It's being revived around the country but nowhere is it bigger than in Texas where June 18 began. Here in Houston it's celebrated with a parade through downtown featuring marching bands and colorful floats. But there's more to June 18 and parades what's important is what is being celebrated. He was on June 19 1865. That union general Gordon Granger mandated Galveston and announced that the State's 200000 black slaves were free. Actually they were already free to a half years earlier lake and it issued the emancipation proclamation but word of it never reached Texas. It was only after Granger routed a band of die hard confederate state freedom came. They would dampen in the streets they would stay and how are you referring. And they made a decision at that have been never forget that day. Four years June 19 June 18 was V holiday for blacks in Texas. In Houston the annual June tape parade would end up here in emancipation park. Land originally bought by freed slave so they could celebrate the holiday. But in time doing things began to faith and by the 1950s it at all but disappeared. Since the seventies it has been making a comeback largely because of one man reverend C Anderson Davis. Is very AM Florida and that's how young people. Knows something of the history. Because they SL way they'll know themselves. In the 21 years since June 18 celebrations resume that they have rekindled interest in the holiday and what it means. For blacks in Texas it was the freedom to be a family to work for a living to have a last name. It's great because up people please call. Players. You've got to the Harvick aggressive especially politics. There's a freedom for the black man. It's subject to hold onto two. Let us know that hey we can off frost we can't go all. For many people that's what June 18 is about celebrating the end of slavery but having survived it and gone on. Ron Claiborne ABC news Houston.