by David Moreno
Construction of the National Juneteenth Museum will begin in the coming months after years of delays. But before dirt can be turned, one Historic Southside city-owned facility will first be razed.
Demolition of the Southside Community Center is slated to begin Oct. 7 during a community celebration for Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth’s 100th birthday. The center’s services are being relocated to the Hazel Harvey Peace Center for Neighborhoods, less than half a mile away at 818 Missouri Ave.
Once the center is torn down, the National Juneteenth Museum will break ground in late 2026 or early 2027, museum CEO Jarred Howard told the Fort Worth Report.
Howard described the upcoming milestone as an important step toward turning a longtime dream into reality. Museum leaders have so far raised $50 million — over two-thirds of the $70 million goal for its construction. Fundraising updates are expected in the coming months, he said.
“Seeing this vision transformed to reality is a beautiful thing,” he said. “We’re really excited about what this does for the hearts of the people in the community and what it does in the minds of people nationally.”
Plans for the 50,000-square-foot National Juneteenth Museum began in 2021, but the institution’s origins trace back to a smaller museum Lee operated near Evans Avenue Plaza for nearly two decades until the pandemic.
The Juneteenth museum initially expected to break ground in the first quarter of 2023, but its start date was pushed back several times. Project leaders first hoped to build the museum on land next to the Southside center, but pivoted after two brothers declined to sell property necessary for the original development.
The project has received financial support from the city of Fort Worth, which made the largest pledge of $15 million, and $10 million promised by the state, after approval from lawmakers during the legislative session last year. Other funders include Meta, BNSF Railway and Lilly Endowment Inc.
As for Opal Lee’s ongoing involvement, the Grandmother of Juneteenth has had limited public appearances in the months following her hospitalization last summer. However, granddaughter Promise Roland said the civil rights icon will be in attendance for the demolition event.
Lee now spends most of her days inside her home under the care of family members, reading books and watching reruns of television drama “Blue Bloods.” Roland attended Fort Worth City Council’s Tuesday meeting on her grandmother’s behalf to accept a recognition honoring her upcoming centennial.
“It means a lot to be able to see her dreams come to fruition, to see the ideas that she had sitting in her mind become the National Juneteenth Museum,” Roland said.
Once construction is complete, the museum will house 10,000-square-foot galleries, a 250-seat theater, a business incubator, and a food hall featuring local chefs and vendors.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
