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Juneteenth: From local celebration to federal holiday

1872

Emancipation Park of Houston, Texas. The land was purchased in 1872 by former slaves and served as a place for numerous Juneteenth celebrations.
Emancipation Park of Houston, Texas. The land was purchased in 1872 by former slaves and served as a place for numerous Juneteenth celebrations. | Screengrab: YouTube/KHOU 11

Six years after the first Juneteenth celebrations were held, a group of former slaves pooled together their resources and bought 10 acres of land, naming it Emancipation Park with the goal of regularly hosting Juneteenth celebrations at the site.

Emancipation Park was eventually donated to the city in 1916 and officially became a municipal park in 1918, according to an entry on the National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association website regarding restoration work on the property.

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“During the era of segregation, it was the only municipal park and pool open to African Americans. Over the years, the site has hosted countless concerts and Juneteenth celebrations,” explained the Association.

“In the 1970s, the park fell into disrepair and neglect. By 2007, Juneteenth celebrations there had ground to a halt. Friends of Emancipation Park began a movement in 2006 to revive the park and its original purpose. The Houston City Council gave the project additional support the next year by naming the park a historic landmark.”

In 2019, Emancipation Park was designated a UNESCO Slave Route Project site.

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