What to know about the history of Juneteenth: Takeaways from A&M ...

Black people have always been active participants in securing their rights, though their contributions to U.S. history have been diminished, a historian said Friday at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

At the university’s first Juneteenth soiree, assistant professor of history Le’Trice Donaldson said in a keynote address that the roots and legacy of the national holiday are an example of the Black community’s cultural significance.

"Juneteenth endures as an acknowledgement of both the failures and the promises of America," said Donaldson, who is also the coordinator of a new Black Studies minor program at the university. "This isn't just Black history; this is American history."

The holiday, celebrated on June 19 each year, commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for slaves in Texas.

In the years before, the enslaved population of Texas had expanded rapidly as slaveholders from other states sought to avoid freeing their slaves by moving to Texas, the frontier of the Confederacy.

"Texas refused to accept the war was over — they lost the battle and they refused to let these people be free," Donaldson said.

Donaldson pointed out that freedom in Texas was ensured by thousands of Black Union soldiers, troops who fought for their own freedom.

The first "Jubilee Day" commemorating June 19, 1865, was held in 1866.

"Free people celebrated with parties, food and sporting events," Donaldson said.

In 1872, Black churches and community groups in Houston raised money to purchase 10 acres of land for Emancipation Park as a location to celebrate Juneteenth.

During this era, Juneteenth attendees strengthened personal bonds and their sense of community, and encouraged active participation in the political process, Donaldson said.

In 1936, Black Texans secured federal grant funding for "The Hall of Negro Life," an exhibit at the Texas Centennial that was dedicated on Juneteenth.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Juneteenth celebrations honored veterans who had fought for victory abroad and now sought it at home. With the civil rights movement underway in the 1960s, Juneteenth highlighted the historical struggle for freedom and equal rights.

In the 1970s, celebrations focused on pride and cultural heritage, Donaldson said.

"Thinking about that legacy and celebrations ... observed on Juneteenth, African Americans took an active role in constructing their citizenship in U.S. political culture," Donaldson said. "They laid claim to public space and affirmed their collective memory in the face the 'Lost Cause' and public discourse that diminished their role in shaping and their contributions to U.S. history."

Juneteenth was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

The University Counseling Center hosted Friday's event, which featured vendors from local Black-owned businesses and organizations, student art displays, a lyrical dance and a spoken-word performance.

"We've been wanting to really bring something like this to our campus to highlight and celebrate those historical moments, that liberation, the freedom that happened for us," counselor Renita Newton said.

LaToya Rodriguez, owner of floral business Rose Soiree, attended the event as a vendor.

"I'm super excited to be a part of something new in the Corpus area celebrating Juneteenth," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said that her family has celebrated Juneteenth for as long as she can remember.

"It took so long for even the news (of the emancipation) to get down here to Texas, and my family is originally from rural parts of Texas," Rodriguez said. "Juneteenth has always been something very, very special to my family."

In Corpus Christi, the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education hosts the 10 Days of Jubilee Festival and the annual Juneteenth Festival in the Park.

Local festivities included a kickoff on June 9 and will conclude with the festival featuring a 5K run, food trucks and musical performances Saturday at Water's Edge Park and a Juneteenth Day of Service on Sunday at Pilgrim's Rest Baptist Church.

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