This is an excerpt from my presentation during the Third Annual Juneteenth All Clergy Day Gathering Luncheon at New Horizong Church International on June 19, 2026. As our nation prepares for its 250th birthday, we understand that it was not until June 19, 1865 when General Granger and the federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform 2,000 enslaved African Americans that Black folks gained freedom. So this day is significant in acknowledging that Juneteenth represents

The 2026 election is not just another election cycle. It is a defining moment for the future of democracy, representation, and voting rights in Mississippi and across the nation. In the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, communities across the South are facing renewed uncertainty about whether Black voters and historically marginalized communities will continue to have meaningful representation at every level of government. The SCOTUS