METROPOLIS
Not Just a Holiday
There’s more to the National Juneteenth Museum than just scholarship and presence.
BY MADELYN EDWARDS
Lauren Cross remembers growing up learning about her formerly enslaved ancestors and wanting to know more. Executive strategist of Fort Worth’s forthcoming National Juneteenth Museum (2026), Cross hopes the place will spark that curiosity in visitors and help them preserve their family histories.
The holiday Juneteenth was established to acknowledge the fact that even though the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted in 1863, not all slaves in the United States were freed at that time. It took two and a half more years for freedom to reach enslaved people in Texas by way of 2,000 Union troops arriving in Galveston Bay on June 19, 1865.
President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021, thanks to the efforts of multiple activists, including Opal Lee, who walked from her home in Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., in 2016 to raise awareness for Juneteenth to be recognized on the federal level.
The National Juneteenth Museum will be in Fort Worth’s historic Southside neighborhood at the corner of Rosedale Street and Evans Avenue. This area is especially significant for the museum because Lee operated a Juneteenth museum there since 2005 and the location was home to the first Black millionaire in Fort Worth, William Madison McDonald, or Gooseneck Bill.
The 50,000-square-foot museum is expected to include immersive exhibit galleries, a 250-seat theater for lectures, speakers, and performances, a business incubator space for local entrepreneurs, a food hall, a flexible Black Box space, and a public courtyard.
The museum’s design takes inspiration from the Juneteenth flag, which features a nova star in the middle that symbolizes rebirth, said Douglass Alligood, an architect on the National Juneteenth Museum design team. The 12-pointed star that is expected
to be placed on the ceiling in the center of the museum also represents the 12 freedoms gained when the formerly enslaved were freed and became citizens. The building’s design is supposed to create a unique experience for visitors.
“You would know you were in the National Juneteenth Museum,” Alligood said. “You wouldn’t confuse it for any other place.”
Cross’ role at the museum is curatorial, helping to build the museum’s permanent collection and the stories that will be
presented in the space. Juneteenth means a lot to her as a native Texan whose family has lived in this state for multiple generations. She recalled that her mother’s side of the family was particularly adamant in celebrating Juneteenth. For them, it was their duty to recognize the day and pay tribute to their ancestors. Her grandfather served as the family’s oral historian and would tell stories passed down from his grandfather, a former slave and Cross’ great-great-grandfather. Hearing the family stories is what made Juneteenth real and significant for Cross.
“This is not just a holiday,” she remembered realizing. “This is what my ancestors went through, and, therefore, this holiday really means something. It’s about actual people and their journey to freedom.”
Hearing about her great-great-grandfather, who was a runaway slave, sparked Cross’ interest in freedom stories, efforts that abolitionists and formerly enslaved people made to fight for their freedom prior to Juneteenth and the Emancipation Proclamation
“People weren’t just sitting around waiting to be free,” she said. “There was action. There was effort. Some successful, some not.”
Through the National Juneteenth Museum, Cross wants to highlight and preserve family stories that, like her own, have been passed down for generations. She plans for the museum to be a place for visitors to learn more about their family histories and genealogy and record oral history.
Some of these stories received for the museum feature people who are still fighting for things their ancestors were promised after being freed, like land. This is one of the ways that the past is connected to the present, which is a theme in the museum.
“People might be looking at Juneteenth as ‘What’s the relevance for right now?’ ” Cross said. “And the relevance is that there are families that are still grappling with these very things, even in this moment. And so that right there is resonant. And continued on page 5
The 50,000-square-foot National Juneteenth Museum is expected to include immersive exhibit galleries, a 250-seat theater for lectures, speakers, and performances, a business incubator space for local entrepreneurs, a food hall, a flexible black box space, and a public courtyard.
Courtesy of National Juneteenth Museum
The National Juneteenth Museum’s design takes inspiration from the Juneteenth flag, which features a nova star in the middle that symbolizes rebirth. The 12-pointed star expected to be placed on the ceiling in the center of the museum also represents the 12 freedoms gained when the formerly enslaved were freed and became citizens.
Museum
then also that Juneteenth has been used as a vehicle and as a mode of change for quite some time.”
Cross mentioned modern Juneteenth pioneers, such as Ronald Myers, Lula Briggs Galloway, Charles Taylor and, of course, Opal Lee, who have used Juneteenth to address issues in the present day. The museum is expected to be a place to learn about and pay tribute to the people who spent time spreading awareness about Juneteenth across the country prior to its becoming a national holiday.
“That’s our big heavy lift for the exhibition is to really educate the public about what Juneteenth actually is and that it’s not just a Texas thing,” Cross said. “So much of the advocacy about making Juneteenth a federal holiday happened outside of Texas by people who didn’t live in Texas and were not even from Texas.”
Still, Juneteenth is also a Texas thing, and the National Juneteenth Museum’s place in Fort Worth highlights the historical event’s relevance in our city. Fort Worth has a long history of celebrating Juneteenth and was part of the Juneteenth revival in the 1970s, Cross said.
Cross acknowledged that sometimes average people don’t always feel welcomed in museums, but the National Juneteenth Museum is out of the ordinary. Not only will it be a place to learn, but museum leaders hope that it will connect with and enrich the
historic Southside community by providing performance space, dining experiences in the food hall, and a place for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to find resources.
Alligood said he connected instantly with the museum leaders from the very beginning of their partnership. He and his team have met with people in the community and devised the building plan based on local needs.
“Their basis of this design is that it’s more than a museum,” Alligood said. “It’s a celebration of African-American community and, to a certain extent, the historic Southside.”
For Alligood, Juneteenth is an event that needs to be celebrated and remembered.
“It feels as though our country, our whole world, is just willing to forget or deny huge swaths of history,” Alligood said.
“I think we need to establish, or reestablish if we’ve lost it, connections to history and invaluable, important turning points. And just because it’s history, just because it’s truth, doesn’t mean we’re grieving and doomed to sadness. Truth is truth. History is history, and we can celebrate. We can learn from it. We can explore it. I think the only thing we don’t want to do is deny history.” l
The National Juneteenth Museum will be in Fort Worth’s historic Southside neighborhood at the corner of Rosedale Street and Evans Avenue. This area is especially significant for the museum because Fort Worth resident Opal Lee operated a Juneteenth museum there since 2005 and the location was home to the first Black millionaire in Fort Worth, William Madison McDonald, or Gooseneck Bill.
Courtesy of National Juneteenth
BUCK U
Land of Disenchantment
TCU lambasts the Ragin’ Cajuns 34-3 in a bowl as exciting as professional pickleball.
BY BUCK D. ELLIOTT
Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in the days of auld lang syne? I’m not going to go into a lengthy explanation of what exactly these popular New Year’s lyrics mean — you can work the Google machine yourself — but it seems appropriate enough because it’s a general query regarding the retaining or releasing of friends while reminiscing on joyous days past.
I’m comfortable representing Frog Nation in acknowledging that none of us were over-the-moon excited upon the announcement that we would play in the New Mexico Bowl against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who finished second place in the mid-major Sun Belt Conference, weren’t the opponent we were hoping for. That was perhaps our collective hubris, wanting the Frogs to prove themselves against SEC mediocrity like Oklahoma, Florida, or Arkansas. Yet as I can attest, Albuquerque called the ’Burque (pronounced Boar-kay) by those in the know — is a lovely venue to beat up on a much less fortunate team, and the Frogs did exactly that. Sure, it was sponsored by a resort that the majority of onlookers had never heard of, but blue skies and temperate weather made for a pleasing landscape to preview next year’s Frogs against a squad ravaged by injury and transfer-portal theft.
Frog receiving leader and future pro Jack Bech was sidelined with a knee injury, and general offensive weapon Savion Williams has departed to pursue his NFL aspirations, so what remained represents at least a foundational framework for next year before transfer and recruiting pieces are added. Did we like what we saw? Eh, kinda.
Kendal Briles’ offense hummed through the first half, scoring on their first four possessions as Josh Hoover — now TCU’s single-season passing record holder — connected
early and often with Eric McAlister, who is now the go-to threat with Bech and Williams moving on from collegiate life. Saturday was never close. Yet scoring 34 points against U-LA-La seemed disappointing after a 27-point first half. The offense mostly stalled after scoring on their first second-half possession. Why? Because TCU still can’t run the ball consistently, and without Williams in the backfield, it was kind of embarrassing.
The play selection was nearly balanced, 34 passes and 33 rushes, but even with three running backs receiving almost 10 touches each, no one finished with more than 50 yards, and the closest, Trent Battle, broke one nice scamper for 24 yards, which greatly skews his 42 total yards. This, in essence, explains how Hoover can eclipse Max Duggan and Trevone Boykin for Fort Worth’s single-season passing record but finish the year with an unranked team. Duggan and Boykin led their teams to second and third place AP rankings in those years, respectively. As I’ve written in the past, Briles is great at accumulating stats, but the winning-alot-of-games part doesn’t necessarily follow.
The Frogs are set to ingratiate UTSA transfer Kevorian Barnes to try to replace Cam Cook, who is transferring, and Trey Sanders, who is graduating. Neither departing Frog made significant headway toward TCU establishing a serviceable ground game, and their snaps had already been stolen by Battle and Jeremy Payne. I expect Cook saw two messages scribbled on the wall: “You’re not effective enough” and “We won’t scheme for your success.”
Despite deficiencies in the backfield, Hoover is acquitting himself as an excellent and maturing passer, as well as a better decision-maker as time goes on. That said, he did toss an interception on Saturday that put the Ragin’ Cajuns in position to knock through a short field goal and spoil a stellar defensive performance and potential shutout by
Andy Avalos’ platoon, who have shown steady improvement through the latter portion of the season. The Frog D bullied the Cajuns to 43 total first-half yards and 151 in the second while only allowing a field goal.
Ultimately, no one can be upset about a nine-win season. Actually, eff it. I’m still going to gripe about it. This year could have been better, much better, and the veteran talent leaving, especially on offense, is disheartening considering Briles’ one-trick offense. Hoover finished 51 shy of 4,000 passing yards — are we hoping for 5,000 next season after losing two NFL-caliber receivers? Granted, fewer turnovers, and the conversation surrounding this season could be turned on its head.
Next season, because that’s what really should concern purple people, looks much more difficult, comparatively. TCU transitions back to playing against the Corn Belt teams (Kansas State and Iowa State) and swaps in what was the much better team from Utah this season, BYU. Perhaps most sobering, they’ll start their season against North Carolina, whose new coach might just be the greatest breathing schematic mind in football. Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick is fresh to the college game with a graduate student-aged girlfriend to match. Belichick focusing his next seven months plotting against Briles’ offense should drive even the most optimistic Frog fanatic to discomfort. This year’s staff did enough to keep their jobs, and hopes, alive. Frog athletics are undergoing a regime change while the school headhunts a new athletic director, but I’m not convinced this season wouldn’t have been better long-term if TCU had performed worse. In the case of the offense, simply sing that famous New Year’s Scottish ballad with a Champagne buzz and really ponder the rhetorical question posited. I know personally what my answer is, as you probably do, too. l
The Frogs dominated but struggled to establish a ground game without Savion Williams in the backfield. Courtesy TCU Athletics
WEEKLY LISTINGS
The List Top resources for
everything. Okay, almost everything.
By Fort Worth Weekly
Below are some resources for your consideration, including Free Will Astrology and info from faith-based organizations, health and wellness providers, mind-body-spirit businesses, home resources, and more. Welcome to Fort Worth Weekly Classifieds.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19)
In 2025, specialize in making new connections and deepening your existing connections. Summon extra creativity as you regularly blend your energies with others and thrive on never-before-linked elements.
TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20)
In the coming months, the work you do will be unusually replete with grace and dynamism. It will be focused and diligent work that is smart and largely free of delusion. Your brimming levels of confidence will be primarily due to your conscientious work.
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20)
In the coming months, be an innocent rookie, a newcomer with great instincts, an exuberant amateur who specializes in fun experiments. Approach every experience with zero assumptions or expectations, as if seeing everything for the first time.
CANCERIAN (Jun 21-Jul 22)
You will have welcome opportunities to clean up messes that have lingered for far too long. Take full advantage of these cosmic invitations to sweep karmic debris out of your life.
LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22)
In 2025, you will have exceptional power to transform the environments you share with others, and an enhanced ability to revise and reinvigorate the systems and the rules you use. Don’t underestimate your influence during the coming months. Assume that people will be listening especially closely to your ideas and extra receptive to be affected by you.
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22)
In the coming months, you can make dramatic progress in formulating vivid, detailed visions of the life you want to live.
In the words of this famous Aquarian, “Movement and change are the essence of our being.”
Undertake robust action steps to make those visions a practical reality. Write your big-picture, long-range dreams in a special notebook or a file on your tech device and keep adding this year.
LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22)
Far too many months have passed since you have located a fresh source of a certain treasure or bounty you crave. That will change in 2025. Here come long-delayed blessings!
SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21)
You will dramatically enhance how togetherness works for you. Explore potential breakthroughs with romantic love, intimate relationships as an essential part of your spiritual path, and healing your old wounds and thereby make yourself a better partner and collaborator. Help your best allies to do the same.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21)
In Japanese, the word for “frog” sounds similar to the word meaning “to return.” That’s one reason frogs are considered a lucky symbol for travelers returning home safely, health being restored, and spent money being replenished. Satisfying and enjoyable returns will be a key theme this year. Consider keeping the likeness of a lovable frog in your living space.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Use your stature and clout to perform an array of good works that are of service to your world this year. Animal rights, environmentalism, and human rights are all areas for your consideration.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20- Feb 18)
In the words of famous Aquarian author Virginia Woolf, “Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is death; conformity is death: let us say what comes into our heads, repeat ourselves, contradict ourselves, fling out the wildest nonsense, and follow the most fantastic fancies without caring what the world does or thinks or says.”
PISCES (Feb19-Mar 20)
You will glean pleasing rewards generated from seeds planted in the past.
EXPANDED HOROSCOPES
For unabridged versions of the horoscopes above by Rob Brezsny, go to FreeWillAstrology.com.
continued on page 19
And We’re Walking
BY JENNIFER BOVEE
Get started on all that #NewYearNewYou stuff and slow-roll a new exercise routine with some walking-oriented activities this week.
What started as a kind of protest has become an annual tradition. To draw attention to potential fracking problems in 2009, the nonprofit Friends of Tandy Hills launched its walk through the beautiful Tandy Hills Nature Area (3325 View St, Fort Worth, 817-731-2787), a 210acre indigenous remnant prairie obtained
the Cadillac Hotel, Miss Molly’s B&B (as seen on the Discovery Channel), and the Stockyards Hotel, to name a few, and it all starts at the winery. The paranormal activity in the Stockyards is one of the country’s most active and written about, so put this tour on your local bucket list. Tickets are $13-25 at CowtownWinery.com.
3
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (3200 Darnell St, 817-738-9215) and in-house restaurant Cafe Modern present First Friday at the Modern. Gallery admission is always free on Fridays, but 5pm-8pm this evening, you can also enjoy food and drink specials and a complimentary 20-minute docent-led tour at 6:30pm.
Local historian Robert Kelleman, founder of the Texas History & Culture organization, leads a free guided walking tour of the Stockyards starting at 9:30am. The meet-up point is the Quanah Parker statue in front of the Hyatt Place Hotel (132 E Exchange Av, Fort Worth, 202-821-6325 text only). Look for the man in the fedora-style hat and a group of friendly people. The tour finishes shortly before 11:30am, just in time to catch The Herd on one of its daily cattle drives.
Every Sunday at 2pm, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (3200 Darnell St, Fort Worth,
This weekend is your last chance to stroll through Lightscape at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
817-738-9215) invites families with children to a free special tour for younger visitors Each tour visits a few works on view and includes a family activity focusing on a highlighted work from the collection.
by the City of Fort Worth in 1960 and designated as a preserve in 1987. Humans of all ages and dogs on leashes are welcome to attend for free. The meet-up point is just north of the playground off the main trail, and the hike follows the park perimeter. In other words, go take a hike! The 16th Annual Manly Men & Wild Women New Year’s Day Hike starts at 10am.
At 7pm any Thu-Sun, you can meet up in the Stockyards at Cowtown Winery (128 E Exchange Av, Ste 610, Fort Worth, 817-626-1011) and take a ghost tour. You’ll learn about the unexplained often happening in the area and the detailed history of the Stockyards and its bordellos, hangings, shootouts, and more. Stops include
End your holiday season at the final weekend of the third annual Lightscape event at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-463-4160). Walk about the park and explore the whimsical nature of winter through color, fire, light, and music in this immersive experience that’s great for all ages. Lightscape is open daily thru Mon, Jan 1. Tickets start at $15 at FWBG.org/Lightscape.
Want to know more about Sundance Square? A 45-minute expert-guided walking tour starts at the Visitors Center (508 Main St, Fort Worth, 817-229-3569) any Wed-Sun from noon to 8pm. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also call to schedule your $20 tour. For more information, visit SundanceSquare.com.
Be sure to catch The Herd during one of their daily drives after a free guided walking tour of the Stockyards on Saturday mornings.
Humans of all ages and dogs on leashes are welcome to attend the 16th Annual Manly Men & Wild Women New Year’s Day Hike at Tandy Hills Nature Area.
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS
MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
THE AURA CLINIC
Full-service wellness, holistic, metaphysical, and psychic sanctuary at 6233 Oakmont Blvd, FWTX (817-200-7662). MyAuraClinic.com
HIGHER PURPOSE EMPORIUM
Everyone has a higher purpose. Find yours. Visit us at 505 W Northside Dr, FWTX (HigherPurposeEmporium.com, 682-207-5351).
MASSAGE
Hannah in Hurst Take a break from the rat race and feel better fast! 30+yrs pro massage exp (MT4797). No outcalls. 817-590-2257
HAVE FAITH
CELEBRATION COMMUNITY CHURCH
Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817-335-3222), CCC has services on Sundays at 10am. Want to check out a nonjudgmental, inclusive church at home before attending in person? All services can also be viewed on YouTube (@CelebrationCommunityChurch130).
POTTER’S HOUSE
Join the Potter’s House of Fort Worth (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, 817446-1999) for Sunday Service at 8am and Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. For more info, visit us online: www.TPHFW.org
HEALTH & WELLNESS
DENTAL INSURANCE
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company covers 350+ procedures. Get your FREE Dental
Information Kit with all the details! Use code 6258 when you call or visit online.
Dental50plus.com/ FortWorth 1-888-361-7095
LIFELINE SCREENINGS
According to the American Heart Association, stroke and Cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special offer: 5 screenings for just $149. Call today! 1-833-636-1757
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Not going anywhere. PPGreaterTX.org
HOME RESOURCES
BATHROOMS
The bathroom of your dreams in as little as one day. Call BCI Bath & Shower today! 1-866-913-0581
GENERATORS
Prepare for power outages today with a home standby generator. No money down. Low monthly payments. Call for a FREE quote. 1-844-887-3143
LEAF FILTER
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever. Schedule a FREE estimate today. Ask about 20% off the entire purchase. 1-877-689-1687
NEXTHOME
Open The Door
To Yours Today! SarahNiehoff PropertyLinkTX.com
Sarah Niehoff, Realtor 817-714-7956
PET SERVICES
DON’T FORGET
TO FEED ME!
DF2FM is a 501c3 and the only pet food bank in North Texas. Feeding pets in difficult times. More info on FB @DFTFM.
FREE SPAY/NEUTER
Need a FREE Spay/ Neuter? Texas Coalition for Animal Protection has clinics near you. Schedule an appointment today.
TexasForThem.org Call 1-833-636-1757
PUBLIC NOTICES
TDLR Complaints
Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@ TDLR.Texas.gov.
SUBMISSIONS
Do you have thoughts and feelings, or questions, comments, or concerns about something you read in the Weekly? Please email Question@ fwweekly.com. Do you have an upcoming event? For potential coverage in our listing sections, email the details to Marketing@fwweekly.com
WANT ADVERTISING? START HERE!
BULLETIN BOARD
ADVERTISE HERE!
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CATTLE BARN FLEA MARKET
4445 River Oaks Blvd
Saturday & Sunday 9a-5p
All your favorite vendors will be there Tino, Kate, Robert O and Earl!
HANNAH in HURST
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Is Your Ride Winter Weather Ready? CALL COWTOWN ROVER!
With our handy pick-up and drop-off services, having your car checked out could not be easier. www.CowtownRover.com 3958 Vickery | 817.731.3223
KNOW YOUR HEALTHCARE RIGHTS
Did you know that hospitals in Texas are now required to ask patients seeking care about their citizenship status? You are NOT required to answer. Instead, you can simply say: “I prefer not to answer.” Hospitals CANNOT deny you care due to your citizenship status.
LIFE INSURANCE
Up to $15K of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay for funeral and other final expenses. Visit Life55Plus.info/ FTWorth or call today!
844-782-2870
HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER
THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com
HORROR FILM FUNDING
Fort Worth young adult seeks funding for an independent horror project. For more information or to donate, visit IndieGoGo.com/projects/ the-mastermind-the-movie#/
More books than, WOW!
The Published Page Bookstop (10 E Chambers St, Cleburne, 817-349-6366) is open 10am-6pm Wed-Sat and 1pm-6pm Sun. An authentic “Old School” bookstore on the courthouse square of Historic Downtown Cleburne, TX, just 20 minutes south of FW, it’s a true Texas treasure. For more info, visit PublishedPage.com or find us on Facebook (@BiblioTreasures).
NEED A FRIEND?
Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds
Immediate Jail Release 24 Hour Service. City, County, State and Federal Bonds. Located Minutes from Courts. 6004 Airport Freeway. 817-834-9894
RonnieDLongBailBonds.com
Prepare for Power Outages with Briggs & Stratton®
PowerProtect™ standby generators - the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty - 7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-855-9886789.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Lone Star Towing (VSF0647382) at 1100 Elaine Pl, Fort Worth TX, 76196, 817-334-0606: Honda, 1980, VIN SME2158106, $1362.43; Utility, 2010, Trailer, VIN 1UYVS2532AM882802, $1299.35.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
We work with guest contributors to publish SEO articls and press release purpuses. Email today! Marketing@fwweekly.com
Missing Cat
Dahlia was last seen on 12/22 at 10pm at the intersection of Avenue G. and Wesleyan Street
Cream and dark brown Siamese mix, with blue eyes and white spotted paws. No microchip but was wearing a blue Ravenclaw collar with an orange fish name tag.
