They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park
Guides by Deb – Keeping your books in the hearts of young readers and in the hands of those who care for them.
They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park
Written by Tonya Duncan Ellis
Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed
Published by Balzer + Bray
ISBN-13: 978-0063286054
Synopsis: A moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas—and the origins of Juneteenth.
When people visit me, they are free—to run, play, gather, and rejoice.
They built me to remember.
On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.
In the voice and memory of the park itself—its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people—the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America—and the promise of a people to remember..
