Title: The Drummer of Juneteenth Galveston, Texas — June 19, 1865. The day was hot, the streets buzzing with whispers. Union soldiers had arrived, and with them came the announcement that changed everything—slavery was officially over in Texas. Among the crowd was Ezekiel “Zeke” Turner, a young Black boy no older than twelve, clutching his handmade drum close to his chest. Zeke had carved it from an old cypress stump, stretching animal hide over it, playing it every night in the quarters to soothe his heart. He watched wide-eyed as General Granger read the words aloud, declaring freedom for all enslaved people. As the news spread like wildfire, some people cried, others laughed, many were simply too stunned to speak. But Zeke knew what he had to do. He began to beat his drum. At first, the sound was soft—tentative—but soon it grew louder, faster, filling the streets with a rhythm that seemed to match the heartbeats of every newly freed soul in Galveston. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. The elders danced, children clapped, and people began singing songs of freedom. That night, under a sky bursting with stars, Zeke led the first unofficial Juneteenth celebration, drumming until his hands were raw but his spirit soared. Years later, long after Zeke became a man, he was known across Texas as The Drummer of Juneteenth. Every year, on June 19th, he would gather crowds and play the same song he had played that day—a song of freedom, hope, and new beginnings. And to this day, at Juneteenth celebrations across the country, the sound of drums echoes in his honor. #historical #socialcommunity