The Meet Hope Podcast

79: Juneteenth - History, Reflection, and Taking Action

• HOPE Church

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On this week's episode, members of HOPE's Racial Justice Team - Betty Joynes and Lori Chewkanes - return to the podcast to help us learn the history behind the upcoming Juneteenth holiday on June 19. They offer to us personal reflections and also encouraging ways we as individuals and a faith community can honor, celebrate, and grow in not only the marking of this holiday, but in our every day lives as well. See notes below for local Juneteenth events and helpful resources!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. Welcome to Hope.

Speaker 2:

Hi everyone, welcome to the Meet Hope podcast. My name is Ashley Black and I'm excited to be here with you today. Joining me today on our podcast is Betty Joins and Lori Chou-Kaines, who have previously joined us on our podcast. Hi, betty and Lori. Hi, how are you doing today? Good, I'm so glad you're here. So, if our listeners don't know you, you were on episodes 66 and 67 with us, which were called Courageous Conversations About Race, and the last time that you were on the podcast you shared about a study that the lead team had done around the sin of racism, and then that was kind of the outline for our podcast. But I realized that when we did that podcast we didn't really take the time to talk much about what that came out of or what that has led to, and so part of that is that you both are part of the racial justice team here at Hope right, and so I was wondering if you would each share a little bit about it, about what that is and why you are a part of it.

Speaker 3:

So our team, our racial justice team, really started as a sub-team of Hope's lead team. We were exploring the question what can Hope Church do to end the sin of racism? And that is a good question and a big question. So it's also I was happy to serve and continue to be happy to serve with this particular sub-team because that's a question that's been on my heart personally for a while. You know, I believe that God calls us in the Bible over and over to seek social justice, to take action, and I see this issue of racism as maybe one of the most, maybe the most important issue in America. So it's been a joy to serve with Betty and with Jamie and with Lauren two other members of the team and basically we're now looking for opportunities throughout the church to have conversations about race and then to come together and take action.

Speaker 4:

I'm currently serving on lead team and I'm also as part of the team. I'm also on staff parish and, of course, on the racial justice team doing to get their input and their suggestions and also to encourage them to do some of the training along with us lead team and has since grown out of that and is becoming maybe part of more of our larger community here at Hope and Betty.

Speaker 2:

You're kind of a liaison now between the two. I love that, and so something that has come out of that is that you both were a part of a book club here at Hope. You are a part of a book club, it's not over, it's still going on, and that book club is called the Seek Justice Book Club, correct? Yes, and so how has it been going? Tell us about the book club. What have you read? What have you learned? Share with us.

Speaker 3:

The book club was the idea of one of our racial justice team members, Lauren Grace Bond, and it's actually. She had that on her heart for a while and when she realized we had a racial justice team here at Hope, she approached us and said can I facilitate a book club? And we said yes, and we'll also ask you to join the team. She's just full of so many good ideas. So over four months in the spring we read four different books on the topic of justice, and one is Generous Justice by Pastor Timothy Keller.

Speaker 3:

That was really an introduction and a walk through the Bible. And then Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, which was a look at poverty and the criminal justice system, and how to Be an Antiracist by Dr Ibram X Kendi, and that was an in-depth study of slavery, the history of slavery, and then racism in America today. And then the book we've just completed was the Sum of Us by Heather McGee, which for me I see as a book of hope for the future. It was well attended. We had incredible conversations. Everyone came willing to speak, to listen. They wanted to talk about race and racism, and I think that's true of Americans more broadly. They want to know about it and they want to know how to eliminate it.

Speaker 4:

And Lori and I both were participants. So even though, we were on the team. We were there to just participate in the courageous conversations.

Speaker 2:

And.

Speaker 4:

I thought that it went really well and people were open to share, to ask questions and to talk about what they can do next.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'm so glad that it's been going well. I love that. You just said that, betty, that it you're not there to like, stand in front of others and and just talk at them or even facilitate that. It's a. It's a dialogue between everyone in a conversation. Anyone that is there is is part of the conversation, and I love that there's this safe space that you've created to do that for people that are wanting to do that.

Speaker 2:

I think sometimes I would say that many people that I talk to it's um, it's something we all want to talk about and sometimes finding the place to start doing it, and so I love that this exists, and so if anybody is listening and is interested in it and they can reach out to us and we can point them toward you to come to book club, um, and so those are some things that the team has been doing, and one other thing that we had talked about that was what we're going to do today on the podcast is um. We're always trying to find ways to help our community um grow and learn and be more educated around the topic of, of racial justice and our history, and so today we're going to talk about Juneteenth, which is a holiday that is coming up on June 19th, and so I was wondering we're going to kind of start with the background history of the holiday. I think, betty, you're going to start us off with that.

Speaker 4:

Yes, so Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. It's celebrated annually on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st 1863, declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. However, it took over two years for the news to reach enslaved African Americans in Galveston, texas. On June 19, 1865, union General Gorton Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the end of slavery. General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the end of slavery, effectively emancipating the remaining enslaved individuals in Texas. This momentous event became known as Juneteenth, a combination of June and 19th.

Speaker 2:

Tell us more about how Juneteenth went from this first finding out about freedom to when it first happened, to how it became something that is marked as a holiday every year.

Speaker 4:

Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, dedicated her life to raising awareness about the holiday and its historical significance by embarking on a mission to make Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday, walking symbolically from her home in Fort Worth, texas, to Washington DC in 2016, at age 89, to deliver a petition to the White House.

Speaker 2:

So I was so excited by this that you shared this with me before we when we were putting this podcast together, betty, just because my mind was blown by this woman that at 89 did this walk. And then the first thing that came to my mind was like, well, how far is that right? So this morning, before we recorded, I looked up like how far does it from Fort Worth, texas, to Washington DC? I put it into Google Maps and Google Maps told me that it would take me 19 hours and 53 minutes to drive there, let alone to walk. There would take 511 hours or 21 days, and that is a distance of 1400 miles.

Speaker 2:

And I also learned that every year the african-american museum of dallas does a 2.5 mile walk to recognize the two and a half years it took for the news of freedom to reach the enslaved people of texas. Um, and part of that like a place where I read that was that it's called the opal lee. Walk in it and you get to, you walk with Opal Lee that she is now 97 years old and she does this walk every year as a way of continuing to advocate for this holiday. And I just was so moved by someone's persistence in promoting freedom and good, even at 97, it made me feel like, okay, still got a lot to do. I can still do that when I'm 97, you know so. And she looks wonderful.

Speaker 4:

Yes, she looks great.

Speaker 2:

Yes, she does, and so she, as you shared, has been advocating for this for a long time. But when did Juneteenth become an official federal holiday?

Speaker 4:

when did Juneteenth become an official federal holiday? Okay, juneteenth had gained increasing recognition and support at both the local and national levels before it became a national holiday In 2021,. Juneteenth was officially declared a federal holiday in the United States. Juneteenth is an occasion to honor the past, address present challenges and strive for a more inclusive and equitable future. It stands as a momentous celebration of freedom and resilience of the African American community.

Speaker 2:

And with a holiday like this, I think it's so important not to just know the history that you guys have both just shared with us, but also it's an opportunity for us to continue to educate ourselves.

Speaker 4:

Yes, it offers an opportunity to educate and raise awareness about the history of slavery, the struggles endured by African Americans and the ongoing fight against systemic racism. Americans and the ongoing fight against systemic racism. Juneteenth empowers individuals to engage in conversations, advocate for equality and work towards creating a more just society. It has become an occasion to honor our ancestors, recognize their sacrifices and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans to our nation.

Speaker 2:

Betty, you had mentioned when we were talking that one of your passions is educating others about accomplishments of Black Americans, and so I was wondering you had shared a little bit with me about there's some kids books that you like or you want to say more about that.

Speaker 4:

Yes, there are some wonderful children's books, and one of the ones that stood out to me is the one called ABCs of Juneteenth, and the book actually teaches children how to learn their ABCs, but then they apply those alphabets to Juneteenth terms.

Speaker 2:

I love that.

Speaker 4:

And it's for children of all ages and so if you have young children, check out that book. And then there are also books that generally elementary, middle school, that talks about the history, but in a child's language, so that they understand what the holiday really means and what the background really means and what it, what the background is for it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love, I love things like that. I'm just as a as a parent. I love getting to do things like that with my son, because I learn also while I'm reading these things with him, like if I were to read the ABCs book, right, like it's not just teaching my kid language, but it's teaching me language. And something that I love about that is what I love for him is that my hope is that these things become part of his language now, at such a young age where, for me, I feel like I'm playing catch up sometimes of trying to learn now, at 35, these things to be part of my everyday conversations.

Speaker 2:

So, I love that. So we've talked a lot about the facts of the holiday, the history of the holiday, ways that we honor it, what it means. But I was also wondering if each of you would be willing to share some personal reflections of either what it is meant to you to learn about this holiday or what it means to celebrate it, just anything on a personal level.

Speaker 3:

I think for me, learning about Juneteenth as we prepared to talk about it was a personal education. I didn't learn about Juneteenth in school. We didn't have Juneteenth celebrations when I was growing up, and this just highlighted for me the fact that you know history is most often told by the people who are in charge of telling it, the people who have the power to tell it, and so for most of American history that's been white people. But it makes me happy that you know fast forwarding. Now I can learn about these things, these things are so important for us to know.

Speaker 3:

This is American history. They're not just black history, and I can now look at it and see not just the deep sorrow experienced as a result of slavery, but the joy and hope that comes from these celebrations.

Speaker 4:

And for some of us, including myself, we were not taught about Juneteenth. We didn't hear about it, we didn't celebrate it. I'm from a very small community in Alabama and community so small that you can count the number of people and we never heard anything about this. And so then we moved to New York and then to New Jersey and during all of that time I knew nothing about Juneteenth until recently and, I would probably say, when it became a national holiday.

Speaker 4:

And so now, of course that we do know and we've done our homework and we continue to research it and find out where the activities are. We're going to participate in the activities and we're also going to start including it as part of our own family celebrations right in the backyard with, you know, the barbecue and family discussions and all of those things, and we're really excited to know about that. So, even though I have a slight bit of sadness within me that I didn't know until now, it's never too late. So I'm embracing it and we're sharing it with others and we're hoping that those of you who are like me, who did not know that, you're happy to know it now. And now we're going to become a part of celebrating and reminding ourselves of the struggles of our ancestors and all that they did to get us where we are today, and that we still have much work to do.

Speaker 3:

I had a conversation yesterday with a dear friend and if not for looking at this issue and preparing for the podcast, I wouldn't have brought it up. But I asked Barbara, who grew up in Philadelphia and spent most of her career in New York, do you know about it? And she didn't. She had no idea. I said but didn't your dad come from the South? I mean, didn't he come from North Carolina? And he did, but the same thing. It wasn't something. But now she's excited to celebrate it.

Speaker 3:

So we'll just continue to spread the word yeah, no, I love I love that you shared.

Speaker 2:

You know, there's obviously like a grief there of I, I didn't know this, that I could celebrate this, and then how that also propels someone forward to to then let others know and so that we everyone can be celebrating, um, and that kind of. That kind of touches on what you both said about that. There are maybe some misconceptions around the holiday, like you said, lori, that you just assumed that your friend knew about it and celebrated it right. And so, as with so much of black history, unfortunately we know that as a society we have missed the mark and, as we've already talked about, that often those in power and with privilege are the ones that tell our history and tell our stories, whether or not it is the correct story, and so it matters to recognize and correct those misconceptions wherever we can. And so I know you both have a few myths and misconceptions to share with us about how we maybe get this wrong wrong.

Speaker 3:

Well, I was reading an article in the New York Times and a gentleman named Sam Collins, an African-American who has spent his entire life in Galveston, texas, and who is the co-chair and president of the nonprofit group the Juneteenth Legacy Project, and he shared what he thought was a misconception about Juneteenth, and I'll quote him Juneteenth was recognized as a state holiday in 1980 in Texas, but our families have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1866. I think what is so often lost is the story of the ancestors and elders that kept this history going by acknowledging the day even when the larger society wouldn't acknowledge it. Juneteenth didn't become important because it became a national. Juneteenth didn't become important because it became a national holiday, and it didn't become important in 2020, after the unfortunate murder of George Floyd. It has always been important to the former enslaved and their descendants, and that just really resonated with me that we can't forget the people who lived this story and forget the people who lived this story?

Speaker 4:

Yes, and I would like to add that, though, the holiday is marked by various activities such as parades, picnics, musical performances, historical reenactments, educational events, fostering a sense of community unity and pride, but Juneteenth is also a reminder of the strength, the trauma and the sacrifices that our ancestors endured. So we want to honor the legacy of our ancestors, we want to look at the cultural richness and the resilience of the African-American community, but we still have a long way to go in achieving true freedom and equality and social justice. So we, as Lori and I have said in many of our talks and presentations with others, this is just the beginning and we want to ask you what actions will you take? What will you do? And it can be something very small, it doesn't have to be something enormous, but just get started. And so that's where we are.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, I love. I mean, I love that you say that, Betty, because I know and we talked about, we'll share in our show notes that that there are lots of in our local community in South Jersey. There is a lot of different events going on and and, and Laura, you had mentioned to me that the Courier Post had a list, and so we'll share all those in our show notes. If people are looking for ways to go out and to celebrate, and also if that feels not possible or feels maybe overwhelming to have to go out and do things that I know, Betty, you had before we had recorded, you had been kind of talking with me about even the small things you can do, like cooking a meal while you're cooking a meal, or do you want to say more about that? Like, what are the small things you can also do?

Speaker 4:

Yes, so I'm saying that especially on Juneteenth, but any other day actually you can, you know, add to your meal an-American food, have your children participate in preparing that with you, and you can talk about what the food is or what that meal includes, and so on. So there are all kinds of small ways that you can begin to talk about Juneteenth. Celebrate Juneteenth with your children, with your family. Juneteenth celebrate Juneteenth with your children, with your family. And so also, while you're cooking or at any other time, you can play music, and Ashley has a couple of I did so when we were talking about this podcast.

Speaker 2:

You all you brought a lot to it, and the thing that I was able to bring was I had said that there's a really moving worship album, I think, by the band Maverick City, called Jubilee Juneteenth edition. That came out in 2021. And I personally have learned so much from it. I feel like I learn a lot through music and through artists, and so I just wanted to include that as another tool to to grow and to learn and to immerse yourself in this type of celebration to grow and to learn and to immerse yourself in this type of celebration. There's also another album that came to mind by a group called the Porter's Gate, called Justice Songs, and that one is not only Juneteenth specific but, like you said, it's not just something you can do on June 19th, it is something you can do any day of the year and at any time, and so those were two that came to mind and I know, in a similar way, we're talking about different artists, there's a poet named Amanda Gorman that you have a quote by her that you wanted to share.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yes. So Amanda Gorman, in reflecting on Juneteenth in an interview on NPR in 2022, said we are celebrating African-American liberty, but a liberty that has typically come to lead, a liberty that was not promised, but something that we continually have to fight for, including today Enjoy some foods, either celebrate at home with family or go out to an event, but then remember that this, this is not promised. We must continue. Continue to preserve the history and to take next steps.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love that. The words that you just used, lori, you said, like this is not promised, but that there is. Like, as you know, this is the podcast is we talk about is a conversations about hope and faith, and for me, this is not promised, but that there is. Like, as you know, this is the podcast is we talk about is a conversation about hope and faith, and for me, this is really a conversation about hope and faith, but hope that we can keep having hope that that freedom and justice and equality for everyone is possible, and and so, as we close out, is there anything else that you want to share?

Speaker 4:

close out. Is there anything else that you want to share? It's that. You know, we recognize that most people are very busy with their schedules, their lives and so many things going on, but these kinds of things can be just small steps and we believe in at least taking a small step. So that's why we were recommending that some of the ideas that we had about, you know, cooking, of food, but also remember that you can read a book to your children.

Speaker 4:

Choose a book about African Americans or how really we're alike in so many ways that maybe we don't even consider. Just share those things with each other while you're sitting around the table or sitting on your sofas. If you're going to watch a movie, choose one that has African-Americans in it. It doesn't have to be totally African-American, but that they're participating and just living whatever. So just normal everyday things Get started. Just normal everyday things get started. And just before you know it, you know we're gonna all have wonderful conversations, getting to know each other, and that's what we've been talking about over time with our justice team is that having the conversations are important, getting to know the stories of other people, and so on.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Thank you both for doing this today, for helping us to learn and grow so that we can be individuals and a community that seeks to be more like Jesus, which is what it's all about, right, and so we feel that these things line up with that, so that's why we're talking about them today. So if anyone listening has any questions, feel free to reach out to us. You can email us at podcast, at meethopeorg, and we can point you to Lori, or to Betty, or to the racial justice team, or to book club. Book club is continuing, yes.

Speaker 3:

It is continuing, it's broadening. For the fall it's going to be talking about justice issues, not just racial justice issues, but then in the spring, I believe, we'll be coming back and focusing on racial justice.

Speaker 2:

That's wonderful, and so, yeah, just thank you both for being on today and encouraging us in our Juneteenth celebrations. Thank you.

Speaker 4:

Ashley for having us. This is wonderful, Ashley, it was great. Thank you for the opportunity.

Speaker 3:

Can't wait to catch up with everyone and find out what they did for Juneteenth.

Speaker 2:

Yes, please let us know. Well, until next time, we are the Mean Hope Podcast and we will see you then.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for being a part of the Hope Community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at Meet Hope Church.