This year marks the 36th anniversary of Levelland’s Juneteenth Celebration, held each year at L.G. Griffin Park.
Juneteenth National Independence Day is held on June 19th every year to commemorate the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas on June 19, 1865, at the close of the Civil War.
The holiday holds an incredible amount of local significance for the Black Community of Levelland.
The Levelland Juneteenth Celebration, and more specifically, the park at which it is held, and the man for whom the park is named, represent some of the rich history of the north side of Levelland.
The north side of Levelland, where L.G. Griffin Park is located, was often referred to as “The Flats”, and was where the Black Community lived during the Segregation Era. There, Carver School was opened as the community's first all-Black school in 1947.
The first principal for the school, and the first Black educator in Levelland, was Louis G. Griffin, who came to the community specifically to work at Carver.
L.G. Griffin was born on Dec. 2, 1917, in Roanoke, Texas. He received his master’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University and came to Levelland at the age of 30 to become principal of Carver.
After integration, Griffin continued as principal of Carver until becoming a school administrator for Levelland I.S.D. He finally retired in 1982 but continued contributing to serve the Levelland Community as a member of the Levelland School Board, as well as other civic boards.
In 1989, he suggested the idea of a Juneteenth Celebration to Glenda Jones, who was and continues to be the Juneteenth Celebration Committee President.
“He came to us and talked about other cities having Juneteenth celebrations and parades,” said Jones. “He said he would like to see the same thing for Levelland. From there, the idea took off, and we had no idea that it was going to continue this long, but it has.” The first celebration was held on June 19, 1989, at Northside Park with more than 150 in attendance. The event featured a meal, speeches by community members Butch Wade, Glenda Jones, and Willie Lee Majors, as well as musical performances.
Two years later, on June 18, 1991, Northside Park was dedicated and renamed L.G. Griffin Park in honor of Mr. Griffin.
Mr. Griffin passed away almost 27 years ago on Aug. 3, 1999. His impact on the community continues, and those he influenced do their best to pass down stories of his strong character and important legacy.
Reports from those who knew him said he was hard-working, dedicated, caring, and, more than anything, knew about the importance of education and equality.
In a prior interview with his daughter, Jacqueline Griffin, she states that her father’s students “learned how he felt about the importance of education”. “He believed that the way Blacks were going to succeed was through education and building strong communities.”
“He always said that our own communities must do for ourselves. Whites were unlikely to hand out anything to us. He believed that the way Black communities moved out of poverty and oppression was to bind to… all ourselves up. The first step up was through education and educating our children.”
Ruby Brackens recalls that Griffin was humble and always put his students first.
“He had the good sense to swallow his pride to go receive used textbooks from the L.I.S.D Central Office downtown when the allwhite campuses had received new editions,” Brackens recalls. “He endured that humiliation due to knowing the books were needed at his ‘sub-standard’ school to help his students. He knew and had confidence in his teachers to use those, oftentimes filled with racist language, books for the betterment of their students, and they did.”
Griffin played an incredibly important role in shaping the Black community of Levelland. His daughter recalls he took care of a community garden at one point, to provide food for the community. His willingness to continue working for school boards and city entities after retirement further demonstrates his dedication to making the community a better place.
The Levelland Juneteenth celebration has changed over the years since Griffen’s passing, but it still serves to remind the community of its history and to celebrate equality and a brighter future.
The celebration is evergrowing in its number of attendees. Glenda Jones says that the event usually brings about 200 or more people together, with families coming from as far as Dallas to take part in the celebration.
The celebration is currently a two-day event, featuring games, food, a scholarship presentation and prizes.
This year’s celebration will be held Thursday, June 18, through Saturday, June 20. The first day will include a movie night and on the second day, an agenda of kids’ games, touch-a-truck, bingo and dominoes, and a ‘Friday hangout night.’ The third and final date will include a car show, basketball tournament, lottery and cookout.
The event will also feature recognitions of city leaders, scholarship winners, Levelland High School graduates and recently deceased members of the community through necrology.
To learn more about the celebration, visit the Levelland Juneteenth Facebook page. To donate, the Juneteenth Committee has an account under the name of Levelland Juneteenth Committee at Prosperity Bank.
“We welcome everyone to this event. It's not just for a certain group of people,” said Glenda Jones in a previous interview. “I know it’s called the Levelland Juneteenth Celebration, but it’s an event that takes place here in the community, and anyone is welcome to come and attend.”
When asked what Juneteenth meant to the community of Levelland, Mayor Breann Buxkemper stated that “Juneteenth is important to Levelland, and America, as it reminds us that freedom is not just a moment in history; it is a promise that calls us to learn, grow and move forward together. Juneteenth celebrates freedom, hope, and progress, and every generation has a role in ensuring freedom stands the test of time.”