About Juneteenth's Home
Juneteenth’s Home is a national initiative that honors Galveston as the birthplace of Juneteenth and builds a home for its history, stories, and future. The effort is facilitated by Galveston Historical Foundation’s African American Heritage Committee (AAHC) in collaboration with city leaders and state officials.
Rooted in the voices and leadership of the Galveston community, this initiative brings residents, cultural organizations, historians, and partners together to imagine what a permanent home for Juneteenth could be – from programs and public spaces to the exploration of a landmark institution or cultural anchor.
This next phase is guided by a nationally recognized master‑planning team whose approach is grounded in community-driven cultural development. The vision they help shape will be informed by broad community participation. Everyone is invited to take part: by sharing stories, attending listening sessions, joining working groups, or contributing ideas that will shape the plan.
State recognized as the "Official Juneteenth Capital of Texas," Galveston holds a singular place in the nation’s emancipation story. With formal support from both the City of Galveston and Juneteenth USA, the Juneteenth’s Home initiative is moving forward to establish a national Juneteenth center and the state’s official home for Juneteenth history.
Community Engagement & Master Planning
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In August 2026, Juneteenth’s Home initiated the formation of a community Planning Committee of local and regional partners. The committee is currently being assembled and may expand as the planning process progresses. Beginning in Fall 2026, SmithGroup will lead a year‑long, seven‑phase master planning process grounded in descendant and community engagement, culminating in a Future State & Recommendations Report and a Final Master Plan.
Committee Review & Selection
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In Spring 2026, the committee interviewed two finalist teams and selected SmithGroup – in partnership with Sources CRM and The Projects Group – to lead the Juneteenth's Home master‑planning process. Juneteenth's Home was awarded a grant from the Texas Historical Commission to fund the master-planning phase.
Search for a Master‑Planning Partner
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By Winter 2026, fifteen proposals were submitted and reviewed independently by a five‑member community Planning Committee. The committee shortlisted five firms and issued a full RFP, advancing those best aligned with the project’s cultural, historical, and community‑centered goals.
Project Initiation
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In Fall 2025, the AAHC came together with community organizers and civic leaders to help explore establishing a major Juneteenth site or home in Galveston. The AAHC raised seed funding with the support of philanthropic foundations, announced the Juneteenth’s Home initiative, and issued a RFQ through national museum and cultural‑heritage networks to identify a qualified master‑planning partner.
Project Timeline
About GHF's African American Heritage Committee
For more than two decades, Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee (AAHC) has been a driving force in preserving, documenting, and elevating Galveston’s African American history, especially the story of Juneteenth.
Founded in 2002 at Ashton Villa, the AAHC has protected historic sites like Rosewood Cemetery; developed Galveston’s Juneteenth exhibit And Still We Rise…; and secured multiple Texas Historical Commission markers honoring Juneteenth, the Middle Passage, and local pioneers. Publications by the AAHC and its members – Galveston’s African American Historic Places & Pioneers (2005), African Americans of Galveston (2013), Lost Restaurants of Galveston’s African American Community (2021), and Galveston’s Juneteenth Story (2024) – form a growing archive of the island’s Black history and cultural memory. As facilitator of the Juneteenth’s Home initiative, the AAHC brings this long-standing record of stewardship, research, and community leadership to the ongoing work of honoring Galveston’s Juneteenth story.