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! 🎉

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.