It’s a sobering reality we still face today in our nation that a holiday like Juneteenth can stir up discomfort in the hearts of some Americans. And yet, I believe that unease often points to a deeper misunderstanding of what this day truly represents.We rejoice every year on the Fourth of July, celebrating America’s independence with fireworks, flags, and patriotic pride. But there’s an overlooked truth hidden behind that red, white, and blue. When those words “all men are created equal” were written in the Declaration of Independence, there were 500,000 people who were still living in chains as slaves in this nation. That represented one out of every five people in this country at that time. Take a moment and let that sink in.While a nation declared its freedom, it did so while denying freedom to hundreds of thousands living within its own borders. Even some of the very men who signed the document proclaiming liberty, owned slaves. On one hand, declaring liberty and on the other hand denying it. The irony is impossible to ignore.Eighty-seven years later, on January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for all enslaved people. The news of that freedom did not reach the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865, a day we now celebrate as Juneteenth. For a moment, put yourself in the position of those slaves and imagine what it must have felt like to know you are no longer slaves but are now free.As we celebrate the freedom declared on Juneteenth, we must also be honest about the world we live in today. Yes, we have made progress, but the journey isn’t over. Inequality still lingers, and words you thought could bring us together, like diversity and inclusion, are now controversial and drive us apart. That’s a clear sign there’s still work to do.So, while Juneteenth should be a day of celebration, it should also be a reminder to pray. Let’s pray that the truths we declared when we wrote that all men are created equal, would move from historical ideals to a reality that everyone in our country can experience. That’s why I share with you today eight prayers to pray on Juneteenth.Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Igor Alecsander
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