By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Just seven years after they learned of their liberation, a group of formerly enslaved Black Texans banded together in 1872 to purchase Emancipation Park in Houston. The 10-acre park was meant to serve as a place for African Americans to celebrate their freedom, and until the 1950s, it was the only public park and swimming pool open to the Black community.
Today, Emancipation Park Conservancy works to honor the legacy of the park by preserving the historical grounds and cultivating programming that ensures people understand its origins and role in the fight for freedom and equality.
“Juneteenth remains a cornerstone of the park’s identity, with annual celebrations that bring people together to commemorate resilience, progress and cultural heritage,” said Jennifer Spriggs, executive director of Emancipation Park Conservancy. “We are the center of the community. The park continues to stand as a living testament to the strength and determination of our ancestors and those who fought for freedom. We work to ensure that their legacy remains vibrant and impactful.”
This year, the conservancy has a line-up of dynamic events to celebrate Juneteenth—the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Its programming includes an exhibit and musical tribute honoring the late Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; a family fun day; a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning lab; and a youth sports camp. The conservancy will also be uplifting local Black-owned businesses and engaging in community service.
“Ultimately, the holiday serves as both a reflection on the past and a commitment to shaping a more equitable future. Balancing celebration with reflection, education and advocacy is at the heart of Juneteenth’s significance,” said Spriggs. “The holiday is a joyous occasion, a solemn reminder of the ongoing fight for racial justice and an acknowledgement that the journey toward justice is ongoing. We believe in incorporating educational programs, historical discussions and calls to action alongside traditional celebrations.”
That balance is personal for Jacqueline Bostic, vice chairman of Emancipation Park Conservancy. Her great-grandfather, John Henry “Jack” Yates, was one of the formerly enslaved men who spearheaded the purchase of Emancipation Park.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Emancipation Park Conservancy
Bostic has learned that the park not only served as a space for celebration after its founding but as a meeting place for communities to come together to address the challenges they faced.
“When people came out of slavery in the state of Texas, which was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, there were no institutions, no schools, no anything,” said Bostic. “They were simply freed as slaves, and then they had to evolve and build their own communities.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Emancipation Park Conservancy
Her great-grandfather played an instrumental role in initiating this community-building with the founding of the park. Yates also became the first African American to construct a two-story house in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town— a home Bostic would later grow up in.
“Even though I was not alive at the time, I was able to learn about it because he did so much in the community,” said Bostic. “That gave me the ability to be inspired and to understand that if a person just coming out of being enslaved can do so much and have a vision, then certainly I have more opportunities to do as much and more for my community.”
