Public Historians at Work

Stories from the Third Ward: Looking Out from Emancipation Park

Center for Public History @ University of Houston Season 1 Episode 9

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***WINNER OF THE JOSEPH A. PRATT HOUSTON HISTORY PRIZE (CENTER FOR PUBLIC HISTORY), 2022***

In this special episode, Caitlyn Jones - a UH graduate student in public history - tells the story of Emancipation Park in Houston's historic Third Ward. Founded in 1872 by formerly enslaved people to host Juneteenth celebrations, the park remains a pillar of the community, a symbol of the long tradition of Black resistance, and a testament to Black life in Houston.

This episode was researched, recorded, and produced by Caitlyn Jones for the Center for Public History at the University of Houston.

To learn more:
Blair, C.D. “De-Ro-Loc: Houston’s Forgotten Festival.” Houston History 16.2 (March 2019): 7-12. 

Blue, C.P. “Emancipation is a Park.” Houston History 9.3 (June 2012): 15-19. 

Gray, L. “Friends of Emancipation Park hope renovation revitalizes neighborhood.” Houston Chronicle, Nov. 1, 2013. 

McCullough, O.Y. “Yates, John Henry [Jack].” Handbook of Texas Online

Theis, D. “Behind the New Look of Houston’s Oldest Park, a Complex Racial History.” Texas Observer, June 2017.  

Oral Histories from the Houston History Project (Special Collections, UH Libraries):
Brown, Hazel Jewel. Feb. 22, 2013. https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/houhistory/item/1623/show/1622

Burney, Zinetta. July 14, 2006. https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/houhistory/item/173/show/172

King, Ester. Aug. 16, 2010. https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/houhistory/item/1415/show/1414

Yates Alumni. Oct. 8, 2015.  https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/houhistory/item/2491/show/2490

This podcast features the original recording "George Floyd" by Sweet Lou.

Music provided through the Free Music Archive:
"
Old River Boat" and "Area 42" by Lobo Loco
"
Pine Apple Rag" by Scott Joplin 
"Grief", "Delight",  and "The Boss" by Dee Yan-Key
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

"Wade in the Water" by Dee Yan-Key
"Sunday Picnic" by Lobo Loco
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

"Roll Jordan Roll"  by The Joy Drops
CC BY 4.0

"Afronauts" by Crowander
"Isolation" and "Letter to Summer" by Audiobinger
"Urban Haze" by Scott Holmes Music
CC BY-NC 4.0 

The Center for Public History at the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/class/cph