Today, June 19th, marks the very first time that Juneteenth has been a federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the day that the last enslaved Americans finally learned that they were free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
While Juneteenth becoming a federally-recognized holiday does not solve the underlying issues that still effect the Black community, it is an important step in awareness and understanding. Opal Lee, one of the strongest voices for the creation of Juneteenth as federal holiday explained that one reason why Juneteenth is so important is for education, saying, “I am adamant that the schools teach the truth.”
CNN’s article about Opal Lee from June 17th includes a nice list of four organizations whose missions advance the ideas of equality, freedom, and justice.
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The NAACP Legal Defense Fund was founded under the leadership of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The organization champions racial justice, equality and a more inclusive society. Their scope of impact includes criminal justice, economic justice, and scholarships.
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For more than 100 years, the National Urban League has worked to uplift Black and African Americans through economic empowerment. The organization promotes job readiness training, education, health and wealth opportunities — while defending civil rights. To find an affiliate chapter near you, click here.
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Know Your Rights Camp maintains a legal-defense fund and has teamed up with attorneys nationwide to provide representation to Black and brown people who may be victims of injustice.
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LIVEFREE is a justice-focused organization of faith leaders and their congregants. Two of their initiatives include violence prevention and incarceration reform.
We here at Lutheran Peace Fellowship strongly support equal rights, applaud the work of Opal Lee and so many others to advance this holiday, and encourage our readers to help continue the fight for justice.
Today is a day for celebration, but the work continues.
–Written by Alexandra Winder, June 19, 2021