Houston Historical Tours

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African-American Tours

We offer several distinct African American Tours. You could go on a different tour and see completely different sites. Each one includes a walking tour of a cemetery, going to historic churches, traditional African-American schools, community centers, hospitals, going to a traditional Freedmen's Town, restaurants, businesses, and folk art. Lunch can be arranged on any of these tours. Each tour begins with a 15-minute introduction that includes maps from the 1900s, and shows where the only African-American church was located at the time. The photo album has hundreds of historic photos. The history book as old slave records, a listing of every African-American city council person and mayor, a chronology of African-American history, and dozens of historic records from the 1800s.

Did you know that the first public school in Houston was for African-Americans? Come and see it. The tours are:

• Tour A — Harrisburg and the Third Ward
• Tour B — 1st, 4th, and 6th Wards
• Tour C — Acres Homes, Kashmere Gardens, and the 5th Ward
• Tour D — A Plantation and Independence Heights
• Tour E — Ranches
• Tour F — Tour of Galveston

Tour A — Harrisburg and the Third Ward

This includes a walking tour of the only preserved historic African American cemetery. It dates to the era of slavery and is probably the oldest Black cemetery in Houston. We also visit the Houston Negro Hospital, a former segregated school that still has "Colored" in its cornerstone, the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, Project Row Houses, the first African American park, a John Biggers mural in an African American community center, the third oldest African American institution of higher education in Texas, African American mansions in what was once the most affluent African American neighborhood in America, and more. Have lunch in an old mansion, a famous barbecue place, or another place of your choosing.

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Tour B — 1st, 4th, and 6th Wards

This tour includes the former Doris Miller School, the site of the worst race riot in Houston history, Houston's third oldest housing project and site of the first African American hospital, the oldest African American church in Houston, Freedmen's Town, the future African American Library at the Gregory School, and more.  See where Jack Yates preached, his home, and where he is buried.  If you like, we can have lunch at a locally famous soul food restaurant.

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Tour C — Acres Homes, Kashmere Gardens, and the 5th Ward

This tour will bring you to some of the most distinctively African American areas of Houston.  It includes driving by the current and past two Phillis Wheatley high schools, Evergreen Negro Cemetery, where the city paved a street through it, the former Peacock Records, Paradise North Cemetery, Julia C. Hester House, the childhood home of Barbara Jordan, George Foreman’s gym, the African American St. Elizabeth Hospital, the 2nd oldest housing project in Houston, numerous churches, elementary and middle schools, and colorful murals. See historical markers identifying Frenchtown and Zydeco Music.  Lunch at a favorite bar-be-cue place.

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Tour D — A Plantation and Independence Heights

This tour will take you through an 1800s plantation that once had over 300 slaves for a guided tour and the first city in Texas established by African-Americans. The house is open to tour and one of the sheds may be a former slave quarter. You can enjoy lunch at a traditional African-American bar-b-cue or soul food restaurant.

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Tour E — Ranches

Visit three or four local African-American ranches. Learn of the contribution of Blacks in rural Texas as cowboys and owners of ranches. You might have an opportunity to see some roping and ride a horse!

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Tour F — Tour of Galveston

This tour includes seeing the homes of famous Galvestonians including the first heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson, and the 1800s civil rights leader, Norris Wright Cuney. See the historic Black cemetery where one of the founders of the Deltas is buried, churches, segregated "Colored" public schools, parks, and the hundred year plus homes of Black families.

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