From 1865-1930, African Americans accumulated land and founded an estimated 557 historic black settlements or freedom colonies in Texas. Since their founding, freedom colony descendants have dispersed, and hundreds of settlements’ statuses and locations are unknown. While known by several different names (freedmen’s settlements, Black pockets, freedmen’s towns) and existing in urban, rural, exurba
n, and suburban spaces, freedom colonies all confront similar challenges. Gentrification, cultural erasure, natural disasters, urban renewal, and land dispossession have contributed to their decline. Freedom colony descendants’ lack of access to technical assistance, ecological and economic vulnerability, and invisibility in public records have quickened the disappearance of these historic Texas communities. What is The Texas Freedom Colonies Project? ™
Founded by Dr. Andrea Roberts in 2014, The Texas Freedom Colonies Project™ is a research, educational, and social justice initiative dedicated to preserving the spaces within and heritage of Texas’ historic African American settlements. In partnership with descendant communities, we aim to prevent cultural property erasure, destruction, and decay within settlements. Cultural properties include homes/farmsteads, churches, schools, lodges, and cemeteries. We are researchers and volunteers who map disappearing places and co-create resilience strategies with endangered communities. To support freedom colonies’ community resilience, the Project Team, operating virtually and physically at Texas A&M University and the University of Virginia (Fall 2022), leverages Roberts’ Place Preservation Framework -- connecting, collecting, and co-creating solutions. The Project
1) Connects: Hosts and maintains an interactive, publicly accessible Atlas & database of freedom colony heritage, including GIS layers indicating development and ecological threats. Creates events and educational workshops for descendant connection and community building
2) Collects: Ethically records and safeguards stories and materials associated with freedom colonies, and
3) Co-Creates: Identifies resources for and co-develops community resilience strategies and policies with freedom colony descendants using engaged, applied research
The Project engages in several public-facing initiatives that protect endangered African American history, educate the public, and yield valuable research. Our work leverages social media, digital humanities platforms, GIS analysis, archival research, and engaged ethnography, including oral histories, to achieve our aims. Team members create peer-reviewed scholarship, develop project-based learning for students, author reports, and provide evidence-based support to grassroots and public preservation groups and agencies. Along with the Atlas, they made freedom colonies more visible to those who could influence their chances of survival. Team leadership provides specialized training on cultural resource surveying and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in historic preservation to nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies.
Dr. Andrea Roberts
University of Virginia
Campbell Hall PO Box 400122
Charlottesville, VA 22904
UVA IRB-SBS # 5460
TAMU IRB IRB2018-0147M (through 04/10/2023)
