Juneteenth jazz concert and poetry slam

By Alex Wukman

Texas City, TX — Galveston  may be holding Juneteenth down on the Gulf Coast, but that doesn't mean that Cleark Lake, Webster, League City and La Porte won't be getting down to commemorates June 19, 1865 — the day Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas and announced that the Civil War was over and that all slaves were free.
Although, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, the order had little impact on the daily lives of the estimated 250,000 slaves in Texas. 
One reason why slavery was still being practiced in Texas two-and-a-half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation was the lack of Union troops to enforce the decree. 
While Juneteenth is celebrated in over 40 states across the U.S. and is a Texas-wide holiday, the Houston area is — and most likely always will be — the holiday’s spiritual home.

The Nessler Center in Texas City, 2010 Fifth Ave. N., Texas City, TX 77590, will be holding a night of spoken word poetry and jazz on Friday June 17, 2016 at 7 p.m. The event will feature performances from the kRusADerS jazz-combo and slam poets from around the Houston-Galveston area.Tickets are $10 each for general admission and reserved tables of eight are available. 

Tickets are for sale at the Nessler Center's box office. For those who are in the mood for a more boisterous Juneteenth celebration, there are events in Houston, Pasadena and the Sugarland-Missouri City area. Also if we missed any Juneteenth celebrations drop us an e-mail, or post them in the comment below. Just don’t be surprised if your Uncle’s block party doesn’t make the list. 

alex.wukman@patch.com