HOUSTON — On Juneteenth, Texas Southern University’s “Ocean of Soul” marching band graced the pages of Vogue.
The Houston HBCU’s band, under the direction of Brian Simmons, appears in the magazine’s article titled “Lone Star State of Mind: Snapshots of Texas Today.“ The 2026 Summer issue hit newsstands on Friday, celebrating Juneteenth. The spread features the full ensemble of the Ocean of Soul, including the band, the drum majors and the Motion of the Ocean dance team.
Juneteenth has great significance in Texas, especially in the Galveston and Houston areas. June 19, 1865, was the date enslaved people in Galveston first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed it…