LUBBOCK, Texas — For Danielle East with the East Lubbock Art House, honoring June 19th has always been important as it commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but it wasn’t until 1865 when it was really enforced.
“General Gordon Granger came down to Galveston, Texas, and forced the removal of slavery in the United States,” explained Founder and Executive Director of the East Lubbock Art House, Danielle East.
“In the Black community, especially the Black community in Texas, it’s not something new,” she said. “My ancestors, forefathers, foremothers have been celebrating it for the longest, so it’s something that I’ve always celebrated since I was born.”
For the fourth year, East is carrying that tradition on for the East Lubbock Art House as well.
“We’re celebrating Juneteenth, as we have since the beginning of our organization,” East said. “We’re celebrating through our community and also collaboration.”
East told EverythingLubbock.com that ELAH still has a lot of work to do before Wednesday’s celebration, but she said it’s encouraging to see the excitement throughout the community.
“This weekend, a lot of people were like, ‘We’ll be there on Wednesday,”’ described East. “It’s always good to know, even though sometimes like we might not be as ready like the community is ready and they’re always ready to get involved.”
East said too, while the festivities are a fun part of Juneteenth, for her, it’s important to remember why it’s celebrated.
“If it were to be 1865, we wouldn’t be in Lubbock because the first Black people who arrived in Lubbock came in the early 1900s,” she explained. “It’s really important for us to celebrate because, you know, our ancestors worked really hard for us to be here and to have these holidays.”
The Juneteenth: Freedom Celebration will be at the East Lubbock Art House on Wednesday, June 19th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be live music, food, arts and crafts and plenty of activities for the family to enjoy. You can learn more about the event here.
If you want to help the non-profit too, East said ELAH is always accepting donations online or in-person too.
