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Juneteenth 2023: How Houston celebrated
FOX 26’s Natalie Hee shares a look at how Houstonians celebrated the relatively new federal holiday commemorating when Texans learned about the end of slavery in the United States.
KENDLETON, Texas - On Juneteenth, communities across the Greater Houston Area united to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
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At a celebration in Kendleton, TX, located 47 miles southwest of Houston in Fort Bend County, residents gathered to celebrate the federal holiday.
Mayor Darryl Humphrey’s family was one of the first to call Kendleton home.
"My great, great grandfather was one of the first five slaves to settle here, so I’m a fifth generation," he said. "All the people coming out today just lets you know that the dream, 150 years, was not in vain."
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Houston’s role in making Juneteenth federal holiday
The federal holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. FOX 26 anchor Jose Grinian explains how Houston played a key role in the historic event.
The community began Juneteenth by restoring dignity to declining slave cemeteries.
In the afternoon, Mayor Humphrey hosted a barbecue at Bates Allen Park. The meal was served with a salad that was freshly picked from the local harvest farm.
MORE: The significance of Juneteenth and why it's celebrated and commemorated
The sustainability initiative is led by Chef Chris Williams and his non-profit, Lucille’s 1913, which is dedicated to addressing food insecurity in economically vulnerable communities.
"The farm is meant to be exclusively for the residents of Kendleton. It’s focused farming, so we’re growing things that speak to the palettes of the people that live here. For this harvest, we have three different kinds of squash, we have watermelons, cantaloupe, we pulled up all the radishes, okra, tomatoes, and some fruit trees in the back," Williams said. "The purpose of what we’re doing is not only to grow for the people, but to hire from the people and teach them how to grow for themselves, and give back to true sustainability, which is where everything started for us."
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To learn more about Lucille's 1913's mission, click here.