African American Heritage

Juneteenth and Beyond

Journey through African American culture and heritage in Texas — an experience that includes hardships and triumphs, valor and determination, influence and change.

Pictured: Visitors learning about the history of the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site
Credit: Texas Historical Commission

Brought to Texas

The story of the African American presence in Texas history follows the familiar script written for every other southern state in the nation: enslavement brought most African Americans to the region. By the mid-1800s, enslavement played an important role in Texas' economic development and, in fact, enslaved African Americans comprised 30 percent of the state's population by 1860. But freedom for the African American in Texas finally arrived via news from Galveston on June 19, 1865, a day now nationally recognized as Juneteenth.

"People of Quakertown." Quakertown was a freedmen's colony in Denton.
Credit: Portal to Texas History, UNT

Difficult Days Ahead

After secession and during reconstruction, federal intervention was required once again to ensure the protection of civil rights in Texas, ushering in an era that saw African Americans helping the Texas economy recover from the Civil War, serving in the state legislature, and helping to guide the state toward a freer, more democratic society.

Their success was short-lived, however, as segregation established a grip on the state that wouldn't be released for another 60 years. Despite what seemed like impossible odds during this period, African Americans in Texas were able to build communities and businesses, allowing economies and cultures to thrive.

"Absolute Equity," a recently completed mural in Galveston commemorating Juneteenth.
Credit: 2C2K Photography

African Americans in Texas Today

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Travel along with the African Americans in Texas mobile tour, featuring more images, videos, first-person interviews, maps, and useful visitor information for exploring relevant sites across Texas.

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