Juneteenth in Austin

Austin, the capital of Texas, had its first official Juneteenth celebration in 1867. Historical records show that the Freedmen's Bureau helped to organize a parade, a picnic, and a festival to commemorate their freedom. They met at the Comal Street Bridge, the only bridge that crossed the Colorado River then, and marched to the Capitol grounds. There, they sang songs, listened to speeches, played games, and had food and drinks. The event was successful and drew a large crowd of both Black and white residents.

In The News

Many African American families celebrated this day around the Austin area, getting dressed up in their best attire and heading to Wheelers Grove Park( present day Eastwood Park), for the jubilee.

Thomas J White, a former slave, wanted the Emancipation Celebrations (Juneteenth) to take place on Black-owned land, so he started a Travis County Emancipation Celebration Association(Emancipation Park Association ). They raised money from the community to buy 5 acres of land for the Juneteenth Festivities. They named this park Emancipation Park, which was near Rosewood Avenue and Chicon Street. The celebrations at Emancipation Park lasted from 1907-1938, but then Austin claimed the land through “eminent domain” and the Juneteenth celebrations at Emancipation Park stopped. This space became known as Rosewood Courts.

Juneteenth Celebrations are still alive in the Austin Area today, with a parade that starts at Salina Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and ends at Rosewood Park. After the parade, the Black Community gathers at Rosewood Park and Boggy Creek to celebrate with songs, dancing, games for the kids, and food and drinks. Over the last few decades the celebration has grown to include the Juneteenth Pageant. The African American Community of Austin may have been forced or chosen to leave their lands and homes on the eastside, but are legacy is strong and we are still here, we will keep celebrating Juneteenth in East Austin.

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Stephenson, Grace Murray. *Emancipation Day Celebration Band, June 19, 1900*. 1900. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, The Portal to Texas History. Accessed 23 Feb. 2024