Samuel Collins III shares the untold story of Juneteenth, revealing how United States Colored Troops played a crucial but largely erased role in bringing freedom to Texas. He challenges common misconceptions and illuminates how Galveston's Black community grew after emancipation, creating businesses, schools, and generational legacies.

• The news of freedom wasn't actually late to Galveston but arrived as early as fall 1862 when Union forces first controlled the island
• United States Colored Troops made up 75% of soldiers in Texas after Juneteenth but have been intentionally excluded from historical narratives
• Galveston's Black population more than doubled after emancipation as people came to the island for economic opportunities
• Black dockworkers at Galveston's port earned equal pay to white workers, helping establish a thriving middle class
• Education was prioritized with schools established by September 1865, less than three months after emancipation
• Families like the Sculls created 160-year legacies of service and education that continue today
• Juneteenth has evolved from a Texas event to become a national holiday and worldwide celebration of freedom

Come to Galveston Island, the birthplace of Juneteenth, to truly understand this vital chapter in American history. As Samuel says, "it's like reading about swimming or watching a film on swimming. At some point you have to get in the water to learn to swim."

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