African American History on Galveston Island
The Birthplace of Juneteenth, Galveston Island holds a special place in the United States and African American history.
The richness of this island's history goes well beyond celebrating Emancipation. From being home to the first African American high school and public library in Texas to being the hometown of World Heavyweight Champ Jack Johnson, Galveston has long fought to preserve the knowledge of African American accomplishments and heritage on the island, holding dear the many historic sites and monuments that live on to tell the story.
Tours and Attractions
Galveston’s rich history can be explored year-round through self-guided tours, immersive experiences, and rotating exhibits that bring the island’s stories to life.
A lot of people aren’t aware that Galveston was where Juneteenth, a monumental event in U. S. history occurred. This day has come to be known as Juneteenth, Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. Take this self-guided Freedom Walk to learn about 5 historic sites and their importance to Juneteenth.
Location: 2217 The Strand
Home to the Juneteenth Legacy Project and the iconic “Absolute Equality” mural, the center serves as a vibrant hub for African American history, culture, art, and community engagement. Through exhibits, educational programs, and public events, it preserves and shares the stories that have shaped Galveston’s African American heritage.
Location: 3427 Sealy St
The African American Museum in Galveston, Texas, serves as a beacon of cultural heritage, education, and remembrance within the vibrant tapestry of this coastal city. Nestled within the heart of Galveston's historic district, the museum stands as a testament to the enduring contributions, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans in the region and beyond.
Historic Sites & Monuments
Across Galveston Island, historic landmarks, monuments, and cultural sites offer a year-round opportunity to explore the people, places, and events that shaped its history.
Location: 2328 Broadway
Every year, Galveston commemorates Juneteenth at Ashton Villa, home to the city’s official Juneteenth statue and marker honoring June 19, 1865—the day freedom was announced to enslaved Texans. On that historic day, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and ordered the reading of General Order No. 3 at key locations across the island, including the Osterman Building, the Customs House, and Reedy Chapel AME Church. The order declared the freedom of enslaved people in Texas, sparking celebrations that became the foundation of the Juneteenth holiday observed today.
Location: 22nd St and The Strand
Juneteenth, commemorated annually on June 19, is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, marking the day in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the freedom of enslaved people in Texas through General Order No. 3. Although the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, many enslaved Texans did not learn of their freedom until the end of the Civil War and the arrival of Union troops more than two years later. First observed as "Emancipation Day" in Galveston in 1866, Juneteenth grew into a statewide tradition, officially a state holiday in 1979, and eventually a national holiday that honors freedom, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.
Location: 2013 Broadway
This church was the last site along General Gordon Granger’s march through Galveston on June 19, 1865 to read General Order No. 3 and declare all slaves in Texas as free. It was also the site of early Juneteenth celebrations in which freed slaves marched from the county courthouse to the church, an annual tradition that is carried out to this day as part of the island’s Juneteenth celebrations.
Location: 2601 Avenue M
A statue and historical marker in Galveston honor John Arthur “Jack” Johnson, who was born on the island in 1878 and became the first Black World Heavyweight Champion, holding the title from 1908 to 1915. Johnson began boxing in Galveston before rising to international fame, becoming known for his skill, confidence, and refusal to conform to the racial expectations of his time. After a controversial 1913 conviction related to his relationship with a white woman, Johnson received a posthumous presidential pardon in 2018, decades after his death in 1946.
Location: 28th/29th streets and Seawall Boulevard
The African American Beachfront and World War I Monument on Galveston’s Seawall commemorate two important chapters of the island’s history. During segregation, the African American Beachfront served as a vital gathering place where Black residents and visitors could enjoy recreation, community, and cultural expression despite the barriers of racial discrimination. Nearby, the World War I Monument honors Galvestonians who served in the Great War, together reminding visitors of the resilience, sacrifice, and diverse stories that have shaped the island.
Location: Menard Park (2222 28th St, Galveston, TX 77550)
This Seawall Viewer is a gift to the City of Galveston from Marsha Wilson Rappaport, honoring her maternal family who settled in Galveston over 160 years ago, and Tom Schwenk of Coldwell Banker TGRE. Their generosity ensures that the story of Albertine Hall Yeager and her profound impact on the community will be remembered for generations to come.
Location: 2200 Harborside Dr
This marker commemorates enslaved Africans in Galveston during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as the millions of captive Africans who perished during the transatlantic slave trade known as the Middle Passage. Galveston was one of the 48 known ports of entry in the U.S. for enslaved Africans who survived the transatlantic crossing. The marker is housed by the Galveston Historical Foundation and will be installed at the Galveston Historic Seaport at Pier 21.
Location: 2627 Ave M
Texas’ first African American high school opened in 1885, thanks in part to the leadership of Norris Wright Cuney, and later moved into a Nicolas Clayton-designed building completed in 1893 between 26th and 27th streets on Avenue M. In 1905, an annex housing Texas’ first public library for African Americans opened through a partnership between the Rosenberg Library Association, the City of Galveston, and the Galveston School Board, and was later incorporated into a new wing added to the school in 1924. Although the original Clayton-designed school no longer stands and Central High merged with Ball High during integration in 1968, the surviving annex remains today as the Old Central Cultural Center, preserving an important legacy of African American education and culture in Texas.
Location: 718 41st St
This park is a monument to the civic leader, politician, businessman and labor organizer whose mother was a slave. As a political leader on the island, Cuney was elected twice to the Board of Aldermen, representing Ward 12 on the east end of the island. He made it possible for African Americans to work as stevedores on the wharf. His political clout helped in the building of public schools for African American children. Many civic and social programs, including Juneteenth activities, are held at the park. A new building was erected in 2004.
Historic Churches
Home to several historically African American churches that were organized more than 100 years ago, these Galveston churches still serve the community today.
Location: 2612 Ave L
This was the first African American Baptist Church in Texas. It grew out of the Colored Baptist Church that formed in 1840 as the slave congregation of the First Missionary Baptist Church. The church moved to the Avenue L site in 1855.
Location: 3009 Ave M
This church was organized in 1870 as West Point Free Mission Baptist Church. The current building was erected in 1916 and completed in 1921 with donations from African American longshoremen. The Rev. John C. Calhoun, who served as pastor during this time, was instrumental in getting jobs for longshoremen on Galveston docks.
Location: 1027 Ave K
A delegation representing the American Baptist Free Mission Society of Boston, an interracial antislavery group, founded the First Union Free Mission Baptist Church in 1870. It was the first church in Texas that the society organized. The Rev. Benjamin J. Hall, who served as pastor from 1878 to 1914, earned praise for his efforts to rebuild the sanctuary after the 1900 Storm and for enhancing the church’s role as the mother church of the Texas State Convention. The present structure was erected in 1955.
Location: 3602 Sealy St
Mount Olive began in 1876 as an extension of Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church to meet a need for an African American church in the western area of Galveston. The original structure was destroyed in the 1900 Storm and rebuilt. The present sanctuary was completed in 1969.
Location: 3215 Broadway
The church was organized in 1883 on the corner of 30th at Avenue I as West Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. The Reverend Patrick served as pastor and held Sunday services from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. As church growth flourished, property at 32nd and Broadway was purchased and the present building was erected. The Reverend B. J. Hall was among the early pastors to provide leadership and help the church progress.
Location: 1223 32nd St
Organized in the 1890s, Trinity Mission Baptist Church (now Bible Way Baptist Church) was an extension of the Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church congregation. The church was dormant for a few years but reopened in 2002 as Bethel Baptist Church.
Location: 1425 Broadway
This congregation was organized in 1866 through a division of parishioners from the reorganized Reedy Chapel AME Church. The Saint Paul Methodist Episcopal Church congregation purchased property between 8th and 9th streets on Ball Street. In 1902, Saint Paul sold its property on Ball Street and purchased the land on 14th and Broadway, where the church is today. Wesley Tabernacle United Methodist Church emerged from the Saint Paul congregation.
Location: 902 28th St
The Rev. Peter Cavanaugh organized the church in 1869 as an independent congregation. Church members met in a one-room house between 38th and 39th streets on Broadway. As the church grew, it bought the present location and the house was moved to the site. After losing church buildings to fire and the 1900 storm, the church leaders built a one-story building. It was remodeled in 1924.
Location: 1310 Martin Luther King Blvd
In the 1860s, the Methodist Episcopal Bishop was notified that another African Methodist Church was needed in Galveston for people who lived west of 25th Street. In 1870, trustees for the congregation purchased the land at 1310 29th Street. Church buildings at the site had been destroyed by hurricanes in 1894 and 1900. The present structure was built in 1923 after the former building weakened. In 1971 it became the first African American church in Texas to get a state historical marker.
Location: 1410 41st St
This was the first African American Episcopal Church in Texas. Saint Augustine Episcopal Church was organized in 1884 to minister to black Anglicans from the British West Indies. It is the oldest historically African American parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The church was originally at 22nd Street and Broadway and moved to the present location in 1940.
Location: 1420 31st St
This was the first African American Catholic Church in Texas. Bishop Nicholas A. Gallager started the first African American Catholic school in Texas in 1886. However, the church was not organized until December of 1889 when Father Phillip Keller, a native of Germany, was appointed the first resident pastor of Holy Rosary Parish. The original site for the church and other parish buildings was 25th Street and Avenue L. In 1914, they were all moved to the present location on Avenue N between 30th and 31st streets. The school closed in 1979 after 81 years of service.
Sources: Galveston Historical Foundation’s African American Heritage Committee; Visit Galveston
