Juneteenth hits a particularly pivotal moment this year, with conversations about the oppression of Black Americans having been thrust into the spotlight following weeks of protests around the Black Lives Matter cause. The holiday commemorates the day slaves in Texas were told they were free, some two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a huge (though certainly not final) step forward in extending the vaunted idea of American freedom to all citizens.
Today, the day is a celebration of the Black experience in America, and many groups, authors, artists and faith leaders have taken to social media with a variety of events, talks and resources to help you learn and celebrate.
CityPoint Community Church
CityPoint Community Church in Chicago is hosting an Instagram live celebration with public theologian Ekemini Uwan that begins at 4:00 PM CST and will be followed by a Q+A session.
The Witness
Black Christian collective The Witness has a full day of online events, from speakers to performances to panel conversations with tons of great guests.
Instagram Shows
On Sunday, artists like Propaganda, Thascool and King Dice will be performing on Instagram Live starting around 3:25 PST.
Faith in Public Life
Lisa Sharon Harper hosted a conversation on Facebook live with faith leaders like The Color of Compromise author Jemar Tisby and General Secretary of the Proctor Conference Dr. Iva Carruther. They discussed the current movement around dismantling racist systems and cultivating longterm efforts to liberate communities.
Carlos Whittaker
On YouTube, author and speaker Carlos Whittaker put together a primer on Juneteenth for white people who are new to the celebration, along with some tips about where to learn more.
Lecrae
On Instagram, Lecrae joined the call for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. He also posted a conversation he had with author Terrence Lester about the outworkings of different kinds of racial injustice in America. The whole conversation is worth watching.
The OneRace Movement
In Atlanta, the excellent worship music collective Maverick City Music is taking part in a massive march for justice organized by the OneRace Movement.
