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The city was segregated under Jim Crow laws, so the Third
Ward developed its own self-sustaining ecosystem. Leaders like
Reverend John Henry “Jack” Yates led efforts to pool community
resources to buy land for a public park. Emancipation Park was
created in 1872. It provided one of the few public spaces open to
African Americans in the entire state, serving as an important
gathering site for annual Juneteenth celebrations.
Juneteenth: A Day to
Celebrate Freedom
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation
on January 1, 1863, legally freeing America’s enslaved population.
However, news of the document didn’t reach Texas until June 19,
1865. Today, Texans continue to celebrate “Juneteenth” in
commemoration of this historic announcement.
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