Rep. Al Edwards said in the Houston Chronicle that the Juneteenth holiday is especially important because “we did it through a structured body like the Legislature.”
On this Father’s Day, I want to honor the Father of Juneteenth, Representative Al Edwards from Houston. While the grandmother of Juneteenth, Ms. Opal Lee, has received an abundance of admiration, deservingly so, we can’t forget about the Texas Legislator who fought to not only make Juneteenth a state holiday in Texas but his work is the groundwork that helped usher in the legislation that made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
In 1979 as a new Legislature, Rep. Edwards authored and sponsored in the Texas State House H.B. 1016 making June 19 (Juneteenth) a state holiday where state employees also got paid. However, the legislation didn’t fully pass until 2007. He worked practically his entire legislative career to get this bill passed. His commitment and perseverance to stick with 1 bill for decades show his dedication to the significance and meaning of Juneteenth.
Little known history: This celebration is housed at Sycamore Park in Ft. Worth and Emancipation Park in Houston. Emancipation Park is the first and oldest park in the state of Texas and whose original purpose was to be the home of Juneteenth celebrations in Houston. These places to this day still ensure this celebration will have a home so we can continue celebrating throughout generations.
As you can tell not just from Rep. Edwards longevity pushing this bill through but the longevity of these parks, Juneteenth is a foundational pillar within the hearts, minds and souls of Black Texans as a day of Jubilee and Freedom. And now the country. More people are celebrating but need to remember who the father of Juneteenth is and what he did to make this day possible. He stayed the course almost 30 years to make this a holiday which has become a federal holiday.
I want to end with words from the Father of Juneteenth, Rep. Al Edwards from an article in the Houston Chronicle that commemorated his life after his passing in 2020. A year before Juneteenthh became the 11th federal holiday.
“The people across this state voted each one of us in office. And when we vote, we don’t just vote for what we think personally. We vote based on what our constituents feel,” Edwards said. “It says, then, that the whole state of Texas has put their stamp of acceptance on this day as an official day of acknowledgment. I can’t imagine too many things more important to the human race — not just blacks — than coming out of slavery into freedom.”
Source: Houston Chronicle
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