We were delighted to have over 30 parishioners join in our October 5, 2025, parish meeting on creating a culture of repair at Emmanuel Church. The prompt for small-group discussion was: “What does it mean for Emmanuel Church to become a parish doing reparations?” A summary will be forthcoming from this Vestry-sponsored event. For now, we note that we are building on much good work done in our community in years past; and the work continues. Continue reading
Tag Archives: social history
Juneteenth
June 17,2024
Juneteenth, June 19th, was declared a Massachusetts state holiday in 2020 and a federal holiday in 2021. The number of commemorations and offerings for celebration in community have grown over the years. This year, we note the variety of events in Boston and the Episcopal Church, and local churches, which are described in the links listed below our signatures.
Our column this week focuses on how two people of color have described and thought about Juneteenth. Kevin Young, poet and the director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture since 2021, called the holiday a mix of family, freedom, music, and food (his Louisiana family saw ice cream as its way of feeding the body as well as the soul). For Young, Juneteenth also means history and thinking about the legacy of slavery. The news of Juneteenth was met with both jubilation and reflection on the “delays of freedom.” Continue reading