Alveda King: Celebrating Fathers, Seeking Jubilee on Juneteenth This Weekend
The third weekend in June is impacted by two seemingly unrelated holidays: Fathers’ Day and Juneteenth. More people remember Fathers’ Day because every human being has a biological father, regardless of the circumstances of conception.
On the other hand, Juneteenth, aka Jubilee and Emancipation Day, is a US holiday commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, and the emancipation of African-American slaves throughout the Confederate South. Juneteenth is celebrated during Fathers’ Day weekend in America. Today, there is still a captive class of human beings. They are “slaves” to choice and are treated as property to be discarded at will. The vulnerable unborn babies in the womb don’t have a voice and are dying by abortion.
Today the Pro-Life Civil Rights Movement is the vehicle for their emancipation. In 2010, Civil Rights for the Unborn (CRU) took Pro-Life Freedom Rides to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. For 11 years, we’ve been proclaiming Jubilee for unborn babies, mothers, families and America. Of one blood, God created all people. Life is a civil right. We proclaim civil rights for the unborn! Join us on June 17, 2016 as we tweet for the unborn. Use the hash tags #FreetheBabiesServetheMothers and #Juneteenth2016 and show your support for life. Every born and unborn person deserves human dignity and God’s justice.
Where peripherals collide, convergence is imminent. Let’s connect Juneteenth and Fathers’ Day together with two words, unity and love. We need to unite in praying for love for our fathers and our children.
There are many mixed emotions surrounding the occasion of Fathers’ Day because sometimes personal circumstances surrounding our relationships with our natural fathers can be complicated, even in the best of times. In remembering my father, grandfather and uncle this season, I believe this blog by Kevin Burke as well as this prayer below from Priests for Life can bring Jubilee to our hearts regarding our natural fathers:
A Prayer for Fathers
by Father Frank Pavone
“Almighty God, you have taught us that you are the Father of us all, And that all fatherhood takes its origin from you. You protect us from evil
And provide our daily bread.
You are strength and integrity, blessing and the font of life. We thank you, then, for our fathers.
Though human, they are also a reflection of you, Lord God.
They are your gift to us. We pray for all fathers today.
May they realize the greatness of their vocation
And have the strength to live it without fear.
Forgive their sins, and keep their eyes raised up to you To those who still make this earthly journey with us,
Give us the grace to love them as we should;
And to those whom you have called from this life,
Give a special place of honor in the heavenly kingdom
With you, the Father of all. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
