National Juneteenth Museum is more than a ‘vision on paper. ’ Here’s the latest news.
The National Juneteenth Museum now has a head strategist, as demolition has started on the construction site and significant funding has been secured, museum board members said during an event Saturday.
The 50,000-square-foot building, with a groundbreaking expected later this year, will be in the Historic Southside neighborhood and is intended to be the epicenter for education, preservation and celebration around the holiday.
During Saturday’s event, held at the Fort Worth Central Library, activist Opal Lee said she’s eager for the museum to bring its galleries, theater, food hall, courtyard, business resources and more to the city’s Historic Southside, which is her home and a historically Black community.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “Because it’s going to actually revitalize the neighborhood.”
The site for the museum is on the 900 block of East Rosedale Street. The museum is expected to open in June 2025.
The museum will host exhibits, discussions and events about the significance of the African-American path to freedom and is an extension of the legacy of Lee, who is described as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Lee, a Texan who has spent most of her life in Fort Worth and has been a community activist for decades, petitioned to make Juneteenth a national holiday through a 1,400-mile walk to Washington. Her journey drew support from millions, and the holiday was signed into law in 2021 by President Joe Biden, with Lee by his side.
Juneteenth celebrates the “breaking of the chains” on June 19, 1865, when General Order No. 3 proclaimed the freedom of slaves in Texas, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Last year, Lee was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by 33 U.S. Congress members.
Dione Sims, executive director of Unity Unlimited and Lee’s granddaughter, said the museum has raised $15 million from the City of Fort Worth and $2 million from Tarrant County. Last year, the museum received a grant from the North Texas Community Foundation, which led to the hiring of executive strategist Lauren Cross.
Cross is set to consult and develop the museum’s curatorial plan, which will lay the foundation for the museum’s programming and organization.
Cross said organizers have begun a national call for Juneteenth artifacts.
“The significance of the Juneteenth museum is really important and relevant for people of the African diaspora and beyond,” she said. “... I’m excited about presenting that story [to] the world.”
Sims said museum representatives hope to educate people with accurate information about Juneteenth. After years of planning, demolition has started at the construction site, Sims said.
“No longer is it just a vision on paper, beautiful vision though it may be,” she said. “It is getting started.”
The National Juneteenth Museum’s website is live at nationaljuneteenthmuseum.org for more information and to make a charitable donation.
