Tracing African-American history in Austin is complicated and compromised, both by the obvious fact of Texas’ history as a Confederate state and by less well-known local history, which includes a 1928 city planning and regulation that dislocated non-white Austinites from around the city to the area east of what is now IH-35 and was then a wide roadway called East Avenue.
While many important sites and landmarks related to Austin’s African-American culture and history have disappeared due to neglect or development, there is a surprising number that remain, particularly (but not only) on the Eastside.
To celebrate Black History Month, we’ve compiled a map of a dozen sites that honor that history and the essential role that black Americans have played in the shaping of Austin, much of it in an environment of and struggle against segregation and discrimination. There are many, so if one of your favorites is not on the list, let us know in the comments.
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