GALVESTON, Texas – Galveston officials installed and unveiled a road sign Friday that calls the city “the birthplace of Juneteenth.”
The sign reads “Welcome to Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth” and the background is the colors of the Juneteenth flag.
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It was placed outside the city Hall Plaza during a ceremony.
Galveston Mayor Craig Brown said the idea of the sign was in talks for many months between the city and the Texas Department of Transportation.
Samuel Collins III, a historian on Galveston Island, said that many have been reading reports and watching documentaries about Juneteenth, but ultimately you have to come to the birthplace to get the best understanding of the history behind the celebration.
“This sign is a public declaration of the city of Galveston recognizing the significance of Juneteenth, and logging Juneteenth into the history books of Galveston Island: the birthplace of Juneteenth,” Councilwoman Sharon Lewis said.
Mayor Brown said that it is time to let the nation and all of those who visit the island know that they are proud of its history.
“Galveston is a community rich in history, and one of the most monumental ways we have shaped American history as the birthplace of Juneteenth,” he said. “I’m happy to see this commemorated on the welcoming sign to our city.”
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