Public Historians at Work
Welcome to “Public Historians at Work,” a podcast series from the Center for Public History at the University of Houston, Texas. Our vision at CPH is to ignite an understanding of our diverse pasts by collaborating with and training historically minded students, practitioners, and the public through community-driven programming and scholarship. In this podcast series, we speak with academics, writers, artists, and community members about what it means to do history and humanities work for and with the public. Check us out at www.uh.edu/CLASS/cph or find us on social media @UHCPHistory. Executive Producer: Dr. Kristina Neumann (kmneuma2@central.uh.edu)
Public Historians at Work
Stories from the Third Ward: The Living Legacy of Wesley A.M.E. Church
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In this special episode, University of Houston graduate student Marquel Sennet takes us to church at the historic Wesley A.M.E. Church - a cornerstone of faith, community, and activism in Houston's Third Ward for more than a century. This church played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, including the meeting where Heman Marion Sweatt agreed to challenge segregation in the landmark Supreme Court case that paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education. Pastor John F. White II and longtime members Carl Davis and Juanita Williams reflect on Wesley A.M.E.'s enduring legacy—and its bold new future as a center for preserving Black history and gospel music.
This episode was researched and recorded by Marquel Sennet for the Center for Public History at the University of Houston.
To Learn More:
Lavergne, Gary M. Before Brown: Heman Marion Sweatt, Thurgood Marshall, and the Long Road to Justice. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2010.
Pitre, Merlin. In Struggle against Jim Crow: Lulu B. White and the NAACP, 1900-1957. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1999.
Walker, Aswad. “Historic Gospel Music Museum, Affordable Housing Coming to Third Ward.” Defender Network, April 12, 2024.
Walker, Aswad. “Houston-Area Church Spotlight: Wesley AME Church.” Defender Network, October 2, 2022.
Wesley A.M.E. Church. “About Us.” Wesley A.M.E. Church Houston. https://wearewesley.org/about-us/.
Oral Histories conducted by Marquel Sennet:
Carl Davis, Wesley A.M.E. Historian
Pastor John F. White II
Juanita Williams, Wesley A.M.E. Church Member
Music and audio courtesy of:
Wesley A.M.E. Church, service recorded on October 26, 2025
Pixabay Music:
djovan - "Gospel Bells for Peace on Earth"
Misselle - "Awake, Awake! - (Isaiah 52)", "Before They Hated You - John 15)"
OpenMindAudio - "Gospel Unity Anthem - Stand Together", "Gospel Revival Anthem - Revival Night"
Lilex - "Shout for Joy"
alanajordan - "Happy Happy Happy"
Lobo Loco - "Go On (ID 2268)" (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), "Woke up This Morning - Jazz Organ" (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
The Center for Public History at the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/class/cph