The Birthplace of Juneteenth: Galveston Celebrates Emancipation through Art, Special Events

    GALVESTON, Tex. (May 11, 2022) – As the birthplace of Juneteenth, Galveston offers visitors the chance to experience our country’s newest federal holiday in living color.  From its many historic sites and tours that chronicle the day Juneteenth began in Galveston, to its annual Juneteenth festival, special events and new art exhibits, Galveston is the place to commemorate June 19, 1865 – the historic day slavery was abolished in Texas, freeing one of the last groups of slaves in the United States.  Here’s a look at some of the Juneteenth attractions and festivities taking place in Galveston this year:   (New!) “Juneteenth Freedom Project” Art Exhibition  Leaders in Galveston have opened a new exhibition that uses art to chronicle the African American journey to freedom in Texas. “The Juneteenth Freedom Project” features more than 60 art pieces by local and regional artists that document Black experiences in America from the 1500s to present day. The project’s featured artist, Houston-based Ted Ellis, is a nationally recognized talent and the only African American artist appointed by the U.S. Department of the Interior to serve on the federal 400 Years of African American History Commission. Housed at the NIA Cultural Center Juneteenth Legacy Project headquarters, the new art exhibition is free to the public and includes a guided tour by a local historian. The new art exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays through Sundays at the organization’s headquarters at 22nd and Strand streets. www.juneteenthlegacyproject.com   (New!)  Juneteenth Freedom Tours  What better way to celebrate Juneteenth then to walk in the footsteps of freedom that occurred on this historic day? Galveston’s Juneteenth Freedom Tours, led by a local “memory keeper,” will take visitors on a journey to see the sites of emancipation where Major General Gordon Granger read the historic General Order No. 3 in Galveston.  Organized by the Juneteenth Legacy Project, tours will take place at various times throughout each day June 11-12 and June 18-20. Tickets are $20. To reserve a spot, call (409) 256-3822. www.juneteenthlegacyproject.com   Galveston Juneteenth Festival & Parade!  Galveston’s annual Juneteenth Festival will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the McGuire Dent Recreational Center at Menard Park (2222 28th Street). This free event will feature various family activities, including live music, food vendors, a Black artist art walk exhibition, a youth basketball tournament and more! Also on June 18, Galveston’s annual Juneteenth Parade & Picnic will take place. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. at 26th Street and Avenue H, and will end at 41st Street and Avenue H. The picnic will immediately follow at Wright Cuney Park (718 41st Street).   Historic Reedy Chapel AME Emancipation March  This church was the last site along General Gordon Granger’s march through Galveston on June 19, 1865 to read General Order No. 3 and declare all slaves in Texas as free. It was also the site of early Juneteenth celebrations in which freed slaves marched from the county courthouse to the church, an annual tradition that is carried out to this day as part of the island’s Juneteenth celebrations. This year’s event will take place at 6 p.m. June 19. The march will begin at the Old Galveston Customs and Courthouse (1918 Postoffice Street) and will end at the church (2013 Broadway Avenue).  Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation at Galveston’s Juneteenth Marker  Every year, Ashton Villa (2328 Broadway Avenue) is the site where the Galveston community commemorates the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. On the property grounds stands the city’s official Juneteenth statue and marker, commemorating the day (June 19, 1865) in Galveston where the last slaves in Texas (the most remote of slave states) learned of their freedom. This year, the event will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18. The event is free to attend and honors the legacy of Rep. Al Edwards, the principal proponent of the Juneteenth Texas state holiday that was approved in 2007. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.   Absolute Equality Mural & Juneteenth Jubilee  The much-anticipated “Absolute Equality” mural, which illustrates the journey of Black Americans out of slavery into freedom, is one of the newest additions to Galveston’s rich history-focused attractions. The 5,000-square-foot mural, created by Houston-based Reginald C. Adams, was painted on the side of the Old Galveston Square building, located at 22nd and Strand in downtown Galveston. The massive art installation is an initiative of the Juneteenth Legacy Project, launched during Black History Month 2021 to help raise awareness about Juneteenth and contribute to the push to make Juneteenth a national holiday (a feat accomplished that year). Juneteenth, or June 19, marks the day in 1865 that Union Army Major Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, which ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state of Texas – one of the last groups of slaves to be freed in the United States. On June 20, the NIA Cultural Center will host a Juneteenth Jubilee from 3-6 p.m. in front of the mural. The event will feature historic re-enactments, live entertainment and speakers. For more info, click here.   Galveston African American History Tour & App  Galveston’s African American History Tour, found on the Visit Galveston app, allows visitors to take a self-guided journey to learn about the island’s many historically black institutions and monuments celebrating black accomplishments. The birthplace of Juneteenth, Galveston Island holds a special place in the United States and African American history.  The city is also home to the first historically black secondary school and public library in Texas, is the hometown of World Heavyweight Champ Jack Johnson, and features several historically black churches that were established as firsts for Texas. To access the tour, visitors can either download the Visit Galveston app on Android or Apple devices, or visit the website at galveston.visitwidget.com. Use the search bar to type in African American History Tour. The African American History Tour itinerary can be taken as is or customized based on a person’s interests and time allocation.