This year's Juneteenth Celebration kicks off at 6:00 p.m., on Friday, May 16, with subject matter expert Sam Collins. Teaming with Sue Johnson of the Nia Cultural Center in Galveston, he and others have established the Juneteenth Legacy Project. Tickets include a wine and cheese reception with a pop-up exhibit by Houston Suffragists Project.
Samuel Collins was born in Galveston, Texas in 1971. He grew up in Hitchcock with his mother and grandparents and spent time in Galveston with his father's family. He grew up in a predominantly African American community but attended the integrated schools. He attended Texas A&M University. After he graduated, he moved to Corpus Christi in 1995 but quickly returned to Houston in 1996. In 2012 he decided to become his own boss and opened his own business. In 2005, Collins and his wife purchased the Stringfellow Orchards after he saw a historical marker on the road. Since then, he has endeavored to restore the property and highlight the histories of African Americans who worked in the orchards following the Civil War. Collins has also been involved in Juneteeth Celebrations in both Galveston and Hitchcock, and other historic preservation efforts in Galveston County. In his interview, he details the need for historical preservation in the African American community.
