Welcome ...
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Juneteenth 2023 - A National Holiday
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The Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration
presented by
the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation
in partnership with
the city of Missouri City
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Hotel Reservation for Juneteenth Celebration
Book your hotel stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot Missouri City and receive the Juneteenth Celebration rate, and you will be entered for a chance to win a $250 gift card.
Event Summary: Juneteenth Celebration
Start Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023
End Date: Sunday, June 18, 2023
Last Day to Book: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:
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Fairfield Inn & Suites Houston Missouri City for 109 USD - 129 USD per night
Don Smith
In Memory of
Compassionate, devoted, and generous civil servant for Missouri City
Founder of the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation
ABOUT US
The Mission
During the fall of 2002, Missouri City Councilman, Don Smith, organized residents, business people, and civic leaders within the City of Missouri City, Texas. As a result of their collaboration, a family-driven, five-day celebration of purpose and substance was born--thus the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation.
Until 2022, Don Smith, now deceased, carried out his goals of bringing positive attention to citizens of Missouri City, awarding scholarships to deserving students, and celebrating June 19,1865, the day signified freedom for enslaved people in Texas--Juneteenth.​
Juneteenth Retrospective
Juneteenth is the oldest known commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and the Emancipation Proclamation.
On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston lead the effort to get the bill passed.
The Celebration
The Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration offers five days of family-oriented, fun-filled events and activities which include:
a Kick-off Reception, a Golf Tournament, a Community Service Awards Gala, the "One Mile of Smiles" parade, a Workforce Symposium and Job Fair, a Family Night Out, and a Concert in the Park; a music festival featuring Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Country, Zydeco and renowned musical performers.
The MCJCF utilizes many venues within Missouri City, but we place the spotlight on one in particular, the “FREEDOM TREE,” located in Freedom Tree Park, which serves as a reminder of the tumultuous journey Africans faced upon their arrival to an inhospitable land. Yet, in spite of the prevailing conditions, they managed to accomplish much.
OUR VISION
The vision of the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (MCJCF) is to enhance the well-being of residents residing in the communities of Fort Bend County, particularly, citizens of Missouri City, Texas.
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We endeavor to accomplish these goals by:
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creating culturally relevant community events and activities which positively portray the modern African American lifestyle
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developing programs designed to identify, nurture, and showcase talented, deserving students and young adults within the community
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bringing together individuals from all social demographics to share and understand the benefits of good family living
… all presented in a festive atmosphere, laced in wholesome family values!
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PAST HONOREES AND SPEAKERS
