African Americans in Texas

apid industrialization. Yet, the
social and legal status of African
Americans continued to be characterized
by Jim Crow laws.
Weary of violence and discrimination,
they sought various
means to achieve equality. With
the advent of the Civil Rights
Movement, church leaders,
community organizations
and black-owned newspapers
joined forces to combat
“separate but equal”
practices throughout the
state. Fighting sometimes
insurmountable odds,
African Americans
struggled for voting
rights, improved education,
accessibility to all
public facilities and fair hiring
practices. These efforts not only
achieved political, educational
and economic progress for the
black community, but also altered
the course of Texas and
U.S. history.
Fortunately, most of the history
recounted in this brief
overview is recorded for future
generations eager to research their
ancestry. Other facets of African
American history, however, will
survive only as long as the chain
in the oral tradition is not broken.
In many cases, a grave marker in
a cemetery or a roadside historical
marker are all that exist to
commemorate the lives of
African Americans who
were significant
in Texas history.
As research efforts
deepen,
however, it becomes
evi-
Texas Historical Commission
African Americans in Texas
An Enduring Legacy
★
dent that the true history of this
great state cannot be told without
recognizing the contributions of
its African American community.
M. L. King Jr. Statue, Dallas
jesse hornbuckle