The Federal Juneteenth holiday bridges the gaps of all generations across the Coastal Bend.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Juneteenth has just recently become a federal holiday as of 2021, but community members and organizers remember exactly when the change for city events came about in Corpus Christi.
Tina Butler, the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, local chapter president explained how far the city’s celebrations have come.
“When we got to around the year 2018, it really wasn’t any festivals being held,” Butler said. “I know there was like a luncheon for the seniors and things of that nature, which is why we kind of came to the forefront.”
She isn’t the only one stepping up to the plate to honor the holiday.
Jeremiah Baldwin, founder of the Baldwin Institute for Excellence Foundation, said his upbringing led him down the path of pride and participation.
“Growing up my parents instilled in me a deep conviction of black empowerment and what it means to celebrate Juneteenth,” Baldwin said. “My mom and I, we participated in helping organize the Juneteenth festival in Corpus Christi.”
Jeremiah’s parents planted characteristics of leadership into him early. This motivated him to build a foundation that would prepare our youth not just for Juneteenth, but for life in general.
“(I started) The Mister and Miss Juneteenth Corpus Christi leadership program because I want to bridge the gap from big metropolitan cities to — low resource cities like the city I call home: Corpus Christi,” Baldwin said.
Tina Butler says this year’s theme is focusing on healthcare awareness in the black and brown community, which is why CPR classes, mobile health screening units, and free mammograms will also be offered at the three-day festival.
“One of our health and wellness initiatives is the mammograms,” Butler said. “It is free to anyone who would like to take one. We are asking for a $20 deposit which will be refunded immediately after their appointment has finished.”
And if you’re an old soul, you may want to prepare yourself for Grammy nominated artist Carl Thomas to close out the festival on day three. And even if you are not black or brown, this event is for the entire community.
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