By Texas Southern University
Members of the Texas Southern University community are honoring Juneteenth at a variety of events – both on- and off-campus, as well as virtually, over the next two weeks.
Texas Southern University has a unique connection to Juneteenth, which celebrates the day that slaves in Galveston, TX, were notified of their freedom. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the end of slavery. However, this news came almost two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. TSU alumnus and former state representative, the late Al Edwards (’66), initiated legislation to establish Juneteenth as a holiday in Texas. As a freshman state representative, Edwards, commonly known as “Mr. Juneteenth,” introduced the holiday in under House Bill 1016, which was signed into law in 1980.
“Juneteenth is a celebration to commemorate the horrific period in our nation’s history and acknowledge the perseverance of our ancestors,” said TSU President Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young. “Texas Southern University is committed to facilitating discourse and leading critical conversations, in the Houston region and around the state of Texas, to study and learn from our past as we charter innovative pathways for our future and continue to transform lives.”
Upcoming Juneteenth events either sponsored by or involving Texas Southern University are listed below:
Juneteenth – Freedom Work (in-person and virtual discussion); Friday, June 17, 2022; 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hudspeth Auditorium, Rice University
Join the Texas Southern University National Alumni Association, the Prairie View A&M University National Alumni Association, and the Rice University Association of Rice Alumni to celebrate Juneteenth with three panels exploring ideas and questions central to the holiday. For additional information: https://diversity.rice.edu/juneteenth In Person: Hudspeth Auditorium, Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. Tickets are free and required for the in-person event. Reserve a seat here: https://bit.ly/3GikKN9. Online via Zoom: Register here: https://bit.ly/3lODb2y
Juneteenth HBCU Virtual Career Fair; Friday, June 17, 2022; 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Virtual
The TSU Career Center has partnered with the PVAMU Career Center, as well as the TSU and PVAMU national alumni associations, and will host a Juneteenth HBCU Virtual Career on Friday, June 17, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Participants will use the virtual platform Handshake to access the event. Click here to register for the event. Contact TSU Career Services at 713-313-7541 for more information.
Mayor Turner’s 9th Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade; Saturday, June 18, 2022, 10 a.m.-noon; Acres Homes Multi-Service Center (6719 W. Montgomery)
KTSU 90.9FM will emcee the parade as the official radio sponsor of the 9th Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade, hosted by Mayor Sylvester Turner. For more information, click here.
“TSU Juneteenth Statewide Calendar”; Saturday, June 18, 2022, 4-5 p.m. (Reception), 5-7 p.m. (Roundtable Discussion) – Invitation only event.
This is an inaugural launching of the Juneteenth Texas Statewide Calendar & Website: www.tsu.edu/juneteenth. This inaugural launch event will be an annual Juneteenth celebration. This will be an invitation-only, hybrid event. The reception will be followed by a roundtable discussion. The panelists for the roundtable discussion are State Rep. Ron Reynolds, David Lee Edwards (Rep. Al Edwards’ brother), and several others. Dr. Merline Pitre (Houston Historical Society, former TSU professor of history, and noted author) will speak briefly before the roundtable discussion. The roundtable discussion about Juneteenth will be recorded and made available on the website during the week of June 19. The event is in honor of the legislation spearheaded by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and passed by 46th U.S. President Joe Biden. It is also in honor of State Representative Al Edwards who sponsored House Bill 1016 in the 66th Texas Legislature making Juneteenth an official holiday in the state of Texas in 1980.
Emancipation Park 150th Juneteenth Celebration, presented by Kinder Foundation; Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, 2022, 4-10 p.m. each day
KTSU 90.9FM hosts the main stage at Emancipation Park’s sold-out 150th Juneteenth Celebration, presented by Kinder Foundation, which will be the largest event in the Park’s history. This once in a lifetime occasion highlights the Park’s legacy and sets the stage for the next 150 years. Live performances by the Isley Brothers, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Kool and the Gang, and Sheila E. The celebration opens on Saturday with a ceremony acknowledging Juneteenth and Emancipation Park’s history. Throughout the day attendees will have access to local vendors, interactive kid zones and much more. While this is a sold-out event, you can listen to KTSU 90.9FM throughout the week for limited ticket giveaways. Click here for more information.
Juneteenth: The Journey to Freedom; Sunday, June 19, 8:30-11 p.m., Miller Outdoor Theatre
Join with official radio partner KTSU 90.9FM for a brilliant performance filled with dramatic visuals, live music, narrations, and dance that tells the story of African Americans from 1865 to today and their journey to the celebration of freedom. Presented in partnership with Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston First and City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. This performance will also be livestreamed. You can choose to watch it on the Miller Outdoor Theater website here, the YouTube Channel here, or Facebook here!
“The Sound of Freedom: A Juneteenth Celebration”; Saturday, June 25, 2022, 3 p.m.
Dr. Jason Oby, Chairman of the Texas Southern University Department of Music, has curated an exciting program for the Houston Ebony Opera Guild’s next concert. Serving as the finale for our region’s 2022 observance of Juneteenth. The program features art songs and arrangements of African American spirituals by contemporary and pioneering composers renowned for their work in those genres. Dr. Gwendolyn Alfred, soprano and coordinator of the voice faculty will also be prominently featured on the program.
