Galveston trip
Galveston is home to the first black high school in Texas, the first black Baptist church, and the birthplace of the first black man to win world heavyweight boxing championship.
Perhaps most notably, the coastal city south of Houston is also the birthplace of Juneteenth, a Texas tradition that became a federal holiday in 2021. This day marks the day in 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger visited the island and told enslaved African Americans that they were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by then-President Abraham Lincoln more than two years earlier. It is celebrated on June 19th.
Galveston city officials are currently working toward the creation of an African American Heritage District, which will highlight and celebrate the city’s rich Black history while also seeking to promote tourism and economic development. It is something. Galveston City Council voted unanimously last month to allocate $50,000 to the effort, which will initially include community activities, website development and data collection, and will be designated as a state cultural arts district or historic district later this year. The goal is to apply for.
“It’s a very necessary and very powerful thing for the island to bring together neighborhoods like this,” said Councilwoman Sharon Lewis, a Black woman who was born in Galveston during segregation. She said, “Galveston was built on the backs of African Americans. The African American community is a vibrant part of Galveston.”
Antoinette Lynch, the city of Galveston’s arts and culture coordinator who is leading the effort, said the hotel occupancy tax is funding an initial $50,000, with more to come over the next two years as the initiative evolves and expands. He has a vision of spending $100,000. She said the idea is for the heritage district to be bordered by Broadway Street to the north and Seawall Boulevard (35th Street) to the south.th West street and 25thth The street on the east side.
Already within this area, along with Jack Johnson Park (named after the aforementioned boxer), Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church (founded as the Colored Baptist Church in 1840) and the Old Central Cultural Center, There are approximately 40 historical buildings. The school is located on the grounds of the former Central High School, which opened in 1885 as the first black high school in Texas. Lewis, who represents the town as part of District 1, said the area was home to restaurants and other businesses listed in the Green Book, a travel guide for African Americans during the era of racial segregation. He said there was also.
Lynch said the Old Central Cultural Center was named the recipient of the $50,000 granted by the City Council and was tasked with collecting photos and other resources, and Vision Galveston. He said he will lead support efforts for the local community. Lynch said he plans to hold events such as roundtables and solicit input online through public works flyers and QR codes posted on the city and Vision Galveston websites.
Feedback from the public will determine the boundaries of the proposed heritage district and determine whether the city will apply for historic district designation through the Texas Historical Commission or cultural arts district designation through the Texas Commission on the Arts. . Lynch said the latter is probably the most likely option, as this year’s cultural district application deadline approaches in June.
Lynch said either designation would allow the city to obtain additional funding sources through federal and state grants. Downtown Galveston became a Cultural Arts District in 2012, and since then more than $1.38 million has been awarded to organizations within the district.
Another goal of creating the African American Heritage District is to further solidify Galveston’s status as a center of black history. With June 1st becoming a federal holiday, the island has become a “magnifying glass,” Lynch said.
“How can I be better and have more?” she said. “This was kind of the city’s way of focusing on our African American heritage and its potential, as well as what the community wants.”
The latter will be decided in the coming months as Galveston residents and stakeholders consider the idea. Meanwhile, city leaders like Lewis, who grew up eating at Black-owned restaurants and shopping at Black-owned businesses, are further celebrating the island’s past while building a foundation for a prosperous future. I’m excited about the prospect of building a.
Galveston Mayor Craig Brown said, “Once established, the district will serve as the core of future development aimed at demonstrating the importance of the African American community’s local and national impact.” ” he said.