[Gregory School Receives Historical Marker]
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MY NAME IS ANGELA KENT, AND I'M THE HEAD OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY'S HISTORY RESEARCH CENTERS.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE HISTORIC GREGORY SCHOOL SITE MARKER.
NOW, HOME TO H P'S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER.
TODAY YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS HISTORIC SITE AND THE TREMENDOUS EFFORTS MADE BY THIS COMMUNITY TO BRING THE STATE HISTORICAL SITE MARKER TO THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
AND SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M NOW PLEASED TO INTRODUCE AND WELCOME MR. MIGUEL CAESAR, H P'S CURRENT MANAGER OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER TO BEGIN TODAY'S OFFICIAL CEREMONY.
ALRIGHT, STRING THIS UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, MY NAME IS MIGUEL CAESAR, THE, UH, MANAGER AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER, UH, AT THE GREGORY CAMPUS.
ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU TO THE UNVEILING OF THE HISTORICAL MARKER.
SO A LITTLE CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY.
SO, BETWEEN 1865 TO 1870, FREEMAN'S TOWN, WHICH WAS SETTLED BY A FORMAL, FORMAL, FORMERLY ENSLAVED, UH, PEOPLE WAS TRANSFORMED FROM A SWAMPY FLOOD PRONE SITE, CONSIDER UNSUITABLE FOR LIVING IN A THRIVING COMMUNITY AND INTO A THRIVING COMMUNITY.
THIS AREA BECAME THE CENTER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN HOUSTON.
THROUGHOUT THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FREEMAN'S TOWN GAVE BIRTH TO RELIGIOUS, FINANCIAL, CIVIL, AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
THERE WERE THE FOUNDATIONS OF HOUSTON'S AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE IN THE AFTERMATH OF EMANCIPATION.
BLACK EDUCATION IN TEXAS WAS HIGHLY OPPOSED AND VIEWED AS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO THE STATUS QUO.
IN THAT CONTEXT, THE GREGORY SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED, FORMED IN 1870.
THE GREGORY INSTITUTE WAS THE FREEMAN'S BUREAU SCHOOL CREATED AT THE ART OF MAJOR GENERAL GRA M GREGORY.
THE GREGORY INSTITUTE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK EDUCATION CENTER FOR, UH, AFRICAN AMERICANS IN HOUSTON.
THE CURRENT BRICK STRUCTURE YOU SEE TODAY WAS BUILT IN 1926, AND FROM ITS INCEPTION, IT WAS A BEACON OF EXCELLENCE PROVIDING, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN, A PLACE WHERE EDUCATION, UH, WHERE YOU COULD GET THE NECESSARY SKILL FOR YOUR EDUCATION, AS WELL AS SUPPORT THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES IN HOUSTON, UH, IN THE GREATER COMMUNITY.
WE ARE HERE AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTER.
CONSIDER BOTH A PRIVILEGE AND OUR HONOR TO BE CALLED THE GREGORY SCHOOL, OUR HOME.
AND SINCERELY THANK OUR FRIENDS GROUP, UH, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBRARY, GREGORY FRIENDS FOR SPONSORING THE MARKER APP APPLICATION.
UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THIS IMPORTANT HISTORY, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OFFER SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT LIBRARIAN, INGRID GRANT, WHICH IS HERE.
UM, ALSO, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, MR. REGGIE BROWN YES.
UH, MS. DEBORAH BLACKLOCK SLOAN.
AS WELL AS MS. BERNICE MISTRO.
I DON'T MISS MS. TROT
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, UH, MS. DEBORAH BLACK, BLACK SLOAN ON BEHALF OF THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
UM, I AM DEBRA BLACKLOCK SLOAN NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, SIXTH GENERATION TEXAN, UH, 20 YEARS ON HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
UH, AND I AM PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY.
I'M ALSO, I'VE BEEN WITH THE YS MUSEUM FOR 20 YEARS, RESEARCHING THIS WONDERFUL HISTORY OF FREEMANS
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TOWN.IT'S, IT'S, I'M NEVER SURPRISED ABOUT WHAT I FOUND, WHAT I FOUND, AND I'M VERY HUMBLE ABOUT IT.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BRING UP, UH, CHRIS ELLA, WHO IS THE COMMISSION CHAIR FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
I AM THE, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
IF YOU COME TO ME, UH, YOU'LL SEE MY BADGE SAYS VICE CHAIR.
I'VE, I'VE SINCE MOVED UP IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO YEAH, WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR BADGES.
DEBORAH, IS YOURS UPDATED, BY THE WAY? WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR BADGE? MARKER.
DEDICATION, RIGHT? UH, NO, THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BOTTOM THERE.
WHAT DOES IT SAY ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR NAME? HARRIS COUNTY HISTORIC.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER MEMBERS WILL HOWER, HE'S ALSO ON OUR COMMISSION.
AND Y'ALL MENTIONED BERNICE MISTRO.
I DON'T THINK SHE'S HERE TODAY.
ANY OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS? NO.
UH, DEBORAH WANTED ME TO COME UP HERE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A HISTORICAL MARKER.
AND, AND REALLY IT TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE.
UH, IT TAKES ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR Y'ALL TO GET THIS MARKER? FIVE YEARS.
ON THE AVERAGE, NOW IT'S TAKEN TWO TO THREE YEARS.
UH, THE APPLICATION IS SENT THROUGH US ON A LOCAL LEVEL.
WE'RE A POLITICAL SUBGROUP OF THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
SO WE ALL WORK ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS.
AND, UH, SO WHEN THESE APPLICATIONS COME, THEY COME THROUGH US.
FIRST, WE SCREEN IT, WE HAVE A REVIEW, UH, COMMITTEE, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS, IS RIGHT, AND THEN WE FINALLY SEND IT UP TO THE STATE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN IT GETS THROWN INTO A LIST OF, OF OTHER APPLICANTS AROUND THE STATE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, IN THE TWO YEAR WAIT.
AND, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US AT THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THIS IS ONLY FOR A SUBJECT MARKER, SO I RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL MAYBE ALSO WANT TO APPLY FOR A RECORDED TEXAS HISTORICAL LANDMARK FOR THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT'S HERE.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT'S, SO, IT'D BE ANOTHER MARKER LIKE THIS, BUT IT WOULD BE TO, UH, RECORD THIS BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AS A LANDMARK.
YOU HAD A QUESTION DESIGNATION.
IT WAS ALSO ALL WITH THE OH, OH, TERRIFIC.
I, I DON'T, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT.
WE HAVE TO SEE IF IT'S ON THERE.
WE HAVE TO, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT AND ALSO GET IT ON THE CITY.
UH, THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
MR. MAYOR, Y'ALL HAVE A, A, A PROGRAM TOO THAT DESIGNATE LANDMARKS.
SO I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE TO DO THAT, TO GIVE SOME MORE PROTECTION TO THE BUILDING.
I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THAT WHENEVER SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR THE STATE LEVEL, TO ALSO GO TO THE, THE LOCAL CITY LEVEL JUST TO GIVE US SOME MORE PROTECTION.
OKAY, WITH THAT FURTHER ADO, THANK Y'ALL FOR ATTENDING AND, UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE CONGRATULATORY DOCUMENTS.
SO IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR THE GREGORY FRIENDS AND THE HBL STAFF TO COME FORWARD, TO BE PART OF THIS MOMENT, WE COULD SQUEEZE IN HERE.
GREGORY FRIENDS, UH, DR. LAWSON AND THE MAYOR.
I'LL JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THEM ALL.
AND, UH, WHO'S, WHO'S GONNA RECEIVE THEM? I, YOU'LL RECEIVE THEM.
SO YOU GUYS, CAN YOU GUYS TURN THAT WAY FOR THE PHOTOS? I DON'T KNOW.
OR IF SOMEBODY COULD COME UP HERE.
WHAT? YEAH, THAT GOOD, MIGUEL? OKAY.
EVERYBODY, THE CITY COUNCIL? ANYBODY? YES.
IS EVERYBODY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER? ANYBODY ELSE? UM, YEAH.
SO THE FIRST, UH, DOCUMENT IS FROM, UH, STATE REP JOLANDA JONES FROM DISTRICT 1 47.
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OKAY.AND THE, UH, NEXT DOCUMENT IS FROM, UH, STATE SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER, DISTRICT 15 AS WELL.
THE NEXT DOCUMENT IS FROM, UH, JUDGE LENA HIDALGO.
AND THEN I'LL, ONE MORE DOCUMENT IS FROM, LET'S SEE, GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT.
IS SHEILA JACKSON LEE'S REP HERE.
IS ASKING IF YOU TO TALK TO RICK, TO KIM
GREAT MORNING TO EVERYONE ON THIS WONDERFUL OCCASION.
AND WE HAVE SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL ON THE PHONE, UM, WHO IS IN WASHINGTON DC, BUT SHE PROUDLY SERVES THIS AREA, UH, IN THIS DISTRICT OF THE, OF, OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 18.
AT THIS TIME, I ASK YOU TO RECEIVE WITH A GREAT HAND OF OVATION, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN FROM THE 18TH DISTRICT, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE.
I CERTAINLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE AND CELEBRATE THIS IMPORTANT OCCASION.
IT IS EVIDENT BY THE NUMBER OF RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU HAVE GARNERED, UH, THAT OUR PUBLIC SERVANT COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THE HISTORIC ROLE, UH, THAT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBRARY, UH, THAT IS AT THE GREGORY LINCOLN SITE IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR LIBRARIAN, DR. LAWSON, TO ANGELA WHO HANDLES THE COLLECTION.
AND MIGUEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN MANAGING THIS GREAT HISTORIC, UH, CENTER AS WELL.
UH, LET ME THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO NOT ONLY, UH, UPLIFTING US CURRENTLY AS A GREAT MAYOR, BUT REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR HISTORY.
I HAVE A CLOSE AFFECTION FOR THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORY OF, UH, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE MANY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITY, UH, AS A STRONG PROPONENT OF DEVELOPING A HISPANIC NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON.
AND AS THE EARLY CO-SPONSOR OF THE MUSEUM OF CULTURE AND HISTORY IN WASHINGTON, UH, ULTIMATELY LED BY JOHN LEWIS FIRST INITIATED, HOWEVER, BY THE HONORABLE MICKEY LELAND, WHO INTRODUCED LEGISLATION FIRST TO DEVELOP A, UH, MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON ON SLAVE HISTORY.
JOHN LEWIS THEN, UH, PROVIDED, UH, THE NEXT STEP OF WHICH I WAS A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF HIS.
AND WE JOINED IN, UH, GETTING, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE, WHICH WAS THE SMITHSONIAN.
THE GREGORY LINCOLN WAS THE SITE WHERE DR.
LONNIE BUNCH CAME TO WHEN HE ASKED COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA TO BRING ITEMS THAT WOULD REFLECT THE STORY AND HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM THE MOMENT THAT WE WERE BROUGHT HERE ENSLAVED, UH, UNTIL OUR CURRENT TIME.
AND SO THERE IS A REFLECTION OF HOUSTON IN THAT MUSEUM.
AND THIS HISTORIC, UH, PLACE IS OF COURSE A VERY DIRECT CONNECTION, UH, TO THAT HISTORY.
SO I AM, UH, VERY MUCH EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TODAY.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, DEBORAH SLOAN, WHO I'VE WORKED WITH OF BLACKLOCK SLOAN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR JUST CONTINUING TO BE A SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION TO OUR COMMUNITY AS THEY GO THROUGHOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND FIND HISTORIC ARTIFACTS, CEMETERIES, AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
I WAS VERY PLEASED, UH, TO JOIN WITH, UH, SENATOR HUTCHINSON.
WE GAVE THE FIRST $2 MILLION ARAMARK WAY BACK TO BEGIN THE FOUNDATION OF THIS GREAT FACILITY.
AND I THANK THE FOURTH WARD FRIEDMANS TOWN COMMUNITY, INCLUDING GLADYS HOUSE.
ALL OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN ENSURING THAT THESE DOLLARS WERE BROUGHT, WE ARE STAYING READY TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND SO ON THIS VERY HISTORIC DAY, UH, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE COMBINATION OF THE JUNETEENTH FEDERAL HOLIDAY, WHICH WAS BORN OUT OF HOUSTON, UH, AND BORN OUT OF TEXAS AND BORN OUT OF GALVESTON, UH, THAT, UH, I THEN LED TO BE A FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
THE EMANCIPATION TRAIL, WHICH WE HOPE WILL COME INTO FRUITION.
AND NOW THIS GREAT HISTORIC MARKER THAT IS GONNA COME TO PUT A MARK
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FOR THOSE TO COME FROM MANY PLACES AROUND THE WORLD AND AROUND THE NATION TO FIND OUR HISTORY.WHAT A WONDERFUL SITE TO BRING CHILDREN AND OTHERS TO KNOW OUR STORY.
AND SO IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, THIS CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION ON THIS VERY SPECIAL DAY.
LET US SHARE OUR HISTORY TO KNOW OUR HISTORY.
IT'S TO LOVE OUR HISTORY, TO LOVE OUR HISTORY.
AND WE ARE ALL PART OF AMERICA'S GREAT HISTORY.
GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND ALSO TO, TO MARK THIS SPECIAL OCCASION, THE CONGRESSWOMAN REQUESTED THAT A SPECIAL FLAG BE ALONE OF THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON DC IN HONOR OF THIS AUSPICIOUS OCCASION.
SO THIS IS THE FLAG THAT WAS FLOWN OVER THE CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON, DC OKAY, SO DON'T ANYBODY MOVE.
UH, WHERE ARE THE COMMISSION MEMBERS BEFORE I GET KICKED OFF? YOU GUYS COME UP HERE.
WHERE ARE MY MANNERS? I FORGOT MY FAMILY.
COMMISSION MEMBERS, BEFORE I GET KICKED OFF, I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE PART OF THIS PHOTO OP.
WHAT? YEAH, YOU WANT ME TO COME UP? YOU WANT COME UP? OKAY.
BROWN LAWSON, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TODAY.
I, UM, JOINED THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IN 2005 UNDER THEN MAYOR BILL WHITE.
HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT TO ME WAS TO, UH, BRING INTO REALITY A PROMISE THAT HE HAD MADE THE FORMER MAYOR BROWN TO, UH, CREATE A FACILITY THAT WOULD COLLECT AND CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY MADE IN HOUSTON AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA.
UM, WHEN I WAS BEING INTERVIEWED FOR THIS POSITION, HE MENTIONED THAT, AND I TOLD HIM I HAD TO HAVE THIS JOB.
THERE JUST WASN'T ANY OTHER APPLICANT THAT WAS AS, AS ENTHUSIASTIC AND THAT COULD GET THIS DOWN.
AND SO I GOT THE JOB, AND IT HAS, UM, BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE, UM, AS A FIRST ASSIGNMENT AND TO BRING, UH, THIS FACILITY INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY WORKING, UH, SIDE BY SIDE WITH, UH, JOHN MIDDLETON AND HIS TEAM AND THE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UH, TEAM HERE AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
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IS A MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING FACILITY.I THINK HE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT.
I WAS TELLING THE MAYOR STORY ABOUT WHEN I FIRST SAW GREGORY.
IT WAS BOARDED UP, HAD BEEN BOARDED UP FOR YEARS.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD SEE IT, JOHN TOLD ME I HAD TO CLIMB UP A FIRE ESCAPE AND LOOK IN THE BUILDING THROUGH THIS SLATS OF WOOD THAT YOU COULD SEE THROUGH.
AND I SAW ALL KINDS OF LITTLE RODENTS, AND YOU COULD SEE THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS.
BUT BEYOND THAT, WHEN I LEARNED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST SCHOOL FOR COLORED CHILDREN IN HOUSTON, I SAID, WE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS BUILDING AND BRING IT BACK.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IS A SCATTERED HISTORY.
IT'S A, WE WERE MOVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND SO I MAY HAVE COUSINS IN HERE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
AND SO, ANYWHERE THAT YOU CAN COLLECT THE HISTORY OF A SCATTERED PEOPLE, IT'S A GOOD SACRED PLACE.
AND I WAS, I AM, AND I REMAIN VERY, VERY PROUD.
UM, I CALL THIS MY SEMINAL WORK TO LEAVE THIS BUILDING AND THIS COLLECTION THAT'S GROWING UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MIGUEL CAESAR.
PLEASE GIVE HIM A HAND AND HIS, UH, VERY TALENTED STAFF, PLEASE.
AND THEN WE GOT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR FROM THESE, UH, THIS GROUP THAT SAID, WE WANNA SUPPORT GREGORY.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REMAINS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT GROWS.
AND BECAUSE OF THEIR WORK, WE ARE HERE TODAY.
SO, GENTLEMEN AND LADIES, DON'T YOU PLEASE STAND AND BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
THE FRIENDS OF THE GREGORY SCHOOL, COME ON, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT.
AND SO, UH, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW THRILLED I AM ABOUT THIS DAY.
AND IT'S NOW MY GREAT PLEASURE AND DEEP HONOR TO BRING TO THE STAGE AMERICA'S BEST MAYOR, THE HONORABLE SYLVETA TURNER.
YEAH, I TELL YOU THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF CONNECTION IN THIS ROOM.
UM, I DO WANNA START OFF BY CERTAINLY, UM, UM, THANKING DR.
UM, I MEAN, WHEN SHE, WHEN SHE CAME HERE AND SAW, UH, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS HERE, UM, I MEAN, SHE'S JUST DONE A MASTERFUL JOB AND THINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE UNDER HER LEADERSHIP.
SO, UH, REALLY GIVE IT, GIVE IT UP TO DR.
RIA, BROWN LAWSON, LOOK TO, UH, UH, AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE TO, TO THANK OF COURSE, ANGELA, UH, ANGELA KENT.
UH, MIGUEL HAS JUST DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL BEEN TOGETHER SEVERAL TIMES WHERE HE'S TAKEN LEADERSHIP, SO REALLY APPRECIATE HIM.
UM, EVERYBODY FROM THE HISTORICAL, UH, COMMISSION, BOTH AT THE TEXAS LEVEL, HARRIS COUNTY LEVEL.
DEBORAH, JUST THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO AND EVERYONE ELSE ASSOCIATED.
UM, AND WE START TALKING ABOUT HISTORY.
I SEE MONETTE BAZEL BACK THERE.
UM, BERNSTEIN, I'VE BEEN OF FAITH MINISTRIES, REVEREND ELMORE JOHNSON, UM, WITH YOU AND YOUR CHURCH.
GIVE IT UP TO REVEREND ELMORE JOHNSON, SURRENDER FROM THE FREEMANS TOWN ASSOCIATION AND THE CONSERVANCY, EILEEN, AS I, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO IN THIS AREA.
AND I DO CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE.
AND SO THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, WHO'S
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TAKEN A VERY DIRECT INTEREST IN THIS AREA.PROBABLY HAS TAKEN MORE INTEREST THAN OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS NERS, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION, I KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO BE HERE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS NOT HER DISTRICT, IT CERTAINLY FALLS WITHIN HER INTEREST.
SO COUNCILMAN MACO, ROS, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AND THEN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, BECAUSE, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE TODAY, UH, CERTAINLY CONNECTS TO DISTRICT D, UH, BECAUSE AS YOU WILL SEE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED TO BUILD THIS THIS SCHOOL WERE ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN PURCHASING EMANCIPATION PARK.
AND SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, LOOK, THIS IS A, THIS IS A VERY MOMENTOUS DAY.
I DON'T WANT TO UNDER UNDERSTATE IT.
UH, WE ARE STANDING IN THE HISTORICAL GREGORY SCHOOL, A SCHOOL CONSTRUCTED IN 1926 AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOUNG BLACK CHILDREN IN THIS CITY.
MIGUEL STATED IT EARLIER, AND TODAY, WE'RE HERE TO UNVEIL THE OFFICIAL STATE OF TEXAS HISTORICAL MARKER, WHICH IN MANY WAYS SOLIDIFIES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREGORY SCHOOL BUILDING IN HOUSTON'S HISTORY.
AND AFFIRMING THAT BLACK HISTORY IS ALSO AMERICAN HISTORY.
UH, I CANNOT HELP BUT STOP AND REFLECT.
HOUSTON IS NOW THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND HERE WE ARE STANDING IN THE HOUSTON IN HOUSTON'S OLDEST ESTABLISHED AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, FREEDMAN'S TOWN IN HOUSTON'S HISTORIC FOURTH WARD.
AND, UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHETHER YOU, UH, GREW UP AND LIVED IN THIRD WARD AT THE TRAY OR FIFTH WARD AT THE NICKEL OR ACRES HOME, THE FOUR FOUR, COME ON, THIS IS, THIS IS THE OLDEST ESTABLISHED AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, UH, RIGHT HERE IN FOURTH WARD.
AND THAT IS ONE REASON, UH, IF NOT THE MAIN REASON WHY WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THE VISION TO TRANSFORM THIS BUILDING INTO WHAT YOU SEE TODAY WAS THE VISION OF FORMER MAYOR LEE P BROWN.
AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM, EVEN IN HIS ABSENCE, A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT.
HE WAS HOUSTON'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR, AND I WANT, I WANT TO THANK HIM, UH, FOR HIS VISION.
AND LARRY, YOU WORK CLOSELY, LARRY PAYNE, YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH HIM.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, IS, UH, BECAUSE OF, OF HIS VISION AND HIS DESIRE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, THEN COMES DR.
RIA BROWN LAWSON, WHO HAS GIVEN, UH, MEANING, UH, TO, TO THAT VISION.
RIA LAWSON, UH, WHO WORKED TO IMPLEMENT IT WAS HOUSTON'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN DIRECTOR.
AND, UH, AND NOT JUST THE FIRST, I BELIEVE SHE'S THE COUNTRY'S BEST.
WE COME FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND LIFE EXPERIENCES LIKE SHEILA CONGRESSWOMAN, SHEILA JACKSON LEE SAID.
BUT WE ARE ALL HERE TOGETHER FOR A COMMON CAUSE TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PEOPLE AND PLACES LIKE GREGORY SCHOOL THAT ARE SACRED PILLARS OF EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS EVIDENT BY THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING GIVEN TO SUPPORT ITS SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, ORAL HISTORIES AND ARCHIVES USED BY CITIZENS AND SCHOLARS ALIKE FROM THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENTS RECENT $500,000 AWARD AND 25,000 FROM THE TAX TREASURER'S GRANT TO A GENEROUS 150,000 DONATION FROM THE TEXAS GREGORY FRIENDS GROUP FOR THE PURCHASE OF MUCH NEEDED OR ARCHIVAL COMPACT SHOVING.
I AM THANKFUL TO BOTH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR PRESERVING OUR HISTORY
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AND HERITAGE THROUGH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER HERE AT THE GREGORY SCHOOL.AND LET ME JUST READ A, A PORTION OF THE TEXT OF THE GREGORY SCHOOL OFFICIAL STATE HISTORICAL MARKER IN 1865, AS THE REALITY OF EMANCIPATION SPREAD ACROSS TEXAS, MANY FORMERLY ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS LEFT PLANTATIONS AND OTHER PLACES OF BONDAGE IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE.
NOW, SOME WOULDN'T HAVE HEARD THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
SOME DIDN'T EVEN WAIT FOR THE BOTTOM LINE.
THEY KNEW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO BE SAID, SO THEY TOOK OFF QUICKLY.
OTHERS WAITED FOR IT TO FINISH, AND THEN THEY TOOK OFF.
AND YET THERE WERE OTHERS WHO KIND OF STAYED STILL BECAUSE WHEN YOU'VE BEEN IN BONDAGE, IT'S NOT JUST PHYSICAL BONDAGE, BUT IT'S MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BONDAGE AS WELL.
SO EVEN AFTER THEY HEARD THE FULL SCRIPT FROM GENERAL GRANGER, THERE WERE SOME WHO STILL STAYED WHERE THEY WERE, BUT EVENTUALLY, EVENTUALLY THEY STARTED TO MOVE AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, THEY CAME IN 1865.
MANY THEN CAME AND ESTABLISHED FREEMAN'S TOWN NEAR BUFFALO BAYOU.
IN HOUSTON'S FOURTH WARD, THE FREEMAN'S BUREAU AND THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION WORKED WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH SCHOOLS IN THREE EARLY CHURCHES, ADULTS, AND CHILDREN WERE TAUGHT IN THE SAME CLASSES BY WHITE TEACHERS.
HOUSTON'S FIRST PURPOSE BUILT SCHOOL FOR BLACKS WAS THE 1870 GREGORY INSTITUTE NAMED FOR EM.
GREGORY A FREEMAN'S BUREAU OFFICIAL BLACK TRUSTEES, RICHARD ALLEN, REVEREND ELIAS DIBBLE, PETER NOBLE, REVEREND SANDY PARKER, AND WILLIAM WAF RAISED MONEY FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOL.
SOME OF THEM DID THE SAME IN PURCHASING EMANCIPATION PARK.
THE SCHOOL WAS LOCATED IN A TWO STORY BRICK BUILDING ON JEFFERSON AVENUE AT LOUISIANA STREET IN 1876.
IT BECAME PART OF HOUSTON'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH BLACK TEACHERS.
IN 1877, HENRY C. HARDY BECAME THE SCHOOL'S FIRST BLACK PRINCIPAL.
THE SCHOOL RELOCATED TO THIS SITE IN A NEW WOODEN BUILDING.
IN 1903, OVERCROWDING, NEGLECT AND FIRE DAMAGE LED TO THE 1926 CONSTRUCTION OF THIS TWO STORY 20,000 SQUARE FOOT BRICK BUILDING RENAMED THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
THE NEW FACILITY CONTINUED EDUCATING BLACK STUDENTS TO PROSPER WITHIN A SEGREGATED SOCIETY.
NOW, MIND YOU, THIS CAME ABOUT IN 1926, BUT OLD COLORED HIGH WAS FORMED IN 1927, WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS BUGGER T AND BUGGER T WAS LOCATED BUGGER T HIGH SCHOOL WAS LOCATED IN FOURTH WARD, BUT YEARS LATER, IT THEN MOVE A LITTLE NORTH TO INDEPENDENT HIKES.
SO THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON NOW AND INDEPENDENT HIKES USED TO BE THE OLD COLORED HIGH.
IT'S A SCATTERED HERE HISTORY, BUT WHEN YOU COLLECTED IT IS ROOTED IN HISTORY ITSELF.
AND SO THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALLY CLOSED GREGORY IN 1980, CITING LOW ENROLLMENT AND DETERIORATING STRUCTURE.
THE SITE HAS BEEN AN EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND, UH, CULTURAL ANCHOR FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS.
ITS HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IS REFLECTED IN THE SITE'S 1985 LISTING AND THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES.
AND ITS 1995 STATE ANTIQUITIES LANDMARK DESIGNATION REDEDICATED IN 2009 AS THE AMERICAN LIBRARY OF THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
IT CONTINUES TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE OF HOUSTON'S BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND NOW, AS WE PLACE THIS MARKER, THE QUESTION WILL BE, WHAT CAN WE DO NOW TO EXPAND ITS PRESENCE? BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO HOLD IT WAY IT IS.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WE DO TO FURTHER ENHANCE ITS PRESENCE? AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LEGACY OF THIS LOCATION AS WE PUT FORTH A, A MEASURE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN 2023 TO ADD TO HIS PRESENCE.
AND BEFORE I GO, I WANT TO MENTION THAT WE WILL GATHER RIGHT BACK HERE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF
[00:35:01]
2023 TO CELEBRATE THE DEDICATION OF THE BARBARA JORDAN MEMORIAL.SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE MADE THIS DAY POSSIBLE BECAUSE, AND IF YOU, ALL OF YOU HAD NOT DONE YOUR PART, WE WOULD NOT BE CELEBRATING THIS DAY.
BUT THE BEST OF THIS CITY IS YET TO COME, IF WE REMEMBER FROM ONCE WE HAVE COME AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH.
DON'T FORGET THE MARTIN LUTHER KING PARADE.
AND WE OVERLOOKED SOMEONE ON ACCIDENT.
SO I WANTED TO BRING UP ONE SECOND.
SHE WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, I WILL BE VERY, VERY BRIEF.
UM, MAYOR, YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE TRAUMA OF PEOPLE STAYING BEHIND.
UM, AND FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMAN'S TOWN.
WE STAY AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK, AND THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO WORK OUT OF PRIDE.
SO THAT, THAT SHIFT, THAT TRANSITION AND WHAT THIS AREA MEANS TO ALL OF HOUSTON, I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU, MAYOR AND DR. LAWSON ON CONTINUING THAT WORK.
AND, UH, CHRIS, I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, FROM A HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, UH, PERSPECTIVE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BUILDING.
I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT, MAYOR, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, THE CITY ACTUALLY CREATED THE FIRST HERITAGE DISTRICT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR FOURTH WARD FRIEDMANS TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PROTECTED.
SO MAYOR AGAIN, AND UH, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, IS THIS MARKER.
MAKE SURE THAT THAT WORK CONTINUES AT GREGORY SCHOOL IN THE LIBRARY, DR. LAWSON, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND IF YOUR LIBRARY STAFF, COULD YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND ALL OVER OUR CITY, BUT ESPECIALLY HERE, THAT WORK TO PRESERVE, PROMOTE, AND EDUCATE, CONTINUE.
SO MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO OUR LIBRARIES, AND I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING YEARS, UH, MS. SLOAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
SHE IS ALL OVER THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT DOING THESE, WORKING HARD TO PRESERVE.
BUT WITH THIS ONE ESPECIALLY, UH, BECAUSE OF COVID, THE DELAYS, IT MEANS A LOT THAT WE'VE REACHED THIS DAY.
AND FINALLY, UH, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
AND I'M GONNA MISS A FEW, SO MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE.
BUT, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE STAFF FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT OFFICES.
OUR, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STANDING FOR A MOMENT, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT.
UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S OFFICE FROM OUR CONGRESSWOMAN AT PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT IS HERE BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW MUCH AND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE OUR FREEDMAN SOUND CONSERVANCY, OUR ASSOCIATION, UH, OUR FAITH LEADERS AND INTERFAITH MINISTRIES IN THAT JOINT WORK IN REVEREND JOHNSON.
UH, MINETTE, THE MAYOR LISTED EVERYONE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A PLACE THAT BRINGS EVERYONE TOGETHER.
SO IN HONOR OF THAT, I'M GONNA STEP DOWN.
I KNOW WE HAVE A BIG UNVEILING TO DO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION AND TO OUR FRIENDS OF GREGORY LINCOLN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO IN CONTINUING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA GO OUT TO THE, UH, MARKER, UH, MAYOR AND DR. LAWSON.
AND WE'RE GONNA, UH, UNVEIL IT AND TAKE A COUPLE PHOTOS AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK IN FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENTS THAT WE'LL HAVE IN THE LOBBY.
ON BEHALF OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WE PRESENT THE HISTORICAL MARKET FOR THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
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IN 1865 IS THE REALITY OF EMANCIPATION SPREAD ACROSS TEXAS.MANY FORMERLY ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS LEFT PLANTATIONS AND OTHER PLACES OF BONDAGE IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE.
SOME ESTABLISHED FRIEDMANS TOWN NEAR BUFFALO BAYOU AND HOUSTON'S FOURTH BORN THE FREEDMAN'S BUREAU AND THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION WORKED WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH SCHOOLS IN THREE EARLY CHURCHES, ADULTS AND CHILDREN WERE TAUGHT IN THE SAME CLASSES BY WHITE TEACHERS.
HOUSTON'S FIRST PURPOSE-BUILT SCHOOLS FOR BLACKS WAS THE 1870 GREGORY INSTITUTE NAMED FOR EM.
GREGORY, A GRIEVANCE BUREAU, OFFICIAL BLACK, OFFICIAL BLACK TRUSTEES, RICHARD ALLEN, REVEREND ELIAS DIBEL PETER NOBLE, REVEREND SANDY PARKER, AND WILLIAM WALK, RAISED MONEY FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOL LOCATED IN A TWO STORY BRICK BUILDING ON JEFFERSON AVENUE AT LOUISIANA STREET.
MAYOR, YOU SPOKE A LOT ABOUT THIS.
IN 1876, IT BECAME PART OF HOUSTON'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH BLACK TEACHERS.
IN 1877, HENRY C. HARDY BECAME THE SCHOOL'S FIRST BLACK PRINCIPAL.
THE SCHOOL RELOCATED TO THIS SITE IN A NEW WOODEN BUILDING.
IN 1903, OVERCROWDING, NEGLECT AND FIRE DAMAGE LED TO THE 1926 CONSTRUCTION OF HIS TWO STORY 20,000 SQUARE FOOT BRICK BUILDING RENAMED THE GREGORY SCHOOL.
THE NEW FACILITY CONTINUED EDUCATING BLACK STUDENTS TO PROSPER WITHIN A SEGREGATED SOCIETY.
THE HOUSTON ISD OFFICIALLY CLOSED THE SCHOOL IN 1980, SIGNED LOW CITING LOW ENROLLMENT, AND A DETERIORATING STRUCTURE.
THE SITE HAS BEEN EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL ANCHOR FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS.
ITS HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IS REFLECTED IN THE SITE'S 1985 LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
AND ITS 1995 STATE ANTIQUITIES LANDMARK DESIGNATION REDEDICATED IN 2009.
AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBRARY AT THE GREGORY SCHOOL, IT CONTINUES TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE OF HOUSTON'S BLACK COMMUNITY.