Houston Museum of Contemporary Art Hosts Juneteenth Liberation Market

A man holds a Pan-African flag during a protest in Chicago, Friday, June 19, 2020, to mark Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 when black people were enslaved in Galveston, Texas, and taught that they had been freed from bondage, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

HOUSTON (KIAH) – June is Juneteenth, celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. People across the country celebrate black art and culture. Houston will host events honoring its Black residents, including the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The organization will host its June 17 Liberation Market to showcase local vendors and Black literary arts. They stopped by the CW39 studio to discuss what was going to happen at the event.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday recognizing the emancipation of slaves in the South. Former President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, after the country’s third year of civil war. The proclamation declared that “all persons held as slaves are and hereafter shall be free.” The 13th Amendment was adopted on February 1, 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, slavery did not officially end until June 19, 1865, after Union troops traveled to the Confederate states to announce the decree.

Since 1865, southern states, including Texas, have honored black culture and its impact on surrounding communities. Houston will have a full list of events that will be on our CW39 website. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will host its Juneteenth Liberation Market on June 13 at POST Houston. The event is free and will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Attendees will enjoy music, great food and support local businesses.