Juneteenth

I heard on KAZI this morning that people wanting a good spot for today's Juneteenth parade began camping out on Tuesday. The Library is also celebrating Juneteenth at the Carver Libary today until 4 pm. If you miss the parade and Carver's activities, celebrate tomorrow with a Texas-style barbecue, featuring a smoky flavored grilled dish, some spicy beans, corn on the cob, and Blue Bell ice cream for desert. See the recipe for County Line’s pinto beans from a Library cookbook below.

Juneteenth was a Texas celebration for 115 years, becoming an official state holiday in 1980 as a result of legislation sponsored by state representative Al Edwards of Houston. Its popularity spread nationwide after a 1991 Smithsonian exhibit showcased the history of black Texans' Emancipation Day. Last May, Kansas became the 31st state to recognize Juneteeth as a state holiday oberservance. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date when the Union general, Gordon Granger, stepped ashore in Galveston to inform the last slaves in the Confederacy that they were finally free. Texas was the last state to learn that the South had surrendered two months earlier, more than two years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and months after the Civil War had ended. The National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council is pushing to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday.


Source: Texas Barbecue by Paris Permenter

County Line’s Beans

1 pound dry pinto beans
½ cup diced onions
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt
½ cup chopped bacon

Rinse beans thoroughly. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover beans with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce flame and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding water when needed. Cook until beans are tender.