In his book How the Word Is Passed, Clint Smith travels to Galveston Island, the origin of the Juneteenth holiday, to observe their annual celebration. He watches as a local man, dressed as Union General Gordon Granger, reads the proclamation from June 19, 1865, declaring the end of slavery. Smith writes,
"All slaves are free. The four words circled the room like birds that had been separated from their flock. I watched people's faces as Stephen said these words. Some closed their eyes. Some were physically shaking. Some clasped hands with the person next to them. Some simply smiled, soaking in the words that their ancestors may have heard more than a century and a half ago. Being in this place, standing on the same small island where the freedom of a quarter million people was proclaimed, I felt the history pulse through my body."
We invite you to explore the history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans in our region and our nation.
By William Starks
I've been hearing a lot of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or D.E.I., initiatives lately. Some people and organizations confuse or equate equity with equality. Equity and equality are two different things.
Equity is so much more than equality. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are all good pursuits and goals, but they only really treat the symptoms of the racial issues we face. Laws can be put in place to address equality (equal rights), diversity (desegregation), and inclusion (voting rights), but black Americans and other people of color are still treated like unwanted guests in someone else's house.
Celebrate Women's History Month by getting to know Civil Rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer.
Fannie Lou Hamer was born on October 6, 1917, in Mississippi, to a family of sharecroppers. She was the youngest of twenty children, and she started picking cotton at age 6. Fannie Lou loved reading and learning, but she had to leave school at age 12 to help support the family. Because of her academic skills, as an adult she worked as time and record keeper on the plantation where she sharecropped. In this position, she saw that the owner was using unfair scales to cheat her fellow workers. Whenever possible, she substituted her own fair scale to weigh the cotton brought in. She met and married her husband on this same plantation.
On February 4, 2022, beloved children's artist and writer Ashley Bryan died at the age of 98. As a child growing up in the Bronx, Ashley loved to draw, and his teachers encouraged his gift. When high school came to a close, his teachers helped him to assemble a portfolio and apply for a scholarship to an art school.
He was very discouraged when he was rejected for scholarships because he was black, despite an outstanding portfolio. Then he discovered that Cooper Union had a blind application process, and he was awarded a full scholarship.
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How did faith in Jesus embolden three African Americans in their quest for freedom? Take ten minutes to watch this animated series and learn how The Reader, The Servant, and The Hymnist lived out their faith. Can you guess who they are before the end of the video?
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As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior, during this Advent season, we'd like to invite you to revisit a sermon from a few years ago. Pastor Colin Robeson preached on a part of the Christmas story that is often overlooked in Matthew 2:13-18. After the Magi visit Jesus, they go home by a different route. The Holy Family, warned in a dream, flee as refugees to Egypt, while Herod commands the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem two years and under. Why does Matthew include this story?
It's that time of year when you may be looking for Christmas gifts for family and friends or maybe a few ideas for your own wishlist. Check out our list of racial justice-themed gift ideas from members of the J&RR Team!
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