[Press Conference: "Emancipation Park Expansion Groundbreaking" on October 13, 2025.]
[00:00:18]
I HAVE THE FORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAIR THE BOARD HERE, UM, AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
I WANNA WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THIS, UH, MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
UM, I WANNA TAKE CARE OF A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS PROGRAM.
AND, UM, I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY STAFF.
WE GOT JOANNE THERE SHE IS OVER THERE, ALWAYS WORKING.
YOU KNOW, WE PULLED HER OUTTA RETIREMENT MAYOR.
SHE WAS 34 YEARS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WE WENT AND GRABBED HER.
AND WE GOT KIM DILLARD AND, AND OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBER, AND WE GOTTA HAZE HIM A LITTLE BIT.
SEAN SMITH, I WANT TO JUST PERSONALLY TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
I KNOW I CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH AT TIMES, AND YOU GUYS HAVE, UH, PINNED YOUR EARS BACK AND, AND, AND KEPT GOING FULL STEAM AHEAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, TODAY IS A VERY, VERY, VERY SPECIAL DAY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE THINK EMANCIPATION PARK AND, UM, THEY THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RECREATION.
THIS SPACE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN RECREATION, UM, WITH ALL OF ITS HISTORIC, UM, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, IT IS MORE THAN RECREATION.
IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY AN ASSET THAT WE'RE USING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW AND WHY THIS PARK WAS FOUNDED IN 1872, IT WASN'T BEQUEATH, IT WASN'T DONATED.
THIS WAS ACQUIRED PROPERTY BY FORMERLY ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS.
AND THEY DID THIS BECAUSE THIS WAS THE ANCHOR IN A BUILDING BLOCK TO, TO START AND BUILD A COMMUNITY, WHICH IS NOW THIRD WARD.
AND AS I THINK ABOUT THIS, IT GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS BECAUSE THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING LARGER THAN THEMSELVES AS IT RELATES TO BUILDING A COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO BE A CUSTODIAN OF THIS PLACE.
AND WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT BOARD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE HAVE A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO EMANCIPATION PARK, IF NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO A FOUNDER.
FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE GROWN UP IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAVE WORKED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAVE PLAYED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT AND JUST A RECOGNITION TO THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY BOARD MEMBERS.
THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK Y'ALL FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME.
SO, BEFORE WE REALLY GET INTO THIS PROGRAM, I WANNA RESERVE THE BALANCE OF THE TIME FOR OUR VICE CHAIR, 'CAUSE SHE'S GONNA MAKE SOME GREAT REMARKS.
UM, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE'RE EFFECTIVELY THE CUSTODIANS AND THE CARETAKERS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SACRED GROUND SPACE, GREEN SPACE.
WE ARE IN A 30 YEAR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL TO WORK WITH.
I CAN TEXT KENNETH ALLEN, HIS TEAM, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE.
WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT GOVERNMENT, THEY THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUREAUCRACY.
THEY THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LONG TIMES, UH, THIS, THIS STAFF AND THIS TEAM AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE BEEN LITERALLY PHENOMENAL AND SUPPORTIVE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS IT RELATES TO THIS PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND LET'S GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT UNDER THE MAYOR'S DIRECTION.
MAYOR, WE'VE BEEN WATCHING AND WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT QUALITY OF LIFE IS TO YOU.
AND WE'VE BEEN WATCHING HOW YOU TAKE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH YOUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND LEADERS DOWN AT CITY HALL.
AND WE JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU AND LET'S KEEP IT UP.
WE KNOW WE STILL GOT A LOT OF WOOD TO CHOP, BUT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND WE'RE HERE TO BE A WILLING PARTNER AND LET'S KEEP IT GOING, Y'ALL, LET'S GIVE THE MAYOR A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
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SOME GREAT PARTNERS THAT I JUST LAID OUT THAT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL.AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, KENNETH ALLEN AND HIS TEAM.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT 'EM, AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THIS BECAUSE HE'S SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME.
THEY, THEY TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO PARTNERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT IKA, WHO'S BACK THERE WALKING.
SHE'S, SHE'S A, SHE'S A PARKS DEPARTMENT CITY EMPLOYEE WHO MANS THIS REC CENTER.
EVERY TIME I TEXT TO SHEIKA, SHE RESPONDS.
EVERY TIME I ASK ANY OF HER STAFF MEMBERS FOR SOME HELP WITH ANYTHING, THEY STEP UP.
YEAH, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE, THE STAFF ON SITE AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
AND AS IT RELATES TO THIS PROJECT, WE HAVE SOME GREAT PARTNERS, LOCAL PARTNERS.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT OUR CONTRACTOR WHO'S DONE WORK WITH THE CITY WHO'S A HOUSTON, JUST A HOUSTON NATIVE, RIGHT OUT OF MAYOR, YOUR, YOUR YOUR FORMER DISTRICT.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT, UM, THE AREAS THAT YOU SERVED, AND I LOOK AT TREY HARRIS, GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE WITH CDM SEVEN, TREY HARRIS AND HIS TEAM, UM, HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA DO.
NOW WE KNOW THINGS POP UP IN CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE JUST KICKING THINGS OFF.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WORKING WITH TREY AND HIS TEAM, UM, WE'RE GONNA BRING THIS PROJECT HOME ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET, AS THEY SAY IN THE CHURCH, WE GOING TO CLAIM IT.
SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO BRING UP MY PARTNER.
I WANT TO BRING UP SOMEONE WHO HAS BECOME A FRIEND OVER THE YEARS.
UM, MR. KENNETH ALLEN, HOUSTON PARKS DIRECTOR.
CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, YOUR KIND WORDS.
YOU KNOW, IT MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY EFFORT AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING TO COLLABORATE AND MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT 2014 WHEN THE CONSERVANCY FIRST STARTED UP UNTIL NOW, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF A OVER A $50 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO EMANCIPATION PARK? AND WE'RE JUST EMBARKING ON AN $18.5 MILLION INVESTMENT TO REDO SOME SIGNIFICANT FEATURES TO THIS PARK THAT YOU'LL FIND OUT ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO I WANT TO THANK THE CONSERVANCY.
ONE PART OF OUR TEAM THAT WE DID NOT MENTION WAS OUR GROUNDS CREW WHO PREPARED THIS GROUND ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND FOR TODAY.
SO THANK YOU ALL PARKS, DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, COULD YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND? THANK YOU.
TOO MANY TO NAME PERSONALLY I'LL UPSET SOMEBODY IF, IF I MISS SOMEBODY.
BUT CERTAINLY, UM, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
AND I WANT TO THANK OUR MAYOR FOR NOT ONLY DIRECTING ME, BUT THE OTHER DIRECTORS OF THE CITY TO WORK TOGETHER INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
YOU KNOW, RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, BUT GUESS WHAT WE COULD DO? ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE WORKING TOGETHER AND EXTENDING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE THIS SURROUNDING COMMUNITY FOR YEARS TO COME WILL BENEFIT FROM THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND THE ONES THAT WE'VE MADE IN 2017.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I COME OUT TO EMANCIPATION PARK AND I SEE THE HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THESE GROUNDS FOR THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION BECAUSE OF SUPPORT AND WORKING TOGETHER, IT'S TRULY PHENOMENAL WHEN I SEE THE DAY-TO-DAY CLASSES THAT ARE HAPPENING AND THE THINGS THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE CULTURAL CENTER, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE, WELL, IT'S THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S JUST WHAT MAKE US STRONG AND HONORING AND AND APPRECIATING THAT THROUGH HISTORY, THROUGH CULTURE, THROUGH THE ARTS, DAY-TO-DAY PROGRAMMING AND RECREATIONAL PURSUITS, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY'S BENEFIT.
WE IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHO WOULD IMAGINE LIVING ON A PERIMETER OF THIS PARK WITH THESE INVESTMENT, WITH THESE INVESTMENTS INTO THE PARK, THEIR PROPERTY VALUES GOING UP HERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE RESULT OF COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER.
SO MAYOR, I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THIS CITY.
YOU'VE CHARGED US TO DO MORE WITH LESS AND
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TO WORK TOGETHER WHILE DOING IT AND TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WANT TO CALL OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITNESSING IN REAL TIME HOUSTON'S GREATNESS.
WHILE MOST OF THE LARGE CITIES IN AMERICA OR IN TURMOIL, DISAGREEMENTS, POLITICAL FIGHTS, I COULD GO ON ON WHAT'S RIPPING OTHER LARGE CITIES APART.
TODAY WE'RE CELEBRATING A HUGE EXPANSION OF ONE OF OUR JEWELS.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED LOCATIONS AND DUTIES, BUT THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO BE AND IT'S WHERE I NEED TO BE.
AND I WAS THINKING THIS MORNING, WHAT COULD I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IS TO THANK PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT, AS KENNETH MENTIONED, THE COLLABORATION, THE STAFF OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS BOARD, BETH WHITE.
I COULD GO ACROSS THIS GATHERING AND SPEAKING OF THIS GATHERING, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK BECAUSE IT WON'T LOOK LIKE THIS MUCH LONGER.
THANK YOU MR. HARRIS, FOR YOUR COMPANY.
CERTAINLY THE KINDERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, IT'S ALL ABOUT, I WAS SITTING THERE LISTENING, THIS YOUNG LADY IN HER MOTHER'S LAP, WE'RE DOING IT FOR YOU.
MS. BOSTIC AND I HAVE HAD BEAUTIFUL DAYS BEFORE, HAD SOME HARDSHIP TOO, MISS BOSTON.
BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THE INVESTMENT IN OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
AND OF COURSE IT STARTS AT THE TOP WITH LEADERSHIP, CERTAINLY THE PARKS BOARD.
BUT THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABBAZ, HAS PUT A TAG ON THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION BECAUSE THIS IS A DESTINATION AS WE'RE WITNESSING THIS MORNING.
IN FACT, I WILL LEAVE HERE A BETTER MAYOR THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE BECAUSE YOU'RE SHARING YOUR RESOURCES, YOUR ENERGY, YOUR VISION, YOUR COLLABORATION.
AND SO WHEN I GO BACK TO CITY HALL, IT JUST GIVES ME THE ENERGY AND THE MOTIVATION THAT IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN MY ADMINISTRATION.
WITH THAT SAID, LET'S ENJOY DAY, CELEBRATE IT, AND GO TO WORK.
'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE THE FORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
UM, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, UM, I WANT TO GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
UM, I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, MY WIFE TOLD ME TO STAY ON TASK BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT I GOTTA DO THIS.
UM, SO WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE KINDER FOUNDATION.
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE INVESTMENT AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER CITY.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALS PERSONALLY BECAUSE OVER THE YEARS I'VE HAD THE FORTUNATE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.
AND I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT THIS ISN'T CHARITY.
THIS ISN'T CHARITY, THIS IS INVESTMENT.
AND THEY ARE NOT THE NORMAL DONORS.
THEY ARE INVOLVED, REALLY INVOLVED
AND SO THAT IS THE KIND OF PARTNER THAT YOU WANT.
AND THERE IS INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY THAT COMES WITH THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY'RE INVESTING IN.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE RICH PUSHING ME EARLY ON TO THINK BIG, THINK TRANSFORMATIONAL.
AND IT HAS COM IT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY THOUGHT PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO THIS SPACE IN THINKING ABOUT IT AS AN ASSET THAT WE USE TO SERVE A COMMUNITY.
THIS AIN'T JUST ABOUT RECREATION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO TAKE THESE ASSETS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE NEEDS? AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE KINDER FOUNDATION,
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WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO DOING THAT.AND BEHIND EVERY GREAT ORGANIZATION, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THAT ORGANIZATION.
AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT HAS PERSONALLY COME FROM ONE INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE KINDER FOUNDATION.
AND I KNOW HE'S GONNA GET MAD AT ME, BUT IT'S MR. GUY HACKS THAT GOD RAISE YOUR HAND.
THIS GUY HAS BEEN ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE BEFORE, RIGHT? AND HIS BACKGROUND, HE'S AN ARCHITECT.
SO HE UNDERSTANDS CAPITAL PROJECTS, HE UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THIS STUFF.
AND HE'S SOMEONE THAT I ALWAYS CONFIDE IN, PICK HIS BRAIN AND GET, HE'S A CONSIGLIERE ESSENTIALLY.
HE'S SOMEONE THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL ON AND HE'S ALWAYS QUIET BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT HE'S A QUIET FORCE.
AND SO AS I BRING UP RICH, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE TEAM AT THE KINDER FOUNDATION BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE AND INVOLVED AND ENGAGED JUST AS MUCH AS NANCY IS
SO WITH THAT, I'M BRINGING UP RICH KINDER.
HE'S ORIGINALLY FROM MISSOURI, SO YOU GOTTA SHOW HIM ALWAYS.
AND HE HAS MADE THE KINDER FOUNDATION ALONG WITH NANCY, A BIG FORCE TO REALLY TAKE THIS CITY TO NEW HEIGHTS.
WITH THAT I BRING UP MR. RICHARD KINDER, IT'S YOUR TIME RAM, YOU'RE TOO KIND.
WELL THAT'S A LOT OF PALAVA, OF COURSE.
I'M JUST REALLY HERE AS A WARMUP FOR JACKIE BOSTIC.
YOU KNOW, UH, SHE'S MUCH MORE ELOQUENT THAN I AM, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, SHE KNOWS SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS FACILITY, OF THIS PARK IN HER LITTLE FINGER THAN I'LL EVER KNOW.
BUT NANCY AND I AND THE WHOLE STAFF AT THE KINDRA FOUNDATION, AND I TOO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO GUY WHO'S DONE SO MUCH ON THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE JUST ALIVE TO BE PART OF THIS GROUNDBREAKING.
AND I THINK BACK TO 2012 WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IMPROVING EMANCIPATION PARK WITH ALL THE PHYSICAL INCREMENTAL HELP YOU SEE AROUND TODAY, UH, AND HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN THOSE 13 ODD YEARS.
AND THIS NEXT, UH, SET OF IMPROVEMENTS I THINK IS GONNA BE EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW CULTURAL CENTER THAT WILL I THINK BE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO EVERYBODY.
NOT JUST PEOPLE IN THIRD WARD, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHICH WILL STRESS THE HISTORY OF THIS ICONIC PROPERTY.
UH, AND THEN SECONDLY, AND WE'RE VERY ENTHUSED ABOUT THIS, WE'LL HAVE A BRAND NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART PERFORMANCE VENUE HERE.
UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR JUNETEENTH, AS WE HAVE, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR OUR JAZZY SUNDAYS PROGRAMS EVERY SPRING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, AT SOME POINT WE'VE HAD FIVE OR 6,000 PEOPLE ON THIS LAWN.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT REALLY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND THAT'S NEEDED IS A STATE-OF-THE-ART PERFORMANCE FACILITY WITH A PERMANENT STAGE AND A PERMANENT BACK OF THE HOUSE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE VERY ENTHUSED ABOUT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AT WHAT WE'RE CREATING HERE, WHAT YOU'RE CREATING, IT'S JUST ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE THE PARTNERS OF RAMON MANNING.
UH, DESPITE WHAT HE SAID, UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE PARTNERS OF HIM AND THE WHOLE CONSERVANCY, UH, AND JUST LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THIS PROJECT COME TOGETHER.
AND RAMON, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE EVERYTHING DONE BY JUNETEENTH OF NEXT YEAR, RIGHT?
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE AND, UH, HAVE A GOOD DAY.
SO NEXT UP, YOU KNOW, I THINK IS REALLY, UM, THIS YOUNG LADY, UM, SHE'S A NEIGHBOR, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SHE HAS COINED THE PHRASE, UM, DESTIN, UH, DISTRICT OF DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND, UM, SHE IS, UM, OFTEN, UH, REMINDS YOU A PROUD JACK YATES ALUM.
UM, AND SHE IS ALL ABOUT DISTRICT D.
AND I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU, UM, COUNCILWOMAN SHABAZZ AND HER STAFF, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
IF IT'S HELPING TO SECURE FUNDING, FACILITATING MEETINGS, UH, COMING OVER, HELPING OUT WITH BACK TO SCHOOL, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
HER OFFICE IS ALWAYS JOHNNY ON THE SPOT.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I RECOGNIZE FOLKS.
I SAW SOME OF HER STAFF MEMBERS OUT HERE.
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I SAW COREY AND I SAW SOMEONE ELSE.ARE THEY STILL TUCKER? YEAH, THERE, THERE HE IS.
AND I WANT TO JUST TELL YOU GUYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR SUPPORT, UM, BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU GUYS, THIS COULDN'T, THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN AS WELL.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WANNA BRING UP COUNCILWOMAN SHABAZZ.
AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME BEHIND THE MAYOR AND THE MONEY.
I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE THEM HERE IN THIS DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I AM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY.
TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY AND CERTAINLY I DID NOT CHOOSE THIS DAY FOR, UH, THIS EVENT, BUT YOU KNOW, I'LL WAIT ON THE CAKE AND THE BALLOONS 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S COMING NEXT.
IT'S PROBABLY UNDER SOME OF THAT DIRT, RIGHT? ALRIGHT.
ANYWAY, I WANNA TELL YOU GOOD MORNING.
AND I CALL THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION HERE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE WONDERFUL VENUES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT.
CERTAINLY THIS ONE HAS BEEN AROUND A LONG, LONG TIME AND CERTAINLY, UH, WITH ONE OF THE FOUNDERS BEING THE BELOVED REVEREND JACK YATES, UH, JY FOR LIFE, AS HE SAID IT, IT'S ALWAYS THE PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
AND CERTAINLY WE ARE GONNA HEAR FROM, FROM A WONDERFUL PERSON IN HIS LINEAGE.
AND SO THIS SACRED GROUND REPRESENTS THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITY WHERE FREEDOM WAS FIRST CELEBRATED, AND WHERE OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS TODAY.
WE DON'T JUST CELEBRATE A GROUNDBREAKING, WE CELEBRATE PROGRESS, WE CELEBRATE PARTNERSHIP, AND WE CELEBRATE PURPOSE.
I WANNA THANK MAYOR JOHN WHITMAN.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT, RIGHT? MAYOR, I WON'T PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT YOU DON'T, UH, UH, FOR HIS CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND TO, AND I'M GONNA SAY HE'S BEEN VERY, VERY RESPONSIVE.
I MEAN, I WILL TEXT HIM AND HE WILL RESPOND.
AND IT, IT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE VALUED AND THAT YOU ARE HEARD.
AND I TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME TYPE OF LEADERSHIP IN WHAT I DO.
AND SO, UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK RAMON MANNING AND THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY FOR THEIR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP AND VISION AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND CERTAINLY YOU ARE SO CORRECT ABOUT DIRECTOR ALLEN.
YOU KNOW, I MIGHT SEND HIM A STERN MESSAGE AND HE RESPONDS RESPECTFULLY, PROMPTLY, BUT FIRMLY.
IF I'M NOT ON THE RIGHT COURSE, HE'LL LET ME KNOW AND THEN WE ARE FINE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PARTNERSHIP IS ABOUT.
WE GIVE AND TAKE AND WE GLEAN FROM EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO OUR BEST.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE FOR THE KINDERS TO BE PRESENT.
I'VE SEEN THEM AT MANY, MANY DISTRICT D FUNCTIONS AND THEY ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST SUPERB.
I MEAN, I MEAN THEY COME OUT AND ENJOY SOME OF THE EVENTS AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE PLEASURE.
THIS EXPANSION PROJECT REAFFIRMS WHAT WE STAND FOR IN DISTRICT D, HONORING OUR HERITAGE, WHILE CREATING SPACES THAT INVITE EVERYONE TO BELONG, TO THRIVE AND TO DREAM.
IT IS A SYMBOL OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN COMMUNITY, PHILANTHROPY AND C CITY LEADERSHIP COME TOGETHER WITH ONE GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT BEGAN AS A SPACE OF LIBERATION CONTINUES AS A SPACE OF OPPORTUNITY TO EVERYONE WHO HAS POURED TIME, TALENT, TREASURE INTO THIS PROJECT, I THANK YOU.
YOUR COMMITMENT ENSURES THAT EMANCIPATION PARK REMAINS NOT ONLY A MONUMENT TO OUR PAST, BUT A CORNERSTONE FOR OUR FUTURE.
AND CERTAINLY IT IS MY GREAT HONOR AT THIS TIME TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHOSE ROOTS RUN DEEP IN THIS PARK'S HISTORY AND ALSO A CONSTITUENT ALONG WITH RAMON.
AND THEN, UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN AT ONE POINT WAS A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT D.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COLLABORATING AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR TALENTS ARE BEING USED.
AND SO I WANNA INTRODUCE TO SOME, MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW HER, THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE REVEREND JACKIE YATES, AND A LIFELONG ADVOCATE FOR PRESERVING ITS LEGACY.
SHE, SHE HAS ON THE DELTA RED AND SHE HAS ON THE AKA PINK.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
FOR OUR GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN STATED
[00:25:02]
BY MANY OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ME THAT THIS IS TRULY A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.IT'S NOT ONLY A OPPORTUNITY BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE LOOKED FORWARD TO SINCE WE BEGAN REESTABLISHING THE PARK AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT WE WOULD WANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE REALLY MADE THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT THAT HAS BEEN NECESSARY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN SINCE DAY ONE.
THE KINDERS HAVE BEEN A PART OF EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE HERE AND WE REALLY CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH BECAUSE IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER INVESTMENT THAT WAS MADE EARLY ON CAME FROM THE TURS IN THIS DISTRICT.
IN FACT, WE WERE NOT EVEN IN THAT DISTRICT, BUT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO HELP TO FINANCE THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING TO HAPPEN HERE, WE BECAME A PART OF THEIR DISTRICT THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO THEY WERE WILLING TO TAKE OUT A BOND AND INVEST $33 MILLION TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
LET'S ALSO REMEMBER PEOPLE WHO WERE A PART OF THE ORIGINAL VISION TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN WHO ARE NOT WITH US TODAY.
THERE WAS ATTORNEY IN THE HONORABLE NETTE, BERNIE.
SHE GREW UP IN THIS PARK AND SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PARK COULD MEET THE STANDARDS OF TODAY'S PARK.
WE HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS DISTRICT, OUR FORMER REPRESENTATIVE WHO IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY EITHER.
AGAIN, SHE HAS GONE ON TO LOOK OVER US, BUT SHE'S NOT HERE WITH US.
BUT WE THANK HER SO VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE HAS DONE.
WE ALSO HAVE TO BE THANKFUL TO OUR FORMER MAYOR WHO IS NOT HERE WITH US AGAIN.
HE WAS A BIG PART OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE AT EMANCIPATION PART.
AND SO LET'S THANK THOSE WHO CAME ALONG BESIDE US, BUT WHOM GOD HAD A DIFFERENT PLAN FOR THEM AT THIS TIME.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA BE THANKFUL TO OUR PRESENT MAYOR, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER.
HE AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME.
WE BOTH START WORKING IN PROJECTS AND THINGS FOR THIS CITY MANY, MANY YEARS AGO AND EACH ONE OF OUR DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WHEN WE COULD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES FOR THIS CITY BECAUSE WE LOVE THIS CITY.
BUT I WANNA THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO MAYBE JUST GET IT BEGAN GETTING ON THE JOURNEY BECAUSE OUR PARTNERS, THOSE OF US WHO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THIS COMING BACK TOGETHER AS A CITY PARK.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STOP AND WE THINK ABOUT THAT, THIS PARK IN ACTUALITY WAS THE FIRST PARK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BEFORE THERE WERE OTHER PARKS.
BEFORE ANYBODY THOUGHT ABOUT GREEN SPACE, WE WERE HERE BEFORE THERE WAS ANOTHER PARK IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND NO ONE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT PARKS.
CAN YOU REALLY WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THAT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE BEING, THE FIRST THINGS HAPPEN IN BETWEEN TIME THAT MAYBE YOU FORGET ABOUT AND YOU DON'T REMEMBER AND YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR IMPORTANCE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BECAUSE YOU NEED TO LEAD.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT.
AND SO YOU GOT THAT ROLE WHETHER YOU WANTED IT OR NOT.
AND SO FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER THAT'S A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, EACH INVESTOR THAT CONTINUES TO PUT MONEY INTO THIS PARK, EACH CITY EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS WITH US ON A DAILY BASIS, EACH NEIGHBOR THAT COMES HERE FOR EVENTS BRINGS THEIR
[00:30:01]
CHILDREN GO AND THEY HAVE THEIR EXERCISE.WHATEVER THEY DO, THIS IS THEIR PART.
NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY CAME FROM, THIS IS THEIR PART.
AND WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO JOY TO ENJOY THIS PARK.
AND WE WANNA REMIND THOSE OF US THAT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE OBLIGATIONS TO REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE THIS IS ALL OF OUR PARK.
IT'S A PART OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARK SYSTEM AND HAS BEEN SINCE THE 1920S.
BUT REMEMBER YOU STARTED LONG BEFORE YOU WERE THERE AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THIS PARK KNEW AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAD TO BE DONE TO MAKE THIS A PLACE OF DESTINATION.
THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE SO THAT WE ARE STANDING HERE TODAY ON THEIR SHOULDERS, NOT ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT ON THEIR SHOULDERS.
AND IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PART CONTINUES TO BE THE PART THAT THEY HAD, THE VISION THEY HAD, THE VISION AND THE WILLINGNESS TO WORK FOR.
SO THAT WE ARE ALL A PART OF EMANCIPATION PART.
GONNA GO AHEAD AND STAND AND GO OVER.
ALRIGHT, WE ARE NOW, UH, I WANNA INVITE EVERYONE OVER TO THE DIRT PILE AND UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO THE DIRT PILE AND DO OUR CEREMONIAL SHOVEL PULL.