Loading...
COMMEMORATE JUNETEENTH WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAVEL GUIDE
AUSTIN, Texas—Almost two and a half years after the U.S. abolishment of slavery in 1863, African Americans in Texas were finally freed when Union Gen. Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston on June 19, 1865. Deemed Juneteenth, the date has since become an international day of celebration, officially becoming a state holiday in 1980. By some accounts, Granger’s public reading of “General Order No. 3” occurred on the balcony of Ashton Villa, an Italianate mansion on Galveston’s Broadway Street. Today, a Juneteenth monument on the grounds commemorates the occasion, and Galveston’s Juneteenth parade and festivities draw visitors from around the world. This is one of dozens of stories recounted in the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) new publication, African Americans in Texas: A Lasting Legacy, and its companion website, www.africanamericansintexas.com. The THC encourages using these travel resources to learn about the real stories of African American heritage and to attend Juneteenth commemorations around the state.
Read more...Originally published at The Cherokeean Herald
