Juneteenth Program and Tour Experiences
All are cordially invited to our annual Juneteenth events and tours from June 6 - June 26, 2026, when we remember the news of the abolition of slavery being announced to enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865, in Galveston. We also have an American Revolution Experience exhibit grand opening event featuring national speaker Michael Henderson on June 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Juneteenth Tea Cakes are Tours are made possible by our generous sponsors - Twin Eagle, energy marketers, for the 4th year in a row!
Teacakes and Tours every Saturday in June and on Juneteenth
Delight in the Juneteenth tradition of teacakes and red punch at our popular Black history tour. Explore the following three houses that are designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project” - 1847 Kellum-Noble House; 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage; and 1870 Yates House. Juneteenth Tea Cakes are Tours are made possible by our generous sponsors - Twin Eagle, energy marketers or the fourth year in a row!
🏠 Step into History: Our three historic houses stand as silent witnesses to the triumphs and struggles of generations past. From the opulent grandeur of the plantation era to the resilient spirit of emancipation, each house tells a unique story of resilience, courage, and hope.
📜 Guided Tours: Led by a tour guide, this Black History Tour offers a glimpse into the lives of those who once lived on a plantation and segregated neighborhood after June 19, 1865. Learn about the daily lives of enslaved individuals, the struggles for freedom, and the years that followed Juneteenth in our nation's history.
🍰 Tea Cake Tastings: Indulge in a sweet treat as you savor the flavors of tradition with our tea cake tastings. Made from cherished family recipes passed down through generations, these delectable treats serve as a reminder of resilience and community in the face of adversity.
TICKETS
🗓️ Saturday, June 6, 2026, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM
🗓️ Saturday, June 13, 2026, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM
🗓️ Friday, June 19, 2026, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM (Juneteenth!)
🗓️Saturday, June 20, 2026, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM
🗓️Saturday, June 27, 2026, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM
For Group Tours, please contact tours@heritagesociety.org.
Visit Houston Signature Experience Tour “From Plantation to Emancipation”
🎭 A Visit Houston Signature Experience for the Soul
“From Plantation to Emancipation”
Travel back in time during this 90-minute experience. Stepping into The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park, you embark on a unique journey through history. Tour three (3) historic houses that tell Houston's stories from plantation to emancipation that are UNESCO Sites of Memory through the “Routes of Enslaved Peoples Project.” See and listen to a talented actress Kijana Wiseman who brings to life the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom through song and theatrics. Where else can you hear the stories drawn from a script penned by Martha Whiting-Goddard, a descendant of Reverend Jack Yates, who once lived in one of the houses you explore?
🗓️Saturday, June 6, 2026, 10 AM
🗓️Saturday, June 13, 2026, 10 AM
🗓️Friday, June 19, 2026, 10 AM and 1 PM (Juneteenth!)
🗓️Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10 AM
🗓️Saturday, June 27, 2026, 10 AM
Join us this Thursday at 6 PM for The American Revolution Experience Exhibit Grand Opening, featuring acclaimed author and speaker Michael Nolden Henderson.
Henderson’s ancestor fought under General Gálvez, and Gálvez himself personally signed the freedom papers for Henderson’s 4th-generation great-grandmother in 1779! This incredible discovery (featured on PBS!) led Henderson to become the first African American inducted into the Georgia Society Sons of the American Revolution.
Come explore the brand-new interactive exhibit of the American Revolution Experience, meet the Sons of the American Revolution Freedom Chapter, singalong with actress Kijana Wiseman.and hear a master storyteller, Henderson, bring local and national history to life. Tickets: https://www.heritagesociety.org/american-revolution...
Where: 1100 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002
Celebrate Juneteenth with Us: Uncovering Black Heritage Family Trees
This Juneteenth, take a meaningful step into your family’s past. The Heritage Society is proud to host the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society (AAHGS) – Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter for a special interactive celebration dedicated to preserving African-ancestored family history, genealogy, and cultural legacy.
Whether you are just beginning to trace your roots or are looking for expert strategies to break through historical "brick walls," this event offers the perfect opportunity to learn how to build and preserve your family tree.
Event Details
Date: June 19th (Juneteenth)
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: 1100 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002
About Our Partner: AAHGS Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter
As the only official AAHGS chapter in the state of Texas, the Willie Lee Gay H-Town Chapter is a premier 501(c)(3) non-profit organization leading the study and preservation of African American genealogy. Named in honor of legendary Houston educator and historian Willie Lee Gay, the chapter specializes in empowering the community by teaching robust historical research techniques.
The H-Towners are renowned for their community-driven preservation efforts, including:
The Freedmen’s Bureau Indexing Project: Making vital post-Civil War records accessible to family researchers.
The Olivewood Cemetery Project: Supporting the preservation and documentation of Houston's oldest historic Black burial ground.
The Funeral Program Project: Digitizing and indexing local African American funeral programs to capture crucial generational data like birthplaces, parent names, and forgotten relatives.
What to Expect
Expert Guidance: Interact with knowledgeable genealogy researchers who understand the unique challenges and pathways of African-ancestored research.
Resource Discovery: Learn about localized tools, archival repositories, and digital resources available right here in Houston.
Community Connection: Network with fellow history enthusiasts and share stories of resilience, discovery, and heritage.
Admission is free and open to the public. Bring your curiosity, your family stories, and your questions!
Want to dive deeper? Visit the official chapter website at www.htownaahgs.org to explore membership benefits, monthly workshops, and ongoing preservation projects.
PAST EVENTS
Speaker Event: Sam Collins of the Juneteenth Legacy Project on May 16, 2025
"Our Juneteenth Journey: How a Texas holiday became a nationwide celebration”
This year's Juneteenth Celebration kicks off at 6:00 p.m., on Friday, May 16, with subject matter expert Sam Collins. Teaming with Sue Johnson of the Nia Cultural Center in Galveston, he and others have established the Juneteenth Legacy Project. Tickets include a wine and cheese reception with a pop-up exhibit by Houston Suffragists Project.
Samuel Collins was born in Galveston, Texas in 1971. He grew up in Hitchcock with his mother and grandparents and spent time in Galveston with his father's family. He grew up in a predominantly African American community but attended the integrated schools. He attended Texas A&M University. After he graduated, he moved to Corpus Christi in 1995 but quickly returned to Houston in 1996. In 2012 he decided to become his own boss and opened his own business. In 2005, Collins and his wife purchased the Stringfellow Orchards after he saw a historical marker on the road. Since then, he has endeavored to restore the property and highlight the histories of African Americans who worked in the orchards following the Civil War. Collins has also been involved in Juneteenth Celebrations in both Galveston and Hitchcock, and other historic preservation efforts in Galveston County. In his interview, he details the need for historical preservation in the African American community.
This program event is sponsored in part by The Summerlee Foundation.
Our Juneteenth Initiatives
The Heritage Society offers Black History tours and offers Juneteenth activities. In 2021, our leadership team made additional efforts to educate Houston about life before emancipation, freedom after June 19, 1865, and the ongoing pursuit of equal rights. Below are our Juneteenth initiatives for showcasing Houston’s history better than ever.
To unveil the success stories of African American suffragists in Houston during 1920 through our suffrage exhibit
To highlight the journey of emancipation and other civil rights history through our exhibits
To inform tourists and locals of the African American experience in Houston in our historical home tours being conducted during Juneteenth
To educate our board and leaders on original Juneteenth history in Galveston, TX on June 11, 2021
To collaborate with and showcase key organizations in the Fourth Ward, Freedmen's Town who are our neighbors. We now share the same City zone with Fourth Ward
To express Houston's history of the road to achieving equality through art, murals, poetry, and photography
To celebrate our new federal holiday with family Juneteenth traditions such as serving red punch and tea cakes
To serve on the Mayor’s Citywide Juneteenth committee 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
2025 JUNETEENTH PRESS COVERAGE
June 20, 2025 - Houston Chronicle FRONT PAGE - Juneteenth Historic Houses
June 19, 2025 - CW39 - Best Places to Celebrate Juneteenth Historic Houses Tours
June 16, 2025 - Mix 96.5 - Best Places to Celebrate Juneteenth Historic House Tours
June 16, 2025 - KHOU - Where to Celebrate Juneteenth Historic House Tours
June 14, 2025 - Houston First - Rolling Out Magazine (Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta) - Juneteenth Tours
June 14, 2025 - Houston Chronicle - Pride Month Speaker Bryanna Jenkins
June 13, 2025 - CW39 Maggie Flecknoe H Town Live with Mister McKinney - Juneteenth Tours
June 12, 2025 - Buzz Magazines - Juneteenth Tours
June 12, 2025 - Great Day Houston - Jack Yates House
June 12, 2025 - Houston Chronicle - Juneteenth Tours
June 12, 2025 - Houston Public Media - Juneteenth Tours
June 11, 2025 - Houston Chronicle - Juneteenth Tours
June 11, 2025 - Click 2 Houston - Juneteenth Tours
June 5, 2025 - CW39 Maggie Flecknoe - Jack Yates and Juneteenth Tours (teaser)
June 8, 2025 - Houston Chronicle - Juneteenth Tours
June 6, 2025 - U.S. News & World Report - Juneteenth Tours
June 5, 2025 - KPRC Houston Life Telly Award (Bronze) for Juneteenth 2024 show filmed at THS
June 5, 2025 Defender Network -Juneteenth Tours
June 3, 2025 -Spectrum News - Juneteenth Tours and Yates House
June 1, 2025 - Swoon Magazine - Juneteenth Tours
May 26, 2025 - Houston Public Media - Houston Matters - Historic House Tours
May 25, 2025 - The Katy News - Juneteenth Tours
May 22, 2025 - JuneteenthHouston.org KickOff City of Houston Mayoral Press Conference- Multiple TV stations
May 12, 2025 - Houston Chronicle - Sam Collins and Juneteenth Kickoff
May 12, 2025 - MSN - Sam Collins and Juneteenth Kickoff
May 12, 2025 - The Leader News - Sam Collins and Juneteenth Kickoff
May 5, 2025 - CultureMap - Sam Collins and Juneteenth Kickoff
April 29, 2025 - JuneteenthHouston.org KickOff Community Press Conference
Federal Holiday Media & Press Coverage
Burst Content Network - June 18, 2021 - National - Interview with Martha Whiting-Goddard and Rae Bryant
KHOU News Story - June 18, 2021 - Local - Senator John Cornyn Selects Jack Yates House
KHOU News Story YouTube - June 18, 2021 - Local- Senator John Cornyn Shares More about Juneteenth Federal Passage
Senator John Cornyn Twitter - June 18, 2021 - Local - Senator John Cornyn Does Tour with Martha Whiting-Goddard
ABC 13 News Story - June 18, 2021 - Local - Senator John Cornyn interviewed at 1870 Yates House
ABC 13 News Special by Melanie Lawson - Local - The Life of Jack Yates, Father of Black Houston (This is an excellent special! THS mention with Yates House)
Yahoo - June 18, 2021 - National - THS Juneteenth Tours
The Buzz Magazines - June 17, 2021 - Local -THS Juneteenth Tours
Yahoo News - June 16, 2021 - National - THS Juneteenth Tours
Houston Chronicle - June 16, 2021 - Local - THS Juneteenth Tours
Lonely Planet - June 15, 2021 - National - THS Juneteenth Tours
KPRC - June 1, 2021 - Local - THS Juneteenth Tours
Swoon Magazine - June 1, 2021 - Local - African American Power Couples in the Early 1900s
TOUR OF THE YATES HOUSE - GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF JACK YATES AND THS BOARD MEMBER Martha Whiting-Goddard, Senator John Cornyn, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF JACK YATES Jacqueline bostic. Also in picture: THS member, houston historian, & photograPher Priscilla T. Graham AND THS Executive Director aliSon Ayres bell. (PHOTO CREDIT: THS STAFF, JUNE 18, 2021.)
Private Tour for Senator John Cornyn
On Friday, June 18, Senator John Cornyn held media interviews with KHOU, KTRK, and KPRC at the Jack Yates House and received a tour from Yates’ great granddaughters. Board member Martha Whiting Goddard and her sister Jacqueline Bostic showed Senator Cornyn the home where they lived once. Senator Cornyn had been a co-sponsor of the bill honoring Juneteenth since 2011 and selected the Yates House as a historic location to share more information about his support for America's new federal holiday.
THS member and Houston historian Priscilla T. Graham, who is a subject matter expert on Freedmen's Town, was also present to photograph this Fourth Ward historic opportunity and was on standby in case the media or Senator Cornyn had any history questions on June 18, 2021.
See Graham’s vivid photos of the event HERE. See Graham's website HERE.
(In Photo: Senator John Cornyn, Alison Ayres Bell, Priscilla T. Graham. Photo Credit, Sen. Cornyn’s Staff, June 18, 2021)
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