Houston, TX, December 20, 2024 – This December, The Heritage Society for a first-time will present a holiday version of their “From Plantation to Emancipation” tour. This 90-minute experience, led by a re-enactor, takes place at Sam Houston Park. Special Watch Night tours, also known as “Freedom’s Eve” tours, will be offered on Saturday, December 28, and Tuesday, December 31, at 10 a.m. at 1100 Bagby Street.
The tour allows guests to experience a significant moment in history dating back to December 31, 1862, when enslaved African Americans gathered in anticipation of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1, 1863. This event, known as Freedom’s Eve, marked a moment of jubilation and relief as freedom was declared.
Alison Bell, The Heritage Society’s executive director, explains, “Watch Night services continue today, with churches in Houston and across the United States opening their doors on December 31 for reflection, renewal, and communal prayer as the New Year approaches.”
“Our Black History Tours are special because they were created by our board member Martha Whiting-Goddard, the great-granddaughter of Reverend Jack Yates, who was responsible for moving the house to Sam Houston Park,” says Bell. “Three of the houses on our tour are designated as UNESCO ‘Slave Route’ Project structures, telling the stories from enslavement to a life of Freedom after Juneteenth occurred in Texas.”
The tour will feature performances by professional actress and singer Kijana Wiseman and orator Dr. Don Williams, bringing life to the historical events of Freedom’s Eve.
Tour and ticket information is available at https://www.heritagesociety.org/elevated-tour-experience-black-history.
More about The Heritage Society: The Heritage Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1954 whose mission is to tell the stories of the diverse history of Houston and Texas through collections, exhibits, the arts, educational programs, film, video, and other content. A number of public-spirited Houstonians formed in order to rescue the 1847 Kellum-Noble House from demolition. The Heritage Society has since saved an additional nine historic buildings, moved them from various locations to join the Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park, and restored them to reflect their respective eras. These 10 buildings, along with the museum gallery, serve as historic reference points and exhibition spaces for more than 23,000 artifacts that document life in Houston from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. To see a 2024 calendar of events, head here. For more information, please contact info@heritagesociety.org
