June 19, 1865, or “Juneteenth,” is the oldest nationally recognized commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States when news of emancipation reached Galveston, TX. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. In June 2023, more than 158 years after emancipation, people of faith and humanity may want to have a conversation, a truly non-political, nonjudgmental conversation, about how far we’ve come in our journey to true love, humanity and justice for all people. Perhaps this will be a true celebration of “Juneteenth.”