Austinites remember history, celebrate Black 'joy' on Juneteenth

Clad in heavy wool uniforms beneath the blazing sun, an honor guard of Buffalo Soldiers reenactors led the Juneteenth parade through Central East Austin on Thursday, kicking off one of many celebrations held across the city to commemorate the holiday. The soldiers, portraying the first Black U.S. Army regiments formed after the Civil War, marched with solemn pride, bringing history to life for onlookers lining Chicon Street.

"This is about remembering," said Selton Williams, president of the 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers of Austin. "If you forget your history, you’re doomed to make the same mistakes over." Williams emphasized the importance of honoring both the pain of the past and the joy of emancipation: "Juneteenth is about the proudness and the expression of joy."

The parade and subsequent festival at Rosewood Park were part of Central Texas Juneteenth, one of the region’s longest-running annual events sponsored by the Greater East Austin Youth Association. Like many Juneteenth observances across the city, it commemorated June 19, 1865 — the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to proclaim freedom for enslaved people, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Despite a soaring heat index that exceeded 100 degrees by early afternoon, the celebration drew large crowds. By mid-morning, as parade floats turned onto Chicon Street, the temperature hovered around 85 degrees — but it felt hotter.

People sought shade under trees, cooled off with wet cloths, or improvised fans to beat the heat. Still, they showed up in droves. Parents hoisted small children onto their shoulders to catch a glimpse of marching bands and colorful floats. Older kids darted past barricades to grab candy from the pavement.

The parade began at 10 a.m., followed by the day-long festival, which included live music, food vendors, games, and a fireworks show set for 9 p.m.

Among the crowd was Kirven Andrews, who brought his young children to take in the sights and reflect on the deeper meaning of the day.

"This is a day of freedom," Andrews said. "That’s what I love: to help everybody to understand that this was the day that we (were) all free."