Houston’s Fourth Ward is home to a historic district known as Freedmen’s Town, a major destination for formerly enslaved individuals following the end of the civil war in 1865. Throughout the decades the town would grow into a major center of Black culture in the United States, although by the 1970s it had begun to fall into decline. Forces of gentrification were threatening the historic homes, churches and Black-owned businesses that had made the community vital.
Since then, the residents of Freedmen’s Town have fought back to preserve their history and their culture. This work extends into the arts world, and visitors to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston now have an opportunity to learn about the beauty of one of Houston’s hidden gems, while supporting the continuing autonomy of this community. Titled This Way: A Houston Group Show, this a new art exhibition is a salvo in the larger campaign by the residents of Freedmen’s Town to maintain the character that has made their settlement a crucial piece of Black culture in the US.
