Public Historians at Work

Stories from the Third Ward: Desegregating Houston, One Campus at a Time

• Center for Public History @ University of Houston

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The historic Black neighborhood of Houston’s Third Ward is home to two universities: the University of Houston (UH) and - right across Scott Street - Texas Southern University (TSU). The histories of these two educational institutions are intertwined, especially at the intersection of race and segregation within the city. Both were founded in the 1920s as junior colleges: UH for white students and TSU for Black students. By 1934, increased enrollments led their transition to four-year institutions. However, segregation intentionally persisted through the 1950s, even after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. No Black students or professors were admitted to UH. This separation reflected the broader culture of Houston, which had for decades developed along strict racial lines and inequality. 

Then in the early 1960s, as the Civil Rights movement swelled nationally, TSU students began local sit-ins. At the same time, Houston Black and white business leadership committed to begin quietly desegregating businesses but only under a media blackout. Despite this blackout, students at both TSU and UH continued their work at their universities and within the wider community - demanding change. Today’s podcast episode highlights three acts of their activism and how these brave students not only confronted the academic space but contributed to the transformation of an entire city. 

Act One: Women of Houston’s Student Civil Rights Movement

Graduate Student Brandy Black tells the story of the Texas Southern University women who organized and participated in Houston’s Student Civil Rights Movement. Although many of these women remain unknown, Black highlights three preserved in the archives: Holly Adrienne Hogrobrooks, Deanna Lot Burrell, and Halcyon Sadberry Watkins.

Act Two: 5,000 Rounds 

On the night of May 16 and into the early morning of May 17, 1967, the campus of Texas Southern University was rocked by a violent police operation. After the smoke cleared, one officer had been killed, almost 500 students were arrested, and one dormitory was shot with thousands of bullets. Graduate student Chase Holt turns to the archives to pull apart the shockingly differing accounts of that night. Check out the podcast series from Chase Holt: A.P.E. Academy.  

Act Three: Gene Locke and the Integration of UH 

After federal policy desegregated UH, student activism helped ensure that Black students and faculty were actually integrated into the academic community. Graduate students Cindy Rivas Alfaro and Luana Lucena spotlight how student Gene Locke and colleagues advocated for change while facing prejudice and resistance both on campus and off.    

***This episode was researched, written, and recorded by Brandy Black, Chase Holt, Cindy Rivas Alfaro, and Luana Lucena for the University of Houston Center for Public History. Produced by Kristina Neumann.*** 

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The Center for Public History at the University of Houston. https://uh.edu/class/cph