Juneteenth – 157 years later…
“Won’t it be wonderful when Black history and Native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history.” —Maya Angelou
Spirit of Justice, you rescued your people from slavery in Egypt, and throughout the ages you have never failed to hear the cries of the captives. We remember our siblings in Galveston, Texas who on this day in 1865 received the glad tidings of their emancipation. Many grave sins delayed that liberating word. May Justice prevail and proclaim release to all captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free.
– A prayer courtesy of the Northern California Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE), adapted by Erica Hauck for UUJMCA.
Today, for Juneteenth, we highlight the works of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, renowned professor and author, whose work has touched the minds of millions.
Dr. Kendi is also the Ware Lecturer at General Assembly 2022.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is author of five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist and the National Book Award-winning Stamped From The Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. In 2020, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. His relentless and passionate research puts into question the notion of a post-racial society and opens readers’ and audiences’ eyes to the reality of racism in America today. Kendi’s events are sharp, informative, and hopeful, serving as a strong platform for any institution’s discussions on racial discrimination.
Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News correspondent.
Racist or Antiracist
This reading is an excerpt of a speech delivered by Ibram X. Kendi at UC Berkeley on September 12, 2019.
“How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi
A bracingly original approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society
2022 Ware Lecturer Biography
General Assembly Ware Lecturer
A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2022 by President Joe Biden