Houston
Houston has long been a crossroads of Black migration, creativity, and resilience. After Emancipation, formerly enslaved people established independent communities known as Freedmen’s Towns, carving out spaces of autonomy in a rapidly industrializing city. One of the most prominent, Houston’s Fourth Ward, became a vibrant cultural and political center where Black Houstonians built churches, businesses, and social institutions that shaped the city’s identity. Though highways and redevelopment have threatened these historic neighborhoods, the roots of resistance and community remain strong. In Houston, the Black experience is not only preserved in its heritage trees and historic corridors—it is alive in the ongoing struggle to protect land, memory, and self-determination.
Listening Session Recap
Our Houston Team
Naomi Carrier
- Houston Team Lead
- Texas Native
- Founder and CEO of the Texas Center for African American Living History (TCAALH)
- Author, playwrite, educator
Marco Robinson
- Associate Professor of History at Prairie View A&M University
- Assistant Director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice
Sharon Fletcher
- Houston native – 5th ward
- Executive Director of the Freedmens Town Conservancy
Brady Mora
- Houston native
- Research Arborist
- Contributor to Emancipation National Historic Trail
Featured Tree Stories
The Freedom Tree
The Freedom Tree in Missouri City, Texas. It was under this live oak tree that General Gordon Granger’s troops (most of whom were mounted Black Union soldiers) rode into Galveston to announce and enforce General Order #3. This order was issued by Union General Gordon Granger, on June 19, 1865…
Photo Gallery
