Juneteenth

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19^th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. (Juneteenth.com)

They 'found a way to be free'

Volunteers bring history alive this Juneteenth, telling an oral history of those who survived and succeeded in the turbulent Civil War era

By Matt Woolbright
Houston Chronicle
June 18, 2010

David H. O'Neal Jr. sits under the shade of a tent on a hot Thursday afternoon in Galveston with a story to tell. He is waiting for children to arrive, so he can tell them about a black man who excelled in a white man's time.

As the children seat themselves, the story of Richard "The Judge" Nelson is about to begin.

O'Neal tells of an African-American who served as the Galveston County justice of the peace during Reconstruction, a turbulent and dangerous era for blacks following the Civil War.

Nelson's story is part of a Galveston Historical Foundation event commemorating Juneteenth. "The Making of the Underground Railroad: From Slavery to Freedom" is designed to teach Galveston children about people who survived and excelled in the years before and after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation's first reading in Texas on June 19, 1863, commemorated annually by Juneteenth.

"It's for our children, when they feel they can't meet a challenge," said Tommie Boudreaux, the event chairwoman and organizer. "They need to reflect back and know that even during those times, there were slaves who found a way to be free and very successful."

Nelson was born a free man June 16, 1842, in Key West, Fla., a state where slavery was rampant.

At age 24, Nelson moved to Galveston in 1866. There, he met his wife, Adie, and married her in 1868. The couple had several children.

Seven years after moving to the island, he would accomplish an unprecedented feat.

Nelson became the first black man to own, edit and publish a newspaper in Texas. The Galveston Spectator was a weekly newspaper focused on political issues and the advancement of African-Americans through education. This accomplishment was preceded by his three-year stint as a justice of the peace.

"As a well-educated person, he was recognized for his intellect," Boudreaux said. "And he probably had the intellect to know how to work the system, too."

In 1884, a year before his paper shut down because of financial reasons, Nelson ran for U.S. Congress. He had the support of then-Gov. Edmund J. Davis, but nevertheless, he lost.

Nelson's second newspaper, The Freeman's Journal, began in 1887 and ran six years.

In 1884, a year before his paper shut down because of financial reasons, Nelson ran for U.S. Congress. He had the support of then-Gov. Edmund J. Davis, but nevertheless, he lost.

Nelson's second newspaper, The Freeman's Journal, began in 1887 and ran six years.

'Knowledge is power'

Nelson's last hoorah was in 1901 when he served as vice president of the Southern Negro Congress. The Congress also advocated education as a way for blacks to better themselves.

"That was his platform: the advancement of African-Americans through education," O'Neal said. "And, that knowledge is power."

Nelson's trailblazing life ended Aug. 7, 1914 in his Galveston home. The 72-year-old's obituary was not published in the prominent newspaper, The Galveston Daily News, because it did not write much about African-Americans, Boudreaux said. The Galveston City Times, the black newspaper of the time, wrote an an obituary.

O'Neal said he was honored to portray Nelson and to be a part of the Juneteenth celebration in Galveston.

"Anytime you get an opportunity to relate history, it's considered an honor," O'Neal said. "I was glad to do it. Juneteenth displays one aspect of that vast amount of culture that came in through here."

He has worked with the event from a distance for years, but this was his first year as a character. O'Neal, a member of the Galveston school board,believes in Nelson's platform. That's not the only similarity he wants with Nelson, however.

"If they'll have me, I'll continue to do this until I am about the age of Judge Nelson," O'Neal said with a laugh.

matthew.woolbright@chron.com