Celebrating Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, the news that the Civil War was over reached our neighboring city of Galveston, Texas, marking the end of slavery for the entirety of the United States. Now, we celebrate Juneteenth annually as a celebration of African American freedom and a national holiday, taking the time to honor the present while reflecting on the past. While Juneteenth became an official U.S. holiday in 2021, the tradition of celebrating the day, while educating youth on its meaning, has been longstanding at Covenant House Texas.

Program Administrator Sherri Crawford has worked to continue the tradition and make the occasion memorable since she joined the team over five years ago. Often spanning the entire week of June 19th, the joyous celebration overtakes the Safe Haven building through music, dancing, decorations, talent shows, and delicious meals hosted by black-owned local businesses.

This year, trivia games and infographics on the holiday and historic Black figures are included amongst the decorations to better educate the youth on the reason we all participate in this day, particularly on a campus where a majority of the youth are Black Americans.

As the festivities march on, the feeling of gratefulness for freedom is one that will not fade for Covenant House Texas youth that have faced homelessness or the staff that empowers them. In a time devoted to remembering the breaking of shackles that once enslaved Black Americans, we take time to reflect on the resilience of our own residents. As they work to overcome the circumstances that led them here and find the support to stand on their own, we celebrate each youth as they make their journey toward the freedom and bright future they deserve.

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