Juneteenth and Environmental Justice

Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, but it also serves as a reminder that freedom has not always been complete. The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the last enslaved people in Texas were freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth not only gives us the opportunity to celebrate freedom and reflect on the struggle to make it a reality, but to understand the ongoing racial inequality struggle that the United States of America continues to face.

One of the most notable ways racial inequalities present themselves in the U.S. today is through the disproportionate effects of environmental issues on Black communities. Historically, Black communities have disproportionately borne the burdens of pollution, toxic waste, industrial development, and environmental hazards. These patterns are not happenstance. They are rooted in a history of discriminatory housing policies, segregation, infrastructure and building practices, and a general neglect and lack of concern for Black communities. These environmental challenges are not only about land or policy; they affect health, opportunity, and daily life. When communities face polluted air, unsafe water, or limited access to green space, the effects can shape families for generations.

Who benefits from our economic and environmental choices, and who bears the costs? Juneteenth challenges us to ask a related question about freedom itself. If some communities continue to face disproportionate threats to their health, land, and quality of life, then the promise of freedom remains incomplete. Freedom is more than legal status; it is the right to live in a safe environment, raise a family in a healthy community, and participate fully in decisions that shape the future.

Juneteenth serves as a reminder that environmental justice and social justice are inseparable from one another. Pursuing environmental justice means confronting the racial inequalities our nation faces today by identifying their current and historical causes. This will require listening to affected communities, addressing inequities in policy and investment, and ensuring that everyone shares the benefits of a healthy environment.

As we commemorate Juneteenth, we celebrate progress while recognizing that the work of justice continues. The pursuit of environmental justice is one way of carrying forward the unfinished promise of freedom by recognizing that every community deserves dignity, health, clean air, safe water, and the opportunity to thrive. Remembering Juneteenth should encourage us to honor the past while working toward a future where freedom is protected in everyday life.

About Sam Carter

Samuel “Sam” Carter is a senior at Appalachian State University, where he is majoring in Religious Studies with a minor in Geography. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and attends Myers Park United Methodist Church. His passion for justice has been shaped through mission experiences across the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica. While those opportunities were transformative, they also inspired him to seek long-term solutions to the systemic issues that created the need for mission work. He hopes this summer will provide an opportunity to see what The United Methodist Church is doing within and outside of the church to strike at the root of the issues. Sam is excited that this internship will help him discern how his interests in justice and advocacy might develop into a meaningful vocation.