Turner pays tribute to Edwards, father of Juneteenth, for ‘job well done’

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner remembered the late Al Edwards, the man considered the father of Juneteenth in Texas, his former legislative colleague and friend, as it became a national holiday.

Edwards succeeded in 1979 in getting Texas to recognize the importance of the day in 1865 when Gen. Granger arrived in Galveston to read the Emancipation Proclamation with the passage of a bill making June 19 a state holiday in Texas.

“As we prepare to celebrate #Juneteenth2021 as a national holiday, I want to pay special tribute to my good friend and former colleague the Honorable Al Edwards, the Father of Juneteenth in the State of Texas. Al look at your legacy. RIP my brother! Job well done,” Turner said on Twitter.

The passage of legislation by the U.S. House and Senate that the president of the United States signed into law is a testament to Edward’s legacy, Turner said.

“I commend President Biden for signing a bill to recognize June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. From this day forward, the federal holiday will remind the nation of the historical struggles black Americans faced and the incredible progress made in the United States,” Turner said, the Office of the Mayor reported.

Turner said the Juneteenth parade he hosted in Acres Home as a unifying event to celebrate freedom had a special meaning this year. But he said the work isn’t done.

“Although today’s announcement takes us one step closer to equality, we know that our work is not finished. Unfortunately, we see examples of racial injustice and inequity on a near-daily basis, and we must call it out and hold those in power accountable,” he said.

Edwards was a former state Representative who championed Juneteenth. A statue of him was erected at Galveston's Ashton Villa, where the Emancipation Proclamation was announced two years after its implementation, Legacy reported.

Juneteenth traces its roots to the arrival of Union Gen. Gordon Granger and a group of federal forces in Galveston. Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation aloud, essentially declaring Texas' enslaved population free, NPR reported.

Biden signed the legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday into law on June 17, the AP reported.

The bill was authored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston).