Planning Committees
Juneteenth’s Home is guided by a collaborative vision rooted in the leadership and lived experience of Galveston’s local community. We are deeply grateful to the initial Juneteenth’s Home Selection Committee for their dedicated leadership in choosing the initiative’s master‑planning partner. With the project now entering a new stage, the Juneteenth's Home Planning Committee is being formed (with an expansion of the initial group) to reflect the broader community engagement ahead. Our goal is to bring together descendant families, elders, church leaders, neighborhood representatives, cultural practitioners, multidisciplinary scholars, emerging young leaders and other passionate voices to ensure the project reflects deep historical understanding, community priorities, and thoughtful, inclusive insight.
More details can be found on our page of Frequently Asked Questions. We look forward to announcing an update soon!
Master-Planning Selection Committee
Stephen Holmes
A respected leader in public service, Stephen spent 25 years in elected office as Galveston County Commissioner and is a former Assistant District Attorney. He also contributes his expertise to countywide criminal justice coordination, mental health governance, and health system advisory work.
Sharon Lewis
Sharon, a retired educator and current Galveston City Councilmember for District 1, serves as President of the Galveston Juneteenth Alliance and is a long‑standing community leader dedicated to advancing Juneteenth history, culture, and civic engagement across the island.
Alice Gatson
Vice President of GHF, Alice is a retired medical technologist and community historian whose decades of service include work with the African American Heritage Committee, advancing Juneteenth preservation, co‑authoring major publications, and supporting cultural institutions and events throughout Galveston.
David O'Neal
David O’Neal is a Galveston School Board trustee, AAHC member, and Old Central Cultural Center treasurer, celebrated as a PVIL Hall of Fame baseball inductee and trailblazing first Black player on the University of Houston baseball team.
Tommie Boudreaux
Tommie is the current chair of GHF’s African American Heritage Committee and a retired Galveston ISD administrator, who has co‑authored multiple Black history books about Galveston and helped develop the Juneteenth exhibit: And Still We Rise...