In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Fort Worth area sometimes known as the Historic Southside was a hive of black life activity and business in the city.

The development of I-35 split the neighborhood in half and brought about a downturn in the 60s. But shortly the National Juneteenth Museum will be housed on the Historic Southside. The group striving to realize the museum will be here feels it is appropriate for this location. 

Jarred Howard, the CEO and main developer of the National Juneteenth Museum, said, “This is going to be a catalytic project that allows us to reinvigorate what once was and see the glory of the Historic Southside again.” 

The National Juneteenth Museum held an event for their Uniting Voices speaker’s series earlier this month with award-winning historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. 

“I actually know the day I started to get fascinated in genealogy,” remarked Dr. Gates.

Sales of tickets for the sold-out event will assist finance the building of the National Juneteenth Museum.

Howard added, “We hope to have the new museum up and running in 2026 it’s a really ambitious goal.”

$35 million is the sole obstacle in front of that objective. Building will cost seventy million dollars. They have therefore so far raised half that figure.

Howard remarked, “We want the museum to be solvent so we can be sustainable we won’t put a shovel in the ground until we have the money to pay for it.”

The museum will, according to the developers, open doors to our past and bring employment and tourists to the neighborhood.