Juneteenth (June 19) marks the day in 1865 when U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure all African Americans were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. The date is now a federal holiday. 

Education: What is Juneteenth?

• United Methodists celebrate Juneteenth (2022, umc.org)
• Juneteenth celebrates freedom from slavery (2021, umc.org, but has nice art)
• Juneteenth: Hope for the future wrapped in a history lesson (2022, umc.org, video)
• The History of Juneteenth (2023, moumethodist.org)
• What is Juneteenth? (2020, Wesley Brothers)
• Juneteenth Reading List (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

How to Commemorate

• Juneteenth is both a cause for celebration and a call to action (2022, opinion piece in Duke Divinity Faith and Leadership column)
• 6 Ways White People Can Observe Juneteenth (R2 Hub)
• Juneteenth: A Day On, Not a Day Off (umcjustice.org)
• Juneteenth Digital Toolkit (National Museum of African American History and Culture)
• Juneteenth-inspired playlist (2022, moumethodist.org)

Worship

• Great Thanksgiving (Juneteenth) (R2 Hub)
• Juneteenth Day Worship Resources (2010, UMC Discipleship Ministries)
• Racial Justice Prayer & Action Challenge (2022, R2 Hub)

Appropriate songs include:

• "Freedom Is Coming" (The Faith We Sing, 2192)
• "O, Freedom" (The Faith We Sing, 2194)
• "Siyahamba" (The Faith We Sing, 2235)
• "Goodness Is Stronger than Evil" (The Faith We Sing, 2219; Upper Room Worshipbook, 436)
• "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (The United Methodist Hymnal, 519)
• "We Shall Overcome" (The United Methodist Hymnal, 533)

From resourceumc.org, 2020

** Please note: Juneteenth is a holiday for the NIC Conference Staff. The office is not open on this day.