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Since the late 1800s,
African Americans have celebrated Juneteenth (June Nineteenth) as an annual commemoration
of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden made it
official by signing legislation making Juneteenth a holiday. This law went into effect
immediately, and the first federal Juneteenth holiday was celebrated the next day. As we
commemorate the last place in the South that freedom touched, we recognize the fulfillment of
the promise of emancipation and embrace the hope of equality for all people.
Let us commemorate this holiday with love and gratefulness,
Rev. Dr. Jean Robinson-Casey, Senior Pastor
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1