Is America's Promise of Freedom Still Unfinished? with Angel Adams Parham

How Can Freedom, Faith, and the Fight Beyond A Holiday Shape Us?   Host Curtis Chang talks with sociologist Dr. Angel Adams Parham about the history of Juneteenth, from the 1865 emancipation announcement in Galveston, Texas, to its meaning for American freedom, racial justice, and collective memory. Together, they explore the spiritual resilience of the Black church, its influence on Christian theology and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and why Juneteenth matters for all Americans. They also consider how Christians can celebrate Juneteenth with both joy and historical honesty.   02:05 - The Historical Story of Juneteenth 05:11 - What Were the Limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation? 09:28 - An American Pattern of Incomplete Freedom 13:34 - How Do We Preserve the Meaning of Juneteenth? 19:24 - The Pain of Historical Erasure & Cultural Setbacks 23:43 - Scripture as a Freedom Narrative Fostering Resilience 29:22 - The Universal Longing To Be Free 32:06 - The Black Church's Contribution to the Christian Story 35:54 - Embodied Practices for Juneteenth 39:09 - The Spiritual Promise of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"   Register for our America 250 episode recording with Russell Moore and David French Sign up for the Anxiety Opportunity Course Use the code: Goodfaith   Referenced in the Episode: Transcript of The Emancipation Proclamation Union General Gordon Granger's announcement: General Order No. 3 Claude Atcho's Reading Black Books  Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" (pdf) Transcription of an interview with ex-slave Felix Haywood Reggie L. Williams' Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus  Phillis Wheatley's letter to Rev. Samson Occom James Weldon Johnson's poem Lift Every Voice and Sing Manhattan Harmony Four's recording Lift Every Voice And Sing The Fisk University Quartet's Swing Low, Sweet Chariot   Scriptures Referenced: Exodus 12:31–15:21 (ESV) Isaiah 61 (ESV) Leviticus 25 (ESV) Luke 4:14–30 (ESV)   More From Dr. Angel Adams Parham: Dr. Parham's bio: the University of Virginia Dr. Parham's Website Dr. Parham's book The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.