< Previous40 | The Daily News | Juneteenth | February 2015 36First Baptist Church Galveston “Seeking the Welfare of the Island” Sunday Bible Study 9:29am • Worship 10:30am & 6pm Wednesday Bible Study 6pm • Youth and Children Programs 822 23rd Galveston TX 77550 409-763-1840 www.fbcgalveston.org galveston children’s museum “Where learning is child’s play!” At the Moody Mansion 2618 Broadway 409-572-2544 www.galvestoncm.org www.jessetree.net • Find us on Facebook The Jesse Tree Celebrates 150 years of Juneteenth! The Jesse Tree Harriet Tubman Photo published in the US before 1923 and public domain in the US. If The Jesse Tree were a person, who would it be and what would they be doing? A think tank in Texas pondered this and came up with The Jesse Tree being Harriet Tubman - Harriet used common sense to confront the indignities of slavery while The Jesse Tree uses technology with compassion to guide people through the maze of problems and solutions. Confronting Confusion With Common Sense In its 20th year, The Jesse Tree is continuing to connect individuals and families to life-giving resources and teaching them to better manage their health and resources - while contributions are at an all-time low! Please become a regular monthly donor; assist in fund-raising events; help us coordinate in-kind donations and volunteer! We need your help to help others: The Jesse Tree, P.O. Box 575, Galveston, TX 77553 or online contributions can be received at www.jessetree. net - than you for your support and generosity. A shoot will come up from the stem of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)February 2015 | Juneteenth | The Daily News | 41 42 | The Daily News | Juneteenth | February 2015 I n the weeks that led up to the 19th of June, Galveston’s newspa- pers were filled with reports and editorials about the end of the war, the beginning of peace and the im- minent freedom of enslaved blacks. On June 14th, Galveston Daily News reported that Federal troops would soon arrive in Galveston. The announcement quickly spread throughout the white and black community and resi- dents were overcome with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Although little attention was given to their thoughts in the newspapers of the day, one can imagine that enslaved blacks anticipated sweet free- dom but must have worried about their future status and livelihood. Blacks were not the only residents with overwhelming concerns. Former Confederate soldiers were anxious about the implications of the Amnesty Proclamation they were being compelled to sign in order to establish their loyalty to the Union. Businessmen wanted to get back to profitable op- eration but they were concerned about currency. City leaders were unsure of what their authority would be after the Federal troops arrived and every- one was concerned about the new relationship that would exist between whites and blacks. The uncer- tainty was palpable and the transition would not come easily. In the midst of such widespread emotional up- heaval, Galveston’s population swelled with an influx of people. Every train from Houston was packed with returning residents and newcomers. On June 17th, the first Federal troops arrived. A day later, four army transports with troops from Mobile, Ala., added over 2,000 soldiers to their numbers. They announced that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger was in command of the troops and was due to arrive in Galveston any time. On June 19th, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in port aboard the U.S. steamer transport Cres- cent. Two more transports arrived that day carrying “colored” troops, a sight that would have been an uncommon spectacle to all. Granger established his headquarters in the Osterman Building on Strand and 22nd streets. Granger issued his first five gen- eral orders to the citizens of Galveston on that day. The most significant of these was General Order No. 3, which essentially ended the practice of slavery for 250,000 enslaved blacks in Texas, the last freed in the U.S. Maj. Gen. Granger’s men spread throughout Galveston delivering the general orders now being enforced in Galveston. The orders were read at multiple locations close to the center of downtown and anywhere a great number of people, especially blacks, might gather to receive it. Likely places are Granger’s headquarters at the Osterman Building, the waterfront where troops arrived, the Public Square (site of the Old Galveston Courthouse), colored churches (Reedy Chapel on 20th and Broadway was the closest to downtown), and Confederate Army headquarters located at the James Moreau Brown House (Ashton Villa) on 24th and Broadway. The announcement of freedom brought the erup- tion of spontaneous celebrations by freedmen and their supporters throughout the city, from the docks to the Public Square, in churches, on street corners and in homes. In the days and weeks to follow, blacks and whites, Union and Confederates strug- gled to establish a new normal. Life as they knew it had changed for everyone and their work had just begun. Sharon Gillins lives in Galveston. WHAT juneTeenTH meAns To me Sharon GillinS The Galveston Daily News on June 21, 1865 published five general orders issued by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, including General Order No. 3, free- ing all slaves. 38February 2015 | Juneteenth | The Daily News | 43 Quality and Service do not need to be expensive! Locally Owned & Operated Since 1995 • Offering Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinets • Granite Countertops / Free Stainless Sink! • Beautiful Wood Floors • Laminates • Ceramic & Porcelain Tile • Newest Selection of Carpet Styles • Free Estimates • No Interest Financing W.A.C. Qu Carpet • Tile • Wood • Granite 281-332-2272 1246 E. Main Street League City 77573 www. agship oors.com COM’s Men of Excellence program proudly salutes the 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth For more information about the COM’s Men of Excellence Program, call 409-933-8190. J u n e t e e n t h City of Texas City www.texas-city-tx.org the oldest known celebration commerating the ending of slavery in the United States. We Proudly Honor the44 | The Daily News | Juneteenth | February 2015 WHAT juneTeenTH meAns To me Sterling & mary patrick Juneteenth equates to favor on our lives J uneteenth provided a promise of freedom and equality. A chance for a new beginning for slaves in Texas. Juneteenth was a promise of deliverance. Secondly, Juneteenth must always remind us (as a people) that the rights, freedoms, and value of a people must never be subser- vient to property rights. Thirdly, Juneteenth is a joyous occasion when we can reflect on the past and thank God for his eter- nal grace and favor that has brought us so far. Lastly, Juneteenth is another example of how God’s grace and mercy has delivered His people from bondage and His favor has blessed our lives. Sterling and Mary Patrick live in La Marque. Sixteen-year-old Dey’shreona Lynch of Texas City recites the poem The Negro Mother by Langston Hughes during the 5th Annual Stringfellow Juneteenth on June 19, 2010 at Stringfellow Orchards in Hitchcock. KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News Tammy Kingston, a Harriet Tubman re-enactor, recounts Tubman’s life at the 9th annual Juneteenth Family Day at Stringfellow Orchards in Hitch- cock. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News If you would like to join. Please contact Altar Caligone 409-933-0553 The NAACP Chapter (6201) of Mainland 115 Members Strong Proudly celebrates the 150th Anniversary of JuneteenthFebruary 2015 | Juneteenth | The Daily News | 45 1THINK BANKING. THINK LOCAL. THINK FIRST.THINK BANKING. THINK LOCAL. THINK FIRST. WWW.TEXASFIRSTBANK.COM We are proud to call and to communities! support our Galveston County home Commerating 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth Commerating 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth 39th Ave O • 409. 763.2805216 23rd Street • 409.974.4609 2nd Oldest Seafood Restaurant Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-8:30pm Friday & Saturday 10:30am-9:30pm Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Sunday-Thursday 7:30am-9:00pm Friday & Saturday 7:30am-12:00am Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Tr y Our New Location! Commemorating “A Family Serving Families Since 1959” 5 Locations Better to serve you TOLL FREE 888-935-2401 La Marque, TX 401 Texas Avenue 409-935-2401 Dickinson, TX 851 Hwy 517 & FM 646 281-337-1515 Webster, TX 111 East Medical Center Blvd. 281-280-9000 Pearland, TX 2422 Broadway 281-412-3000 League City, TX 1645 E. Main 281-332-272746 | The Daily News | Juneteenth | February 2015 WHAT juneTeenTH meAns To me izola collins T hese are my thoughts on June- teenth as I knew it in the 1930s, and as I heard about it from my mother and my grandfa- ther. My grandfather, the Rev. Ralph Albert Scull, came to Galveston with his family, immediately after the Emancipation Proclamation was read here. My grandfather wrote in his journal every night, detailing every- thing that happened to all of the people that he knew. He retired from teaching in the Galveston public segregated school system in 1930, at the manda- tory retirement age of 70, after teaching for 52 years. He was the first African American male to grow up in Galveston, and return to teach here. The Galveston ISD handwritten records started in 1880; they show that he and his sister, Clara, were the first teachers of their race to grow up (in Galveston), be educated by teach- ers from Ohio, attend Wilberforce College in Ohio, and return here to teach in the public schools. My mother and father lived with my grandfather, in the home grandfather rebuilt right after the 1900 storm washed away their home — on the same property which stands today. Most of my history book, “Island of Color,” subtitled “Where Juneteenth Started” received its facts from my grandfather’s journal. He had organized his handwritten journal into sections, such as Educa- tion, Churches, Music and Recreation, Doctors and Medicine, etc. I interviewed our oldest living African Americans, recording their answers on a tape recorder, then putting their remarks into the separate chapters of my book. I also added my own experiences of those days, going from segregation to integration, and the changes that occurred for all of us. Since my mother called her father “Papa,” we two sisters, Florence and I, and our own father (“Daddy”), called him Papa also. My own memories of the celebration of Juneteenth started with the picnics we had at the City Park, which was at the end of our city, now known as 61st and Ave. S, a busy thoroughfare. I knew it as a tree shaded, grassy place, in the 1930s. We just called it the Sunday school picnic, since the culture we were in did not want to be reminded of the slavery of just a couple of generations ago. I have pictures my mother took with her trusty Kodak box camera, to remind me that we children were dressed in our finest white starched cot- ton playsuits, with white bonnets for girls, and caps for boys. Later I realized that this was most practical for our parents, who could bleach the grass and food stains from the white cotton, better than colored material. I re- member the wash tubs with lye soap, bluing, rinse and starch waters, and how my mother scrubbed the linens on rub boards. But our Sunday school picnics were of unforgettable joy. After we played all sorts of games, we were raven- ously hungry for the best barbecue I have ever, or will ever eat. The fragrance of that half of a cow cooking was undeniably never equaled. In those days of go- ing to town without locking your doors, sleeping on porches at night without fear of harm, the men of our churches dug a deep pit in the parkgrounds, where they put a gifted half of cow on a wooden spit, turned it all night, while they fellowshipped with each other and had a fine time. The thought of those days is so etched into my mind, that I can easily imagine a heaven. For other years of Juneteenth fun, I also remember excursions to Dickinson Bayou by train, with several churches involved. But, like the Central High School football game train rides, that’s another story. Izola Collins lives in Galveston and is the author of “Island of Color: Where Juneteenth Started.” Michael E. Crutcher, Sr., known as the Spirit of Frederick Douglas, recounts the story of Douglas’ life as a slave and a free man during the 9th annual Juneteenth Family Day at Stringfellow Orchards in Hitchcock. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News February 2015 | Juneteenth | The Daily News | 47 43 Let us provide your family with the personal service, care and options you deserve Bay Area Funeral Home gives you have options: Traditional Burial Cremation * Graveside Whole Body Donation Religious & Secular Memorials Church/Funeral Home/Non-Traditional Facilities Your end-of-life discussion just got easier 409-943-4300 bayareafuneralparlor.com 5410 Farm to Market Road 1765 in Texas City Galveston Island State Park has two thousand acres of surf, beach, coastal prairie, fresh-water ponds, wetlands, bay shoreline, fi shing, swimming, kayaking, birding and lots of family fun. 14901 FM 3005, Galveston, TX 77554 FoGISP.wordpress.com Come out and play! Galveston Island State Park Galveston ISD is pleased to recognize the 150th Anniversary of Juneteenth “Home of the rst African American High School in Texas – Central High School, founded in 1885” Central High School 1893 to 1927 Abraham Lincoln ST. VINCENT’S HOUSE is a proud participant in the 150th Anniversary Celebration of JUNETEENTH Join us as we celebrate our 14th Annual Gospel-by-the-Sea Concert on Sunday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m. e 1897 Grand Opera House 2020 Post Offi ce Street Admission: $10.00 S T . V I N C E NT ’ S H O U S E48 | The Daily News | Juneteenth | February 2015 I n June of 2014, I was privileged to be part of a ceremony un- veiling the Texas State Histori- cal Marker honoring Juneteenth in Galveston. It was a hot summer day in Texas, but the attendees — which included State Sen. Larry Taylor, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, and many enthusiastic members of the Galveston commu- nity — didn’t seem to notice it at all. That’s because there was a spirit and enthusiasm in the crowd that transcended temporary things like weather. I’ve attended many events like this in my career, but this one was unique both in terms of the importance of what we commemo- rated and the presence of a strong and special living link to that time. Pearland’s the Rev. Dr. Virgil Wood delivered an extraordinary account of Juneteenth: Many years before, a 17-year-old Rev. Wood had in- terviewed an elderly man who, at the age of 10, remembered hearing from Union soldiers that he and his fellow slaves were all now free. Rev. Wood’s energy and his tale illustrate the importance of Juneteenth and the living role history has in our lives. Just as that 10-year-old boy learned of his emancipation, new generations of Texans continue to learn the story of Juneteenth and the lessons of freedom it provides. I hope they understand the im- portance of the sense of liberation and joy those newly freed slaves across Texas and the nation felt that day. It’s a tale that all Texans can continue to take lessons from today. The joy and outpouring of hope attendees experienced in Galveston last summer were as real and authentic as the ones felt in June 1865. Texas prides itself on a history of freedom and liberty, but until that day not long ago, those birthrights were not extended to all Texans. Juneteenth marked the ending of slavery in the United States, but it would be almost a century before our national leaders, including a Texas President — Lyndon Baines Johnson — extended full civil rights for all Americans. But in Texas, that process began that day in Galveston. It’s as important a part of Texas history as any we remember, and it’s vital to the Texas Historical Com- mission that this event and others like it never be forgotten. We placed a state historical marker that day in Galveston, one of many that our agency places every year to help identify the real places that tell real stories in Texas. We often fail as a society to pro- tect and preserve the places that matter the most. How fortunate we are that Juneteenth happened here in Galveston where people cherish the past and celebrate the role it can play in our future. Mark Wolfe is the executive director for the Texas Historical Commission. WHAT juneTeenTH meAns To me mark wolfe Earl Alexander, from left, Sam Collins III and Michael Jackson help unveil the historical marker commemorating Juneteenth. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News 44February 2015 | Juneteenth | The Daily News | 49 45As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free. Psychological freedom, a rm sense of self-esteem, is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery. Martin Luther King The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 151 joins ALL Texans in honoring the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and prays that we will continue to defend our freedom by actively participating in the democratic process. All for One ~ One for AllNext >