In Texas, we remember the Alamo. Nine years into the Coastal Bend’s only Juneteenth festival, Simone Sanders and company are making sure we remember June 19, 1865, as well. Sanders, president of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education-Corpus Christi (TABPHE-CC), has been organizing the region’s only Juneteenth celebration since the legacy of Dr. Gloria Scott, Hannah Carter and the Juneteenth Coalition was officially passed down to TABPHE-CC in 2019. The holiday itself has deep Texas roots. Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston to deliver the news that enslaved people were free, making Texas the last state to receive the news.
Moving inside this year in preparation for rainy weather, the Corpus Christi Juneteenth Festival runs June 19-21, and the momentum speaks for itself. Last year’s expanded format drew over 20,000 attendees, with visitors traveling from as far as Ohio, Nevada and California. The anticipation for this year’s festival only grows as the mission and relationships of Sanders and TABPHE-CC are continuing to breathe new life into the Coastal Bend tradition.
The festival’s lineup reflects the relationships Sanders has spent nearly a decade building. Bun B headlines Saturday, and Sunday brings R&B artist Elle Varner to the stage – both inside the University Center on TAMU-CC campus. Each day carries its own musical identity, an intentional choice by Sanders to ensure there’s something for everyone. Wanting to share the breadth of Black culture, Sanders is deliberate in ensuring the festival’s lineup reflects the diaspora Juneteenth represents. “There’s something for everyone. Pick a time and when you want to come,” she said.
TABPHE-CC carries the weight of being the only Juneteenth celebration in the Coastal Bend, and doesn’t take that distinction lightly. Every year, the same question finds its way to Sanders: “Can I be here? Is it OK for me to be here even though I’m not Black?” She wants to underscore that the festival is open to anyone and everyone.
So, come curious and leave knowing something you didn’t before. The Coastal Bend Juneteenth celebration is an opportunity to embrace community, learn from one another, observe our history and enjoy the variety of entertainment and activities the festival has to offer.
The whole operation runs on volunteers. No executive director. No paid staff. Just people who believe the Coastal Bend deserves this with sore feet by Sunday as their medal of honor, and they return again the following year. “I feel like it’s something that’s important, personally, that we help [provide information] to the public,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ personal mission has become a community one. So grab your sunscreen, bring the family and come see what Sanders and TABPHE-CC have been building. “I want to show you why it’s not just a day off,” she said. “This is what Juneteenth really means.”
Contact: Purchase festival tickets online at tabphecc.org.
