Houston’s oldest public park, one of the city’s most sacred landmarks of Black freedom, is entering a bold new chapter.
The Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC) launched an $18.5 million renovation project to modernize the park’s Cultural Center and build a state-of-the-art outdoor performance stage. The goal is to reopen in time for the park’s 2026 Juneteenth celebration.
The Kinder Foundation, which is leading the investment, says the project reflects a commitment to Houston’s green spaces and a recognition of Emancipation Park’s deep cultural roots.
“This fits exactly with what our foundation does,” says Nancy Kinder, president and CEO of the Kinder Foundation. “Our parks and green space are one of our most important priorities. Discovery Green, Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park, McGregor Park, and Emancipation Park are right there among them.”
A legacy rooted in freedom
Founded in 1872 by four formerly enslaved men, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Jack Yates, and Elias Dibble, Emancipation Park was purchased for $800 as a dedicated place for Juneteenth celebrations. During segregation, it was the only public park in Houston open to Black residents, becoming a vital hub for music, worship, and civic life.
That is the legacy that Kinder Foundation Chairman Rich Kinder says has shaped the foundation’s decade-long involvement.
“We first got involved with Emancipation Park around 2012 when the facilities had really become worn down,” he says. “When Ramon Manning (EPC board chair) came to us about building a permanent stage, we jumped on it. We’d seen firsthand how much the park needed it.”
The Kinder Foundation already sponsors Jazzy Sundays, a free concert series that draws thousands each spring.
“Every time there’s a show at Emancipation Park, they have to set up a temporary stage,” Kinder says. “The sound quality isn’t as good, and there’s no backstage area. If you’re going to have concerts that draw thousands, the community deserves a real, state-of-the-art performance space.”
Manning says the project is about fulfilling a vision that’s been years in the making.
“Nothing we’re doing is new from a design perspective,” Manning says. “The late architect Phil Freelon’s master plan for the park always included an outdoor performance stage and an active cultural center that tells the story of African Americans’ contributions to this region. We’re simply continuing that original plan.”
Manning says the renovation will allow EPC to scale up authentic, collaborative programming with partners such as the Houston Grand Opera, Project Row Houses, HISD, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Beyond expanding access to arts and culture, the upgrades will also help EPC pursue sustainability and self-sufficiency.
“You can build all these things, but they have to be maintained,” Manning says. “So we’re looking at this as an asset that can make a return by hosting concerts, renting facilities, and creating earned revenue opportunities. And with this investment from the Kinder Foundation, we’re even starting an endowment to fund maintenance and operations.”
The project is also deeply personal for Manning. He grew up playing in Emancipation Park after church with his Aunt Ruby, and today he and his wife are proud Third Ward residents.
“When most people hear the name Emancipation Park, they think recreation,” Manning says. “But this space is so much more than that because of what it represents. This property wasn’t donated. It was purchased by formerly enslaved African Americans who wanted to build a community right out of bondage.”
The Kinders emphasized that the Emancipation Park project reflects the power of public-private partnerships in sustaining Houston’s parks and cultural infrastructure. “Philanthropy can’t do it all,” says Rich Kinder. “Cities are in budget crunches, and parks are often the first to get cut. That’s where philanthropy steps in, but it only works when the city and community are equally invested.”
