Houston (1981-2002, Section 11)
Houstonians have transformed their cultural landscape in the past quarter century as well. As the nation’s energy capital and fourth largest city, Houston draws people from around the world making its population among the most diverse in the country.
An appreciation of this diversity and the impact of post-World War II civil rights efforts have given new impetus to understanding and recognizing the role of African-Americans in the community and in the city’s history.
In 1985, the Freedmen’s Town section of the Fourth Ward was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1988, the San Felipe Courts Historic District was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. San Felipe Courts, better known as Allen Parkway Village, became the battleground for public housing from 1983 to 1996 when Resident’s Council president Lenwood Johnson organized the low-income tenants and the broader community to stop the City and its backers from demolishing the sorely needed 1,000 public housing units.
Dr. and Mrs. John Stone and their family reclaimed an old theater building in Houston’s famed Museum District. In this building, they helped launch the National African-American Museum.
Institutions that previously excluded African-Americans now often found themselves under African-American leadership. In the 1990s, black officials presided over the Houston Police Department and the Houston Independent School District. In 1997, Lee P. Brown became the first African-American mayor of Houston.
In 1991, the NAACP published a report on the progress that Houston’s African-American community, particularly with respect to education, health, housing, and jobs. The NAACP recognized some gains, but acknowledged there was tremendous room for growth as many African-Americans still resided in poverty and had limited access to good health care.