Delayed But Not Denied

Juneteenth and the long road to collective liberation

photo taken at the National Museum of African American History in Washington DC

Signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, Juneteenth marks the delayed arrival of freedom to enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed.

By now, most know the history, but do we understand the lessons this historical event hold for us as a nation today? (if you don’t know the fully history of Juneteenth: click here for a great article from the National Museum of African American History and Culture)

For those enslaved in Texas, the truth had been spoken, but not yet delivered. Liberation had been declared, but not yet manifested. Soldiers had to physically arrive to enforce what had long been law. Truth had to march, speak, insist, and show up in person. This is more than just a historical curiosity. It is a spiritual lesson.

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

—John 8:32

We’ve heard the spiritual principle that the Truth will set us free. But Juneteenth teaches us that the process is not automatic, nor guaranteed. The truth was delayed—but it was not denied. Juneteenth stands as a powerful, embodied reminder that liberation is our spiritual birthright. But it does not arrive without effort. Liberation is not passive. It must be proclaimed, pursued, protected, and practiced. And it is never merely personal—it is always collective.

This is a lesson deeply resonant with New Thought spirituality. Our teachings affirm the infinite potential within every soul. Yet we must also admit that the realization of this truth requires more than affirmation—it requires transformation, it requires application.

“The ultimate goal in life is complete emancipation from discord of every nature, and that goal is sure to be attained by all.”

—Ernest Holmes

Emancipation is not merely political. It is spiritual, mental, emotional, economic. It is liberation from every form of bondage, including those invisible chains we inherit and internalize—chains of unworthiness, scarcity, shame, and fear. To walk in freedom means to confront the uncomfortable truths: the old ideas that persist long after they should have expired, the status quo that benefits from inertia, the inherited beliefs that no longer serve our highest good.

Juneteenth reminds us that truth alone is not enough—it must be enforced, embodied, and enacted. In Galveston, that meant soldiers on horseback and General Orders read aloud in the square. Today, it means the courage to tell the truth about our past, to break the silence of our present, and to create a new future rooted in justice, joy, and genuine freedom.

So what truths must we confront today?

We must tell the truth about how systems of oppression persist under new names. Systems of oppression are forms of error thinking - ideas of limitation held in consciousness. We can be freed from them, but we must first acknowledge and then confront them.

We must tell the truth about the economic inequities that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.

We must tell the truth about how even spiritual communities can bypass, ignore, or perpetuate harm.

We must tell the truth about how we often settle for comfort instead of courage.

But we must also tell the greater Truth—that each one of us is a divine emanation of the Infinite, worthy of dignity, justice, and joy. That we are not separate. That the liberation of one is tied to the liberation of all. That we are heirs to a spiritual lineage that insists: no lie, no delay, no denial can ultimately block the truth of our being.

This Juneteenth, may we celebrate not only what was declared in 1865, but what is still unfolding today. Let us recommit to the long, holy work of truth-telling and freedom-making. Let us remember that spiritual liberation is both the cause and the effect of our practice—and it is still underway.

May we remember:

We are not bound by precedent.

We are not bound by history.

We are bound only by our recognition of Truth—and our willingness to live it.

We can co-create a more just and equitable world for all. But we must stop pretending we don’t know how. The time for freedom is always now.

Let’s get free.

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Reflection Questions:

What truths in my own life or community have been spoken, but not yet enforced or embodied?

1. Where am I still waiting for freedom instead of walking in it?

2. What ideas of limitation—scarcity, fear, unworthiness—still shape my thinking?

3. How do I see systems of oppression reflected in spiritual bypassing or complacency around me?

4. What does collective liberation mean to me—and how am I contributing to it?

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Resources:

History & Meaning of Juneteenth:

• National Museum of African American History & Culture: Juneteenth

• On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed

• Freedom’s Eve (NPR Short Podcast)

Spiritual + Social Liberation:

• The Sacred Yes by Rev. Deborah L. Johnson

• Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

• My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem

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Rev. David Alexander D.D. is the spiritual director of the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta, author of Freedom from Discord: The Promise of New Thought Liberation Theology and Recovery from the Lie of Whiteness. David writes a monthly column, Philosophy In Action in Science of Mind Magazine.

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