Juneteenth is not just a celebration of the end of slavery in America, but also the beginning of black families living freely and safely. The right of black Americans to build families and futures is a fundamental aspect of racial justice, which is celebrated on June 19. The Emancipation Proclamation legally freed enslaved black Texans over two years before they learned of their freedom, but the struggle to subdue Confederate territories continued. One of the first things newly freed slaves did was look for their families, as the evil of chattel slavery had cruelly separated parents, children, and siblings. The Reconstruction era was characterized by frantic efforts to reunite with loved ones and build strong communities.
However, legal freedom was not a guarantee of safety, success, or even freedom. The premature end of Reconstruction birthed a violent new power structure as southern states choked off many freedoms granted to freed slaves. The civil-rights era began almost 100 years after the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th amendment to win back these basic human rights. Black men and women, led in large part by black clergy, fought for the right to education, work, and freely associate, worship, and travel. More importantly, they fought for their children’s rights. The black family has always been the beating heart of efforts for racial justice and reform.
Yet, activists and some pastors tout abortion as one of the “rights” to celebrate on Juneteenth. This is not only morally incoherent but also offensive. Abortion destroys the families that black Americans have fought so hard to protect. It is not a “right” and builds nothing. Abortion annihilates a life and tears apart the social fabric that binds us together. Abortion solves none of the problems that black families face, such as marriage rates, segregation, school funding, economic inequality, maternal mortality, and police abuses.
This Juneteenth, we should celebrate centuries of sacrifice by black American families, leaders, and clergy on behalf of our civil rights. We should celebrate our emancipation, enfranchisement, and legacy of achievement. We should celebrate the futures we can build while condemning the injustices that so many black families face today. We should reject the deadly lie that abortion liberates or uplifts black Americans. It is killing us, and it is wounding the communities that we have worked so hard to build.
