Juneteenth is widely considered the final “nail in the coffin” of slavery in the U.S. The New York Times reported that the first written reference of the term occurred in the Galveston (Texas) Daily News. Owned by Southern Newspapers, the masthead proudly states it is the oldest newspaper in Texas, published since 1842. Even the original announcement of General Granger’s words freeing the slaves was recorded on the pages of the Daily News.  

Daily News publisher Leonard Woolsey states that their company has been “pushing lawmakers, editorializing, and promoting Juneteenth’s accent for as long as anyone can recall.” They even published a special 150-year magazine a few years back and have worked with local community members, as well staff members, to lend their voices to help move the important day to the national spotlight.

In this episode of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder chats with Woolsey and the Daily News’ editor Michael Smith about what it was like to report locally in a city that quickly gained worldwide prominence. How is the paper integrating into the community? And what steps will they take to continue to provide a voice for all Galveston residents?

Related links:

Galveston Daily News: https://www.galvnews.com

Galveston News “Juneteenth Magazine:” https://resources.galvnews.com/sections/juneteenth150/#page=8