Fayette County Commissioners Proclaim Juneteenth
Fayette County Commissioners signed a proclamation last Thursday, June 9, designating June 19 as Emancipation Day in Fayette County.
The day commemorates the events in Galveston on June 19, 1865, at the conclusion of the Civil War, when Major General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 which informed the people of Texas “that all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and property rights between former masters and slaves.”
On hand for the signing at Commissioners Court last Thursday was Jonathan Ellis, president of the La Grange Juneteenth Committee. He invited everyone to join the committee in celebrating Juneteenth at the Randolph Recreation Center in La Grange this weekend.
“We’re trying to get everyone in the community to know each other,” he said at the Commissioners Court meeting last Thursday.
The celebration kicks off with a Gospel Music Explosion on Friday, June 17, starting at 6:30 p.m. A parade through La Grange begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18. The committee will host a Freedom Luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday (free will donations accepted). Saturday’s events also include a dance performance from 2-3 p.m., a historical showcase from 3-4:30 p.m., Kings and Queens Pageant from 5-7 p.m. and special performance at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, there will be a worship service led by Apostle Peter Joseph of Peaceful Rest Community Baptist Church in La Grange starting at 10 a.m.
Fayette County Museum and Archives will host a photographic exhibit from the Houston Museum of African American Culture entitled “Frame of Reference.” The exhibit will be open on Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Historic Faison House in La Grange will also be open for free tours on Saturday from noon-4 p.m.
“Our theme is ‘Unity in the Community,’” Ellis said. “It’s not about just one group of people. It’s about our community. Everybody sees what’s going on in other communities. It’s important that we know our neighbors.”
For more information, visit the committee website at www.juneteenthtexas.org.