Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 11

This section is recyclable Sunday, February 9, 1992 A1 2 Austin American-Statesman hopes to lift black heritage from obscurity Historian Continued from A1 are woefully unaware of the historical contributions of African Americans, he says, "largely because (this information) has been obscured by the same mythology of racism that has made people deaf to the African Americans' cry for justice." His intent is not to take away from memorials built to the memory of white Americans; he merely seeks balance. "If my life can be enriched by learning about the whites who participated in the Texas Revolution," he said, "then it stands to reason that the lives of our children and not just black children, but all children could be equally enriched by learning about African Americans who participated in events that formed our state." "There needs to be something to crown the achievements of these people who did so much with so little." To visit many monuments, parks and museums in the Lone Star state, one might conclude that blacks were non-existent, or that they contributed little more than back-breaking labor in the cotton fields. "The only thing that young people know about the history of black Americans in Texas is that they did tenant farming and sharecrop-ping," Williams says. "That's demeaning. "But if I know that D.W.

Wallace went to Mitchell County in West Texas penniless and amassed a ranch and much wealth, then I know where there's a will, there's a way." Another piece of history that has been largely ignored by white historians is the story of the Ash-worth family who settled near Beaumont in the days of the Republic, he said. "The Ashworths came from Louisiana to Texas because the Republic had no laws against mixed marriages," Williams said. "Settling around Beaumont, the whites resented them, but the Ashworths had money. They were intelligent. And they planned well.

Before long, they had the people who jeered them at work for them. "The Ashworths contributed a considerable sum of money to the Texas Revolution." Then, there is the contribution ing materials. We just didn't think about saving materials about black businesses because they weren't the leading political powers in town; they didn't have the most money." But Kearl points out that it's not just documents about politically powerful or wealthy families that are important to preserving the past. "It's all the everyday Joes and Janes together that paint the picture of a community." The society asks that the heritage of black Texans be included in some small way in exhibits. Museums, for instance, could install a display panel on historic schools and churches established by black Texans.

"There are an assortment of things each county could do to recognize African Americans," Williams said, "and to bring in the historical perspective we're looking at." Another concern of the society is that the richness of cultural heritage is being lost with the passing of elder black Texans. "African Americans in Texas have very little consciousness of their historical heritage and they have less consciousness of the techniques used to document and preserve their history." Taped interviews with elderly African Americans, for instance, could provide a wealth of information to researchers and historians. Williams said the society hopes that black Texans will begin to preserve and document their heritage. "Then, we can say we have our historians. This is exactly what Carter G.

Woodson, in the early part of this century, said: "If a race has no recorded history, its achievements will be forgotten, and, in time, claimed by other groups." Woodson, a Washington, D.C., educator and author, was the originator of Black History Week, first celebrated in 1926 and now expanded to a monthlong observance each February. It was Woodson's hope that the special observance would improve relations between races. Said Williams: "When we become so insensitive to our history that we let someone else write it for us, then our past is lost. That's exactly what has happened in Texas the last 100 years." equate interpretation of our African-American heritage at (the two parks). Furthermore, if you visited a dozen other state historic sites you would find the same dearth of information about black leaders and about the everyday lives of ordinary people as well." Tunnell volunteered the services of his agency to help research and plan appropriate exhibits for Washington-On-The-Brazos and Fanthrop Inn.

Others responded with assurances that research on black Texans would be considered for incorporation into education programming. Williams has learned to expect much less from many privately owned and city-owned museums. "I've written letters and some of them don't even answer," he said. The society's hope is that a day will come when parks, cultural museums and history centers in the Lone Star state present a correct and full portrayal of African-American contributions to Texas culture. Biruta Celmins Kearl, administrator of the Austin History Center, said the local history collection is soliciting materials representative of Austin's minority populations.

"We have people coming in wanting those materials," she said, "but I don't think we even begin to document what has been happening in black Austin, or Hispanic Austin for that matter. History center staff attended Huston-Tillotson College's Heritage Day last fall and made copies of historical photographs that the community had been encouraged to bring. Williams helped organize that document-gathering project. Like Williams, Kearl believes much of Austin's local heritage has vanished. "It's lost," Kearl said.

"It's like it never happened, as far as we're concerned. Working here, I am very aware of how fragile and accidental the process is by which things get saved." Kearl said the last five years have brought a new sensitivity about the value of ethnic collections. "The consciousness level just wasn't there in earlier times among collecting institutions," she said. "I hate to say everyone was a racist, but I think the whole multicultural interest in the last few years has been supportive of sav Austin History Center, Austin Public Library PICA 05481 David A. Williams of the Black Texans Historical Society pearing, such as this picture of musicians who gathered is working to keep parts of black heritage from disap- for a Juneteenth celebration in Austin in 1900.

.5: id brought fear into the hearts of people. There may have been a few instances of that, but that is not what the vast majority of African Americans were involved in. People were conscious that you had to have some way to make a living. Acquiring land, and educating the children were seen as the secrets to survival." Another myth in Texas history, Williams says, is that "the upper echelon of African Americans in Texas was the industrious slave. That's not true." The free African American was the one to be admired, he said.

One example, he said, was William Goynes who moved to Nacogdoches in the late 1820s. The escaped slave, who convinced Texans he had bought his freedom, proceeded to become the county's wealthiest man black or white. He acquired land, ran a wagon train to Dallas, ran a boarding house, raised cattle and was a horse trader. He gave money to Sam Houston to fund the war effort. He also served as an Indian interpreter, making peace with the Cherokees to keep them from joining the Mexicans.

Individuals such as Goynes should be memorialized not obscured from view, Williams said. Last June, he visited Washing-ton-On-The-Brazos State Park in Washington County and the Fanthrop Inn State Park in adjoining Grimes County. Afterward, he wrote state leaders on behalf of the Black Texans Historical Society: "We were shocked to see how the historical presence of the African-American Texan was woefully lacking. In this enlightened period of our history, this concerns us very much. We trust that it has been only an oversight.

Curtis Tunnell, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission, responded: "You are absolutely right that there is inad of Hendrick Arnold, an African American who played an important role in the fight to gain independence from Mexico. Arnold was a scout who briefed William Travis at the Alamo and brought Sam Houston information instrumental in winning the Battle of San Jacinto. In the spring of 1836, after the fall of the Alamo, Mexican troops pursued the Texas army along the Gulf coast. Gen. Houston kept tabs on Santa Anna thanks largely to Arnold, who posed as a runaway slave and infiltrated Mexican camps.

White historians have shortchanged black Texans in many ways, Williams says. "My research about blacks after the Civil War shows that blacks were interested primarly in two things: acquiring land and educating their children. "The irony is that many of the things I've read dwell on the marauding crowds that roamed Texas Treat your Valentine to the luxury of satin and lace Flirtacious and feminine. The baby doll by Cinema Etoile. With stretch lace bodice, dainty lace inset in front and satin flounce.

Plus matching panties. Silky nylon and polyester in romantic red; sizes s-m-1, 36.00 illard's VITTORIO RICCI Spectator Hats for fashion excitement Classic styles, newly interpreted for spring '92. A fresh approach with streamlined looks. In a choice of navy and white kid leather or black patent and white uppers. Women's sizes, 52.00 0'Hp i illard's 1 mM rwi fyf mm.