It is important to mark this day four years after it was set as a national holiday. It’s important to remember this year because, as whites, we’re back to some semblance of our “normal” and the maneuvering done to attack “CRT” and “woke” have helped re-establish white comfort. So, Juneteenth rolls around and people are like, “How come the mail’s not running today?”

As Christians, we need to be reminded of the theological significance of this day and not fall into the typical white response (or lack thereof) regarding a day we will surely pass by without noticing or commemorating.

Justin Giboney reminds us of the “ease” to which we have returned:

Justice proponents have been expelled from pulpits and jobs. Calculating political activists have made boogiemen out of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT), fostering fears that too many white evangelicals have used as false justification to reject calls to humility or course correction on race issues from Black siblings in Christ. 

His call is to be reminded of the Christian pastors who were theologically sound and powerful activists of the Civil Rights Movement such as Fred Shuttlesworth. Shuttlesworthy called himself a biblicist and actionist.

We must increase our reliance on the Bible and prayer. Undermining or deconstructing the Word of God in response to toxic evangelicalism is the ultimate cut-your-nose-to-spite-your-face move. The American church’s sins regarding race are a product of its failure to follow the Bible’s mandates, not the consequence of following them too closely. And as actionists, we must apply pressure inside and outside the church to force an acknowledgement of and remedy for historical injustice.

There is a solid theological foundation to remembering Juneteenth and I need this reminder for myself this year.

Juneteenth is worth celebrating not because it signifies the end of suffering and injustice for Black America. While the victory it recalls was late and incomplete, it was a significant accomplishment that revealed God’s will and love for his children. Finding gratitude and joy while awaiting the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises is the definition of faith. Happy Juneteenth!