BELTON, Texas (KXXV) — Juneteenth, a celebration of emancipation and legacy, took on deeper meaning at Bell County’s museum gathering, where Dr. George Harrison, longtime professor and cultural leader, along with community activist and advocate Babatunde, shared powerful messages of personal resilience and collective responsibility.
“I grew up in Belton,” Harrison said, recalling his family’s struggle after losing his father in 1967. “We lost our house. I had to become the man of the house at seven years old, collecting 21 pop bottles a day just to get lunch.”
Harrison, who spent 10 years at UMHB and 39 years at Baylor, now serves as Cultural Affairs Director at Truitt University, and emphasized one foundational principle: discipline as the gateway to freedom. He’s been debt-free for 30 years, and hasn’t eaten a Snickers bar—once his favorite—in more than 40 years, a sacrifice tied to a health transformation that saw him drop well over 200 pounds.
“Saving and discipline,” he said, “were the values my father gave me—and they saved me.”
Babatunde emphasized the economic circulation and land ownership within the black community.
“One of my favorite quotes was always, ‘To whom you give your money, is to whom you give your power," Babatunde said. “That’s the first thing we must do—put our dollars back into our community.”
He went further, calling attention to how systemic failures—such as the defunding of 16 agriculture-related HBCUs under the Trump administration—continue to undermine black generational wealth.
He said land acquisition is another key element: while black Americans were entitled to over 19 million acres after Reconstruction in 1865, today, they control less than 2 million.
Harrison echoed the sentiment, referencing the four acres his family still owns in White Hall, Texas, a parcel passed down from his great-grandfather, George Moore: “It’s our Yellowstone. We’ve had offers—calls every day—but we’re keeping it. And when I pass it on, I’ll be setting up a trust.”
Despite these challenges, both leaders expressed hope—tempered with realism—for Bell County’s future. Harrison pointed to the disproportionate rates of homelessness among Black and Hispanic residents as a sobering reminder of unfinished work.
“It’s going to take training, mentorship, and a real desire to climb,” he said. “We’ve made steps, but there’s a long journey ahead.”
Still, the gathering—filled with song, reflection, and empowerment—captured the essence of what Juneteenth represents: not just remembering freedom, but actively defending and expanding it.
As Harrison put it: “Until people begin to listen to what’s going on, they’ll never get it.”
