In this edition of P.S., we highlight the success of the J.L. Turner Legal Association’s first official Juneteenth Celebration, held at the Dallas African American Museum. The Dallas African American bar association, named for one of the city’s first Black lawyers, shared with The Texas Lawbook why it was compelled to emphasize the importance of Juneteenth in an event that was open to people of all professions and not just the legal community. Meanwhile, the State Bar of Texas is kicking off its annual meeting on June 19 amid controversy over its decision to disinvite the NAACP president from speaking at its Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon. Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Wallace B. Jefferson, will deliver a keynote address commemorating the legal history and significance of Juneteenth. And we highlight other upcoming Juneteenth celebrations, as well.
Next week, The Lawbook will feature how top Texas lawyers and general counsel honor the Juneteenth holiday. Email krista.torralva@texaslawbook.net to share your stories, events and pro bono efforts for Juneteenth and be featured.
‘More People, More Power,’ J.L. Turner Legal Association Unites People Over Juneteenth
J.L. Turner Legal Association’s inaugural Juneteenth Celebration, held at the Dallas African American Museum, was a sold-out smash, said organizers of the Dallas African American bar association.
Although the organization has previously held events in June, this is the first year the association billed the Thursday evening event as a commemoration of Juneteenth, the U.S. holiday that marks the end of slavery.
Juneteenth recognizes June 19, 1865, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston to deliver news to Black slaves that they had been freed more than two years earlier under President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Slaveholders, in a coordinated effort, had deliberately withheld the news to maintain forced labor, explained Delaina Price, assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at Arlington. Price, whose research focuses on post-emancipation African American history, delivered a speech on the historical context of Juneteenth.
Community leader and advocate Betty Culbreath and business leader Kelvin Walker were also guest speakers. Culbreath has served in numerous community roles, including chair of the Dallas City Plan Commission, Director of Dallas County Health & Human Services and Chair of the DFW Airport Board. She is currently the vice chair of the Duncanville Plan Commission and co-chair of the HOPE Task Force. In 2019, Walker, a seasoned private equity executive, became the first Black CEO of the Dallas Citizens Council, a group of more than 150 business leaders. He has also served on a host of nonprofit and advisory boards.
In the face of federal and state government attacks on diversity initiatives this year, the legal association’s leaders said they felt an urgency to emphasize the significance of Juneteenth and community solidarity.
“Right now is the time for us to lock in,” said Gloria Cangé, a director of the organization and an associate at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann. When there’s so much adversity coming from the top all the way down, this is when we’re supposed to lean into our communities. This is the reason that our communities exist.”
This year’s celebration was intentionally opened to the public and about 150 community members and professionals from a range of industries attended.
“More people is more power. Bringing more people to the cause can help distribute the load and give us more of a voice,” Cangé said. “And I wanted to know from Black professionals and other professionals what their experiences are.”
At a time when other legal organizations have faced challenges fundraising for diversity initiatives, the J.L. Turner Legal Association found strong support for its Juneteenth event, said fellow organizer Chelsey Watts, an associate at McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans.
Organization president Kandace Walter said that for every organization that has pulled out of sponsoring diversity efforts, she’s found “a line of people ready to step in.”
“We just have to ask,” Walter said. “A lot of people are enraged, and I think that what we’re doing is stepping to that and saying, ‘You’re enraged. Great. Be a sponsor.’”
Bell Nunnally & Martin was a diamond sponsor of the event. Tyson Law Firm was a platinum sponsor. Gold sponsors were the African American Lawyers Section of the Texas State Bar, McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans and The National Black MBA Association. Platinum Intelligent Data Solutions and Attorney at Law Magazine were in-kind sponsors.
SBOT Annual Meeting Begins on Juneteenth
This year, the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting will begin on Juneteenth at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio.
Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas Wallace B. Jefferson will deliver a keynote address commemorating the legal history and significance of Juneteenth during the Bar Leaders Recognition Luncheon on Thursday.
The State Bar initially asked NAACP President Derrick Johnson to speak but rescinded the invitation after the civil rights group filed a lawsuit, alongside other civil rights and education groups, against President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the federal Department of Education. The lawsuit contends that the administration’s cuts will undermine essential duties, such as safeguarding students from discrimination and financing educational initiatives.
State Bar Executive Director Trey Apffel told the Associated Press that having the NAACP speak in light of the lawsuit would violate bar rules requiring political neutrality. According to Apffel, the bar is legally obligated — including under a November 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit — to limit its communications to matters directly related to the practice of law. Additionally, the Texas Supreme Court, which has administrative authority over the bar, has required the bar to avoid involvement in any issue that could be perceived as political or ideological, Apffel said. Apffel said the bar considers the NAACP’s lawsuit political, as it challenges a presidential executive order.
In an open letter to Apffel, Johnson criticized the decision to revoke his speaking invitation as a “glaring inconsistency,” noting that former U.S. Attorney General William Barr was the group’s keynote speaker in 2023.
Stricter rules in place this year would have precluded Barr as a speaker, Apffel told the AP.
Houston Lawyers to Observe Holiday at the Botanic Garden
The Houston Lawyers Association will commemorate Juneteenth with a celebration on June 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Houston Botanic Garden, located at 1 Botanic Lane, Houston, TX 77017. The Juneteenth celebration is the organization’s opening event of the 2025–2026 bar year.
Attendees can look forward to a day of music, food, garden walks, historical insights, art exhibits, and family-friendly games and activities while celebrating emancipation and Black heritage. The event is free to HLA members. Tickets cost $10 for relatives of HLA members and $20 for non-members. June 17 is the deadline to RSVP at the link here.
Noteworthy Efforts
Some law firms are sharing with and encouraging their attorneys to engage in Juneteenth-related pro bono and community service opportunities. For example, in honor of Juneteenth, Baker McKenzie is facilitating volunteer work for the Gault Center for Youth Justice, analyzing data on disproportionate racial impacts in the juvenile justice system.
Corporations are also hosting commemorations. Toyota’s African-American Collaborative and Sustainable Development groups, for example, are holding a hybrid celebration on Thursday at the link here. Speakers include Fort Worth native Opal Lee, who is widely considered to be the “grandmother of Juneteenth;” DeDe McGuire, radio personality and philanthropist; Dana Weekes, founder and principal of Thrive Architects; and Amanda Johnston, Texas poet laureate and executive director of Torch Literary Arts. Toyota’s Regina Luzincourt will be the master of ceremonies.