Ward 5 News with Council Member Pearll Warren: Week of June 19

Happy Juneteenth Ward 5!

Today, we pause to honor Juneteenth, the day that marks June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, resilience, faith, and the enduring strength of a people who refused to let oppression define their future.

As we celebrate today, I encourage each of you to be intentional. Intentionally rest. Intentionally celebrate. Intentionally love. Intentionally connect with family, friends, and community. Most importantly, take time to give thanks to the ancestors whose sacrifices, courage, and perseverance made it possible for us to stand where we are today.

We stand on their shoulders. We carry forward the mission of our bloodline, our culture, our heritage, and our community. Their dreams live through us, and their struggles remind us that progress is never given, it is earned, protected, and advanced by each generation.

While challenges remain, especially here on the Northside, I encourage you not to let temporary situations distort your vision for the future. We have come too far to lose sight of how much has been accomplished, and we have too much work left to do to become complacent. Both things can be true at the same time: we can celebrate how far we have come while remaining committed to how far we still need to go.

Today, let us honor our history, celebrate our freedom, embrace our community, and recommit ourselves to building a future worthy of those who came before us.

With love, honor, and gratitude,

Happy Juneteenth, everyone.