Since today is Juneteenth, I decided to post old pictures of the people and places that remind me of this important holiday, like my grandparents, who are both descendants of Texas slaves.  Growing up, my grandmother told me stories about celebrating Juneteenth in Emancipation Park each summer.

This ancient-looking street sign marks the intersection of Elgin and Live Oak in Third Ward.  Former slaves began moving into the area after the Civil War, and the neighborhood remained a center of Black Houston.  (Lightnin’ Hopkins played guitar on a nearby corner when he first arrived in the 1930s.)

At Project Row Houses in Third Ward, artists and activists have preserved a few of the shotgun houses built in the 19th century by the families of former slaves.

This sign greets visitors to Fifth Ward, established in the months following June 19, 1865.

A few years ago, my grandmother and her niece went back to Fifth Ward to find their old house from the 1930s.  We were all shocked to see that it was still standing. Now that’s history…

Happy Juneteenth, y’all!