- Feb 5, 2002
- 182,951
- 66,361
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
The host of an upcoming TBN special says Juneteenth is a holiday “as American as apple pie and Chevrolet” and is filled with biblical themes that Christians of all races should celebrate. TBN will air Juneteenth: Conversations of History and Healing on Monday, June 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The show will follow host Rick Rigsby as he travels the United States, uncovering stories of redemption, justice, and healing and examining the church’s role in them.
Celebrated each June 19, Juneteenth is a new national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. and has been celebrated within certain segments of the black community since the late 1800s. It became an official holiday in Texas in 1979. The holiday was born June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people—250,000 or so in the state—were free. Their arrival came some two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
“This is not a black holiday, it’s an American holiday,” Rigsby told Crosswalk Headlines. “And what I really want people to know is that history is beautiful at times, it’s ugly, it’s even, and it’s uneven. ... It is a series of threads that make up a tapestry. This is an American holiday worthy of being celebrated. Why? Because the Lord is being glorified. Because wrongs are being discussed and addressed. And that’s a good thing.”
The TBN special, Rigsby said, is filled with stories of hope and healing. The award-winning journalist traveled to Crownsville, Md., where he attended a memorial service for 500-plus black patients who went unaccounted for at a segregated mental hospital in the 1900s.
Continued below.
Celebrated each June 19, Juneteenth is a new national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. and has been celebrated within certain segments of the black community since the late 1800s. It became an official holiday in Texas in 1979. The holiday was born June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people—250,000 or so in the state—were free. Their arrival came some two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
“This is not a black holiday, it’s an American holiday,” Rigsby told Crosswalk Headlines. “And what I really want people to know is that history is beautiful at times, it’s ugly, it’s even, and it’s uneven. ... It is a series of threads that make up a tapestry. This is an American holiday worthy of being celebrated. Why? Because the Lord is being glorified. Because wrongs are being discussed and addressed. And that’s a good thing.”
The TBN special, Rigsby said, is filled with stories of hope and healing. The award-winning journalist traveled to Crownsville, Md., where he attended a memorial service for 500-plus black patients who went unaccounted for at a segregated mental hospital in the 1900s.
Continued below.
Rick Rigsby Explains Why Juneteenth Is ‘as American as Apple Pie’ and Rich in Biblical Themes
The host of an upcoming TBN special says Juneteenth is a holiday "as American as apple pie and Chevrolet” and is filled with biblical themes that should be celebrated by Christians of all races.