VIDEO: Houston’s Oldest Public Park Celebrates 150 Years of Freedom on Juneteenth
Houston’s historic Emancipation Park celebrates its 150th anniversary of freedom this Juneteenth. The park has stood as a symbol of determination, resilience, and triumph for all those years.
The park was established in 1872 by a group of community leaders led by Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Elias Dibble and John Henry “Jack” Yates. These community leaders were former enslaved African Americans who had little to nothing but saw a need for a place dedicated to celebrating freedom and serving the African American community, especially during the height of segregation. The group united and raised $1,000 to purchase 10 acre park in 1872. It represented a significant achievement as the community members exercised their new right of property ownership.
“It’s very important that everyone knows our history because it’s their history,” Jaqueline Bostic, Yates’ great-granddaughter, said. “It’s the history of the United States.”
Learn more about Emancipation Park’s history here.
Emancipation Park– Houston’s oldest public park– continues to serve not just a recreational escape for Houstonians but as a gathering spot for educational opportunities.
“In most communities of color, technology has not been embraced,” Ramon Manning, Chairman of Emancipation Park Conservancy, said. “It hasn’t been fully activated. I’m excited about Comcast seeing the voids in the communities and how to use their platform to address and partner with folks in the community like Emancipation Park to address some of those voids.”
Comcast activated a Lift Zone at the park to help students access the Internet, participate in distance learning and unlock their full potential. It is one of almost 50 Lift Zone locations in Greater Houston. Comcast remains committed to expanding access to connectivity for families and communities through our Internet Essentials program and the federal government’s new Affordability Connectivity Program.
This Juneteenth, as the nation celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War, Comcast recognizes that there’s still much work to be done in order to achieve equity, especially digitally, where access to the internet is crucial.
Learn more about Project Up– Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.