06/19/2026
A Prayer for Juneteenth:
God of freedom, you have made your faithfulness known from generation to generation. We celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the announcement in Texas on June 19, 1865, of the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Let us reflect on the jubilation that filled the hearts of women and men of African descent as they learned of their deliverance from the bo***ge of slavery, even as we mourn that the true promise freedom has yet to be fulfilled.
We pray now for all whose lives have been traumatized and remain threatened by the legacy of slavery and institutional racism in our nation. As people of hope, we know that the arc of history is long and that it bends toward justice. Help us to commit to the work of ending racism by building the beloved community where all are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character; in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
(from The Washington National Cathedral)
