Douglas Matthews stands in front of The Lawmaker,” a bronze statue of an African-American holding up a page representing the Emancipation Proclamation.
‘Come on Home, Where It All Began’ is the invitation to Juneteenth on Galveston Island
By Albert C. Jones
America, The Diversity Place
GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas — Back in the day, Galveston, even with its economic prominence in Texas and the Gulf Region, was an island that you could get to only by boat or ferry. So it should come as no surprise, even with all the legal entanglement in the War Between the States, that the last slaves to learn that they were free were the slaves here on Galveston Island, two and one-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.
What also remains peculiar to this story is the number of firsts that took place on Galveston Island.
Ashton Villa, the mansion from which Union Gen. Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 from its balcony, declaring slaves on Galveston free, still stands here and is used for more than just a few private and civic occasions. You can look up to the balcony where Granger stood and have a shared moment in time with those who stood for freedom, right here, before us, sending up continuity:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”
That faithful day for slaves was June 19th, 1865, henceforth to forever be known as Juneteenth.
Up North, residents in Gallia County, Ohio have celebrated Emancipation Day every year in September since President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, but Emancipation Day never did catch on like Juneteenth has.
In some variation, locals on Galveston Island say “Come on Home, Where It All Began” or this is “Where It All Began.” They make a good point. From its humble, if not isolated beginnings, Juneteenth is celebrated in thirty-eight states and five hundred cities. It has been exported as far away as Honduras, Japan, Taiwan, Ghana, Tobago and Trinidad, according to certain Web sites.
State Rep. Al Edwards, who represents a district in nearby Houston, introduced legislation in 1978 to make June 19th a state holiday. In 1980, Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas, resurrecting the day and, more importantly, the celebration that had partially been assailed by victories won during the Civil Rights Movement. Juneteenth had been placed comfortably on the back burner.
During that reprieve, students at all-black Central High School, the first Colored high school in Texas, were integrated with white students at Ball High School in 1969. Historical markers proclaim treasures of place and time. Nowadays the school is the Old Central Cultural Center, where the interview with members of the Galveston Juneteenth Coalition took place.
The Galveston Juneteenth Coalition is made up of sweet-song people who forever flit on the free wings of history. It was organized in January 2002 at Old Central Cultural Center. Chairpersons Ennis E. Williams Jr. and Maggie Williams are points of contact. They get inquiries from across the United States.
“Maggie and I get a whole lot of inquiries by email and telephone,” Mr. Williams said. “We get calls from all over the U.S. They want to know what the activities are, how it started. We are usually the first contact. We can mail posters and brochures.”
Locals on the island are quick to say that Juneteenth became a state holiday before President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday.
“Galveston was formerly known as the ‘Wall Street of the South,’” said Douglas Matthews, former city manager. “It had the second largest port of entry.”
Matthews was the first black city manager in the State of Texas and steadfast in congregating the Juneteenth community across the state.
Formerly on Galveston Wharves, “screwmen” and “jammers” tightly packed as many bales of cotton into the holds of ship as possible before their transatlantic, ship-of-commerce voyage to Europe, according to “Galveston’s African American Historic Places and Pioneers,” a guidebook compiled and written by Maggie Williams.
Indeed, Galveston, in its heyday, saw a continuous docking and unloading of goods from ships onto its port. The storm of 1900, when a hurricane killed 5000 to 8000 islanders, ended Galveston’s confluence. Many left for Houston, which, in time, became the thriving economic metropolis of south Texas.
Saved from the wrecking ball in 1971 by Galveston Historical Foundation, Ashton Villa, on Broadway here, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. Ashton Villa was the first brick house built in Texas.
The Juneteenth bills that Edwards guided through passage also had appropriation for two statues.
“The Lawmaker,” a larger-than-life bronze statue of an African-American holding up a page representing the Emancipation Proclamation, stands in the front right of Ashton Villa. The Law Maker was unveiled four years ago at what was formerly headquarters for the Confederate Army on the island. Later, Gen. Granger took up residence here shortly after arriving with 2000 Union troops.
The Thirty-first Annual Emancipation Proclamation Reading and Prayer Breakfast will be held Juneteenth at Ashton Villa. It is one of many events in the weeklong celebration.
“The reason we formed the coalition is that we wanted to coordinate all Juneteenth events in Galveston,” Matthews said.
How important is community participation in planning events and coming out for Juneteenth events?
“We think it is very important in the planning stage,” Mr. Williams said. “We think it is important for our young people, visitors from all over, to see where the Proclamation was read. We think the community and our young people need to be aware of their history. Juneteenth started right here on Galveston Island.”
Samuel Collins III said, “What we communicate is important to the story of American history and the ideals this country were founded on. All men and women are created equal. Although the country is not perfect, we work toward the ideal. It’s our American history and not just a black history story.”
Tommie Boudreaux said, “We not only have support, but people who were raised on Galveston Island come back for this event. People attend from all over Galveston County. They come from Texas City. All events are supported and well attended. We are one of the only cities to have something going on for about a week.”
The Texas State Juneteenth Advisory Committee is overseeing the process that will lead to the unveiling of the $1.3 million Juneteenth Monument on grounds of the State Capitol in Austin. Matthews is chair of the advisory committee.
The Juneteenth Monument will be located on the south side of the Capitol grounds, he said. It will include a Law Maker, holding up the law; an Exhilarated Lady, anchor of the family; farmer, who represents industry and self-sufficiency; the preacher, who represents faith that survived hardship in the difficult transformation in African American history.
“We have been leading the discussion for Juneteenth to become a national holiday,” said coalition member Jarma Shabazz, who is affiliated with the American Muslim Mission. “Juneteenth is a true day of liberation.”
The Fifth Juneteenth Family Day, launching daily events, will be held at Stringfellow Orchards on the mainland in Hitchcock. Collins restored the place and makes it available for public events. The program at Stringfellow usually brings to life historical figures like Harriet Tubman or Fannie Lou Hamer.
Collins is a coalition member and one of three advisors from Texas on the National Trust for Historic Preservation board. Stringfellow is the place where the horticulturalist experimented with organic gardens and orchards, built in the late 1800s.
Meanwhile, the Underground Railroad, heading into its eighth year, provides Juneteenth with a classroom.
“We have activities for kids. The goal is to introduce children to the struggles of African Americans to become free,” said Boudreaux, former principal of Weis Middle School. She is a member of the African American Heritage Committee of the Galveston Historical Foundation.
Along with historical figures like Henry “Box” Brown and Harriet Tubman, there are “Do You Know Me?” people for children eight- to twelve-year-olds to identify. The children also sing and dance for the sweet-song people who forever flit on the free wings of history.
“We have found that the parents learn a lot, too.” Boudreaux said of the Underground Railroad experience.
There is the banquet named for Rep. Edwards. Proceeds go to the Old Central Cultural Center, whose committee also plans the annual MLK Holiday events. They would like to see the banquet rise to another level. Other than that, the coalition seeks to establish no new benchmarks.
“We are not trying to be any larger than what we are,” Matthews said. “We are a welcoming community. Come and see where it all began. It’s not about how large our celebration is. It’s the quality.
“We produce a poster and brochure every year,” he said. “We think it is a fun event. We invite everybody. “We are aware of Juneteenth. We are proud of it. Our goal is to preserve Juneteenth for the next three or four generations. We want to see it carried on for the next one hundred years.”
The Juneteenth Jubilee Parade is followed by the Annie Mae Charles Jubilee Picnic in Wright Cuney Park. Charles was Galveston’s first female African American police officer.
“She knew everybody and how to go tell your parents on you,” Matthews said with a chuckle. “She had one single goal about picnic. She wanted it to be free.”
Local Walmart stores and their associates work the picnic.
“Walmart donated whatever we needed and donated their time to come down and help us out,” said Barbara Gordon. “Their people had just as much fun as anyone. They will help us out again this year.”
“I have never participated in an event that people were not happy and satisfied,” Jarma said.
Finally, the doors of the island’s historic churches are opened with the Annual Gospel Explosion at Mount Olive Baptist Church and Reedy Chapel’s Annual March, Musical and Reception.
Douglas Matthews, left, member of the Texas State Juneteenth Advisory Committee, and Ennis E. Williams Jr., chairperson of the Galveston Juneteenth Coalition.