Let us Remember, Reflect, and Rejoice on Freedom Day - Happy Juneteenth!

Dear Friends,

Today, we probably all have meetings or appointments, errands to run and places to be, but let us not put off too long the chance to pause and think about and appreciate what today - Juneteenth - means to and for us all. 

To me, Juneteenth seems in itself to capture some of the many contradictory aspects of being Black in America that we reconcile within ourselves every day: the sorrow and intergenerational trauma of slavery; the unimaginable resilience and perseverance of those who endured it; the intentional and systematic pushing down of people of color every time we raise ourselves up; and the faith and hope that allows us to join together with one another and our allies to still rejoice in God's goodness. 

Juneteenth. What a testament. What a legacy. What "... a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours," as President Barack Obama said in 2015 in marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma march. 

Today, The Obama Presidential Center opens to visitors in Chicago. Reason to rejoice, indeed, as we remember and reflect on this day of great meaning for our people and our nation.

May God Bless those who came before us and may we live our lives in ways that honor their spirits, their struggles, and their successes.

Faithfully,

Helenor