Juneteenth Marks a Holiday and a Wake-Up Call

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH

All of God’s Creation

Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, June 14, 2026

In 2019, Pennsylvania established Juneteenth (June 19), the day marking the legal end of enslavement of Black people in the United States, as a state holiday.

This year, “as the U.S. commemorates Juneteenth, the nation also prepares to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. While the Declaration of Independence states, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’ enslavement did not end in this country until 1865, 89 years after the signing of this founding document of the U.S. 

Since the first Juneteenth, significant legal and cultural changes, including the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, have sought to address lingering injustices for Black Americans and historically excluded people. And yet, in recent years, the U.S. has witnessed judicial and legislative actions that threaten civil rights, racial justice, and the pursuit of liberty for all. At this significant moment for our nation, how should we both celebrate our nation’s founding and the progress we’ve made, and still remember the history, address the pain, and act to secure justice and freedom for all Americans?” (Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown University, 6/4/26)

Recent efforts to remove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives from educational institutions, to ban certain books in public schools that speak to a diverse population, and the removal of  historical information in public parks serve to represent our history from an exclusive viewpoint. 

But our faith teaches that we are one and that we benefit by celebrating the stories, history, and perspectives of each other. As rational thinking beings, we are free to accept or reject history’s stories or other perspectives, but we must be able to hear them first.

Efforts are also ongoing to restrict voter registration. “After more than a decade of assaults on the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court has knocked down the law’s last remaining pillar. Louisiana v. Callais… effectively eliminated protections against lawmakers drawing racially discriminatory voting district maps, claiming that racial disparities in voting are no longer a problem. But the most recent presidential elections show that the turnout gap between white and nonwhite voters is widening.”  (Brennan Center for Justice, 5/14/26)

“While our communities have celebrated Juneteenth for more than 150 years, this holiday is not just a moment in Black history — it is central to American history. It is a chance to reflect on the resilience of our ancestors and how freedom has been delayed in the past and present. It is a moment to recommit ourselves to the continued struggle for liberation, justice, and equality in this country.” (Color of Change, 6/4/26)

“Because, as history keeps reminding us, the moment we stop pushing upward is the moment gravity starts pulling us down.” (Phillip Atiba Solomon, TIME, 5/12/26)

Comments on this column may be directed to the Social Justice Committee at socialjustice@holycrossphl.org.  To access current and past columns and to act on any of the topics via clickable links, go to holycrossphl.org and click on Social Justice Committee – Stewards of Our Earth.