Juneteenth reminds us that freedom must be actively protected to survive
VALLEY FORGE, PA (06/16/2026)—Juneteenth is an important day on the American calendar because it reminds us that legal freedom does not always translate into lived reality. The holiday commemorates the moment when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—reminding us that rights promised on paper are not always realized in practice.
Emancipation was the first essential step toward securing the rights of Black Americans. Yet without institutions, laws, and civic engagement that protect those rights in practice, the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. risks becoming little more than a lesson in history textbooks.
One of the most significant recent threats to equal participation in American democracy is the further weakening of the Voting Rights Act by the United States Supreme Court. In April 2026, its decision in Louisiana v. Callais sharply limited Section 2 voting-rights claims. As a result, challenges to district maps that dilute Black voting power will face significantly higher legal hurdles. Civil rights advocates and many legal scholars, including Richard Hasen, have described the ruling as a major setback to protections established during the civil rights era.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent, “[now] a State can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.” The NAACP Legal Defense Fund stated, “The Court’s decision threatens to further divide our nation and entrench power in the hands of the few.”
American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) has long understood that justice and opportunity must be actively protected if freedom is to be meaningful for all. Long before Emancipation, the organization helped lay foundations for Black educational advancement by founding and supporting institutions that would become Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Raymond Hylton, professor of history and political science at Virginia Union University, said in the documentary “The Promise of Freedom,” “They played a crucial role. It was the American Baptist Home Mission Society that actually founded these institutions.”
ABHMS also played an active role during the civil rights movement, including through the leadership of Jitsuo Morikawa, who helped organize and support marches in 1963.
Today, ABHMS continues this legacy by partnering with Black churches and communities to help ensure that the promise of freedom and opportunity is reflected in everyday life. It strengthens communities by equipping leaders, expanding educational opportunities, and investing in ministries that advance justice and human flourishing. ABHMS is also actively involved in disaster relief efforts in underserved communities. Most recently, it launched an initiative to support Black churches in Altadena and Pasadena, California, following wildfires that devastated historically Black neighborhoods.
“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility,” said Dr. Jeffrey Haggray, executive director of ABHMS. “We are called not only to celebrate the liberation of those who came before us, but also to build beloved communities where future generations can flourish, embodying God’s vision for justice, dignity, and the Kingdom of God.”
By Rev. Dr. Anna Piela, ABHMS senior writer and editor of The Christian Citizen
