PHIT and Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, People’s History in Texas highlights our work that showcases Black history in Texas.
In 1960, a group of civil rights activists in Austin staged a “stand-in” at the Varsity movie theater on Guadalupe St. to protest segregation. This is their history.

The Stand-Ins

This short video highlights the Texas Department of Agriculture during the Jim Hightower years as Commissioner from 1983-1991. In those years, the TDA worked to improve the future of Black farmers in Texas. Al Parks, Demetrius McDaniel, and Jesse Oliver talk about the Black Farmers Conferences and the marketing and diversification effort supported by the TDA.

Improving the Future of Black Farmers in Texas

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the U.S. Government created many programs to help unemployed Americans. The Building Hope video documentary tells the story of three different communities that were built in Texas through support from President Roosevelt’s administration to address widespread poverty among tenant farmers and sharecroppers. “Sabine Farms” is the story of the only African American community built in Texas as part of this national program.

Sabine: New Deal Community Farm

PHIT’s blog also has a three part series of articles on the powerful history of Black farmers in Texas.

Black Farmers in Texas