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 […]
Jim Hightower & Texas Populism
You may know of Jim Hightower for his larger than life personality and quick wit, but his tenure with the Texas Department of Agriculture is no laughing matter. In his eight years in office, he ushered in a wave of populist reforms that have largely been written out of history. View our Blog Posts View our Video Essays […]
Building Hope: The New Deal and Texas Farms (2007)
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. In “Ropesville”, original settlers tell the story of building a farm […]