Author Archives: Mary Blocher

St. Cyprian’s Hosts Junteenth Celebration

Posted on by

“Let us celebrate our collective liberation and hear how the struggle for justice and freedom continues.”

–from the Introduction to the service bulletin, St. Cyprian’s Church, June 19, 2026

The Juneteenth liturgy this year drew upon a variety of sources: the Book of Prayer of the Anglican Church of Kenya, the American Book of Common Prayer, Prayers of the People by Bishop Carol J. Gallagher (2023),

The Rev. Canon Dr. Canon Jean-Baptiste Ntagengwa, the Rev. Kevin Vetiac, and Rev. James Hairston, designed the service. “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” provided most of the hymns, and the singing was alternately rousing, joyous, and reflective and heart-felt, as in the rendition of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” (sung by Rev. Vetiac).

A stirring sermon was given by The Rev. Canon Jordan F. Casson, a Philadelphia colleague and friend of Canon Jean Baptiste. Canon Casson’s years of advocacy and support for social justice were reflected in his choice of stories, anecdotes, and experiences in that journey. In his preaching, he blended blended emotional intensity, humor, and meditation. Our Emmanuelites who attended found inspiration in his words and a mindfulness that the struggle for justice continues.

St. Cyprian’s parishioners were welcoming hosts, from laying out the altar’s kente cloths to providing lunch and conversation. Many parishes were represented, making for a lively time, good cheer, and thoughtful conversations. All in all, a blessed Juneteenth.

–from the comments of attendees Mary Beth Clack, Joel Anderle, Bill Comer, Liz Levin, Mike Scanlon, the Rev. Pamela Werntz

St. Cyprian’s Church Hosts Juneteenth Celebration

Posted on by

The Diocese of Massachusetts and the Bishop John M. Burgess Massachusetts Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians are coordinating this year’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 2026. St. Cyprian’s Church, 1073 Tremont Street, will be the site of the 10am service and gathering afterward. All are invited to St. Cyprian’s to share the experience and spirit of Juneteenth.

Preaching will be the Reverend Canon Jordan F. Casson of St Michael’s Church, (Anglican/Episcopal), Yeadon, PA. The Rev. Canon Casson was commissioned Canon for Peace and Reconciliation for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania in 2020. He chairs the Diocese of PA Absalom Jones Committee and leads the Loving Presence initiative for the diocese.

Canon Casson’s years of advocacy and support for social justice led to his induction into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers and Scholars in 2014. Established in 1985, the Board honors global religious and ethical leaders who exemplify a commitment to nonviolence, social justice, and civil rights, and who are dedicated to advancing peace, human rights, and moral social responsibility.

We recommend Annette Gordon-Reed’s Juneteenth (New York Liveright, 2021), a succinct and thoughtful blend of personal history and historical scholarship on the meaning of the commemoration to her family and to our country.

In this video, she describes reactions to official document, General Orders, No. 3, which announced the declaration of freedom for enslaved persons in Texas. Jubilation was met with retaliation for that jubilation, reflecting both the reactions to the ending of legal enslavement, and the beginning of a renewed advocacy and struggle for civil rights in this country.

–Mary Beth Clack, Mary Blocher, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol, Liz Levin

 

Juneteenth 2026

Posted on by

The National Museum of African American History will honor Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth” in this year’s events.

Events for Juneteenth in Boston will take place from June 18-20, 2026. The flag raising ceremony on June 18th will commemorate “June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.” The city’s Juneteenth is a “celebration of freedom, remembrance, and the ongoing pursuit of equity and justice.” Other city events are described here.

Both locations of the Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, will mark the holiday with a summer season of freedom as described here.

The Museum of Fine Arts offers a substantial array of programs as does the Institute for Contemporary Art: We Create the World.

This column provided a reflection by Alden Fossett in 2024.  Alden will be ordained to the diaconate in our diocese this week.

As soon as we have information on DioMass’s commemoration, we will post it.

–Mary Beth Clack, Mary Blocher, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol, Liz Levin

Who is America at 250?

Posted on by

On view at the Boston Athenaeum until May 16, 2026, is the traveling exhibition,
“Who Is America at 250? Artists’ Books on the State of Democracy”.

Organized by the San Francisco Center for the Book and presenting works related to immigration, social injustice, racial inequity, and wage inequality, the exhibit prompts questions about the challenges and prospects of democracy. Its curators see the artists’ book as a meaningful conduit for open contemplation of democracy. Continue reading →

Vida Dutton Scudder at Denison House

Posted on by

 

Pulpit statue of Vida Dutton Scudder by Ted Southwick

After the dedication of Emmanuel’s pulpit statue of Vida Dutton Scudder last month, we focus here on her relationship to Denison House, which was founded by the College Settlements Association in 1892. Managed by women, the house at 93 Tyler Street, a hub for social services and educational programs, welcomed emerging immigrant communities in Boston. The House’s first director was Emily Greene Balch (1867-1961), economist, sociologist, and winner of the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize. When Balch returned to teaching, Helena Dudley (1858-1932), labor and peace activist, and Vida Dutton Scudder (1861-1954), pacifist, educator, and Christian Socialist, became co-directors. Among her many notable achievements, Scudder helped to found the Episcopal Church Socialist League in 1911 and became chairperson of the Church League for Industrial Democracy (CLID). She was known for her conviction that philanthropy should be accompanied by social reform.

In the typescript “Early Days at Denison House,” Scudder reflected on its accomplishments over the forty-five years since its founding. Activities were full of joy: “Young college women were sharing the best that life had brought us”. While “labor troubles” and unemployment abounded early on, she asserted that “a zest for social reform glowed as steadily…as the welcoming fires” of the house. Scudder concluded this brief piece with:

Dubbed radical in many quarters, we went on our way undaunted; the early leaders of organized labor were our devoted and inspiring friends; a Federal Labor Movement meeting at the House and a study-circle concerned with economic problems to which sundry distinguished citizens belonged, are activities I like to remember….How conservative Boston reacted to our ardent centre of social thought and experiment is another story. There is no time to tell it here. But the young people connected with Denison House today are heirs of a fine tradition.*

–Mary Beth Clack, Mary Blocher, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol, Liz Levin

*Records of Denison House, 1890-1984. Series I. HISTORY. “Early Days at Denison House” by Vida Scudder, 1937. (B-27, folder 1. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.) Digitized copy consulted.

The Pauli Murray Fellowship

Posted on by

 

In October 2021, the Pauli Murray Fellowships were established by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The Spring 2026 ACLU Magazine reported on two activists, Areej Qadeer and Ollie Henry, who were selected for the 18-month positions in non-profit management at the ACLU. Areej had been working in grassroots organizing in the American-Muslim community, serving on the Council of American-Islamic Relations’ legal team. Ollie’s work for reparations, advocating at the intersection of gender, disability, and race positioned her to support the ACLU’s initiatives in these areas. Part of their work had involved leading workshops for high school and college students at the ACLU National Advocacy Institute, which focused on building coalitions for intersectional legal work. Continue reading →

Racial Disparities in Health Care

Posted on by

The Boston Globe recently reported data related to the widening gap in life expectancy between Boston’s Black residents and the city’s other racial and ethnic groups.  Growing from 3.3 years to almost 7 years, it has doubled in the past decade according to new data from the Boston Public Health Commission. Continue reading →

The Bay State Banner’s Black History Month Programs

Posted on by

In its 60th Anniversary Forum Series The Bay State Banner presented on February 12 “The State of Black America.” Two open forums complemented the newspaper’s special essay section to commemorate Boston and black history. WGBH sponsored mid-day talks at the Boston Public Library moderated by the Banner’s editor Ron Mitchell. Panelists included Dr. Noelle Trent, executive director of the Museum of African American History of Boston & Nantucket, who spoke about the effort to restore last year’s funding cuts from the  Institute of Library and Museum Services. Because black museums are grassroots efforts, the funding has been crucial to the health of the organization.  With the community activated an appeal was filed, which resulted in an injunction and restoration of funding. She also elaborated on how other American black museums have contributed to laying the foundation for African American museum scholarship. Continue reading →

“What is your hand in this?”

Posted on by

Commemorative concerts for America’s 250th anniversary will be dotting the musical landscape in 2026. An inventive program that may prove to be one of the most challenging for audiences has been launched by Davóne Tines and Ruckus, “a shapeshifting, collaborative, baroque ensemble with a visceral and playful approach to early music.” Sanders Theater hosted them on January 31, 2026, as part of their ten-cities tour.

Created by bass-baritone Davóne Tines, bassist Douglas Adam August Balliett, and Clay Zeller-Townson, founder of Ruckus, the program called “What is your hand in this?” recasts “Colonial and Revolutionary-era hymns, ballads, and Baroque compositions, on a musical journey that weaves through the pre-Civil War period, the Civil Rights era, and into the present day.” (Everyone 250 Continue reading →

Honoring Absalom Jones

Posted on by

Known as the “Black Bishop of the Episcopal Church,” Absalom Jones’s feast day is February 13. Following tradition, numerous Episcopal churches and dioceses are holding commemorative services. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston announced that our diocese’s celebration would be held at 4pm on February 14, 2026, with the Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth presiding and the Rev. Canon Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas preaching. Continue reading →