June 19, or Juneteenth, marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free.
An estimated 250,000 slaves residing in Texas were informed of their freedom. This news came two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Because there was a minimal number of Union troops in Texas to enforce Lincoln’s Executive Order, it wasn’t until the surrender of General Lee and the arrival of General Gordon Granger’s regiment that slaves were finally set free in Texas.
Many Texans embrace Juneteenth as a time to honor black heritage with events across the state, though as Slate puts it, "it's difficult to celebrate freedom when your life is defined by oppression on all sides."
America has a lot of work to do to ensure that all people have equitable access to resources and the ability to live their lives freely. From reparations, to guaranteeing freedoms, we can continue to make progress.
Here are ways to celebrate Juneteenth across Texas:
Austin Area
June 13 - ACC’s Annual Juneteenth Festival at ACC Eastview Campus
June 13 - ARA Juneteenth Artist Celebration at the Herman-Schieffer House
June 14 - 6th Annual Juneteenth Music Festival at Austin ISD Performing Arts Center
June 14 - Juneteenth Float Decorating Party, hosted by Travis County Democratic Party
June 14 - (Georgetown) Juneteenth Reception
June 14 - (Manor) Texas Juneteenth Family Reunion Weekend
June 14 - (Round Rock) Juneteenth Rhythm & Ribs Festival
June 15 - 2K Freedom Run/Walk
June 15 - Let Freedom Ring! Juneteenth at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center
June 15 - Juneteenth Book Sale at the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library
June 15 - Juneteenth March, hosted by Corinth Missionary Baptist Church
June 15 - Juneteenth Parade & March
June 15 - Juneteenth Stories at the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library, hosted by Outreach Productions
June 15 - Park Festival
June 15 - (Georgetown) Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 - WORD Juneteenth Edition at the Big Easy Bar and Grill
June 19 - (Pflugerville) Juneteenth Presentation
June 19 - (Round Rock) A Juneteenth Celebration at TheMBA
DFW Area
June 12 - (Dallas) Juneteenth at the Dallas Public Library
June 14 - (Denton) Juneteenth Celebration
June 15 - (Cedar Hill) Best Southwest Juneteenth Celebration
June 15 - (Dallas) Dallas Southern Pride Presents Juneteenth Unity Weekend
June 15 - (Dallas) Juneteenth Play, hosted by Oak Cliff Red Bird Arts and Entertainment Group
June 15 - (Fort Worth) Juneteenth Parade & Festival at Tarrant County College - South Campus
June 15 - (Irving) Juneteenth Celebration
June 18 - (Fort Worth) Juneteenth the Stage Play
June 19 - (Dallas) Discussion and Celebration of Juneteenth by Historian Donald Payton and The South Dallas Concert Choir
June 19 - (Dallas) Juneteenth Celebration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center
June 19 - (Fort Worth) 1st Annual Juneteenth BBQ cook-off contest
June 19 - (Hurst) Juneteenth Northeast: A Celebration of Arts & Letters
June 22 - (Dallas) 34th Annual Hamilton Park Juneteenth Parade and Festival
June 24 - (Arlington) 4th Annual Arlington Juneteenth Celebration
Galveston
June 15 - The Green Book Lecture & Shoebox Luncheon at Menard Hall
June 19 - 154th annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 - 40th annual Al Edwards’ Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast
June 19 - Emancipation March and program
June 19 - International Day of Drumming and Healing program at the Nia Cultural Center
Houston Area
June 15 - 147th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
June 15 - Juneteenth Celebration Event at BAUUC
June 15 - Mayor Turner’s Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade
June 15 - (Dickinson) Juneteenth Brunch
June 15 - (Humble) Juneteenth Freedom Festival
June 15 - (Pearland) Juneteenth Celebration at Pearland Town Center
June 19 - Juneteenth Annual Celebration at McClendon Park
June 22 - (La Marque) Juneteenth Celebration
San Antonio Area
June 14-15 - Juneteenth Job & Resource Fair at the Navajo Civic Center
June 15 - 40th Juneteenth Parade at St. Philip’s College
June 15 - Juneteenth Celebration Health Fair
June 15 - Juneteenth Parade at Sam Houston High School
June 15 - Juneteenth Festival at Comanche Park
June 17 - 19th Annual Juneteenth Golf Tournament
Texas City
June 14 - Juneteenth Poetry Slam at the Doyle Convention Center
June 14-15 - 26th annual Juneteenth Softball Tournament
June 15 - Juneteenth Parade and Festival from Stingaree Stadium to Rainbow Park
June 19 - Juneteenth Golf Tournament
June 20 - Juneteenth Celebration at College of the Mainland
Other Texas Cities
June 13-16 (Lubbock) RISE UP Juneteenth Celebration
June 14 - (Odessa) 2019 Juneteenth Celebration
June 15 - (Corpus Christi) Juneteenth for the Crest
June 15 - (Lufkin) Juneteenth Celebration
June 15 - (Sherman) Juneteenth Celebration
June 16 - (Harker Heights) Juneteenth Celebration
June 22 - (Waco) Juneteenth Family Fun Day
Editorial Note: Progress Texas is not an organizer of these events. If you have more Juneteenth events or celebrations you would like to add to the list, please send them my way: tara@progresstexas.org.
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