Ride Commemorates Juneteenth
For the second year, a group of bicyclists including Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis rode from Galveston to Houston to celebrate Juneteenth on Texas’ Emancipation Trail–one of only two National Historic Trails in the US that celebrate Black history. Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee joined the group for the Houston portions of the route; it was Congresswoman Jackson Lee who sponsored the bill in 2020 to name the Emancipation Trail.
Images in this post are courtesy of Doogie Roux. See more of his work on his Instagram page here.
BikeTexas is honored to co-produce this ride along with Harris County Precinct 1 and BikeHouston.
The ride began at the Reedy African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was Texas’ first AME church, in Galveston. From there, the group headed to Pier 21, where on June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger disembarked at the Port of Galveston and read President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Riders then headed across the Galveston Bay Causeway and on to LaMarque.
In LaMarque, riders stopped at the Frank Sr and Flavilla Bell Home in the 1867 Settlement Historic District.
The ride then followed the Emancipation Trail on through Dickinson and into League City, where the group visited the Butler Longhorn Museum.
Finally, riders rolled into into Houston, where the ride finished at Emancipation Park.
BikeTexas hopes that not only will the Juneteenth Emancipation Trail Bike Ride become a tradition, but also that thousands of others will also get the chance to explore the scenery and rich history in this part of Texas along the Emancipation Trail. In fact, the day before our ride (on Juneteenth itself), the Major Taylor Bike Club rode the opposite direction, from Houston to Galveston, along the Emancipation Trail.
And this is only the beginning–Texas has the opportunity to grow our network of bicycle routes and trails across the state, to serve residents and visitors alike, encourage tourism, and bring more visibility to historic places like the Emancipation Trail.
