Dearborn First UMC Offices closed Thursday, June 19, 2025
in honor of this National Holiday
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas, bringing the news that enslaved Black people were free - nearly 2 1/2 years AFTER the signing of the Emancipation Provclamation that outlawed slavery. Juneteenth has also become known as “Freedom Day” - the day when a quarter of a million enslaved Black people learned of their status as free Americans.
It wasn’t until 2021 that President Joseph Biden signed legislation, designating this date as a Federal holiday, thanks to the efforts of Opal Lee, a Black woman from Fort Worth, Texas, who said, “None of us are free until we're all free, and we aren't free yet.”
The struggle for equality and justice—true freedom—continues. Inequity persists.
For this reason, Juneteenth is more than a moment in history - it is the symbol of ongoing injustice that we, as United Methodists, are called to fight for the transformation of the world.
To learn more about Juneteenth and our responsibility as United Methodists, click here.