Tomiko Meeks chronicles Rev. Lawson’s work at TSU and the birth of a neighborhood church that led to the formation of Wheeler Avenue Baptist.
Tag Archives | African Americans
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When There Were Wards: A Series
Our series “When There Were Wards” will appear over three issues of the print magazine tracing the history of Houston’s ward system and featuring highlights on each of the six wards.
Third Ward, Steeped in Tradition of Self-reliance and Achievement
The historic Third Ward was originally an area east of Main Street, south of Congress Street and extending to the city limits. For the residents of the Third Ward, their identity with the ward went beyond the original intent of the nomenclature as a political division.
Two Worlds a Mile Apart, A Brief History of the Fourth Ward
Clatter of light rail running down Main Street, cars roaring by, crowds gathering at the crosswalk champing to get on with the day—hectic life fills twenty-first century downtown Houston. But when a Houstonian takes a short stroll from the busy intersection of Congress and Main to nearby Sesquicentennial Park and wanders down the walk to […]
Freedman’s Town: A Lesson in the Failure of Historic Preservation
The struggle to preserve the history of Freedmen’s Town in Houston, Texas is entangled in the questionable systems of urban renewal and development, which inevitably work to displace many of the poor African American residents from the community.
Letter from the Editor – Coming to Houston
Click here to view the pdf.
The Dawn at My Back: A Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing
The Dawn at My Back: Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing explores what it means to grow up in a racist society. It describes the injustices endured daily and vividly paints a picture of the pain they carry with them. Blue’s story demonstrates the power of racism to rip families apart, even as one consciously […]
Zinetta Burney: Crossing Alabama St.
One of the most significant socio-economic impacts resulting from white supremacy, and its attending corollary of Black inferiority, was the use of race as a determinant of residential housing patterns which forced African American families into isolation in segregated neighborhoods. For Zinetta Burney and her African American neighbors in Houston’s Third Ward, Alabama Street was […]
Houston’s First Ward: Producing Food from Farm to Counter
In 1839 Houston was divided into four wards, each a geographic area which provided representation for the municipal government. The crossing at Congress Avenue and Main Street became the intersecting point for dividing the wards. The First Ward, located in the northwest quadrant of that intersection, bordered the strategic location where Buffalo Bayou and White […]
Letter from the Editor with Comments by Mayor Bill White Vol 7, No
To read the Letter from the Editor, featuring comments by Mayor Bill White about the Hurricane Katrina relief effort in Houston, download the pdf version.