This Juneteenth, I wanted to share images of Freedom Colonies I have photographed throughout the years. For those unfamiliar with Juneteenth, it is “America’s second Independence Day.” June 19, 1865 was the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure all enslaved Black Americans were freed — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Though Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, it is a day that many Texans have celebrated since 1866 and has been a state holiday since 1980.

Kat is an Americana-style photographer based in Austin, Texas. She is the author of Texas Textures, a 144 page photo-book with over two hundred photos, and Way Out West. She picked up her first camera at the age of 13 and has been in love with photography ever since. Kat’s photographs are taken with a wide variety of film — from grocery store emulsions to professional grade film stocks — creating vibrant images that leave no question about the beauty in Texas’ vast blue skies and rugged exterior.