Enduring history : the struggle to control the future of Houston's oldest African American neighborhood

Abstract

The recent history of Freedmen's Town, Houston's oldest African American community and one of the city's most contested spaces, is explored. For the past twenty years, developers, mayors and downtown business interests have pushed for the redevelopment of Freedmen's Town, one of the poorest and most run-down sections of the city and located in the shadow of downtown. The various strategies used by the city to stimulate and control development and by residents to prevent the city's interventions and attain community control are investigated. Research was conducted in the manuscript collections of the Metropolitan Research Center at Houston's Public Library, and interviews were conducted with developers, residents, activists and public officials.