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A message posted “with good intent” caused a stir on social media as critics claimed it was “offensive” and “ignored” other issues. Contributed
The executive director of the Llano Chamber of Commerce said a Saturday Juneteenth marquee message some have called offensive was removed that same day and that he has issued an apology.
“We took the message down Saturday and have moved forward from it,” Llano Chamber executive director Briley Mitchell said Monday. “We have rectified the situation and tried to make the best we could out of it. The message was taken out of context. I’d like to not comment on it any further.”
Each day, the Llano Chamber of Commerce changes out wording on its downtown marquee. On Saturday — the 155th anniversary of the first Juneteenth celebrations in Texas — the message read, “Happy Juneteenth. You’re free. Stand up and live like it! Galations (sic) 5:1.”
The full Bible verse, according to the NIV version of Galatians 5:1, is “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Some local citizens expressed disappointment in the message, stating it was inappopriate and taken out of context.
“Some folks are still slaves to ignorance and hate. And then use scripture out of context to shame the church on top of things,” local business owner Calvin Richard posted on his Facebook page with a photo of Saturday’s marquee message. “Praise God that we’ve come along way. Sometimes it feels like only one page was turned.”
“I think the context of the sign is offensive,” Davaun Barnett said. “1. Whom is the sign ‘congratulating’ and why would that population need to be reminded to ‘live free.’ 2. It implies African-Americans haven’t stood up and attempted to live ‘free.’ 3. It ignores significant challenges that African-Americans faced after the emancipation proclamation.”
On Saturday, Mitchell posted an apology on the Llano Chamber’s Facebook page addressing the sign.
“I want to apologize for the message on the Marquee today, I will take 100% responsibility for it,” Mitchell said. “When the messages come to us each week by various members, I review them and approve or deny them.
“Today’s message was given to us with good intent and the verse that went with it was uplifting in my opinion, so I approved it to be posted. There are some that were offended by it and for that I am sorry, I will be much more careful in the future.
“Once again, it was put up with good intentions, but those can sometimes lead to a path we don’t want to go on,” Mitchell added.
On Sunday, the marquee had a message advertising a Hill Country Memorial Restore Event being held at the Llano Library on July 8. The Llano Chamber of Commerce posts a photo of the marquee every day. While posts of the June 18 and June 20 sign messages are still up on Facebook, the post showing the June 19 marquee message has been taken down.
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in the United States and recognizes the anniversary of the date — June 19, 1865 — when General Order No. 3 was first read aloud in Galveston, Texas, announcing the emancipation of all slaves and proclaiming “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.”
The first Juneteenth celebrations were officially held a year later — on June 19, 1866 — during an annual celebration first known as “Jubilee Day.”
