HOUSTON — Hundreds of people came out to the Juneteenth parade in Acres Home Saturday morning, despite the heat.
“Happy Juneteenth, everybody,” Mayor Sylvester Turner declared while greeting people in the crowd. “It’s all good in the hood."
“It’s very hot today,” said Claude Hall, who lives in Acres Home.
But the scorching sun didn't stop Claude or the joyful bunch from celebrating the ninth annual Juneteenth parade in Acres home.
“This has been a tradition for us for years,” Hall said. “I’m from here. I was born and raised. My whole family and everything. You know, Juneteenth is a big holiday for us around here."
The rest of the country is just catching on.
Now, it’s a federal holiday recognized nationally as the day enslaved black Americans in Galveston, Texas found out they were finally free on June 19th, 1865.
“The history is everything. Without history we don’t know where we come from. So, we must know history, so we know how to continue in our life,” said Hall.
This parade allows families, including their small children, to honor that history.
“A lot of kids don’t know what Juneteenth is. It really is historic and special,” said Lee Moore who also lives in Acres Home.
The Booker T. Washington High School marching band, Sheriff Ed Gonzales, the Houston Association of Black Journalists and other community groups eased on down the road during the parade.
“My parents are in the parade too,” said Hall.
“Really, it’s about everyone coming together, because you know we had the pandemic, and everybody was closed in,” said Renee King who lives in Acres Home.
Everyone at the parade was far from closed in, celebrating Juneteenth loud and proud.