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JUNETEENTH HEROES
On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to address a public gathering of Galveston citizens. One of his first orders of business was the reading of an announcement that would catch them up with the rest of the country. "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer." Gordon's announcement was made over two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had become official. But news traveled slowly in those days -- especially the kind of news that some folks wished to ignore. There were few federal troops in Texas to enforce a law the plantation owners were hoping and praying would eventually just go away. Today, June 19th is popularly known as Juneteenth, and what began as a mostly Texan holiday to celebrate the day when America finally did become "the land of the free, home of the brave," has become a major holiday observed in hundreds of cities across America, and in other parts of the world as well. As Juneteenth approaches, the media generally profiles notable African-Americans, especially those whose accomplishments have been overlooked because their contributions didn't fit with the stereotypical version of events that used to pass as history. The largely Hollywood-invented notion of the West where the good guys all wore white hats and had white faces to match, has given way to the modern, informed view that as many as three out of five cowboys were black, and African-American cowboys were often among the most talented cowpunchers you could find. Bill Pickett, for example, who was born and raised just north of Austin, went on to international fame as the cowboy who invented the sport of bulldogging. Supposedly, while rounding up strays in the early 1900s, Pickett learned that a sure-fire way to pacify a wild steer was to bite it on the lip and throw it to the ground. Pickett later moved to Oklahoma, went to work for the legendary 101 Ranch, and became the star attraction of the 101 Ranch's traveling wild west show. Highlights of his amazing career include a starring role in a movie (sadly, no copies are known to exist) and a performance at Madison Square Garden, where he was assisted by a young hazer named Will Rogers. Another black ex-Texan, Bass Reeves, was an escaped slave who fled into present-day Oklahoma shortly after the Civil War. In those days, Oklahoma was still known as Indian Territory, and in addition to being the home of the Five Civilized Tribes, the state was a haven for outlaws, bootleggers, killers, and other misfits of all colors. Bass Reeves secured a job as a deputy U.S. Marshal, working for the infamous Fort Smith jurist Isaac Parker, best-known as "The Hanging Judge." Reeves became one of the territory's toughest lawmen, making more than 3,000 arrests during a career in law enforcement that lasted over 30 years. He even arrested his own son on a murder charge. One of my favorite 19th century black heroes is Reverend Jacob Fontaine. Fontaine came to Austin in 1841, accompanied by his master, the private secretary of President Mirabeau Lamar. Fontaine used to attend the same Baptist church attended by Sam Houston, where he rang the church bell every Sunday morning. After the white services were concluded, blacks were allowed to conduct their own services as long as a party of whites were available to keep an eye on things. When the Civil War ended, Fontaine was 57 years old. He began an amazing career as a minister, newspaper publisher, grocer, and tireless promoter of self-improvement in the black community. Besides establishing more than five new churches, Fontaine was an influential voice in the Republican party. In the early 1880s, when a statewide referendum was organized to determine the permanent site of the University of Texas, Fontaine was asked to drum up support for the university to be located in Austin. Fontaine toured the state tirelessly, meeting with black congregations and fellow clergymen in hopes of securing a large number of votes in this crucial -- and surprisingly hard-fought -- contest. Austin won the election, of course, and Fontaine should rightfully be remembered as one of the founding fathers of the University of Texas -- a college that neither he nor anyone sharing his skin color would be able to attend for more than half a century. Fontaine was originally buried in an unmarked grave near the eastern border of the UT campus. Now a state historical marker stands next to his final resting place -- the first black Texan so honored. (6/15/98) |
| General Juneteenth info, many links 
Order Juneteenth Texas: Essays in African-American Folklore Order Guts : Legendary Black Rodeo Cowboy Bill Pickett, by Cecil Johnson
U.S. Marshals publication article on Bass Reeves Author Art Burton talks about Bass Reeves Bass Reeves, a hero of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Article in January 8, 1911 issue of the Daily Oklahoman on deputy US Marshals, including Bass Reeves Legends of Texas: Bill Pickett
Read previous installments of Texana Ranger
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