Full Measure: The Gathering Summer ‘26
Full Measure’s The Gathering Summer 2026 theme was “LET FREEDOM RING, LOVE HOW FREEDOM GROWS (1 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:13-15 (MSG), and Leviticus 19:33-24 in celebration of Juneteenth and the 250th anniversary of USA Independence Day!
It was such a beautiful time:
We celebrated Freedom with Music from Vocalist extraordinaire, Icy Monroe, who sang a favorite of the Civil Rights Movement, “Precious Lord.” Icy led a self-selected group from over fifty attendees in learning two Freedom Songs from the Movement: Ella’s Song and We Shall Overcome.
World-renowned artist Ginger Geyer, Austin artist Monica Gonzales, with the help of Austin’s own fabric artist, Suzette Boston, led the group in a mixed-media “Freedom” art project that raised approximately $600 for the library of the merged Oak Springs and Blackshear Elementary School. We were honored to have the school’s librarian, Alexis Pokorny., in our midst. We will install the exquisite fabric and word collage art on a workday arranged by Ms. Pokorny and the members of Austin Racial Justice Journey (ARJJ) to set up the school library.
Members of Austin Racial Justice Journey joined us for The Gathering ‘26. Austin Racial Justice Journey is a group that participated in a Civil Rights Pilgrimage in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama, and in Mississippi and Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Black Wall Street in 2025. Inspired by the pilgrimage, the group decided to lend their energy to ensuring racial justice in Austin. Their current efforts will focus on supporting literacy at the merged Oak Springs/Blackshear Elementary School.
Donna Dugone, of Nameless Road Production and Wild Fire Arts, who is Full Measure’s musical director, graced us with her testimony of the harrowing experience of her family ranch flooding during the Hill Country flood of July 4, 2025. . And Donna shared her haunting piano solo arrangement of “Wade in the Water, God’s Gonna Trouble the Water” (See thefullmeasure.org/media)
Popular Austin spoken-word artist Selah Vie led a group to compose a collective spoken-word piece on Freedom. (See below)
And director, filmmaker, and playwright Jamee Kennedy and her technically genius husband, Bill Kennedy, former owners and founders of The Attic Film Festival, which introduced filmmakers like Dallas Jenkins of The Chosen, along with up-and-coming filmmaker Prince Adablah, worked with a group of the gathered. The Kennedys and Adablah introduced the film group to the art of creating and editing a freedom film montage.
We enjoyed a wholesome meal and fellowship, made new connections, and lingered in the atmosphere for hours.
The premise of The Gathering stems from Full Measure's mission: Well-being through Pastoral Care and the arts. Research shows that building community and connection, and participating in the arts, integrate the left and right sides of the brain, contributing to emotional regulation and well-being.
At Full Measure, we use art to cultivate relationships and stimulate thought and conversation about human concerns and reality from a spiritual perspective without causing an amygdala hijack, which leads to the flight-fight-freeze-fawn stress response.
Below find The Collective Spoken Word Composition of Full Measure The Gathering Summer ‘26 facilitated by Selah Vie and Karl Nichols Redemption Song Composition (See thefullmeasure.org/media) for video performance of these pieces)
“Freedom” Spoken Word Composition Full Measure: The Gathering Summer ’26
Let Freedom Ring
Miss Opal Lee,
Juneteenth starts with the fireflies and ends with fireworks
Fragile victory of conscience
A celebration of freedom, a celebration of Emancipation
All of humanity celebrates!
Juneteenth, the song of redemption. A powerful reminder that God brings freedom, restores through hope that refuses to be silenced.
Thanks to Miss Opal Lee,
Although delayed, Ms Opal was determined and not dismayed for all to be welcomed, safe, honored, and free!
IT TAKES COURAGE TO STAND AGAINST OPPOSITION.
JUSTICE FOR ONE YIELD JUSTICE FOR ALL!
WAITING TOO LONG TO HEAR OF GRANTED FREEDOM,
THE JOYOUS SOUND OF FREEDOM,
THE FREEDOM TO VOICE JOY!
The fight NEVER ENDS!!!
Redemption Songs by Karl M. Nichols
My people are always singing those “Redemption Songs”
From the time we landed on this soil called America
We have been singing those “Redemption Songs”
40 acres and a mule, Jim Crow, plantations to sharecropping, chains and whips …
We have been singing those “Redemption Songs”
I bring you today, the song of “Emancipation Day”, A Day that took 200 years to come since 1776
“Redemption Songs” keep coming…
We was freed in 1863, but news didn’t reach Texas until 1865
They don’t want justice, they just want us!!!
General Gordon Granger reads the General Order 3 in Galveston, TX
Two years later, we were told we were “Free”; just so the Southerners could ride our backs for
another spell
We keep singing those “Redemption Songs”
We celebrate Juneteenth with jubilees, parades , BBQ, dancing, and singing
But, the country and the world does not know our cry, our struggle
“Redemption Songs” keep going
Until Opal Lee, a soul sister, would not rest until we finally had a National Juneteenth Holiday
“Redemption Songs” keep coming
2016, she marched and walked until the country recognized it as a National Holiday in 2021
“Redemption Songs” keep going
Finally, in 2024, President Biden recognized Opal Lee with the Medal of Freedom
“Redemption Songs” keep coming
What is your Redemption song?
What is the song of freedom you are singing?
What is God telling you to give birth to?
I say “Sing Your Redemption Songs My Brothers and Sisters, My People”.
The time is now to sing your Redemption Songs!
!