For many Christians, Juneteenth is a day that appears on the calendar but remains only partially understood. Yet the story at its heart raises profound questions about freedom, justice, memory, and discipleship. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Texas were still being held in bondage. What does that history reveal about the United States? What does it reveal about the Church? And what responsibilities does it place upon us today?
Join the Rev. Dr. Brandon Crowley and the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas for a timely conversation exploring the history, meaning, and ongoing significance of Juneteenth. Together, they will examine how Juneteenth emerged as a national observance, why it gained renewed attention in recent years, and what it means to engage this day faithfully rather than superficially.
This conversation will invite participants to move beyond commemoration and ask deeper questions. Rather than offering easy answers, it will challenge us to consider what faithful witness requires in a nation still wrestling with the unfinished work of freedom. How should Christians approach Juneteenth? What does repentance look like in the face of histories we did not create but continue to inherit? How can churches resist the temptation to simplify or sanitize the past and instead commit themselves to the ongoing work of learning, listening, truth-telling, and transformation?
For congregations seeking to engage Juneteenth thoughtfully and responsibly, this conversation offers an opportunity to deepen understanding, broaden perspective, and reflect on the Church’s role in the ongoing pursuit of justice and the Beloved Community.
Speakers:
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The Reverend Brandon Thomas Crowley, PhD
The Reverend Brandon Thomas Crowley, PhD, is a pastor, scholar, author, and public intellectual whose work bridges the academy, the church, and the public square. His research explores Black religions, theology, homiletics, ecclesiology, and social ethics from the late 19th through the early 21st centuries.
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The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas, PhD
The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas is the Canon Theologian at the Cathedral and the incoming EDS Distinguished Scholar for 2026-2028. In 2017, she was named Dean of Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and in 2019, she was appointed to the Bill and Judith Moyers Chair in Theology at Union. Kelly is considered a leader in the field of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, social justice, and sexuality and the Black church.
Prior to joining the Cathedral and EDS at Union, she was the Susan D. Morgan Professor of Religion at Goucher College in Baltimore. Previously, she was Associate Professor of Theology at Howard University School of Divinity (1987-2001) and Assistant Professor of Religion at Edward Waters College (1986-1987).
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Dr. Douglas was one of the first 10 Black women to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church. She was an Associate Priest at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years.
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The Very Reverend Owen C. Thompson (Moderator)
The Very Rev. Owen C. Thompson grew up in the Episcopal Church. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2003 at Christ Church Cathedral and has spent the last 22 years in parish ministry in the Diocese’ of Long Island, New York, and Southern Ohio where he currently serves as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown Cincinnati.
Dean Thompson attributes much of his passion for ministry and his understanding of the role of the Church in the world to his time as a seminarian-intern at Trinity Wall Street during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, where he pastored to first responders and volunteers at ground zero at St. Paul’s Chapel.