'Black Towns Matter' mural painted on street in Houston's Independence Heights
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Photo: Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer
Link Road in the Houston neighborhood of Independence Heights has "Black Towns Matter" painted on it in preparation for the community's Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, 2020.
Link Road in the Houston neighborhood of Independence Heights has "Black Towns Matter" painted on it in preparation for the community's Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 19, 2020.
A "Black Towns Matter" mural has been painted on a street in Houston's historic Independence Heights neighborhood, also known as the first black city in Texas.
The large mural, which shows the message in pink and yellow lettering, can be seen on Link Road. It appeared Friday morning, just ahead of the neighborhood's Juneteenth celebration.
NEED TO KNOW: Friday marks 155 years since Juneteenth originated in Texas. Here's how the day came to be.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday that marks the end of slavery in the U.S. and when the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, were informed they were free. Following the death of longtime Houstonian George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests, marches across the country are planned for this year's holiday.
Independence Heights became the first African American municipality in Texas on Jan. 17, 1915, and had a population of 600 residents, according to the City of Houston website. It was annexed by Houston in 1929.
The historic town has been grappling with new development that has led to skyrocketing property values that have pushed out generations of families.
ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: The first black city in Texas is on the verge of losing its identity.
rebecca.hennes@chron.com
