Imagine a World

It’s Juneteenth! Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day,” commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. On September 22nd, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery on January 1st, 1863; however, the Proclamation had little effect in the State of Texas until two and a half years later. It was on June 19th, 1865, that Union General Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3 to the people of Galveston, Texas. Long celebrated and observed in Texas, as of 2021 Juneteenth is now a federal holiday.

On this Juneteenth Sunday at Wildflower, Simone invites us to the past, to look within, to look around, and to look forward as we cultivate joy, through song, movement, and reflection and imagine a world. A world of freedom, a world of hope, and a world of dreams.

Simone Monique Barnes is the guest speaker and service leader at Wildflower UU Church, Austin, on Sunday, June 18, 2023, 11:45 am Central Time. In this series, Simone focuses on topics and actions that keep us grounded and centered on joy, including tools to help us find our way back to our center when life pulls us in a different direction.

Wildflower UU Church’s centering theme for the month of June is Belonging.

Save the date for Simone’s upcoming sermons at Wildflower:

• July 30, 2023
• August 27, 2023
• September 17, 2023
• September 24, 2023

Attend in-person or on Zoom