June is African American Music Appreciation Month! Created by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, this month celebrates the African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage.

Opal Lee, the 97-year-old Texas native affectionately known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” has made an indelible mark on American history.

Rev. Bill Lawson has left an incredible legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come. Despite his age and wisdom, he had an extraordinary ability to connect with young people in his church and throughout the nation. #WilliamLawson #WheelerAvenueBaptistChurch

Watch the full celebration of life/funeral for Rev. William ‘Bill’ Lawson’s of Houston’s Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

The TSU aviation program now boasts a fleet of nine planes. The latest addition, ‘N927TS,’ pays homage to the university’s founding year in 1927.

This Black History Month, join us in celebrating the rich history of Emancipation Park, the oldest park in Houston and the state of Texas! 🎉

This Black History Month, join us in celebrating the rich history of Emancipation Park, the oldest park in Houston and the state of Texas! 🎉

This Black History Month, KPRC 2′s Moriah Ballard visited a hidden gem in Third Ward and sat down with the owners to talk about the connection between African art and the Black experience.

It all started with one week in 1926, when one organization chose the second week of February to promote the achievements by Black Americans and other people of African descent.

Activist Opal Lee, the woman known for being the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” is among those who will be inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday.

A man who was known for being one of the first Black students to enroll at Texas A&M University has died, the university said.

A proposal to put a parking lot near Olivewood Cemetery, Houston’s oldest African-American cemetery, has been denied.

Houston is rich in Black culture and one local influencer is making sure its historic sites built by influential African Americans are not forgotten.

In honor of Juneteenth, here are some options for how you can observe the holiday by making monetary donations to some very historical places in the Houston area that could use your support.

In the spirit of Juneteenth, a holiday that is now celebrated throughout the entire United States, not just Texas, KPRC 2 has curated a playlist that will be perfect for any vibe. Rather you’re throwing something on the grill or sitting at home, this playlist will set the tone for the day. We hope you enjoy!

In front of the Martin Luther King building at Texas Southern University is an iconic sculpture called African Queen Mother. The sculpture showcases a portion of Black history lost during slavery and symbolizes the triumphant journey of TSU. It highlights the early pioneers and supporters who made way for the next generation of artists.

Texas Southern University has experienced decades of impactful history in the more than 90 years since its founding. One moment in particular that stands out is TSU sit-in.

The family of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X has announced plans to sue agencies including the CIA, FBI, the New York Police Department and others for $100 million, accusing them of playing a role in his death.

Black and white photos color what life was like in the 1930′s in Jacksonville, Texas, which is south of Tyler.

At a young age, the Houston outdoorsman and fisherman noticed there were not many fishermen that looked like him and decided to take matters into his own hands. “I grew up in Sunnyside in Houston, Texas, “ Franklin said. “I’ve been watching fishing television shows for years. Until recently, you never saw anyone that looked like my dad, let alone me, promoting the outdoors.”

As the hip-hop genre turns 50 years old, Donnie Houston, a local Houston producer, DJ, content creator, artist, and historian, has gone out of his way to preserve every aspect he can about the sound, its people, and its culture.

The Holocaust Museum Houston is hosting a free event Saturday, February 11, called The Genealogy Workshop - The Search for Lost Relatives After Emancipation. The event will explore the practice of formerly enslaved persons placing ads in newspapers hoping to reconnect with family.

The Black Cowboy Museum in Rosenberg is a place dedicated to teaching the layered and uncovered pieces of Texas’ history.

The late Cuban American singer Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa, will be the first Afro-Latina to appear on the U.S. quarter.

For the first time in NFL history, two Black quarterbacks are playing in the Super Bowl. Here is why that matters.

It all started with one week in 1926, when one organization chose the second week of February to promote the achievements by Black Americans and other people of African descent.

Black History Month is celebrated in February but at KPRC 2, it is a year-long initiative. It’s also a 365-day effort for a Houston-based production company, 7-9-7-2 Films.

Women in hip-hop have had an unprecedented run over the last few years, with the debut of numerous new artists breaking new ground, most notably the Houston Hottie— Megan Pete.

Sometimes, a picture without color can tell you a thousand words, but a portrait of a man, woman, or child of color with no color can tell a million.

Southwest of Downtown Houston is a close-knit area brimming with African-American heritage.

On Feb. 22, 1922, Congress authorized the Grant Memorial $1 coin, London issued a unilateral declaration of Egyptian independence and a baby girl, Ida Mae, was born to Elton and Lorene Porter in Gonzalez, Texas. Still as beautiful as the day she was born, a century later, this amazing woman is celebrating her 100th birthday!

Fort Bend County Judge KP George is holding a dedication and renaming ceremony for the library honoring Civil Rights pioneer Willie Melton.

The delectable, flavorful dishes that are a staple of traditional soul food have been accepted as a thing of the past by most transitioning to a vegan lifestyle.

In the heart of Houston’s Fourth Ward community is the African American Library at the Gregory School.

A Former Houston oiler has found a different way to showcase his leadership ability and positively impact others. This time, he’s working with kids.

They are rejoicing in Harris County with historic news to tell. An institution that has been a major support to churches like Wheeler Avenue Baptist, restaurants, barber shops, and other businesses over seven decades is celebrating another milestone -- a first of its kind partnership.

Purpose and drive are words heard in Revlon’s commercial for their brand Crème of Nature. Those two words easily describe Howard University sophomore Charlye Jackson.

Wearing a monochromatic ensemble, the seasoned storyteller quips that he has received all three of his vaccination shots before removing his mask to admire the renovations at his old stomping ground.

In 1994, Judge Vanessa Gilmore made history as the youngest person serving on the federal branch. Now, Gilmore is hanging up her robe and preparing for a new life outside of the courthouse.

A Houston dessert shop is celebrating Black History Month with a sweet gesture.

The African American Library at the Gregory School is a branch of the Houston Public Library in the Fourth Ward, Houston.

Juneteenth is coming up, this weekend in fact -- and for those who might be unfamiliar, the holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

Long-standing concerns over the maintenance of a city-owned, historically Black cemetery in Hempstead have reignited a debate over racial equity when it comes to municipal resting places.

Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed, is often celebrated by families across the nation -- with events including cookouts, parades or community festivals.

The units were identified as the 9th and 10th cavalry and the 38th 39th 40th and 41st infantry regiments. The four infantry regiments were later reorganized to form the 24th and 25th infantry regiments. These fighting men represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The museum has tons of virtual and in-person programs where you can learn more about the history of African American soldiers. Click here to find out more about their upcoming “Night at the Museum” in July, 2021 and the other events the museum will be hosting.

HOUSTON – Texas Air National Guardsman Charles Jackson is no stranger to adversity. These are three words which Charles Jackson personifies. He earned the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, which is the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force. “It’s a culmination of my 36 years of service, that I am now called Chief Jackson,” said Jackson. “We in a rare, rare position where we positively Affect an airman each and every day,” said Jackson.

HOUSTON – The gallery features beautiful and unique art and artifacts that include original paintings, hand carved wooden statues, bronze sculptures, tribal masks and hats, brightly colored textiles, select vintage accent furniture and more, all from sub-Saharan Africa according to the gallery’s website. Gallery founder and owner Lloyd Gite’s love of African art can be traced back to his childhood, where he always had an intuitive fascination with the continent. Lloyd’s former career in television journalism led him to travel extensively throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Having been to Africa over 35 times, Lloyd recalls how he became the prominent African art dealer that he is today,Last month, The Gite Gallery hosted an exhibition "I AM BLACK" by Maxwell. It was nice to gather and see many of you in... Posted by The Gite Gallery on Monday, November 2, 2020Click here to find out how you can get these beautiful pieces of artwork in your own home or any other information about the gallery you would like to discover.

HOUSTON – It was known as the only park blacks were able to congregate at and is now known as the oldest park not only in Houston, but in the state of Texas. The effort in getting Emancipation Park was led by the Reverend Jack Yates, a Baptist minister and former slave. His church, Antioch Baptist, and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church formed the Colored People’s Festival and the Emancipation Park Association. President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation and published it on January 1, 1863, but it did not reach Texas for two years. The park now host several in-person and now virtual programs which can be found by clicking here.

HOUSTON – One Houston winery is full of joy after receiving a request from the Houston Texans. The NFL team ordered 250 bottles of wine for its Black History baskets, according to Twitter user @Madwine_chemist. The Houston Texans just order 250 bottles of wine for their Black History baskets. — Mad Wine Chemist 🍷 (@madwine_chemist) February 8, 2021The Twitter users family owns ErmaRise Winery in Katy, which is an award-winning, Black-owned winery. Click here to learn more about the winery.

HOUSTON – The mission of Houston Ebony Opera Guild is to provide performance and on-going professional development opportunities for African-American choral and opera singers from Houston and the nation; to foster, in broad-based audiences, an appreciation of opera and concert music including the African American Spiritual; and to sustain and expand the African American presence in voice-associated classical music in general. The guild was founded by the late Dr. Robert A. Henry (1916–1996) and presented occasional concerts in Houston and elsewhere during the late 1980′s. Through its parent body, Houston Ebony Music Society, Inc., Ebony Opera Guild became a formal, tax-exempt organization in 1992 and produced Porgy and Bess, its very first opera. AdTo celebrate Black History, the guild has organized a concert saluting African American women as composers, singers, conductors, and instrumentalists. Featuring solo, piano, and choral works titled the 2021 Virtual African American Gala where you can finds tickets to by clicking here to help support the guild and it’s talent.

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin city crews and some community members united Wednesday to remove graffiti from more than a dozen headstones at a historic cemetery for Black residents. Vandals defaced nearly 15 headstones earlier this week at the Evergreen Cemetery in East Austin, the city’s first major municipal cemetery for Black people, according to Austin police. East side 😤 Posted by Sarah Long on Monday, September 21, 2020About 12,000 people have been buried in Evergreen Cemetery, including some from the African American community and civic leaders. Black residents had been laid to rest in shared sites before the cemetery was created in 1926. Nyeka Arnold, a co-founder of the local organization Black Austin Coalition, told the Austin American-Statesmen that she was heartbroken and furious after finding out one of her family’s headstones was damaged.

Juneteenth, which takes place June 19 each year, is the name for the date in 1865 when Union soldiers freed the remaining slaves in Texas, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation.

HOUSTON – The Houston Museum of African American Culture is scheduled to reopen on Juneteenth after the COVID-19 closure. “Juneteenth really represents when all Americans were free,” said John Guess, Jr., CEO of HMAAC. There’s the prospect of a quote on quote, ‘freedom,’” said Guess. The conversation of race is at the forefront in our country, considering the death of George Floyd and protests calling for equality for the African American community. The museum is located 4807 Caroline in Houston’s Museum District.

HOUSTON Emancipation Park Conservancy hosted a virtual Juneteenth event so despite COVID-19, people can continue to learn about Juneteenth. Every year, thousands of people flock to Emancipation Park for the annual Juneteenth celebration, but this year, it was quiet. Emancipation Park was purchased by four people in 1872 to commemorate the end of slavery and provide a place for the annual Juneteenth celebrations. During segregation, Emancipation Park was the only public park African Americans could use. Emancipation Park is the oldest park in Houston and one of the oldest across the state.

I do not doubt that other black families around the state were engaged in similar celebrations for the day saluting African American heritage. It is the African American Fourth of July; the Emancipation Proclamation its Declaration of Independence. Along the way, I educated myself about black history, picking up bits and pieces from stories in Afrocentric publications, like Jet and Ebony magazines. However, according to Turner, there was a noticeable shift in Juneteenth celebrations after World War I. (Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing measures, this years Juneteenth celebrations remain uncertain.)

HOUSTON – You may have heard the Bob Marley song, but do you know the true story of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers? Click here to learn their origin story, and then watch our exclusive interview with Houston’s own Sgt. Maj. James Williams, believed to be one of the last surviving Buffalo Soldiers. KPRC 2 Salutes the many shades of Black History, present and future.

HOUSTON – In honor of Black History Month, we created this fun and interactive quiz for you. See if you can get a perfect score.