Dozens of volunteers came together at Bates Allen Park to clear the cemetery and clean gravestones as part of an ongoing effort to turn the park into the first African-American memorial in the Houston area.
at the park, but he said working in honor of Juneteenth held special importance to him.
“I grew up where we had our Juneteenth barbecues and all of that, but for the most part, that was it; it was just our families doing things to celebrate Juneteenth in Texas,” McCoy recalled. “Now that it's something that is celebrated across the country, I think it actually highlights how we need to show up for the least among us.”
Kendleton City Council members Carolyn Jenkins and Rachel J. White joined the efforts as volunteers scrubbing headstones. Cleaning the cemetery brought her ancestors’ history to the forefront of her mind, Jenkins said, and she tries to imagine their experiences as former slaves and founders of a freedmen’s town as she cleans their graves.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Husband sentenced to life for wife's 1999 murder 24 years later in Fort Bend CountyAfter evading authorities for 19 years, Apolinar Tejeda has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife in Fort Bend County in 1999, 24 years later. Rosa Liberato was found shot dead in her car in 1999, and her husband, Tejeda, was identified as a suspect.
Read more »
Juneteenth Freedom Coalition Parade held SaturdayJuneteenth is Monday but people in San Antonio are celebrating early with a parade on Saturday. The parade started at Sam Houston High School and ended at Comanche Park Two, where the official Juneteenth Festival is being held. According to organizers, the purpose of these events is to educate people about the historic day and its significance to African Americans.
Read more »
Freedom Run and Walk in Houston celebrates JuneteenthJuneteenth will be honored across the Houston-area on Saturday.
Read more »
Here are 6 opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth in AnchorageIn Anchorage, there are plenty of opportunities to commemorate Juneteenth this holiday weekend, including the citywide celebration today and Sunday on the Park Strip, plus a community barbecue Monday.
Read more »
San Francisco's Fillmore District Celebrates JuneteenthThe 'Juneteenth Freedom Celebration' covered several city blocks with food, vendors and performances.
Read more »