The Real Austin History Narrative

Dawn, Ann, and I embarked on our second tour this evening as we "get to know Austin 101" from a different perspective, a 2-hour walking tour of historical black Austin led by Javier Wallace. Javier is the founder of Black Austin Tours and an Austin native.

As he told our group "[my] thing is to flip the narrative on its head and give us another perspective." And Javier is a master storyteller! And while focused on the accomplishments of African Americans in Texas history as written, Javier emphasized knowing and understanding the leading role these individuals played in African Americans history. And the importance of retelling their stories witin the context of Texas history.

Starting at the Texas African American History Memorial, as we walked Javier provided us with rich chronological accounts of the early Republic of Texas to the specific role of African Americans during the Texas Revolution to the dominance of black businesses thriving along East 6th Street in downtown Austin during the 1950s and 1960s.

Javier highlighted

- the Texas Capitol. He explained how the Texas government didn't have the funds to build the State Capitol so they leased incarcerated convicts using the convict leasing system. This system was disproportionately skewed to African American men.

- Wooldridge Square. Reverend Jacob Fontaine, ordained June 19, 1865, set out to create African American communities in Austin. Wooldridge Square was one of those communities.

And the nearby site of Paul Quinn College, the first historically black college west of the Mississippi, that opened April 4, 1872. And a part of the Wooldridge Square community.

In 1911, Booker T. Washington (author of Up from Slavery) spoke about doing something about desegregation in Austin. Speaking to an African American crowd in Wooldridge Square, he spoke of a call to action after he was told by the state legislature that he could not speak at the capitol building.

- Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse. Formerly, the Travis County Courthouse, upheld racial segregation. Heman Sweatt, an African American man, bought suit against the head of the University of Texas in 1946 because he was refused admission. He wanted to become a lawyer.

In honor of Sweatt, on October 21, 2005, the Travis County Courthouse was renamed the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse.

- Congress Avenue. During the 1950s and 1960s the entire block was segregated. African Americans staged sit- and stand-ins, demanding recognition of their rights and humanity, and freedom to go into this area. Places like the historic Paramount Theatre was one of those spaces.

- East 6th Street. It was the historic corridor for a number of African American-owned businesses. In 1928, the City of Austin decided it wanted to preserve this area for whites. African Americans and some Mexicans had to live on the eastside, and later east of Interstate 35.

Now it is the most famous street in Austin. And it is where Austin gets the idea of being the "live music capitol of the world."

We ended our tour on 6th Street with a send-off from Javier and a clearer understanding about the real history of Austin, and the unsung African Americans of Austin who will always be part of the Texas city's history and stories. Javier is one who's family background is the proof.

We realize that there is still so much more to know about African Americans in this creative and fun city!Læs mere