The new Juneteenth federal holiday traces its roots to Galveston, Texas
GALVESTON, Texas — As a blazing sun rises over Galveston Island on the Texas coast, Sam Collins stands on the spot where history happened 157 years ago.
“The birthplace of Juneteenth is here at the southwest corner of 22nd and Strand where Gen. Gordon Granger set up his Union headquarters,” says Collins, cochair of the Juneteenth Legacy Project and unofficial tourism ambassador of Juneteenth in Galveston. “So while Juneteenth became a national holiday last year, it has always been important to the descendants of the former enslaved here in Galveston and all throughout Texas.”
Visitors flock to this languid barrier island to splash in the warm waters of the gulf, take in the graceful, historic architecture, eat oysters and stroll along the seawall. With the new Juneteenth
federal holiday, signed into law last year by President Biden, the city hopes it will also become a must-visit site of essential American history.
“You can read about Juneteenth. You can watch a documentary about Juneteenth,” Collins says, “but if you want to be immersed
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Michael Starghill, Jr. for NPR
in the story, you have to visit Galveston, Texas, and the sites associated with June 19, 1865.”
That was the day the Union general, who had recently sailed into Galveston to take command of the District of Texas, posted a brief order to the citizenry that included the soaring words: “All slaves are free.”
The edifice occupied by Union officers is long gone. Now it’s a parking lot that looks onto a large mural depicting Juneteenth history and surrounded by ocean-themed gift shops, an Irish pub, and a store that sells toe rings.
Two and a half years before Granger arrived, President Abraham Lincoln had issued his Emancipation Proclamation that legally freed three and a half million enslaved people in Confederate states. But it was unenforceable in the defiant, slaveholding South. It wasn’t until federal troops finally arrived to occupy Galveston that Granger issued General Orders No. 3, which came to be called the Juneteenth Order, that liberated 250,000 enslaved Blacks in Texas.
Texas was the last stop for Union troops who had been marching across the Confederate South and freeing slaves as they went. What was so unique about the Juneteenth Order that it is now a federal holiday?
“That event was like lightning striking,” says Edward T. Cotham, Jr, Texas Civil War historian and author of Juneteenth, The Story Behind The Celebration. “There is not a natural freedom date for the whole country. Enslaved peo -
ple were freed at massively different times. But in Texas, the Union army shows up. Now it’s over. I think that’s why enslaved people seized on that order.”
”People have been celebrating that day for 156 years,” Cotham
continues. “The federal government finally made it a legal holiday.”
Sam Collins remembers his grandmother telling him oral history that was handed down through the generations among Black Galvestonians.
“It was not a piece of paper that freed enslaved people of Texas,” he says. “It was the men with the guns. These were the Union soldiers, many of them United States Colored Troops, that showed up and told the plantation owners and enslavers, ‘You have to stop. These people are free.’”
On the island, Juneteenth has always been an intensely local celebration.
“I remember celebrating Juneteenth as a little kid growing up and having barbecue and red soda water on June 19th, and the parades they had,” says Douglas Matthews, 71, former Galveston city manager and now an assistant vice president at the University
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of Texas Medical Branch. “At the far west end of the island where the seawall ends is the city limits. Black people could go to the beaches there but we could not celebrate anyplace else.”
A local genealogist who is BOI (born on the island) says when she was growing up Juneteenth was not even taught in school.
”It was not in any schoolbook,” says Sharon Batiste Gillins. “We celebrated Juneteenth in the family. It was a family affair. It was a church affair.”
Gillins says when she went away to Howard University in 1969, the Juneteenth celebrations were larger and more public in Washington D.C. than they had been in Galveston. It was around 1979, when Texas declared Juneteenth a state holiday, that Galveston began celebrating it in a big way.
Now that it’s a national holiday, just like MLK Day, Gillins cringes when she sees the Juneteenth party supplies in stores.
”Consistent with the American culture it’s already being commercialized,” she says. “We’re gonna see things like the Juneteenth half-off sale.”
What’s considered over the top?
Last month, Wal-Mart withdrew its “Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream,” and apologized.
For Gillins, along with local pride comes a dose of wistfulness. “We have been celebrating it for so long and now it’s national and we don’t quite own it like we used to,” she says.
Today, Juneteenth in Galveston is a week of non-stop parades, picnics, poetry readings, gospel music and Freedom Tours. Two years from now, a group of entrepreneurs hopes to have the 1861 United States Customs House restored and reopened as a Juneteenth Museum. The brick Classical Revival building was occupied by the Confederate Army during the Civil War, then reoccupied by the federal government that used it as a courthouse and post office.
Until recently, the structure was headquarters for a Texas homebuilder until earlier this year when June 19 Museum Inc., based in Washington D.C., acquired it. Company president Kevin L. Jackson says the future museum will include the history of Juneteenth along with other relevant exhibits.
”We want the Juneteenth museum to help eliminate the scourge of modern slavery and human trafficking,” Jackson says during a tour of the building. “And we envision having one of these rooms as the Escape Room which will tell the story of the Underground Railroad.”
While there is much attention paid to Galveston’s role in ending slavery in Texas, there is almost no mention of Galveston’s role in perpetuating slavery. The city, which was the state’s leading seaport and commercial center during the 19th century, had the largest slave auction house west of the Mississippi. John Seabrook Sydnor, a prominent businessman and mayor of Galveston, was the city’s major slave dealer. A newspaper ad from 1862 states, “J.S. & J.B. Sydnor
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Auction Sales every Tuesday. Merchandise, Real Estate, Negroes, Carriages, Furniture, Etc.” The auction house stood only a few blocks from where the Juneteenth Order was signed. There are more than 200 historical markers in Galveston, but not one that highlights the city’s role in the commerce of slavery.
”Our city puts out a very positive image, but there is a dark side to Galveston,” says Eugene Lewis, retired Galveston police commander and early Juneteenth booster. “When you look at the economic wealth, our prominent families were slaveowners.”
Beyond the history of Juneteenth, Black Galvestonians would like to see an acknowledgement of their firsts on the island: the oldest black Baptist church and the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in Texas. The first public high school for Blacks in Texas. The home of Jack Johnson—the legendary “Galveston Giant”— who became boxing’s first African American world heavyweight champion.
For many in Galveston, Juneteenth is profoundly personal. June Collins Pulliam, director of a local music academy, traces her lineage to 1865. Her great-great-grandparents were Horace and Emily Scull, enslaved to a family named Scull on nearby Bolivar Peninsula.
”My great-great-grandparents and their young children were directly impacted,” she says, “because with this announcement of General Orders No. 3 they were then freed and able to make lives for themselves here in Galveston.”
As a freedman, Horace Scull was a skilled and sought-after carpenter. He built his own house and the houses of other emancipated people in town. His son, R.A. Scull, became a preacher and teacher, and taught in segregated Galveston schools for 52 years.
Juneteenth has come to signify so much for Black Americans throughout the country “but even moreso, I think, to those of us who are right here in Galveston where it happened,” says Pulliam. “It’s something I treasure, something I’m just glad that now the world recognizes it.”
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Michael Starghill, Jr. for NPR
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Here you go!
It took an entire day to travel here, it was not until now that I realized the voyage began long before I packed up all my things and moved to Houston, TX. My carnal mind was driven and spun off the fact I ruled my world. I could succeed by the one thing that was designed to destroy me, my flesh. I knew what men wanted, what drove them wild and how ultimately, I would play them at their own game, and win!
I started dancing at Heartbreakers in 2007. I slowly started to realize this was a game of survival and if I did not notice the ins and outs of this atmosphere, I would be slathered in this business. I started to build an indestructible character; she would protect the real me. The me that was rapped at the age of 15. That young girl that never got her day in court, never got her voice heard. Dancing in Houston is a beast it is not like Nevada, California, Arizona, or even Virgina. It is an animal that would need its own cage, bond at every angle with fear it will eventually devour itself. My ego grew stronger and stronger, and that sweet girl hid inside, safe from the world’s harm.
I remember vividly one night I prayed standing in front of my locker. God, if you love me, help me. Tears slowly rolled down my face. That was me crying out from behind the mask. I get emotional every time I think about what God done for me. He sent in his best disciples to rescue me, from myself. A group of church women would come into the strip club to love on us, mind you I use to think this was weird but now I know it was God. Handing out bags of goodies, asking if we wanted prayers. I began to grow tired, which is what flesh does when you rely on self instead of God. I was weak and tired. I began to self-destruct, committing adultery, allowing money to navigate my life. I was ruled by idol self-headed full speed toward death. I felt out of control, I was out control. I allowed the devil to drive me towards Self-medicating myself with the best Jamison I could find. Intoxicated enough to not feel anything but awake enough to remember everything. I knew I needed help; I needed something beyond my
by Noel Woods
understanding.
God came in full force, loving me past all my bad choices, loving me past all my wounds from my battles on earth. He took His time with me, cornered me in and consumed my heart with His every lasting love. I fell head over heels for Him. Wanting only Him, I turned to Him and grabbed His hand and have been following His lead ever since. Let me tell you the relationship I have with God is unshakable, the devil tries and masters at tripping me up at times, but I hang on to the truth. The truth of God, it is my anchor it keeps me standing strong in any storm.
If you are questioning your worth, your identity, tired of being driven in circles. Let go and let God. We were created by Him. Created for His purpose. Due to the trap of the enemy, we feel we can do it ourselves. Satan wants us to feel what God created us to be is wrong. Living off the patterns of this world, keeping your mind imprisoned. Not allowing that transformation to happen. Your heart to soften, feeling and giving out the love that heals all people.
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The best high waisted swimwear offers unparalleled support and style. A two piece that delivers all the benefit of a bathing suit, the high waist helps to contour and support your silhouette, while still allowing you to fill some sun on your middle.
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5 home cleaning hacks to save time, energy and the planet
(BPT) - Everyone loves a clean home, but as the weather gets nicer, many of us want to spend less time sprucing up and more time enjoying summer with family and friends. This is when a few good cleaning hacks can come in handy.
In a recent Bona/Harris Poll online survey, most Americans (92%) noted they’d like some type of cleaning “hack” to save time and energy. To help get the job done faster and easier, consider these home cleaning tips and tricks. Bonus: They all take a greener approach to cleaning so you can feel good about your home and your impact on the planet.
Use ice to clean your garbage disposal
A lot of crud goes down your kitchen sink drain. If you have a garbage disposal, it can get dirty and stinky over time. The blades of the disposal system are dangerous to clean directly, so instead, toss in a few ice cubes and run the system for a minute. Better yet, freeze a bit of lemon or orange rind into the cubes to clean the blades and leave behind a fresh scent.
Steam clean the microwave
Instead of scrubbing a grimy microwave, use the power of steam. Place a cup of water in a large microwave-safe bowl or container like a glass measuring cup and add a splash of lemon juice for a citrus scent. Run on high for 3-5 minutes so the water steams the microwave and softens the food and grime. Carefully remove the container and wipe down the inside with a soft cloth - no scrubbing required.
Use biobased cleaners and reusable cloths
Avoid bringing toxins into your home by using biobased products like the new USDA Certified Biobased Bona All-Purpose Cleaner. As one of only a few 99% biobased surface cleaners available, it’s safe for all the surfaces in the home while still being tough on grease and grime. In addition, skip the wasteful paper towel by using washable and reusable microfiber cloths, like the Bona Microfiber Cleaning Cloths. These new cloths are customized for every cleaning chore - from the kitchen cloth’s tight zig zag weaves to catch food particles, to the bathroom cloth’s looser zig zag design to help clean hair and soap scum. Made from 80% post-con-
sumer recycled material, these cleaning cloths can be washed and reused up to 300 times.
Soak shower heads in vinegar
There’s nothing like jumping into a shower and looking forward to a warm cascade of droplets, only to be met with a frantic spray with unsatisfying pressure. Over time, minerals in the water can build up on the shower head and block the flow. An easy solution is to remove the head and place in a bowl of vinegar. A quick soak loosens buildup that you can easily clean off with a small brush so your shower flows again.
Use baking soda to deodorize carpet and more
Baking soda is one of the most versatile natural cleaning ingredients. Known for its ability to absorb scents and deodorize, it’s great for cleaning tough spots around your home. Have a carpet that could use a refresh? Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet, let it sit for half
You can other
areas of the home that are hard to deodorize, such as couches,
These hacks help save time and energy cleaning, plus you can feel good that you’re being kind to the planet. The only thing left is to enjoy your summer time fun! (BPT)
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