TOMBALL (June 9, 2026) – Lone Star College-Tomball hosted a virtual Juneteenth Conference aimed to inform attendees about the national holiday and its place in American history. The first presenter, Ed Cotham Jr., author and historian, dispelled popular fallacies about what happened at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.
“One common misconception about the Juneteenth order is that it freed the slaves,” said Cotham. The order recites that because of President Lincoln’s earlier Emancipation Proclamation, the slaves are free. The Juneteenth Order was not intended to set any new policy. It was simply intended to enforce the President’s earlier emancipation action.”
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation to create the Juneteenth National Independence Day holiday, but African American communities have a long history of Juneteenth celebrations dating back to the 19th century.
“As part of America 250, the conference aimed to educate the public about the importance of Juneteenth and its place in the history of the United States,” said conference host and LSC-Tomball Political Science Professor Patrick Gilbert.
In addition to Cotham, conference presenters included Neil P. Chatelain, LSC-North Harris History Professor; Justene Hill Edwards, University of Virginia History Professor; Carl Moneyhon, University of Arkansas Emeritus Professor of History; Dr. Lauren Cross, National Juneteenth Museum Executive Strategist; Samuel Collins III, a lifelong resident of Galveston County, who is known as “Professor Juneteenth.” The conference was sponsored by the Houston Voting Initiative.
Lone Star College-Tomball is located at 30555 Tomball Parkway in Tomball between Zion Road and Baker Road. For more information about the college, call 281.351.3300 or visit LoneStar.edu/Tomball.
Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester, providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D., serves as Chancellor of LSCS, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and has been named a 2025 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, six centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence, and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
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