In honor of Juneteenth, Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee toured Freedmen's Town and learned more about Houston's oldest Black settlement and first Heritage District.
Founded shortly after the news of emancipation reached enslaved people in Texas in the summer of 1865, Freedmen's Town began to attract African Americans from different areas of the South, a story that the foundation has been educating Houstonians about through its community partnerships since 2018.
Nestled in the heart of what is now considered Houston's Fourth Ward, the area became a safe haven for African Americans. Brought together by their newfound freedom and desire to succeed, they formed a prosperous middle-class community with various homes, businesses, and places of worship.
Accompanied by Freedmen’s Town Executive Director Sharon L. Fletcher and the Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Programs & Community Engagement at North Carolina Central University, Will Guzmán, County Attorney Menefee began the tour at the foundation’s main exhibit before exploring the neighborhood
.
Including stops like Macedonia Baptist Church, whose congregation has had a presence in the community since the 1890s, and other historic buildings in the Freedmen's Town neighborhood, tour attendees reflected on the significance of the neighborhood as they walked the same streets that Houston's first freedmen would have.
Before concluding the tour, County Attorney Menefee spoke about the importance of Juneteenth and places like Freedmen's Town.
"As we celebrate Juneteenth, may we think of the contributions of Black Americans to the tapestry of this country, and may we reconcile the past wrongs of the country and understand the rich history that brought us to where we are today."
Written by Saylor Campbell, HCAO Communications & Public Affairs intern.