Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, which is when enslaved African Americans in  Galveston, Texas were finally told that the Emancipation Proclamation of two years prior had freed them.¹https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth. As a Black woman living in 2025, Juneteenth provides space for me to slow down and reflect on what this day means for my community, both the sorrows and the joys: 

• I sorrow at the many forms of abuse my ancestors suffered emotionally, physically, spiritually, and in every other facet of their lives. 
  • But I also rejoice as I think about that victorious moment of hearing “You are free!” 
• I sorrow at the many ways the Black community is still carrying generational trauma. 
  • But I also rejoice as I think about Yeshua’s faithfulness to the Black community and his commitment to see us living whole and free.

In chapters 3-4 of Joshua, great detail is given as to how the Israelites established a memorial before the Lord as they crossed through the river Jordan as a free people. Here’s the key passage from chapter 4: 

“…In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:7-8)

The Israelites purposely created a memorial that would honor the Lord whenever future generations looked upon those stones. In memorializing the miraculous work of God, they would also have to acknowledge the uglier side of the blessing–forty years of wilderness wandering due to their own hardness of heart and stubborn unrepentance. Acknowledging the prior events before their river Jordan crossing doesn’t take away from the move of God–it makes God’s interjection in their lives all the more glorious. Likewise, the entire body of Christ has an opportunity to reflect and rejoice with the Black community on Juneteenth about how God’s presence interrupted the flow of hatred and dehumanization in America: For all are free when we acknowledge the past and submit to the transformative power of Yeshua’s love.

I rejoice as I think about Yeshua's faithfulness to the Black community and his commitment to see us living whole and free. Share on X

I praise God for his continued faithfulness to bring healing and restoration to the Black community. I also have a renewed sense of hope that the same God who was faithful in 1865 is still faithful in 2025. I know that he will continue to heal the entire body of Christ as we walk in repentance and seek restoration from the continued effects of systemic racism within our churches and society. 

The following poem is penned towards those within the Black community as a means of reflection and refreshment, particularly in light of the celebration of Juneteenth. However, these words are also invitational to every person willing to partner with the Spirit of God to reflect, lament, rejoice, and move forward towards complete racial reconciliation.²Author Note: My hope for this piece is that it’ll get past people’s offense and cause them to seek out more info regarding racism in the church/America. Whereas people might take offense to the idea of “reparations,” the idea of “racial reconciliation” may not be as triggering. I desire to protect the Black community from getting lost in all the back-and-forth that often involves these sorts of racial conversations. ~Joylanda // Editorial Note: We co-sign and support Joylanda’s desire here, particularly on Juneteenth. ~CK

This poem is entitled, “Stones of Remembrance.” Please read the poem in columns from left to right, top to bottom.

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*Editorial Note: For a deeper look into the historical and spiritual significance of Juneteenth, the documentary Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom was created by Voices, from Our Daily Bread Ministries. The documentary is below. ~CK

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Every person who is willing is invited to partner with the Spirit of God to reflect, lament, rejoice, and move forward towards complete racial reconciliation. Share on X