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  • They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis book cover
  • They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis book cover
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They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park

by Tonya Duncan Ellis

Juneteenth remembered through a Houston park

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Juneteenth remembered through a Houston park

Emancipation Park serves as the point of view for this picture-book account of Juneteenth and a Houston community landmark. The book connects the day enslaved Texans learned of their freedom in 1865 with the park dedicated in its remembrance, then traces the park’s story across 150 years. Fields, pools, protests, cookouts, and the people who gather there help show how a public place can hold both history and community life. The focus is on remembrance and the experiences associated with the park, linking a national history to a specific place in Houston.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 exploring Juneteenth and African American history
  • Families and educators seeking a picture book about a historic community space
  • Young readers interested in how parks can serve as places for gathering and remembrance

Themes

JuneteenthEmancipation and remembranceCommunity historyPublic spaces and gatheringBlack American history

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Honor Winner!

Debut picture book author Tonya Duncan Ellis and acclaimed artist Jenin Mohammed bring us a vibrant, moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas--and the origins of Juneteenth.

When people visit me, they are free--to run, play, gather, and rejoice.

They built me to remember.

On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.

In the voice and memory of the park itself--its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people--the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America--and the promise of a people to remember.

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