Located on the fourth floor near the skywalk, the display outlines the history of Juneteenth when the emancipation proclamation freeing the slaves was officially read by Maj. Gen.l Gordon Granger of the Union Army on June 19, 1865. From the balcony of Ashton Villa in Galveston, Granger delivered General Order No. 3 which stated, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

“Juneteenth is a very special time for African-American families in Texas. We wanted to celebrate this major event in our history and share information about its impact then and now,” explained Brenda White, who coordinates diversity programs for the Texas A&M University Libraries.

The display features the Juneteenth 2006 poster designed by Houston artist Charles Criner. The original lithograph for the poster is on exhibit at Cushing Memorial Library & Archives along with Criner’s other works about rural African-American life.

For more information on the Juneteenth display, contact Brenda White at 458-4093.