Black Texans Want to Make the Legacy of Juneteenth Known

Opal Lee makes her annual 2.5-mile walk, symbolizing the two and a half years it took for slaves in Texas to realize they had been freed, on the first ever nationally recognized Juneteenth holiday. #JuneteenthFederalHoliday #OpalLee pic.twitter.com/o37A7qkKNc

— Amanda McCoy (@AMcCoyPhoto) June 19, 2021

According to Insider, Black Texas women are fighting to keep Juneteenth centered around its Texan roots. 18-year-old Galveston native, Amari Rowe, said, “Juneteenth is an opportunity for people to learn about where they come from, what kind of heritage they have, where we originate from, who we are, not just the people who were brought on the boats and turned into slaves.” Rowe argued that our society “Does not give Black people enough credit for what they do and have done.” Keeping Texas at the center of Juneteenth is a struggle because “We originated so much, we invented so much and it was all taken from us because we were considered property.”

83-year-old Jacqueline Bostic is a prominent figure in the fight for racial justice. Her great-grandfather, Rev. Jack Yates, moved from the plantation where he was enslaved to Houston after emancipation. In 1872, he raised enough money to help purchase the land known today as Emancipation Park, where many Juneteenth celebrations are held. As an activist, Bostic serves on the board of directors for Emancipation Park’s conservancy. She advocates for the construction of a 51-mile route called the Emancipation Trail, which will connect Houston to Galveston.

George Floyd, the Black man killed by Minneapolis police last May, grew up in Houston. He played football and basketball at the high school named after Rev. Yates. Bostic believes that the story of Floyd’s life and his connection to Juneteenth amplifies the country’s need for a racial awakening. She says, “In 2021, it’s important to know there are still people in our community who see the need to understand what has happened in our past.”

Black artists in Texas commemorated Juneteenth with their 5,000 square foot mural on the Old Galveston Square building called “Absolute Equality.” The artwork portrays significant moments in Black Texans’ early history, such as Underground Railroad leader Harriet Tubman leading Black people to freedom and Union Army General Gordon Granger announcing the order of emancipation. Creators of the mural include Reginald Adams, Dantrel Bonae Boone, and Cherry Meekins.

Meekins opened up about the importance of being a Black female artist. She told Insider, “The Black woman has taken on so much of the burden of catapulting our people into freedom and into opportunity. To be painting and bringing such a project to life, I feel like young girls and other women get to see me and say ‘If she did that, I can, too.'”

Black musical artists are also celebrating Juneteenth. Singer Usher, who was born in Dallas, Texas, attended the White House bill signing ceremony and wrote on Twitter, “It’s finally official.” He was seen hugging Opal Lee and Vice President Kamala Harris.

To get involved, you can find Juneteenth events near you to attend. You can also donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the ACLU.