Embracing Juneteenth: A Call to Heal from the Lasting Impacts of Enslavement, According to the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing

In anticipation of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing (GCRH) has unveiled a Declaration urging all Global Africans—those on the Continent and within the Diaspora—to prioritize healing. This Centering Healing Declaration encourages Africans globally to seek liberation from the enduring repercussions of enslavement and colonization, which have inflicted deep, unaddressed wounds across generations on the bodies, minds, and spirits of Africans and People of African Descent. The Declaration emerged from a pioneering Summit held in Accra, Ghana, co-organized by the African Union (AU) and Justice and Repair, and supported by the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF). Attendees represented regions such as the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, South America, and Europe, unified by the AU's 2025 theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” It advocates for collective progress, emphasizing trust-building and the move from "unhealed" to "healed" behaviors, which are crucial for meaningful reparations and justice.