Juneteenth became a Texas holiday in 1980, the result of a bill introduced by Houston area state legislator Al Edwards.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a guest on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall and says that was her incentive to push for a federal holiday.
“I started advocating more than a decade ago with resolutions to make sure that the Congress every year acknowledged Juneteenth,” she said. “Until we finally introduced, as I did, the first legislation that was to name Juneteenth as a national Federal holiday.”
Among other topics discussed on this week’s program: Gun Legislation, Bipartisan Optimism in Congress, Reaction to the January 6th Hearings and much more in this program and in this week’s Houston Newsmakers EXTRA.
TSU Juneteenth Committee establishes statewide website
Texas Southern University has taken the lead on advocating for Juneteenth by establishing a statewide calendar and website with hopes it is the start of a permanent focal point for all things Juneteenth.
“We have videos, we have stories, there’s a short film that’s going to be on the website that teaches young people, who are not taught in their history classes about the importance of this day. the importance of June 19th,” said Professor Iris Lancaster, Ph.D. and member of the TSU Juneteenth Committee.
“The focus is to go forward and keep this alive and annually having a celebration,” said Antoinette Christophe, Ph.D. and Chair of the TSU Juneteenth Committee. “But we plan to partner with some of these events across the state of Texas and support them to make their events larger and greater.”
See the full interview this week here.
Galveston Juneteenth Art Ambassador paints through history
Ted Ellis has been painting for more than 30 years and says visual images play a big role in our society by the way the are able to tell a story. He says that is especially true about Juneteenth and the art exhibit now on display at the NIA Cultural Center in Galveston.
“It’s the truth. It’s our story, which is an American story,” he said. “You’re talking about from slavery, through the redemptive period, through Jim Crow, through sick segregation, through civil rights to currently where we’re at right now.”
Ellis has 60 paintings on display at the cultural center which is free Tuesday through Friday and weekends by appointment. Here more about the artists on display and more on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall.
Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall airs every Sunday at 10 a.m. on KPRC 2.
More information about this week’s program.
- · U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee(D), 18th Congressional District
- · Website: https://jacksonlee.house.gov/
- · Antoinette Christophe, Ph.D.,TSU Juneteenth Committee Chair
- · Iris Lancaster, Ph.D., TSU Juneteenth Committee
- · Ted Ellis, Artist, Galveston Juneteenth Art Ambassador