by Sara Pezzoni
Juneteenth Jubilees in Fort Worth
The purpose of The Compass Rose is to raise awareness of Special Collections' resources and to foster the use of these resources. The blog series also reports significant new programs, initiatives, and acquisitions of Special Collections.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to issue his General Order No. 3, announcing to the people of Texas that “all slaves are free.” An estimated 250,000 slaves were affected by this delayed announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. The anniversary of this declaration has long been observed in Texas as "Juneteenth." What began as a unique Texas festivity has become a widespread celebration of jubilee and freedom.
Texas has been celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday since 1980. On June 15, 2021, the Senate unanimously passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday; it subsequently passed through the House of Representatives by a 415-14 vote on June 16, 2021. It was signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17th 2021, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which was added in 1983. Fort Worth’s own Opal Lee, an early organizer and promoter of Fort Worth’s Juneteenth celebrations, has devoted her life to preserving the history of the emancipation of Texas slaves and was invited by President Biden to the bill signing. To celebrate Juneteenth this year, we have created a pictorial history of Juneteenth celebrations in Fort Worth over the years using photographs from our Fort Worth Star-Telegram collection.
For Fort Worth, the first revived Juneteenth celebration was held on June 19, 1974 in Sycamore Park. Organized by the Fort Worth Tarrant County Community Development Fund, the celebration was established as the “Cowtown Juneteenth Jamboree” and activities included a downtown parade, a Miss Juneteenth contest, a Sojourner Truth Players presentation of “Ceremonies in Dark Old Men,” and a historical documentary screening. Attendees enjoyed carnival rides, art and cultural exhibit booths, games, live music, and food and refreshments. Planners initially designated Hillside Park as the site for the celebration, but it was decided to move Juneteenth festivities to Sycamore Park as it was larger and “more convenient for the majority of the Black community” as described by Henry Masters, director of the Community Development Fund.
The Faces of Juneteenth
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Juneteenth Parades
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Juneteenth Eats
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Juneteenth Music & Dance
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This year, Unity Unlimited, Inc. has produced the Annual Juneteenth Fort Worth Celebration with Opal Lee and the annual 2.5-mile Opal’s Walk for Freedom will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Tell us about your memories of Juneteenths past in the comments below!
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