Convenience Big Store: Exploring Juneteenth's impact on Texas history and Houston culture

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Laven Jackson, 5, smiles with a Juneteenth sticker on his nose during an unveiling event by City of Galveston of new signage that will be installed on the highway entering the Island to recognize its place as the birthplace of Juneteenth, Friday, June 16, 2023 in Galveston, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Juneteenth is more than a parade. This national holiday commemorates Texas history.

If you didn't know, Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth an official holiday in 1980.

Juneteenth also originated right here, on the Galveston shores. On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1872, a group of Houston ministers and businessmen purchased 10 acres of land and created Emancipation Park to hold the city's first Juneteenth celebration.

Now, we're celebrating a second year of it being a federal holiday.

There's a lot of history about Juneteenth that I've learned in the last few years. It has expanded my view of this holiday as simply a parade for freedom.

Juneteenth is so much more.

Check out the work of my colleague's Suburban reporter Ralph Green who explains the origins of Juneteenth, while Arts writer Amber Elliott reports on a 9-foot sculpture of Harriet Tubman that arrived in Bastrop in time for a Juneteenth celebration.

If you're looking for ways to commemorate the holiday, Ana Khan has compiled a great list of things to do.

Do you have a story to share or know of one that needs to be told? Share it with us here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of Houweare was published with an incorrect subject line.

Joy Sewing, Columnist

Joy.Sewing@houstonchronicle.com

Worth your time

Sharon Evans-Brooks and her husband Juan Brooks walk along the Columbia Tap Rail to Trail with their dog, Tom Brady, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 in Houston. They are among many residents who have been asking officials for basic security lighting and benches for the trail for many years. The historic 4-mile trail that runs through Third Ward was once part of a nearly 50-mile rail line built by enslaved Black men to transport sugar and cotton from Brazoria County plantations to Houston. It was one of the first rail lines to be constructed in Texas before the Civil War and later used to transport Black leased convicts to work the plantations.

Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer

Houston's Columbia Tap Trail still unlit and bleak as improvement plans sit on shelf

The historic 4-mile Columbia Tap Bike Trail that connects Third Ward to Brays Bayou and downtown looks no different now than a year ago when I wrote about the bleak hike-and-bike path.

There are no security lights, historical markers, protected crosswalks or other amenities. Just a few miles away, trails are lighted and pristine.

If it weren't for big plans by city officials and community organizations to improve the trail, you'd think no one cared.

It's frustrating for nearby residents, like me, who want better.

Mail Bag

By now, we should have had a sequel to the 2018 hit movie, "Crazy Rich Asians." Kevin Kwan, the author of the book series, has alluded to Hollywood's diversity issues. I wrote about his recent visit to Houston. Here's what a reader said:

Thank you for writing about this! ... He has had more of an impact on Asian America than we probably give Kevin credit for— I am so glad you gave a nod to that influence by revealing that his intent was to have an all Asian cast in 'Crazy Rich Asians.' Seeing that movie on the big screen was a before/after moment for me along with so many others. - Vicky Yip