Newsroom

Harris County, TX, June 19, 2024 – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo toured the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection today at Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH).    

She was joined by co-founders and owners of the collection, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, their son, General Manager and Chief Curator, Kahlil B. Kinsey, and a diverse group of over 100 Harris County community members.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate and honor Juneteenth than by touring the Kinsey Collection at Holocaust Museum Houston. There’s not too many communities out there that can have not only the diversity that Harris County does but also the unity and generosity as well. It can be hard to remember our history, our humanity and how important it is to just be human with each other. This exhibit reminds us that we have to commit to doing that, not just today on Juneteenth but every day,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo.

On view through June 23, 2024 and free admission today until 7 p.m. the Kinsey collection is considered as one of the most comprehensive surveys of African American history and culture outside the Smithsonian Institution and celebrates the achievements and contributions of Black Americans from 1595 to present day. The collection works to address “the myth of absence,” or the idea that contributions of Black Americans have been erased from much of American history. 

The Kinsey collection features more than 100 of the shared treasures amassed by Shirley and Bernard Kinsey during their five decades of marriage. The collection features paintings, sculptures, photographs, rare books, letters, manuscripts and more.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas were finally informed of their emancipation—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

The museum is free for everyone on Thursdays and free every day for individuals 18 and under, college students, and active military personnel.

###