Before Juneteenth became a federal holiday, before corporate sponsorships and citywide festivals, the celebration often looked much simpler in Dallas.
Families gathered in parks. Barbecue smoke filled the air. Children played baseball while relatives traveled from small towns across Texas to reconnect with loved ones.
"It was kind of like a reunion," said Dallas genealogist Donald Payton. "People were coming together in a joyous mood."
For generations of Black Texans, Juneteenth was more than a holiday. It was a chance to celebrate freedom, honor ancestors and strengthen community ties. Payton remembers the anticipation surrounding the day when he was young.
"People started cooking in advance," he said. "They made lemonade and ice cream. They played baseball."
Akwete Tyehimba, founder of Pan-African Connection Bookstore and Art Gallery, remembers similar celebrations growing up in Waco.
"It was like the Fourth of July for us," Tyehimba said. "We stopped everything we were doing."
Families gathered for cookouts and community celebrations. For many Black Texans living under segregation, Juneteenth offered something increasingly rare, a space to be together.
"It was a big day," Tyehimba said. "We had each other."
Celebrating resilience
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston learned they were free more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
While the history behind the day is rooted in delayed freedom, both Payton and Tyehimba remember Juneteenth primarily as a celebration of resilience and hope.
"It gave us hope and optimism because it came with freedom and that's something we had never had before," Payton said.
Today, Juneteenth celebrations in Dallas look different.
Since becoming a federal holiday in 2021, the observance has expanded into large-scale festivals, arts programming and community events across the city. But even as the celebrations have grown, some younger organizers say the holiday's core purpose remains unchanged.
For the founders of SZNs CHNGE, a Dallas-based creative collective founded by young Black artists and entrepreneurs, Juneteenth is still about bringing people together.
"Juneteenth is homecoming," said founder Eriq Hardiman-Rhone. "Its history derived from our own backyard."
Creating community
Last year, the organization hosted a Juneteenth block party in Bishop Arts. This year, it is expanding its celebration into Dallas' West End District while launching a nonprofit aimed at supporting Black artists and creatives.
The group's leaders say their work is rooted in the same spirit that shaped earlier Juneteenth gatherings: community.
"What does it look like to celebrate?" Hardiman-Rhone said. "How are we taking something that already has a base and finding ways to make it work for the current generation?"
For SZNs CHNGE, that means creating spaces where artists, entrepreneurs, students and community members can meet one another, share resources and build relationships.
"There are a lot of people that don't know how to engage [with the art community]," Hardiman-Rhone said. "We want to create that space."
The collective is using Juneteenth to launch their nonprofit, the CHNGE Foundation, which plans to offer mentorship opportunities, workshops and professional development resources for emerging creatives. CEO and executive director Sasha Bowman said the goal is to help artists navigate industries that can often feel inaccessible.
"As a young creative that has grown up here, just seeing how people are overlooked based off the fact that they don't have the resources or the knowledge," Bowman said. "We want to connect them with bigger communities and bigger networks."
For elder community leaders like Tyehimba, efforts like that represent an important next chapter in Dallas' Juneteenth story and a question some Dallas community leaders are asking: How can Juneteenth remain rooted in history while evolving for a new generation?
Tyehimba believes the answer lies in collaboration between generations.
"We do have to pass the baton to our youth," she said. "But I think it's important to include an intergenerational mix."
She hopes younger organizers continue creating spaces for celebration while also preserving the deeper purpose of the holiday.
"Understanding where we've come from, understanding where we are now, and understanding that we still have a lot of work to do."
Payton shares a similar view.
"We got to make it a point that we work in the present to preserve the past for the future," he said.
That idea may be what connects Juneteenth celebrations across generations. For Payton and Tyehimba, that once looked like family reunions in the park.
For SZNs CHNGE, it looks like block parties, along with artist showcases and mentorship programs. A future that looks like greater visibility, access and opportunity for Black creatives in Dallas.
"We're creating space for the next generation to freely express themselves," Bowman said.
As another Juneteenth approaches, the format has changed, but the purpose has not.
DETAILS: Shades Of Blackness: Common Grounds. 4 p.m. June 19. 603 Munger Ave #100
Other Dallas Juneteenth Events:
BLK on Bishop: Join Urban Collective in commemorating Juneteenth through Black music, Black art, and Black owned food vendors. The social group will also be giving out free specialty cocktails while supplies last. 5 p.m. June 19. 200 N Bishop Ave Ste 113
Juneteenth Skate Bash: Celebrate Black culture by bridging the regional connections in Black Dance Music with an all-vinyl House music skate night. Skate at one of the oldest skating rinks still existing in Texas and the former home of the legendary Club Lotus. 8 p.m. June 19. 202 N Main St, Cedar Hill
Black Girls in Art Spaces at South Dallas Cultural Center: The exhibition at the South Dallas Cultural Center, "No Walls Between Us," is a landmark show that brings together the work of eight artists based in Africa and three Dallas-based artists. Join a group of women to bring in a fresh and vital energy to Dallas. 12 p.m. 3400 S Fitzhugh Ave
Manifest Your Purpose Juneteenth Market: Join MYP on June 20th for an exciting Juneteenth celebration! This day will be filled with shopping and networking opportunities featuring over 50 local small businesses and entrepreneurs. 2 p.m. June 20. 3662 W. Camp Wisdom Road
Amplify: For Juneteenth, connect with entrepreneurs and BIPOC business owners. Enjoy panels filled with expert creators, innovators of different industries and participate in fun activities. 11 a.m. June 18. 3560 W. Camp Wisdom RD
Juneteenth Flavor Fest: At the Mar Thoma Event Center, celebrate Juneteenth with food, local vendors, and outdoor games and activities. The day will be filled with raffles, giveaways, and live performances all afternoon with family-friendly fun. 1 p.m. June 20. 11500 Luna Road.
Opal’s Walk for Freedom: Put on your walking shoes and join Opal Lee for a community walk. You and your family will have the honor of walking 2.5 miles alongside the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Opal Lee. A retired teacher, counselor, and a dedicated activist who played a pivotal role in making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. 9 a.m. June 19. 3401 West Lancaster Ave.
Freedom Vibes Festival: The National Juneteenth Museum, the new Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center and Kinfolk House are partnering on "All 'n All," an exhibition featuring work by 11 North Texas artists. Following is a celebration of music, food, art and culture. 6 p.m. 3104 E. Rosedale St.
