Juneteenth Tennis Tournament in Pasadena

Pasadena, Texas — Juneteenth  may be going strong in Galveston and Houston, but that doesn't mean Pasadena is going to sit the commemoration of June 19, 1865 — the day Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas and announced that the Civil War was over and that all slaves were free.

Although, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, the order had little impact on the daily lives of the estimated 250,000 slaves in Texas.

One reason why slavery was still being practiced in Texas two-and-a-half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation was the lack of Union troops to enforce the decree.

While Juneteenth is celebrated in over 40 states across the U.S. and is a Texas-wide holiday, the Houston area is — and most likely always will be — the holiday’s spiritual home. 

To commemorate the day the Emancipation Proclamation came to Texas, the Strawberry Tennis Center, 1202 Parkside Dr. Pasadena, TX 77502, will host the Al Edwards Juneteenth Tennis Classic from Friday June 24, 2016 to Sunday June 26, 2016. 

The tournament will be open to United States Tennis Association Texas members in the Adult, Senior and Super Senior categories. The registration deadline is 11:30 a.m. on Friday. 

For those who are in the mood for a more boisterous Juneteenth celebration, there are events in Houston, Sugarland-Missouri City and Clear Lake. Also, if we missed any Juneteenth celebrations drop us an e-mail or post in the comments below, just don’t be surprised if your Uncle’s block party doesn’t make the list. 

alex.wukman@patch.com