"Juneteenth" celebrates the day, June 19th, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston to ensure Texan compliance with the Emancipation Proclamation (signed into law two and a half years prior), bringing institutional slavery in the United States to an end. While Juneteenth represents a most critical milestone in America's history, the experience of "freedom" for the emancipated slaves, and the succeeding generations of African-Americans, has never been fully realized. While bittersweet at best, the celebration of Juneteenth has nonetheless inspired other communities to embrace their family and cultural histories to find resonance and solidarity with the complex struggles - and stories of grace - of Black America.
This event gathers an intimate group of Latino, Black and Asian Christians who will bring their narratives into dialogue with one another, shedding light on lesser-heard realities (and theological perspectives) of the American Experiment, but also testimonies of faith, resilience and hope. We will use a "fishbowl" format, meaning that guests who come have only to listen and learn throughout the evening. The hope of the gathering is for all to come away with new insight (if challenging), understanding, compassion and hunger for deepened transformation into the person and likeness of Christ in the world. The dialogue will be moderated by Nicole Dickens.
Location: Daly City Church of the Nazarene, Daly City, CA
About Nicole Dickens
With over 20 years in Silicon Valley, Nicole Dickens bridges the gap between data-driven strategy and human values. As a founder of Zoetica, Inc. and a certified Google Generative AI leader, she empowers organizations to leverage LLMs responsibly, blending Fortune 100 expertise with startup agility to drive innovation and impact.
About Pastor Juana Nesta
Juana is a graduate of Cal Berkeley, Chapman University, and Saint Mary’s College. Juana and her husband Fil have planted three churches and served side-by-side as co-pastors during 30 years of marriage. Juana has also worked in education for 25+ years and now teaches first grade in Pittsburg, California.
About Pastor Evelyn Perez
Evelyn serves on the pastoral staff of Maranath Covenant Church in Richmond, CA, overseeing the women’s ministry. She also serves at the denominational level as the Coordinator of Latino Ministries for the Evangelical Covenant Church.
About Uchanma Iheoma Umez-Eronini
Uchanma has served since 2018 as the Director of Compassion and Justice Ministries for The River Community Church, based in San Jose, CA. Prior to this, she worked with college students through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for almost seven years. She loves working with young adults, and helping them navigate the unique challenges of this stage of life.
About Dr. Craig Wong
A native Bay Area resident and graduate of UC Berkeley, Craig now serves as the Executive Director of New College Berkeley. He has an MA from Western Theological Seminary (WTS), and a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing, Eugene Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination, WTS. He and his wife Tina have raised a family of six in San Francisco.
About Rev. Dr. Steve Wong
Steve is a native Californian, born and raised in San Francisco (original and current home of the Golden State Warriors!). He's a graduate of Biola University with an MDiv in Theology, and a PhD in psychology, and he's a trained spiritual director and a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.