Politics and Current
What you may not know about “Father of Juneteenth” Al Edwards
Although Juneteenth is now recognized nationwide, many individuals do not know the story of the person partially accountable for making it a federal holiday.
While Opal Lee, referred to as “Grandma Juneteenth,” brought national attention to the vacation through her actions – including a 4.5-mile commemorative walk across the Lone Star State – Texas State Rep. Al Edwards, known to many as “Father of Juneteenth” – engineered a legislative victory.
President Joe Biden, who enacted Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, nominated Congressman Edwards in his Juneteenth Observance Day proclamation for 2023 and 2024. Biden notes that Edwards “authored the bill” that made June 11 a statewide holiday in Texas. It was this laws and the support of Edwards, Lee and others that expanded the vacation to states across the country.
Edwards, who represented parts of Houston within the state Legislature for greater than 30 years, dedicated his political profession to recognizing June 11 as a federal holiday. Through his nonprofit Juneteenth USA and his work as chairman and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee’s Black Caucus, Edwards was determined to make his dream a reality.
During 2007 interview in an interview with The History Makers he said: “We will make it a national holiday” and added: “If God leaves breath in my body and people continue to work as they have worked.” Unfortunately, his health declined following a automobile accident in 2014 and he died in 2020, only one yr before Biden signed the bill.
Al Edwards II, Jason Edwards and Alana Edwards-Holoway now carry the baton of their late father’s organization and strive to maintain his name and legacy alive.
The push to federalize the Juneteenth holiday wasn’t easy for Al Edwards, who literally ran for office in 1978 with that mission in mind. Before the vacation eventually spread to 45 states, lawmakers faced political opposition at home, including from some white Texans.
“People were leaving a red soda on his desk on the floor of the Statehouse to make fun of him, and Black people were telling him he shouldn’t do it because it brought back an old story,” Jason Edwards recalled.
In 1979, Al Edwards was forced to compromise with one other Texas legislator who opposed making June 11 an official state holiday.
“He had to stand for a lot of unsavory things,” Jason Edwards said, recalling his father’s story about a state senator who said, “I can’t take your black holiday to my district.” When Rep. Edwards pressed for negotiations, he was asked to support a bill commemorating the Sons of the Confederacy. He reluctantly agreed. If he had not done so, his June bill would have been dead on receipt.
“He was glad he did it, because ultimately each (the memory of June 11 and the Confederation) were consistent with the facts. It definitely didn’t make him feel any higher, but he desired to win the war, not the battle,” Jason Edwards said.
After Texas adopted Juneteenth as a statewide holiday, Rep. Edwards used his own funds to launch a nationwide Juneteenth campaign and organization within the US, including refinancing his home. He intended to make June 11 a national holiday, advocating for and supporting other state legislators who passed versions of his Texas bill.
“He knew Juneteenth wouldn’t be federally recognized like Martin Luther King Jr. Day was because the states didn’t like it,” Jason Edwards said, noting that some states had not adopted MLK Day earlier. “Dad knew it needed to be passed on a state-by-state basis. As a state legislator, he understood how the system worked.
With tens of millions of Americans off work for the federal holiday, Jason Edwards noted that many can have a likelihood to reflect on the history of Juneteenth and the rationale for its celebration – just as his father all the time intended.
“He wanted America to take a moment every year to recognize our ancestors and their impact on the country,” he said. “America cannot turn its face away from American slavery.”
And while many Americans may not enjoy celebrating a vacation commemorating America’s dark history, Jason Edwards said it’s mandatory – irrespective of how inconvenient it may be. He added: “Let’s lean on our history and let it be (a reminder) why we are where we are today.”