Houston, Harris County
Emancipation Park was acquired in 1872 by previously enslaved African Americans who were in unanimous support of purchasing their own land on which to celebrate Juneteenth and to use for community development and cultural enrichment. Rev. Jack Yates (1828-1897) of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Elias Dibble (1811-1885) of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, Richard Brock (1824-1906) of St. Paul A.M.E. Church and Richard Allen (1831-1909), civic leader and elected official, served as the core leadership. It took the whole village and area churches using effective community organization skills, business acumen and political savvy to help raise money. The colored people of Harris County Festival Association was formed and trustees Richard Brock, Richard Allen, Daniel Riley, John Graham, Taylor Burke, Frank Keeland, Johnson Rice, John Sessums and Tillman Bush purchased this 10-acre site just outside the city limits for $800. The colored emancipation park association was formed in 1883 and later both groups continued to be active in the management of the park for decades. Emancipation Park was the only space open to African Americans until 1940 and many influential organizations and institutions worked with board management to plan celebrations which included picnics, concerts, carnivals, industrial and agricultural fairs, proms, military drills, dances, sporting events, movies, classes for youth and adults, and community meetings. The park’s significance to the Houston African-American community remains as impactful today as it was in 1872. Emancipation Park is a true legacy of Texas African-American heritage and a gift to humanity for all generations. (2017)