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GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING WITH US THIS AFTERNOON FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT, CITYWIDE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION.
IT IS GONNA BE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.
IT'S GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS THIS STATE REALIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNETEENTH.
AS SOME OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE RESEARCHED THE HISTORY OF THE RECOGNITION OR LACK OF RECOGNITION, I WANT TO SHARE SOME HISTORY WITH YOU.
I WAS A YOUNG STATE REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTING PROUD AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OF INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS AND ACRES HOME.
YES, IT WAS RECOGNIZED, BUT IT WASN'T OUTSIDE THOSE BOUNDARIES.
SO NEXT THING I KNOW, A GOOD FRIEND AL EDWARDS, WAS ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE.
HE BROUGHT AWARENESS, EXPECTATIONS, AND I WANNA PAY HONOR TO AL EDWARDS FOR LOUDNESS TO BE HERE TODAY AND SHARE THIS SPECIAL EVENT.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE PARTICULAR RECOGNITION TO MS. OPAL LEE.
AS A STATE SENATOR, I'VE MET MANY, MANY SPECIAL PEOPLE, BUT MY LAST SESSION TO CELEBRATE HER BRINGING NATIONAL ATTENTION TO JUNETEENTH, WE HONORED HER ON THE SENATE FLOOR.
I'VE GOT AN OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPH WITH THIS DISTINGUISHED LADY.
SO OBVIOUSLY AS WE GATHER TODAY WITH OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, WE STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND NEVER LET THAT BE FORGOTTEN.
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE LEADERSHIP, CERTAINLY JOHN NICHOLAS.
IT'S GOTTEN BIGGER,
FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I WAS IN AKER'S HOME, JUNETEENTH PARADE.
MAN, IT GETS HOT OUT THERE,
I'D LIKE TO, AS WE'RE PAYING RECOGNITION TO SOME OF PREVIOUS LEADERS THAT ALLOW US TO BE HERE TODAY AS SYLVESTER TURNER, NO QUESTION.
HE BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THE ACRES HOME PARADE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE GONNA BE CELEBRATING IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, I'M GONNA CHALLENGE ALL OF US TO REACH OUT, MAKE ALL HOUSTONIANS RECOGNIZE THIS HISTORICAL TIME, THE BAD, THE GOOD, AND BE INCLUSIVE BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A FACT, IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS WILL JOIN WITH US IN THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION.
AS THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF 2.3 MILLION INDIVIDUALS, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AND SPREAD THE WORD THAT THIS YEAR IS SPECIAL.
AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET, JOHN, LET ME ALLOW YOU TO CONDUCT THIS PROGRAM.
I GET TO, UH, CHAIR THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION, UM, THIS COLLABORATION OF, UH, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE LEGACIES OF JUNETEENTH CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD.
UM, FIVE YEARS AGO, SOMETHING PROFOUND HAPPENED, UM, AS OUR MAYOR JUST SPOKE TO ONE OF TEXAS'S OLDEST BLACK HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS BECAME FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED AS A HOLIDAY.
AND UNDERNEATH THAT EXCITEMENT AND THOSE CHEERS LAY A LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE, UM, A LITTLE CONCERN AND COMMUNITY ASKED, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LONG HELD FAST, THE TRADITIONS OF THIS AND HISTORY OF THIS HOLIDAY REMAIN CENTERED IN ITS LEGACY? AND INSTEAD OF WAITING ON AN ANSWER, THAT SAME COMMUNITY THEN CREATED A SOLUTION.
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RESIDENTS, LEADERS, ASSETS, INSTITUTIONS OF SEVEN OF HOUSTON'S HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THOSE THAT WERE JUST PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH WARDS, SUNNYSIDE, SOUTH PARK, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, ACRES HOMES, UM, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON WAS BORN.AND FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON HAS BECOME THE CITYWIDE COLLABORATIVE FOR ALL THINGS JUNETEENTH IN THIS GREAT CITY.
AND WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE JUBILEE.
AND SO, AS SUCH, UM, WE WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING IN ON THIS YEAR.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE'RE REALLY PUSHING 19 DAYS OF JUNETEENTH.
UM, AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BLACK HISTORY, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UM, THE STORIES OF BLACK PEOPLE, MANY TIMES THEY'RE ROOTED IN SOME LEVEL OF RESISTANCE, SOME LEVEL OF PAIN, SOME LEVEL OF, OF PROVING SOMETHING.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JUNETEENTH, THOUGH, THE ICONOGRAPHY MIGHT BE BROKEN, CHAINS AND FISTS, THE VIBE IS THE COOKOUT, RIGHT? IT FEELS LIKE HOME.
IT LOOKS LIKE HOME, IT SMELLS LIKE HOME.
IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT, UM, EMANCIPATION PARK, UH, WAS FOUNDED FOR THE EARLIEST JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS, AND THAT WAS BY EVERYBODY, THE ENTIRE CITY PITCHED IN FOR THAT.
AND SO WE ARE RETURNING HOME, UM, AS OUR THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL IS HOMECOMING, UM, OUR HERITAGE, OUR HOME, AND ENCOURAGING THE ENTIRE CITY TO JOIN IN ON 19 DAYS OF CURATED EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, SELF, UH, DISCOVERY AND EXPLORA, UH, EXPLORATORY, UM, THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO IN THE CITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, AS WE GET READY TO KICK OFF ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, I AM GOING TO BRING UP BRIDGETTE TAYLOR JACKSON WITH THE ENSEMBLE THEATER, UM, WHO WILL BE GIVING US A LITTLE JAM SESSION, TELLING US A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT OR SHOWING US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT AT THE, UH, THE FESTIVAL THAT'LL BE HAPPENING ON THE SIXTH.
UM, AND YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND, BRIDGETTE.
ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY, AS HE SAID, MY NAME IS BRIDGETTE AND WE'RE GONNA BE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH TODAY.
SO I NEED YOU ALL TO PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND GET READY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH US AND JOIN THE JUBILEE.
AND I REPRESENT THE ENSEMBLE THEATER HERE IN HOUSTON.
IF YOU KNOW THE WORDS, CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES.
ALRIGHT,
SO BRING YOUR GOOD TIMES AND YOUR LAUGHTER TOO.
WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE YOUR PARTY WITH YOU.
HEY, WE GONNA CELEBRATE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
SAID WE ARE GONNA CELEBRATE EVERYBODY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME TONIGHT.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME TONIGHT.
HEY, SEE NOW IF YOU DON'T CELEBRATE WITH US, YOU CAN'T COME TO THE COOKOUT.
OKAY? SEE, WE NEED TO KNOW IF YOU GOT SOME RHYTHM TO COME TO THE JUNETEENTH 19 DAYS OF JUBILEE.
COME ON, PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE.
COME ON, WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
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COME ON.SEE, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT AS A PEOPLE AND ONE THING THAT WE HAVE A HISTORY OF IS CELEBRATING IN SPITE OF, ALRIGHT.
AND JOHN WHITMAR, THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE ENSEMBLE THEATER.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR PARTNERING WITH THE ENSEMBLE THEATER.
THEY PERFORMED AT OUR KICKOFF LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS ON THE MAIN STAGE OF OUR CELEBRATE FREEDOM FESTIVAL.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM BACK AT THE CELEBRATE FREEDOM FESTIVAL THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO AS WE CONTINUE ON, UH, I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UM, DEBORAH BLACKLOCK SLOAN, WHO IS A HISTORICAL RESEARCHER AND GENEALOGIST, AND OUR RESIDENT HISTORIAN FOR JUNETEENTH HOUSTON.
I AM GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AS A FIFTH GENERATION TEXAN AND MY CLASSES ARE FALLING APART AND A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN.
AND TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO IMPART TO YOU THAT ON JUNE 19TH, 1918 65 GENERAL GARDEN GRANGER ARRIVED IN GALVESTON WITH UNION WHITE AND BLACK SOLDIERS TO ISSUE GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE, WHICH OFFICIALLY ENDED SLAVERY IN TEXAS MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, A FEW YEARS, AND TWO, EMANCIPATION HOUSTON'S BLACK AREA MINISTERS, CIVIC LEADERS, AND OTHER RESIDENTS RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO PURCHASE PROPERTY TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH.
ON JULY 10TH, 1872, THE COLORED PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION PURCHASED 10 ACRES FOR $800.
IN THE JAMES HOLDMAN SURVEY, THIS SITE BECAME EMANCIPATION PARK, WHERE THE CITY'S LONG STANDING JUNETEENTH TRADITIONS WERE SHAPED.
GENERATIONS OF BLACK HOUSTONIANS CARRIED THESE TRADITIONS FORWARD THROUGH FAMILY GATHERINGS, CHURCH CELEBRATIONS, MUSIC, STORYTELLING, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS LONG BEFORE JUNETEENTH BECAME NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WAYS CULTURE, HISTORY, AND COLLECTIVE MEMORY ARE PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO ALSO NOW INTRODUCE, UH, FAITH HILLIS WITH THE FREEMAN'S TOWN, THE HOUSTON FREEMAN'S TOWN CONSERVANCY.
ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UM, MY NAME IS FAITH HILLIS AND I'M REALLY EXCITED, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL, UM, FOR A LITTLE BIT ON TODAY.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GET MY NOTES UP.
TATIANA, IF YOU COULD HELP ME FOR A SECOND HERE.
SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON FREEMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY, UM, AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SHARON FLETCHER.
UM, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CONTRIBUTE, UM, TO JUNETEENTH INTO THIS GLOBAL STORY.
SO, AS WE KNOW TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES HAPPEN, UM, WE'LL BRING UP HARRISON GUY WHO CHAIRS OUR EVENTS AND PROGRAMS FOR JUNETEENTH HOUSTON.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND CULTURE FOR THE FIFTH WARD CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
SO I HAVE THE HONOR OF REPRESENTING THAT AMAZING COMMUNITY.
I ALSO LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE, SO I GET DOUBLE THE BLACK, DOUBLE THE FUND FOR JUNETEENTH.
BUT I AM FROM LAMAR, TEXAS, UM, BORN AND RAISED, UH, IN GALVESTON COUNTY.
AND I WANT TO THANK LAMAR AND GALVESTON COUNTY FOR TEACHING ME THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNETEENTH.
I HAVE CELEBRATED JUNETEENTH FOR AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER.
UM, AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BE, UM, UH, INVOLVED IN JUNETEENTH HOUSTON SINCE THE BEGINNING AND HELPING TO LEAD THE PROGRAM EFFORTS.
UM, SO AS JOHN SAID EARLIER, FIVE YEARS AGO, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON WAS BUILT AROUND A BOLD QUESTION.
WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER? WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF HOUSTON'S HISTORIC BLACK COMMUNITY STOP CELEBRATING IN SEPARATE SPACES AND INSTEAD CREATED SOMETHING UNIFIED FOR JUST ONE DAY? WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS, INSTITUTIONS, FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS COME TOGETHER AROUND A SHARED VISION OF FREEDOM? AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THIS, WHEN BLACK HOUSTON COMES TOGETHER, SOMETHING POWERFUL HAPPENS.
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CREATED CITYWIDE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION.IT WAS NEVER JUST ABOUT AN EVENT.
IT WAS ABOUT COMING TOGETHER TO CREATE A MOVEMENT COMING TOGETHER TO CREATE SHARED SPACE AND COMING TOGETHER TO THINK ABOUT A COLLECTIVE CELEBRATION WE GATHER IN EARLY JUNE.
I KNOW MY MANY PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, WHY SO EARLY WHEN WE COME TOGETHER TO HONOR THE HISTORY, CELEBRATE OUR CULTURE, AND SET THE TONE FOR A FULL SEASON OF FREEDOM, A SEASON OF FREEDOM, WE HAVE CREATED AN OPENING CEREMONY THAT WE HAVE WITH A YOUTH AND A ELDER ON THIS DAY.
IT'S INTERGENERATIONAL, WHICH IS OUR GREATEST ASSET BECAUSE FREEDOM DESERVES MORE THAN ONE DAY.
AND BECAUSE BLACK JOY DESERVES MORE ROOM, BECAUSE TEXAS DOES IT BIG, BUT HOUSTON DOES INTENTIONAL, WE ARE HAPPY TO LAUNCH FOR THE FIRST TIME 19 DAYS OF JUNETEENTH.
THIS IS ALSO A CITYWIDE CELEBRATION WHERE MANY PEOPLE CAN PLUG INTO THIS FREEDOM AND THIS CELEBRATION ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND I'M EXCITED FOR YOU TO LEARN ABOUT THE MANY WAYS THAT EVERY COMMUNITY IS CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH WHILE WE, WHILE WE FOCUS ON THE SEVEN HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS, PEOPLE ARE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH ALL THROUGHOUT HOUSTON AND GREATER HOUSTON, RIGHT? AND SO WE WANT TO AMPLIFY THAT SO THAT WE CAN JUST CELEBRATE FOR 19 DAYS.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO EVERYBODY? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU CELEBRATING THROUGH FOOD, THROUGH MUSIC, THROUGH STORYTELLING, THROUGH HISTORY, THROUGH ART, THROUGH FELLOWSHIP, THROUGH FAMILY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO JUNETEENTH HOUSTON THROUGH JOY.
WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON BEING RESILIENT AND BEING CHAMPIONS OF MAKING IT THAT SOMETIMES WE NEED TO PAUSE JUST TO CELEBRATE JOY.
AND SO JUNETEENTH HOUSTON WANTS TO GIVE EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY AND GIVE YOU THE EMPOWERMENT TO JUST BE HAPPY TO JUST CELEBRATE THE THINGS THAT MAKE US FEEL GOOD.
SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE SIXTH, UM, ALL THROUGHOUT JUNE, BUT MAINLY ON THE SIXTH.
I WANNA SEE YOU CELEBRATING OUR SEVEN COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE A VILLAGE THAT THEY HAVE CREATED WHERE THEY HAVE A TENTS REPRESENTING THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO YOU CAN TRAVEL THROUGH THE VILLAGES OF THESE COMMUNITIES.
IF YOU NEVER COME OUTTA YOUR OWN VILLAGE, THIS WILL BE THE DAY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE BANDS, WE HAVE YOUTH, WE HAVE A RED FOOD COMPETITION.
WE HAVE, OF COURSE, SPADES, DOMINOES, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN, IMA LISTEN.
Y'ALL GONNA HAVE SOME JOY, OKAY? OKAY.
SO WE REALLY HOPE TO SEE YOU AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
UM, AND WHAT A, WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE.
ALL RIGHT? AND SO LOOK UP JUNETEENTH HOUSTON SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON ALL THROUGHOUT THE 19 DAYS OF JUNE TWO JUNETEENTH.
AND WE REALLY HOPE TO SEE YOU ON JUNE 6TH.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT QUICKLY TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WILLIE DAVIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESENT WITH US.
UM, OKAY, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA BRING BACK FAITH HILLIS WITH, UH, FREEMAN'S TOWN CONSERVANCY.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON FREEMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY.
UM, AND REALLY WE ARE REALLY JUST EXCITED TO BE IN SUCH EXCELLENT COMPANY.
UM, AND IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO STAND HERE TODAY IN CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY AND IN THE SPIRITS, UM, OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT BUILT THE FOUNDATION FOR BLACK HOUSTON.
UM, COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS LIKE THIS ARE PARAMOUNT.
UM, AND I CAN SAY THAT TRULY FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.
UM, LAST YEAR, HOUSTON FREEMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY HOSTED A JUNETEENTH FEST, AND WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME, UM, A THOUSAND PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE THAT 160 YEARS OF FREEDOM.
UM, WE WERE EXCITED TO BRING IN SCHOLAR, UM, A JOURNALIST MARK LAMONT HILL, UM, A CONVERSATION THAT WELL BOOSTED COMMUNITY MORALE, BUT IT ALSO HELPED BRING ATTENTION TO THE STORY OF JUNETEENTH IN HOUSTON AND WHAT OUR HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS REPRESENT.
UM, THESE GATHERINGS CONTINUE TO BE LIVING EXPRESSIONS OF OUR HISTORY, OF OUR CREATIVITY AND OUR RESILIENCE, AND OF OUR JOY, AS HARRISON WAS JUST MENTIONING, EVERY TIME WE COME TOGETHER, WE PRESERVE SOMETHING THAT IS SACRED, UM, TO US.
WE KEEP OUR STORIES ALIVE, UM, WHEN WE STRENGTHEN THE BONDS THAT HAVE CARRIED US THROUGH GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS.
UM, AND THAT IS WHY, OR ONE OF THE REASONS AT LEAST WHY THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALL OF THESE HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS IS ESSENTIAL.
FREEMAN'S TOWN, THIRD WARD, FIFTH WARD, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, SUNNYSIDE, SOUTH PARK, AND ACRES HOME.
EACH OF THESE COMMUNITIES HOLD A PIECE OF HOUSTON'S CULTURAL DNA AND MANY OF US HAVE TIES TO NOT ONE, BUT SEVERAL OF THESE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? EACH COMES TRADITIONS, INSTITUTIONS, AND LEGACIES THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED ELSEWHERE.
UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STRONGER TOGETHER.
UM, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SEVEN YEARS AFTER EMANCIPATION,
[00:20:01]
REVEREND JACK YATES JOINED FORCES WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.RICHARD ALLEN, UM, RICHARD BROCK, HOUSTON'S FIRST BLACK CITY ALDERMAN AND OTHER FOLKS TO RAISE MONEY, UM, TO PURCHASE 10 ACRES IN THIRD WARD.
AND THAT LAND BECAME WHAT IS KNOWN AS EMANCIPATION PARK, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE CAN NAME ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO TOGETHER.
UM, SO IT'S MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS, ONE MOVEMENT, AND THAT IS TRULY WHAT COLLABORATION LOOKS LIKE.
UM, SO TOGETHER OUR NEIGHBORHOODS PRESERVE THE SOUL OF HOUSTON.
WE HOLD THE MUSIC, WE HOLD FOOD, WE HOLD CRAFTSMANSHIP, ACTIVISM, FAITH, TRADITIONS, UM, AND CULTURAL MEMORY THAT HELPS TO DEFINE WHO WE ARE.
UM, SO THIS YEAR AS WE CELEBRATE, WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL JOIN US IN REMAINING REMAINING COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION, TO OUR SHARED PURPOSE, AND TO LIFTING UP EVERY HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAT HAS POURED INTO THE BRILLIANCE OF THIS CITY.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, AS WE, UH, WRAP UP, I WANT TO FIRST THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
UM, I WANT TO SAY, UH, PUBLICLY THAT WHILE WE HAVE MENTIONED JUNETEENTH HOUSTON AS THIS COLLABORATIVE, IT IS A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME ON THIS STAGE NOT ONLY REPRESENT THOSE SEVEN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT WE PARTNER WITH FROM A FREEDMAN'S TOWN, FROM EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY, UM, FROM OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THE CITY AT LARGE, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT, UM, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, THEY REPRESENT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT ASSETS THAT HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH.
AND SO, UM, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON.ORG.
YOU CAN ALSO GET YOU ONE OF THESE REALLY COOL SHIRTS.
UM, SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO DO THAT.
UH, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR RED FOODS COOKOFF.
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THE SPACE TOURNAMENT.
WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING A, WE HAVE A VOTING OUT RIGHT NOW FOR A TEXAS BASED JUNETEENTH FLAG.
SO YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ONE AND SEE WHICH ONE IS GONNA WAVE HIGH ON JUNE 6TH.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT'LL BE HAPPENING.
UM, I WANT TO END WITH SAYING, UM, YES, THE MONTH STARTS JUNE 1ST, AND THEN WE, UH, WE GO OUT ACROSS THE CITY AND ALL OF THE PLACES TO GO CELEBRATE.
AND THEN WE COME BACK TO THIRD WARD, UM, FOR, UM, A, A, A FINAL WRAP UP, SO TO SPEAK, OF JUNETEENTH FESTIVITIES.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S JUNETEENTH ON ALAMEDA.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE REUNION THAT'S HAPPENING AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
UM, THAT IS GONNA BE A GREAT TIME.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE, CHECK OUT THE 19 DAYS OF JUNETEENTH, GO SUPPORT THE PARTNERS, THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, WE CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE YOU AGAIN, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON, JUNETEENTH HOUSTON, WHETHER THAT'S FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, WEBSITE, JUNETEENTH, HOUSTON, IT'S ALL THERE.
WE'LL SEE YOU ON, UH, JUNETEENTH.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
ANY QUESTIONS OF ANYONE, IF NOT EVERYONE, BE SAFE AND, UH, STAY HYDRATED FOR SURE.