“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”- Luke 4:18–19

At 89, a retired educator and counselor became one of the leading activists who established Juneteenth as a national holiday in the United States. Known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Mrs. Opal Lee walked halfway across the country to cement the international holiday of Juneteenth within the public historical didactic of the American independence story.

The story of Juneteenth begins during the Civil War, in which the Southern states seceded from the Union, starting with South Carolina after the election of President Abraham Lincoln. To preserve the way of the South through the economic exploitation of chattel slavery, the newly seceded states formed a national government apart from the United States of America known as the Confederate States of America, which includes the following states alongside South Carolina: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America. On April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the Confederate troops catapulted the two divided governments into what is known as the American Civil War, which started because of slavery, the egregious violation of greed, racial inequality, and dehumanization of the enslaved Africans who built America in chains since 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia.

On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, an Executive Order that freed over 3.5 million enslaved African Americans within the Confederate states, promising to “recognize and maintain the freedom” of those who would be liberated on January 1, 1863. The night of December 31, 1865, known as Freedom Eve, the origins of the “Watch Night” services were established as soon-to-be free African Americans filled this night with worship, prayer, and thanksgiving to God for the freedom that was coming in the morning. For the enslaved African Americans, this freedom was not merely political but the Divine intervention in human history that brought justice, liberation, and jubilant outcries.

“I been preachin’ the Gospel and farmin’ since slavery time. … When I starts preachin’ I couldn’t read or write and had to preach what massa told me and he say tell them n — iffen they obeys the massa they goes to Heaven, but I knowed there’s something better for them, but daren’t tell them ’cept on the sly. That I done lots. I tell ’em iffen they keeps prayin’ the Lord will set ’em free.” — Anderson Edwards, Texas preacher who was once enslaved

Before this season of freedom, the enslaved African Americans were caring for their souls through what Dr. Albert Raboteau would called the “invisible institution”. Within the invisible institution, the enslaved were free to worship, preach, and prayer in their own way amid the “dangers of holding religious meetings with the threats of being whipped if discovered by the white slave masters”. For their hope for freedom was found in God as Wash Wilson, a former enslaved man in Louisiana, would recall whenever there was a secret meeting the spiritual, “Steal Away to Jesus” would be sung by the enslaved.

“De masters … didn’t like dem ’ligious meetin’s, so us natcherly slips off at night, down in de bottoms or somewhere. Sometimes us sing and pray all night.”- Wash Wilson, a Louisianan who was once enslaved

The state of Texas, however, refused to release slaves until two and a half years after the Lincolnian Emancipation Proclamation. Texas had very few Union troops when the Executive Order of Freedom was issued. Hence, the troops were unable to carry it out. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Northern Virginia army at Appomattox Court House to Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant. The following month, the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, was captured. Yet the news of the conclusion to the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation did not affect the state of Texas, yet. On June 5, 1865, the 25th Army Corps captured Galveston, Texas, before Major General Gordon Granger arrived. With Union Major General Granger’s arrival and his six thousand troops, including four thousand African American soldiers, the words of freedom were announced to 250,000 enslaved African Americans at the Ashton Villa in the form of General Order №3.

“The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, become that between employer and hired labor. The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” — General Order №3

The news of freedom, at last, led the newly freed to leave the plantations of bondage for the quest for reconciliation with the family members in the nearby states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The migration from Galveston to Houston, Texas, resulted in a transfer from the brush harbors of worship to an edifice of worship. Houston’s oldest African American church, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, is in Buffalo Bayou. Baptist Hill was formed by the African American community in Houston, Texas. The first known celebration of Juneteenth took place on January 1, 1866, which started with a meeting at the Ashton Villa in Galveston while the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud, followed by a procession to Methodist Episcopal South, now known as Reedy Chapel AME Church, for public prayer, worship, thanksgiving to God who emancipated them from chattel slavery.

“The colored people of Galveston celebrated their emancipation from slavery yesterday by a procession. Notwithstanding the storm some eight hundred or a thousand men, women and children took part in the demonstration. The procession was orderly and creditable to those participating in it. A meeting was held in the colored Church, on Broadway [present day Reedy Chapel], at which addresses were delivered by a number of speakers, among whom was Gen. Gregory, Assistant Commissioner of Freedmen. The General gave them a great deal of good, plain advice, which, if they follow, will redown to their well being and prosperity. The Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln was read. The singing, John Brown’s body lies mouldering in the ground, was also a part of the programme. So far as we observed there was no interference nor any improper conduct on the part of spectators.” — Flake’s Bulletin, 2 January 1866

There are many nicknames for Juneteenth, but one of the earliest was Jubilee Day. Jubilee Day was derived from the biblical Year of Jubilee festival found in Leviticus 25. Upon the fiftieth year, the Year of Jubilee would be celebrated by forgiven debts, freedom of Israelite indentured servants, and tribal land restitution. In Luke 4, Jesus declares the fulfillment of this year of Jubilee found in Isaiah 61. Because of Jesus, we can experience the Kingdom of God’s liberating, cleansing, and regenerating Good News and its application presently and in corridors of history.

“Black Texans were determined, despite the early intimidating anger of Whites, to celebrate what initially was called Emancipation Day, most of the first celebrations were in churches.”- Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed, On Juneteenth

Nine African American parishioners purchased land to move Antioch from the bayou to dry land. They installed Rev. John “Henry” Yates as the first pastor. Rev. Yates advocated and exhorted the Black community of Houston upon principles of self-determination to be owners of their own businesses, lands, households, and generational destiny through educational pursuits. In 1872, Rev. Yates, Bishop Richard Allen, Richard Brock, David Elias Dibble, and Black Houstonians purchased a shared space for festivals such as Juneteenth within the community in the Third Ward known as Emancipation Park.

“Skills of art, life, beauty, and family crushed by the forces we knew nothing of, we rose.”- Kristina Kay

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church formed the Colored People’s Festival and the Emancipation Park Association during the Reconstruction. Juneteenth celebrations included rodeos, fishing, barbecuing, and drinking strawberry soda. There’s the commemoration of the newly emancipated casting their enslavement clothes into the creeks and rivers and gracing themselves with the clothes of the former masters. In 1898 in Mexia, Texas, Booker T. Washington Park became the Juneteenth celebration site.

Lord God of Hosts, on the anniversary of our freedom from slavery, we know that we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13)

The Emancipation Proclamation freed African slaves in the United States on New Year’s Day in 1863. But actual freedom for the last slaves did not come until a June day two and a half years later. This Juneteenth milestone reminds us of the triumph of the human spirit. — African American Heritage Hymnal, Emancipation Day

At the beginning of the 20th century, Juneteenth observance began to lessen. As July 4th continues to symbolize American independence and patriotism, Juneteenth’s festival traditions and history were lost among the youth due to the absence of attention in the public school curriculum. The Great Depression forced many African Americans to seek employment in the metropolis rather than on farms. Businesses did not grant time off for Juneteenth celebrations as they had in previous years on the farms.

The idea that young people’s struggles for racial equality are connected to historical racial equality efforts that were fought before them, like the Atlanta civil rights protest with activists wearing Juneteenth buttons, however, helped revive Juneteenth during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1968, the Poor People’s March, led by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, rallied people of all ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic statuses to support the poor in Washington, DC. Afterward, celebrations for Juneteenth expanded to parts of the country, such as Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us always, as you were with Benjamin Quarles.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 translated into law most of the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, protecting all citizens from racial segregation and discrimination. Let us remain ever vigilant in our commitment to proactive citizenship. — African American Heritage Hymnal, Emancipation Day

On January 1, 1980, the state of Texas recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday because of the advocacy of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. In 2014, Texas Historical Commission placed a historical marker that commemorates the announcement of freedom on Juneteenth. On June 17, 2021, because of the activism of Mrs. Opal Lee, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr signed into law the bill that established Juneteenth National Independence Day.

“Juneteenth signifies the fact that freedom and liberation is both behind and ahead of us.” — J. Kameron Carter

Let us continue the legacy of prayer, worship, thanksgiving, and social and civil activism that reverence the God who was sought by these African and African American ancestors who were enslaved and free at last! Happy Juneteenth!

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About Ty Hamer

I’m Ty Hamer, a native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, and a recent Fayetteville State University graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. I am pursuing a Master of Divinity degree specializing in pastoral studies at the M. Christopher White School of Divinity on the Gardner-Webb University campus. I started in the preaching ministry in May 2016 at Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where I was an associate minister. 

Source:

‌Berry, Rasool. 2022. “For Christians, Juneteenth Is a Time of Jubilee.” Christianity Today. June 16, 2022. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/june-web-only/juneteenth-history-slavery-freedom-jubilee-church-faith.html.

‌Crawford, Christian. n.d. “Freedom and the Black Church on Juneteenth | the Witness.” Accessed June 16, 2023. https://thewitnessbcc.com/freedom-and-the-black-church-on-juneteenth/.

Galveston History. 2023. “Juneteenth and General Orders, №3.” Galveston Historical Foundation. June 5, 2023. https://www.galvestonhistory.org/news/juneteenth-and-general-order-no-3.

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom | A Documentary from @ourdailybread Voices Collection. 2022.

“Juneteenth Resources Www.discipleshomemissions.org/ Disciples Home Missions.” n.d. Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2017-Juneteenth.pdf.

‌“Today in History — June 19.” n.d. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/june-19/.

Washington, Eric. 2020. “Juneteenth Was an Answer to Centuries of Prayer.” Christianity Today. June 19, 2020. https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2020/june/juneteenth-answered-prayer-slavery-emancipation.html.

“What Is Juneteenth? — Juneteenth World Wide Celebration.” n.d. Juneteenth.com. Accessed June 16, 2023. https://www.juneteenth.com/history/.