On Friday, June 19, the majority of states in the nation will celebrate Juneteenth Day. In a thumbnail, the day commemorates the ending of slavery when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. But not having the mass communication of today, Black residents in Texas didn’t get the news until two and half years later with the arrival of Gen. Gordon Granger.
That day was seized on by African Americans in Texas, and most memorably in Houston where the Rev. John Henry (Jack) Yates was a key organizer and promoter. In the memorial services for George Floyd who was killed by the police in Minneapolis, Yates High School was mentioned several times because Floyd attended the school.
A historical marker in front of the Yates family plot in College Memorial Cemetery in Houston provides a brief introduction to the minister, but much more is needed.
Yates was born in servitude on July 11, 1828, in Gloucester County, Virginia. He was taught to read by the son of his mistress, although in doing so he was clearly in violation of the oppressive laws. The two books in his possession, a reader and the Bible, guided him, and he often had to read them in secrecy. His attendance to religious services helped in his self-education; the meetings were also a chance to assemble and worship with others interested in acquiring more learning, like his future wife, Harriet Willis. They would have 11 children, which meant Yates had to do a little more than fishing to sustain his family.
Around the time Lincoln was mulling over the Proclamation, his wife’s master moved to Matagorda County, Texas and Yates begged to go along in order to be with her. When Lincoln finally signed the bill, the Yates family, now free, moved to Houston with the prospect of finding more gainful employment. During the day, Yates was a drayman, delivering a variety of goods, and by night and on Sundays he was devoted to the church, particularly the Home Missionary Society.
Yates was befriended by Isaac Sidney Campbell of the Society, and through him began doing missionary work in Houston. Campbell was chiefly responsible for Yates’ ordination as a Baptist preacher. Subsequently, when Antioch Missionary Baptist Church was founded and organized, Rev. Yates was the first pastor. His church, now newly constructed and located in Emancipation Park, was united with Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in 1872. He spearheaded the fundraising drive to acquire the park and sparked what would later become Juneteenth Day.
Things began to unravel when Yates disagreed with a modeling plan for the church and he left and founded the Bethel Baptist Church in 1891. Over the course of years in the community, Yates purchased several lots of land, where today his house still stands. He also led the way in establishing the Old Land Mark Association, which still exists. Yates, in association with white missionaries, organized the Houston Academy, a school for Black children.
After his wife died, Yates married Annie Freeman in 1888 and they had one child. He died on December 22, 1897. Jack Yates High School in Houston was named in his honor in 1926.
Continuing his legacy, his son, Willis, purchased farmland and was possibly the first African American landowner to operate a steam cotton gin in Harris County. He also owned a small store. His brother, Rutherford, was a teacher and founder of the Yates Printing Company, which is now located in Austin, and he is the co-author of “The Life and Efforts of Jack Yates.” His brother, Paul, the co-author, taught at the Houston Academy. His sister, Maria, did missionary work around the county and was a school teacher like four of the other children.
In 1994, Yates’ home was moved from Andrews Street to Sam Houston Park in Houston and restored to its original 1870s configuration. The home was donated by his granddaughter, Mrs. Whiting, and is available for tours through the Harris County Heritage Society.
During the funeral services for Floyd, all of the family members recalled George’s attendance at Yates High School, as did several other speakers. Floyd was a star football and basketball player for the school and many of his classmates were at the church and asked to stand by the Rev. Al Sharpton who delivered the eulogy.