Juneteenth Resources

Juneteenth (June 19th) is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in America. Following the Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863, many slave owners in remote areas withheld the news from those they had enslaved to prevent them from escaping. It wasn't until June 19, 1865, that the last enslaved individuals in America were freed when this crucial news finally reached Confederate Galveston, Texas. Since then, the Juneteenth celebration has been held to honor the African Americans who helped build this nation.

This year, our theme is "Living the Story of Freedom." We encourage all houses of worship to embrace this theme in a way that resonates with your community. The FVRJ leaders have also crafted a Unity Prayer for Faith Communities in Celebration of Juneteenth, titled "Living the Story of Freedom," and we hope you will incorporate it into your faith community settings.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Children's Resources by FVRJ team member Jean Swenson

Iowa Juneteenth

Des Moines Public Library

Beloved Community Initiative

Colours of Us - Juneteenth

Juneteenth Learning for All Ages

ELCA liturgical Resource

United Methodist Juneteenth Resource

Catholic Health Association

-- Equity Reflection – It's In Your Hands, Honoring Fannie Lou Hamer (video)

-- Advocating For Change (document)

-- Juneteenth Prayer Service (document)

-- Juneteenth Prayer

Reform Judaism

Communion Liturgy - General Commission on Religion and Race