Honoring 100 Years of Black History Month Through Heritage Experiences

Black History Month celebrations carry special significance this year, as 2026 marks the centennial of what began in 1926 as a week-long commemoration known as “Negro History Week,” founded by Carter G. Woodson. The event was timed to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas on February 12 and 14, respectively. In the decades that followed, schools organized their own observances, and city mayors issued yearly proclamations recognizing “Negro History Week,” Over time, these efforts evolved into what we now know as Black History Month, first embraced across college campuses.

Pictured: The African American Heritage Monument in Bates Allen Park in Kendleton, a historic freedmen's town founded shortly after the Civil War.
Credit: Houston Public Media

Since President Gerald Ford officially recognized the observance in 1976, this month serves as a call to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans throughout U.S history. African American history and heritage in Texas are especially rich, dynamic and multi-faceted. From region to region and town to town, the Black experience in Texas takes on distinct forms, underscoring the importance of looking beyond well-known narratives to discover smaller communities where powerful stories continue to unfold.

For those hoping to deepen or broaden their engagement with African American history, here are a few heritage experiences to explore—­­­­spanning institutions, historic sites, cities, and neighborhoods.

"I urge my fellow citizens to join me in tribute to Black History Month and to the message of courage and perseverance it brings to all of us."
“National Black History Month Message, 1976.” Courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

A month of celebration and connection

During Black History Month, the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center in Austin offers a month of programming that invites visitors to reflect, connect, and celebrate the lasting impact of Black Americans across generations. Through music and dance, pop culture, higher education, and community-centered events, the museum creates space for both learning and shared experience.

One standout program, Create & Heal: The Art of Gospel, explores the origins of gospel music and its enduring legacy, featuring traditional songs and hymns performed by the Huston-Tillotson University Gospel Choir. Together, these programs highlight how Black cultural traditions continue to inform and inspire communities today. Visitors are encouraged to explore the museum’s website for a complete schedule of events.

A photo of a dimly-lit stage with a large group of choir members with their hands in the air while singing. All members are wearing grey polo shirts and dark pants.
Pictured: Huston-Tillotson University Gospel Choir.
Credit: HTU Facebook

journey through family history

Black History Month also offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on family ancestry, particularly on how histories were recorded, disrupted, and are now being reclaimed. At the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site, educators and special guest Sam Collins III will lead a hands-on beginner workshop on tracing family history through marriage records, with a focus on the first legally recognized marriages of African Americans after emancipation.

If you can’t make it to the February workshop in Brazoria, don’t worry—the program will be offered again at Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site in March.

A black and white photo of an African American family in late 19th to early 20th century attire seated in a field for a portrait.
Pictured: An African American family posed for a portrait seated on a lawn.
Credit: Library of Congress

Listening to the Past in Washington County

Following emancipation, many African Americans established self-sustaining Freedom Colonies throughout Texas in both rural and urban areas. These settlements created employment opportunities, social networks, and a strong sense of cultural unity. In Washington County, the Texas Ten Historical Explorers, in collaboration with the city of Brenham, tell the story of one such community: Camptown.

The story of Camptown unfolds through an immersive, self-guided outdoor Soundwalk Experience that guides visitors to key sites with audio narration and ambient sounds recreating what residents might have heard there. To find a Freedom Colony near you, visit the Texas Freedom Colonies Project’s online Atlas.

An outdoor photo St. John A.M.E. Church from across a street in Brenham. A reading panel is in the foreground with history of the church and community.
Pictured: St. John A.M.E. Church, one of the stops on the Camptown Soundwalk Experience in Brenham.
Credit: Sarah Page

A Dialogue Through Food History

Plan a visit to Barrington Living History Farm State Historic Site on February 14 or 15 for its historic foodways program, Cooking in the Quarter & Kitchen. Visitors can learn what foods were prepared in the plantation kitchen of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, as well as what enslaved men and women—such as Mary, Jerry, Willis, Amy, and Charity—cooked for themselves in the Quarter. While you’re there, take the opportunity to explore the newly reopened Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, also located on the grounds.

Photo of the inside of the Quarter at Barrington Living History Farm State Historic Site. A simple log cabin with a dirt floor and simple wood table and wooden bowl on top. A simple wooden bench and tools hanging on the walls.
Pictured: Barrington Living History Farm State Historic Site Quarter
Credit: Texas Historical Commission

Military Valor Achieved in the West

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Davis Mountains in West Texas, Fort Davis National Historic Site shares the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, including that of Second Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, the first African American to graduate from West Point at age 21. From 1867 to 1885, units of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry Regiments and the Twenty-Fourth, Twenty-Fifth, and Forty-First U.S. Infantry Regiments served at Fort Davis, carrying out duties such as protecting travelers and mail along the San Antonio-El Paso Road, guarding railroad workers from threat, and constructing roads and telegraph lines throughout West Texas, playing a key role in U.S. westward expansion.

At Fort Davis, visitors can get a glimpse into the everyday lives of these enlisted men and learn how, despite the rugged landscape and modest living accommodations, they served in pursuit of a better life.

An exhibit vignette shows a mannequin depicting a Buffalo Soldier sitting in a chair and reading a book next to a faux window showing the Davis Mountains landscape in the distance.
Pictured: Vignette depicting a Buffalo Soldier in the museum at Fort Davis National Historic Site.
Credit: Ana Alicia Acosta

Following the Green Book on San Antonio’s East Side

From the the mid-1930s until the 1960s, The Green Book served as a crucial travel guide for African American motorists during segregation. Published by Victor Green, it listed businesses such as lodgings, restaurants, gas stations, and other services that allowed Black travelers to plan safe journeys and avoid discrimination.

This February, the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) is hosting a Green Book Civil Rights Bus Tour on February 14, offering visitors a chance to explore extant and nonextant Green Book sites across San Antonio’s historic East Side. If you can’t make the bus tour, SAAACAM also offers a full month of events, including a Black History River Boat Tour, Author Series, and Art Market. Check their schedule for details.

A green background with a promotional flyer for SAAACAM's Green Book tours made in the liking of The Green Book travel guide.
Pictured: Promotional flyer for SAAACAM's Green Book Civil Rights Bus Tour on February 14, 2026.
Credit: SAAACAM

Stories of Freedom in Houston’s Fourth Ward

To experience a Freedom Colony in an urban setting, head to Houston’s historic Fourth Ward, home to Freedmen’s Town. Established by formerly enslaved African Americans after emancipation, this neighborhood grew into a vibrant, self-sustaining community with homes, churches, brick streets, and businesses built by Black Houstonians. Today, the Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy works alongside residents and community partners to preserve this history and share it with visitors.

Walking and biking tours, offered on Saturdays, take guests through the historic district, highlighting original brick streets, churches, and other significant sites while sharing stories of resilience, creativity, and community pride. It’s a powerful way to see how the struggle for freedom and self-determination shaped the heart of a major Texas city.

Photo shows a small group being led by a tour guide of Freedmen's Town in Houston's Fourth Ward with a row of homes behind them.. The Houston skyline can be seen in the background.
Pictured: A guided walking tour of Houston's Freedmen's Town.
Credit: Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy

Whether you’re tracing family roots, following the path of the Green Book, or walking the brick streets of Freedmen’s Town, each of these destinations offers a chance to see history up close and in living color. Black History Month is a powerful time to start, but these stories are here for you in every season, ready to welcome curious travelers and neighbors alike. We invite you to use this month as a launching point. Plan a visit, bring a friend, ask questions, and let these sites deepen your connection to Texas’s African American heritage.

Featured Sites

Author

Ana Alicia Acosta

Heritage Tourism Program Specialist