HOPE Gathering will remember the Juneteenth on June 21st from 1:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a traditional Family Southern Picnic. There will be corn hole and bocce tournaments as well as bubbles and puzzles. A traditional Juneteenth spread consists of barbeque and red foods: tables lined with sausage links, watermelon, Big Red Soda, and red velvet cake are a vibrant display of a rich, deeply complicated history. Delicious down-home offerings like black-eyed peas, fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread.
A sign-up sheet of picnic foods is available near the media station.
A BIT OF JUNETEENTH HISTORY
In 1863. during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring freedom for more than three million enslaved people. Two years would pass before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, that the state's residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate. On June 19.1866. the first Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. Early observances included bountiful tables, prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals. Celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans in other States were celebrating the day as well. making it an annual tradition. Celebrations continued across the United States into the 21st century. Juneteenth became a State holiday in Texas in 1980. and in 2021 Juneteenth was made a federal holiday.
