As Juneteeth is now a national holiday, the Plano African-American Museum is dwelling in the times by opening back up.
In 1909, the facility had first opened after being purchased by the Thorton family.
Now, in honor of Juneteeth, which commemorates the freedom of slaves and is now a federal holiday, the museum reopened its doors over the weekend.
June 19, 1865, was the day that the slaves in Texas found out that they were free. They hadn’t known that this was done by Abraham Lincoln through the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.
Those that visit the museum will learn about Africans’ enslavement and freedom here in Texas after arriving in America. They will also learn about information like the Douglass family and their contribution to Plano.
The museum aims to give a whole view of the history of America. It offers a historical timeline, connecting local and national history.
Overall, the museum provides a look into not only the viciousness of slavery but how it was defeated and how Africans vastly assisted in building this country during and after being enslaved.
