A Word From the Bishop About Juneteenth

Click here or on the image below to view a message by video from Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley about Juneteenth. A transcript of the message is available below the video.

A transcript of the video message above is as follows:

Dear Friends in Christ,

This week, we celebrate Juneteenth—the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.

Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom. But it is also an invitation to remembrance.

It calls us to remember both the resilience and faith of those who endured the horrors of slavery, and the unfinished work of building a society that more fully reflects God’s dream for humanity.

As Christians, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and endowed with an inherent dignity that cannot be taken away. The story of Juneteenth reminds us what happens when that truth is denied—and it challenges us to help build a world where it is more fully lived.

Here in South Carolina, we carry a particular responsibility. The history of slavery, racial injustice, and segregation is woven into the soil beneath our feet. Yet so too is the witness of countless people who labored for freedom, justice, reconciliation, and beloved community.

As we commemorate Juneteenth, let us give thanks for their courage. Let us tell the truth about our history. Let us listen deeply to one another’s stories. And let us renew our commitment to the promises we make in our Baptismal Covenant: to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.

May this day be both a celebration and a call—a reminder that God’s work of setting people free is never only about the past. It is a work to which we are still called today.

May God bless you, and may God continue to guide us in the way of justice, healing, and hope.

The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina