Part of the mission of the Alliance for Texas History is to help ensure that honest history about Texas is available and accessible. We find these citations pertinent and instructive. The latest additions will be at the top. Some articles may be behind a paywall but are included due to their newsworthiness.

Please take note of the kinds of articles we are interested in covering and email us with your suggestions for news about history. Join ATxH to support our shared greater good.

TEXAS STANDARD, Mar26, 2025
As DeWitt County observes its 175th year, a discovery of the story of its formation would be a find in itself. However, this county history was written in German in 1898 by a German immigrant who started a newspaper in the county. Alternate perspectives on history are central to a complete understanding of the people and the times. (Image from Portal to Texas History.)

UNIV. OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Mar 11, 2025
Aja Martinez, a professor of rhetoric and writing studies, and Robert O. Smith, a history professor at the University of North Texas, have published a book that explains the origins and history of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Their goal is to more accurately describe the topic and use research to educate others in order to humanize the concept.

NEW YORKER, Feb 24, 2025
A network of archaeologists around the world have come together to locate and identify the wrecks of slave ships in the Middle Passage. Their approach is not just a scientific one, but also to understand the trauma of the African diaspora. “The slaver is a ghost ship sailing on the edges of modern consciousness,” said one author. This project seeks to connect the historical and archaeological record to a present understanding of the lingering effects of enslavement. (Photo from Wikipedia Commons).

TEXAS STANDARD, Feb 28,2025
Benjamin H. Johnson’s new book, Texas: An American History, tells both familiar tales and personal stories of Texas history. In an interview with Texas Standard, Ben explains that “historical consciousness and historical memory, I think, are really fundamental to what it is to be Texan, for all different kinds of people who live here.” Ben is a professor of history at Loyola University in Chicago, and co-editor of the upcoming Journal of Texas History to be published by the Alliance for Texas History. The new book is published by Yale University Press.

TEXAS MONTHLY, Feb 28, 2025
Two weeks. 3,700 miles. Five states. That is how much ground that Jack Woodville London, John Knox, and Keith Kisner traveled in circumnavigating the boundary of a Texas Republic that existed only on paper. This article tells the story of their adventure. London is the chair of a panel at the upcoming 2025 Conference of the Alliance for Texas History. (Photo by Jack Woodville London).

AXIOS, Feb 22, 2025
A group of historians and descendants of enslaved people have organized a sixty-mile walk to remember a part of history that is little known. A 7-day walk from March 3 to 9th will follow many known historic sites along a route used by the enslaved to find their way into Mexico.
(Photo from East Texas Digital Archives.)

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Feb 23, 2025
A 100-year-old neighborhood in Houston, Riverside Terrace, some of its overlooked history is being re-examined. Whites, Jewish people, and Black people inhabited the same spaces over the years in a rotating cycle of prejudice and gentrification.

Difference of class and race impacted the neighborhood over the years in ways that say much about how history is told and how communities develop.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, Feb 10, 2025
Archaeologist, Michael Collins, and his wife, Karen, are widely acclaimed for their efforts to save the 20,000-year-old Gault Site from looting. Their work on rehabilitating this 1849 farmstead not only saved a building, but led to extensive genealogical detective work revealed a racially-mixed family tree.

"When I started finding documents about people as property, it was shocking," Collins says. "It's a part of the history of the place. You don't discount family stories. You research them."

TEXAS MONTHLY, Jan 30, 2025
As the Texas Legislature considers school vouchers supporting private schools, this article from Texas Monthly examines one Texas town’s experience from the 1940s.

Mix in some non-English speaking immigrants, Catholic nuns, and a Methodist minister who took exception and you have a story that is being replayed with a more modern spin.

(Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash.)

TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE, Jan 22, 2024
The Texas General Land Office has opened the 2025 essay contest for 4th and 7th grade students. Full details about the contest can be found by clicking the “Read” button below. According the GLO, “research essays will be accepted on any historical person, event, place, group, or cultural tradition, however big or small, that helped shape Texas.” The deadline for entries is April 1, 2025.

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, Dec 17, 2024
The Andrew Jackson Foundation announced the discovery of lost burials of enslaved people at Andrew Jackson’s plantation. Diligent research, technological advances, and a 1935 agricultural report helped identify a possible location. The cemetery had been fenced off, but a path has been built from the main house so that those on the free tour can pause and reflect on the people who came to lie ther.(Photo from thehermitage.com)

TEXAS MONTHLY, Dec 10, 2024
A recent article in Texas Monthly calls attention to the history and preservation of schools for African American children in the early part of the twentieth century. A current photo exhibit at the Bullock Museum highlights the stories of the people so significantly impacted by this act of philanthropy and the places where existing buildings can still be saved. A Rosenwald school in Concord is a current project of Preservation Texas. (Photo from Library of Congress)

CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Dec 6, 2024
The American Association of University Professors has been a refuge and outlet for academic concerns for a century. Now, their approach to taking positions against the efforts to silence their opinions and their dissent has led to internal conflict. For those who are not in the academic world, the outcome of these struggles still make a difference in ensuring that universities remain centers of open opinion and free speech. (Image by Katelyn Perry for Unsplash)

AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, 2024
A 2-year study by the AHA was released in the spring that examined the content and context of history instruction. They noted that “a contentious debate over history education has generated outrage, wild claims, and a growing sense of alarm.” Their study found that “If there is any wholly inaccurate message being sent by our public schools to millions of students and their families, it is that history is not important enough to command time, attention and public resources.”

NEW YORK TIMES, Nov 28, 2024
The family of a man who worked for the federal Indian affairs office in the 1870s had held on to a Lakota headdress and other artifacts for five generations. They had become family heirlooms but the newest generation wanted to repatriate the items. After being held privately for a few more years, the items finally ended up with the South Dakota State Historical Society. (Original photo by David Frances Barry).

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, Nov 26, 2019.
Is the story of Thanksgiving one of generous Native Americans sharing a meal with peaceful, Christian immigrants or something different? This article focuses on the harms done to the Wampanoag Indians due to persistent historical inaccuracies. The founding myths associated with the origin story of the Pilgrims overlooks the fact that they were colonizing a populated land. A book by David Silverman was the starting point for this 2019 interview. (Photo in public domain)

SAN ANTONIO REPORT, Nov 26, 2024
One in every four cowboys was black., according to the Witte Museum. That is likely not what many would expect. Their special exhibition hopes to better explain and highlight that aspect of African American history. The exhibit coincides with the upcoming conference Ode to Juneteenth: Slavery in Texas. (Image by Wikipedia Commons).

TEXAS TRIBUNE, Nov 19, 2024
References to race and equity have been removed from course names in the College of Education at the University of North Texas by administrators reacting to Senate Bill 17. The pushback by faculty calls the move an overreaction and “preemptive censorship” while the university says it is trying to protect faculty from being targeted. (Image from Adobe Express).

TEXAS TRIBUNE, Nov 18, 2024 | Ongoing disagreements over how to teach Texas history have parents and historians concerned about the oversimplification of pivotal historic events. Proponents argue that the curriculum for elementary and middle school students is age appropriate, while other note that important facts are either glossed over or ignored. (Photo by Unsplash through Squarespace)

Alliance board member, Dr. Sonia Hernández, has been named George T. & Gladys H. Abell Professor of Liberal Arts II, an endowed position. It is one of three such professorships among liberal arts faculty at Texas A&M University. Sonia’s appointment acknowledged her as a co-founder of the public history project, Refusing to Forget, and for her many scholarly works in both Spanish and English focused on gender and labor history in the U.S.-Mexican Borderlands.

Our hearty congratulations to our friend and colleague.

CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Nov 13, 2024 | Faculty as the University of North Texas are being told that their research and teaching on DEI-related issues will be examined closely in light of Senate Bill 12. The Chronicle reports that “While the bill’s text carves out exemptions for teaching and research, faculty members on the Denton campus were surprised to find out last month that the university’s Integrity & Compliance Office would, in fact, be monitoring those areas to ensure they didn’t run afoul of the law.” (Photo by Franky Magana on Unsplash.)

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Oct 25, 2024 | Clingman’s Dome, named for a Confederate general who never visited the mountain, has been officially renamed. The mountain is now known by the name the Cherokee have always used for it, Kuwohi. This two-year effort has been part of the NPS’ efforts in place name repatriation. You can read their press release about it here. (Photo by Michael from Adobe Stock)

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION | on November 9th from 10am to 4pm the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site will honor those who were enslaved or sharecroppers at the site. There will be presentations about family histories and a ceremonial recitation of the names being acknowledged and remembered. (Photo by THC)

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, Oct 29, 2024 | UTSA plans to raze their Hemisfair-era building and allow the space to be used for a major commercial development have a new issue to consider. The Texas Historical Commission named the structure as a state antiquities landmark, limiting the options on building use. ITC plans to sell the property to allow development of a new stadium for the Spurs and use the funds to build a new home for the ITC. (Image from the Portal to Texas History)

D MAGAZINE, Oct 23, 2024 | Journalist and filmmaker, Olive Talley, asks the perpetual question . . . “how did we not know this?” After learning about the Gault Archaeological Site near Austin, her drive led to a documentary currently being screened at the Austin Film Festival. The Stones are Speaking not only tells how discoveries at Gault pushed back the timeline on human occupation in Texas, it also demonstrates how saving that history was due to the tenacity and drive of Mike Collins (photo from thestonesarespeaking.com)

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, Oct 14, 2024 | The 2024 Bolton-Cutter award by the Western History Association (WHA) is in recognition of the best article on the history of the Borderlands appearing in the Journal of American History. Dr. Sonia Hernández made use of newly available archival resources in Monterrey which held judicial records that connected to a case on the Texas side of the border. (Image by WHA).

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN | Oct 15, 2024 | This headline caught our attention because there are many opinions about what is “best.” This list has Mike Campbell’s Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State, (pictured) listed as the best standard standard history of Texas. UT-Austin historian, Monica M. Martinez is noted as best Texas history of social justice. See what you think. (Photo from University of North Texas).

NY TIMES, Oct 8, 2024 | In 2021, President Biden formally recognized Indigenous People's Day on October 14. That date has been traditionally known as Columbus Day. States and cities have begun to recognize this date now, but there is still much misunderstanding and lack of historical perspective. This New York Times article reviews the background to this celebration of Native Americans. Photo by Alex Moliski on Unsplash.

TEXAS MONTHLY, Oct 8, 2024 | In a place where their ancestors endured death and misery 150 years earlier, members of the Kiowa, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Comanche tribes danced to honor their past. Woody Taptto, an 83-year-old descendant of a survivor of the battle said “Every time we’re doing the [gourd] dance, I wonder if we’re doing it the right way. If our ancestors would approve. And I think they would. I feel proud,” Image by: Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Felipe Hinojosa, professor of history at Baylor University and Review Editor of the Journal of Texas History, has been named one of 45 fellows by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The attached press release notes that "Fellows participate in an array of leadership development activities preparing them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Emerging HSIs."

THE CONVERSATION, Sep 23, 2024 | Back in 1994, Disney proposed the development of a theme park based on U.S. history. From the purchase of real estate in Virginia, through questions about how Disney would represent a complete view of history, to a vote by the U.S. House opposing the park, this article addresses how history and entertainment don't mix. (Image by Unsplash)

NPR, Oct 1, 2024 | Two historians are among the 22 "exceptionally creative people" chosen to receive an $800,000 "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Jennifer L. Morgan (shown) of New York University focuses on “deepening understanding of how the exploitation of enslaved women enabled the institutionalization of race-based slavery in early America and the Black Atlantic.” Shailaja Paik of the University of Cincinnati works on topics related to caste, gender and sexuality in India. (Image from MacArthur Foundation)

BULLOCK MUSEUM, Sep 24 | The Bullock Texas State History Museum, in partnership with Great Promise for American Indians, will host the 12th annual American Indian Heritage Day celebration on Friday, September 27.  This year's event will feature dancing and drumming performances and interactive experiences for school groups and exhibition visitors, as well as a free public evening performance and a livestream of the noon performance. (Image by Bullock Museum)

CBS AUSTIN, Sep 16, 2024 | Economy Furniture was an Austin-based manufacturer. About 90% of their employees were Hispanic, and when production demands grew but pay did not, they began a two-year strike. There is also a 2017 documentary about their efforts. (Image from Preservation Austin)

HOUSTON LANDING, Aug 26, 2024 | Plans for the largest African American memorial in the Houston region were celebrated in Kendleton, a former Freedmen's town in Fort Bend County. The Memorial will honor contributions by African Americans so that others can know "the truth of how we got here." (Image from Portal to Texas History)

TEXAS MONTHLY, Sep 2024 | This exceptional article by Stephen Harrigan from the September issue of Texas Monthly provides emotional insight into the struggles of a people and a culture to survive historical eradication. The personal stories of Karankawa descendants describe the indignity and trauma of being considered "extinct." Instead they can pronounce that "we are all still standing here." (Image by Joshua Earle from Unsplash).

HERITAGE SOCIETY (Houston), Aug 13, 2024 | A new exhibit at the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park focuses on the story of one person's struggles and challenges. The exhibit is a project of MOUTH, the Museum of Undertold Texas History, a creation of Dionne Babineaux, a graduate student at Rice University and a member of the Alliance for Texas History.

TEXAS ARCHIVE OF THE MOVING IMAGE, Aug 5, 2024 | A curated digital exhibit on how the history of the border region of Texas has been represented in film is available on the TAMI website. They note that “the border has provided a rich resource for writers and filmmakers since the conclusion of the Mexican–American War,” and offer many examples held in their archives and in other sources. (Image by TAMI)

ABC13 (Houston), Jul 24, 2024 | After being described as an “extinct” indigenous group, descendant of Karankawa people are becoming more active in asserting their history and connecting with each other. This news feature on a Houston television station provides links to more information at their website, karankawas.com. (Image by Taylor Ferguson at karankawas.com)

SOUTHERN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, Jul 24, 2024 | Texas topics and ATxH members appear in recognizable numbers on the conference program for the upcoming SHA Conference in Kanas City. Both SHA and WHA will be meeting concurrently in adjoining hotels. For more information about the conference and to see the current program go to https://www.thesha.org/meeting.

THE COURIER OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, July 21, 2024 | The Alamo Letter Society has undertaken a project to place a bronze plaque with the words of Travis’ letter from the Alamo in every county. An Alliance member, Dr. Raúl A. Ramos of the University of Houston, noted that placement of the plaque could lead people to miss the context of the letter in history. He compared the symbolism to the efforts to place the Ten Commandments in every classroom. (Image from the TSLAC).

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, July 10, 2024 | When ATxH member was a senior the University of Texas at Austin in 1979, she discovered there were no archives for the League of United Latin American Citizens. Now, as LULAC considers celebrating its 100th year, gains have been made but there is still much to be done. (Image of Members attending the first LULAC Convention held May 18, 1929, www.lulac.org)

NY TIMES | In a project to determine the best books of the 21st century, the New York Times is asking outstanding writers from all realms to suggest their favorites. As one would expect, works of history are among those listed, along with lists suggested by notable historians. The lists submitted by Annette Gordon-Reed and Tiya Miles are among those shown. (image by Unsplash).

THE EMANCIPATOR, June 27, 2024 | A biography of Harriett Tubman is the subject of an interview with the author, Tiya Miles. Miles states that at times, stories about Tubman have made her seem “godlike or invincible.” The author focused on reminders that even though Harriet Tubman has come to be revered, she was a spiritual black woman who was part of a culture that faced tremendous risk. How Tubman and others confronted those risks is the story of her humanness.(Image from Library of Congress).

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, June 18, 2024 & NBC Today Show June 19, 2024 | A lost story about the Underground Railroad’s “southern route” through Hidalgo County has been kept alive by descendants of those who helped others escape to Mexico. The Webber family history has helped focus additional research and archaeology on points of crossing. The project received national attention in a segment on the TODAY Show by NBC. (Image from CSM and TSLAC).

NEW YORK TIMES, June 18, 2024 | With the 2021 recognition of June 19th as a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery, s fresh focus on the facts of those events in Texas expanded across the country. This editorial questions common perceptions and challenges us to understand that more change is needed in our “ever -evolving and expanding project of American democracy.” (Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash).

NEW YORK TIMES, Jun 17, 2024 | W. Caleb McDaniel reviews a book by Jessica Goudeau, WE WERE ILLEGAL: Uncovering a Texas Family’s Mythmaking and Migration. Like many others, in Goudeau’s discoveries of her ancestor’s pasts she finds overlaps with both history and myth in the stories of Texas. McDaniel notes the importance of her “meditations on the value of truth-telling.” (Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash.com)

Following the success of an open textbook project called “The American Yawp,” a broad group of scholars have announced their next effort. . . an open textbook on the history of Texas. They are expanding the project with a focus on Texas due to “the precarious nature of Texas history in 2024,” and a belief that “Texas history needs to be written by historians.”

Dr. Wesley Phelps, Associate Professor of History at the University of North Texas, has produced a documentary style podcast series about queer equality in Texas. Ten episodes focus on legal cases from the last 1960s to the present. His interviews and historical discussion provide insight into the slow progress to establish important rights.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, June 7, 2024 | A sculpture of Harriet Tubman that has been on tour across the county since 2020 will make its first appearance in Texas. The Kerr Community Center in Bastrop is sponsoring the 9-foot tall work of art beginning June 15th and continuing through August. For more about the sculpture visit the Wofford Sculpture Studio.

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, June 6, 2024 } The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has promoted Joseph Bell, deputy executive director of its historic sites division since 2015, to executive director of the agency and its 350 employees. “Joseph Bell is a proven leader who accomplished much overseeing the historic sites,” said John Nau III, chairman of the board of commissioners. “He is an ideal choice to lead the agency forward and expand its mission of saving the real places that tell the real stories of Texas.” (Image by THC).

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, May 31, 2024 | An elementary school in Conroe ISD is named for Annette Gordon-Reed, a Conroe native and distinguished professor of law and history at Harvard University. Two of her books about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings appear to have not been on the reading list of a board member questioning the “inappropriateness” of a biology textbook. (Image by Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer, Houston Chronicle).

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, May 31, 2024 | If the answer to that question is ‘yes,’ then 2024 if the centennial of the expression “stay woke.” Research by Paul Schleuse, a classical music historian, found the earliest references to the phrase in the HOUSTON INFORMER, a preeminent Black newspaper founded in 1919. (In image at far left, ‘Stay Woke’ is headline of column for the May 24, 1924, Houston Informer.)

RED RIVER RADIO KDAQ, May 30, 2024 | Zion Hill Church in Nacogdoches was originally founded in 1878 and became one of the earliest African American congregations in Texas. The restoration of the 1914 church building represents a major accomplishment by the community and the city to preserve this tangible historical asset.

KFOX-TV (El Paso), May 20, 2024 | A historical anthology created by Horizon High School students in El Paso has won recognition and acclaim. Using oral histories, the book, Migrant 915: A View from the Border, has been called “a powerful testament to the resilience, courage, and humanity of those living on the the border.” Congresswoman Veronica Escobar honored the students by presenting each with a letter of recognition.

WASHINGTON POST, May 15, 2024 | A deadly gun battle between a group of men on their way to a wedding and Texas Rangers has been a source of lingering disagreement and discontent for 100 years. A groom was killed on the way to his wedding, and the Rangers said he and others were tequila smugglers who fired first. This story by the Washington Post explains how that is still something personal 100 years later. (Image from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission).

UT NEWS, May 7, 2024 | Jacqueline Jones, the Ellen C. Temple Professor of Women’s History Emerita in the Department of History at the University of Texas, has won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for History. Her book “No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era,” published by Basic Books, provides a “breathtakingly original reconstruction of free Black life in Boston that profoundly reshapes our understanding of the city’s abolitionist legacy and the challenging reality for its Black residents.” (Photo by UT News).

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, May 8, 2024 | This article tends to focus on issues and conflicts of the past, not as clearly on the direction and mission of the Alliance for Texas History going forward. Board member, Frank de la Teja, tries to explain that rather than one organization “pitted against” another, that this inclusive effort wants to ensure a place in history to all. (Image by Unsplash).

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, May 7, 2024 | A new book by historian, David Ponton III, asks that question and looks for answers. HIs book, Houston and the Permanence of Segregation: An Afropessimist Approach to Urban History, published by the University of Texas Press, examines post-war challenges in what has been called “Heavenly Houston.” This article is an interview of Ponton by Leah Binkowitz of the Chronicle. (Image by Unsplash)

TEXAS MONTHLY, May 6, 2024 | The Texas Historical Commission has committed millions to improving sites with historical importance, Mission Dolore in San Augustine, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site near Alto, and San Felipe de Austin are recent examples. Now, a $51 million project at Washington-on-the-Brazos is finding archaeological artifacts from its earliest history.

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, Apr 30, 2024 | A new sculpture added to the National Mall in Washington DC, emphasizes that what’s beneath a vaunted person placed on a pedestal is important to understand and acknowledge. Commemorative statues are dominated by themes that emphasize particular aspects of our culture and ignore others. This work by Korean artist Do Ho Suh takes a different view. (Image by Donny Bajohr for the Smithsonian.)

TEXAS MONTHLY, May 3, 2024 | Texas Monthlsy senior editor, Michael Hardy, attended the ATxH Symposium in Fort Worth and heard first-hand how the mission and values of the Alliance for Texas History are already having an impact. (Photo by Gary L. Pinkerton)

TEXAS OBSERVER, May 1, 2024 | The inaugural gathering of the Alliance for Texas History was held on the TCU campus on April 27. This story by Josephine Lee of the Observer captured feedback from the mission-focused attendees and presenters. Those in attendance said they left re-energized and committed to the scholarly pursuit of history in way that connected with every Texan. (Photo by Josephine Lee).

THE DAILY TEXAN, Apr 25, 2024 | An effort to put Indigenous Texas Indian tribes on the map. . . literally . . . received a Research and Creative Grant to help them educate the public about Indigenous communities in Texas. Their website will connect regions on map to histories, particular sites, and to an online course teaching historical research methods and visiting Indigenous cultural sites around Austin. (Image by Unsplash)

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, Apr 21, 2024 | An NPR Investigations series called “Off the Mark” examines widespread examples of historical markers containing inaccurate information. Their reporting found that “hundreds of markers across the country that still call Native Americans savages, hostile, or use racial slurs,” and that “nearly 70 percent of markers that mention plantations do not mention slavery.” This particular segment is about an effort in Alabama to make corrections. The entire series can be found here. (Image from TxDOT.)

USCIS, April 2024 | ATxH board member, Frank de la Teja, was honored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as one of 2024’s Outstanding Americans by Choice. USCIS recognizes naturalized citizens who have made significant contributions to both their community and their adopted country. Frank was recently a guest speaker at the citizenship ceremony at the state capitol on Texas Independence Day. Other honorees include the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, a Brigadier General, and members of Congress. (Photo of Frank and his wife, Maggie.)

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Apr 21 2024 | This editorial addresses questions and conflict about how a man named Joe, enslaved b William Barrett Travis’, is depicted in new Alamo displays. The Chronicle notes that the debate is a good thing. “Instead of applying broad swaths of official semi-gloss over moments in our collective history, particularly the troubling ones, we’re re-considering, re-collecting elements of our past, including how we remember the Alamo.” (Image from Wikipedia)

TEXAS MONTHLY, Apr 18, 2024 | An effort mounted by volunteers and supported by historians is telling a story of slavery not widely known. At least eight Black men from Barbados who had been granted their freedom from bondage, were sold to a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a member of the Republic of Texas Congress. A marker in Port Arthur now memorializes their ordeal.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Apr 13, 2024 | A rundown warehouse is the site of plans to create an archival library focused on the rich Latino history of Houston. The center will house the Houston Public Library’s Latino archives. (Renderings are by architecture and design firm NADAAA.)

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, Apr 12, 2024 | On April 13, 2019, visitors to Caddo Culture Day held at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site were hit by two tornadoes, destroying the visitor’s center and severely injuring multiple people. Lives were changed that day. On May 18, they will celebrate the reopening of their new building. Storms are strong, but hearts are stronger. (Image from Caddo Mounds Facebook).

ATxH, Apr 12, 2024 | Gregg Cantrell, Interim President of the Alliance for Texas History, announced that Gary L. Pinkerton will become the first Managing Director for the organization. “Gary embodies the mission of the Alliance for Texas History. Although he is not a professional historian, he is dedicated to the objective, fact-based research and writing of our state’s history, adhering to the highest standards of our craft.”

TEXAS MONTHLY, Apr 11, 2024 | Anyone who has driven through Crockett, TX, has likely seen a mysterious old building in ruins. Only those who stop to read the marker will know that its role in history was significant. Efforts are underway to restore both the building and the honor of Mary Allen College. (Image from Mary Allen Museum Facebook)

ARIZONA PUBLIC RADIO, Apr 4, 2024 | Not all cultures feel the same way about the coming solar eclipse. Although this is not a Texas-specific story . . . it is about Navajo traditions from Arizona. . . it does remind us that rich cultural traditions still matter. And why someone who works at the Lowell Observatory will be taking the day off. (Image by Jason Howell at Unsplash.)

TEXAS PULIC RADIO, Apr 6, 2024 | TPR reporter, Jerry Clayton, interviews interim president of the Alliance for Texas History, Gregg Cantrell. Dr. Cantrell is asked about the state of Texas history education, plans for a journal, and the upcoming Symposium.

The Institute of Texan Cultures, under the stewardship of the University of Texas at San Antonio, is planning into the future to preserve Texas history. Their strategic plan includes moving to a temporary site, determining the location for a permanent home, and planning for use of the Hemisfair Campus in the more beneficial way. (Image from UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures.)

NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, Mar 21, 2024 | Technology, storytelling, and a desire to preserve Latine histories have combined in a unique project. Latinos in Heritage Conservation ad students from the University of Texas at El Paso have joined forces to docment endangered Mexican cemeteries across Texas and to tell the stories of migrant farmworkers who were part of the Bracero Program between 1941 and 1964. (Image by Latinos in Heritage Conservation).

YAHOO NOTICIAS/AGENCIA EFE, Apr 2, 2024 | "Un siglo después de 'La matanza', una sangrienta década durante la cual familias mexicoamericanas fueron víctimas de violencia racial en la frontera de Texas (EE.UU.) con México, sus descendientes, historiadores y académicos luchan para que esta parte de la historia no sea olvidada." (Image from Refusing to Forget).

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, Apr 2, 2024 | Many think the battle at the Alamo or San Jacinto were the most important conflicts with Mexico. When the Mexican American War ended in 1848, however, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo changed Texas, the United States, the world on an almost unimaginable scale. This story highlights efforts at the Bulllock Museum to present part of the document itself and interpret its role in history.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, Mar 31, 2024 | How people and events from history are depicted matters. The importance of that fact has led to controversy in an Alamo Museum Planning Committee aligned with the Alamo Trust. Dissenters complain that the planned sculpture communicates a “happily enslaved” depiction of African-American survivor, William Travis’ slave, Joe. (Image by Unsplash.)

UTA, Mar 28, 2024 | Understanding the experiences of people who do not have power is one way Stephanie Cole seeks to understand the dynamics of power in history. ““What motivates me is really figuring out who has power and why,” she said. “We can’t really answer those questions unless we look at the experiences of all sorts of people, including those who don’t have power. Often, that’s going to be women.” (Image by UTA).

CBS-19 TV (Tyler), Mar 12, 2024 | ATxH member, Merideth May, is part of the 1919 Remembrance Project, a community effort that spent over four years researching a dark day in East Texas history. At a time when there is much public attention to how we commemorate the past, as one member of the group said “it is important that we are giving people dignity by honoring their stories.”

PRESERVATION TEXAS, Mar 22, 2024 | Preservation Texas, the only statewide nonprofit historic preservation advocacy, education, and stewardship organization in Texas, is actively working to protect endangered rural African-American historic buildings and cultural landscapes statewide. the Dr. Dickey House reconstruction project in Taylor. For more about the projects click here.

TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION, Mar 19, 2024 | Not everyone is pleased to hear about the formation of the Alliance for Texas History, only those who fully understand our mission and values. “Perhaps” and “maybe” don’t count for much, so we encourage you to read the article by the TPPF, and then join us at ATxH — where facts and footnotes matter. (Image by Unsplash.)

TEXAS OBSERVER, Mar 18, 2024 | Memorials to victims of past atrocities help are not only to recall a darker past but also to guide our understanding of the future.

Those who think this history is only in our past should read about the “Goon Squad” in Mississippi to see we have much to learn. (Image from Design Jones)

TSLAC, Mar 13, 2004 | “The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty welcomes a special guest for an evening with the namesake of the Center, Sam Houston himself. A one-night-only viewing of two important documents from Houston’s service to Texas will be part of this event. Sam Houston’s copy of his official report of the Battle of San Jacinto and the Treaty Between Texas Commissioners and the Cherokee Indians of 1836 will be on display.” (Image from TSLAC.)

KERA, Mar 14, 2024 | An interview with Dr. Gregg Cantrell, interim president of the board for the Alliance for Texas History tells the story of the group’s formation and mission. Image by ATxH. Click to see the full image of interests expressed by our members.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Mar 13, 2024 | Archaeological excavations at Washington-on-the-Brazos are providing new insight into the lives of people in the community present well after the famous signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Remains of taverns, wells, and homes help piece together their lives. (Image by Shutterstock.)

HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT, Mar 8, 2024 | “Harris County commissioners approved the master plan for an area in downtown Houston that will be redeveloped into Remembrance Park—a dedicated space where residents and visitors can commemorate the actions and struggles of those who fought for social justice.” (Image by FreedomMarker.org)

AHA, 2023 | The AHA has collected a range of articles about the “challenges teachers and educators face from legislation restricting the teaching of ‘divisive concepts’ and issues related to teaching history with integrity.” (Image by American Historical Association.)

Hosted by history professors Scott Sosebee (Stephen F. Austin State University) and Gene Preuss (University of Houston-Downtown), Their guests include “people who make Texas history accessible to the public (including academic historians, public historians, archivists, living history practitioners, and history enthusiasts).”

NY TIMES, Nov 8, 2023 | “The Houston suburb Sugar Land got its name from a business reliant on the forced labor of convicts. But efforts to memorialize those people have stalled.” (Image by Unsplash.)

KVUE/ABC, Feb 7, 2024 | “The museum announced Wednesday that its three floors of Texas History Galleries are now fully bilingual in English and Spanish.” (Image by Bullock Museum.)

UT NEWS, Feb 17, 2017 | This article first appeared in 2017. The byline answers the headline’s question - “Now more than ever, the country needs to be reminded of the humanity of all of its citizens, particularly those of African origin.” (Image by Unsplash)

TEXAS OBSERVER, Jan 30, 2024 | “If this is an indication of how history will be treated, then I know it will be tough when we review social studies courses next year.” (Image by Unsplash)

BIG BEND SENTINEL, Jan 31, 2024 | Dr. Kendra DeHart of Sul Ross University has been selected as the recipient of a 2024 Leadership in Education Award from the Texas State Historical Association. “Dr. DeHart is the chair of the Sul Ross State University’s Behavioral and Social Sciences Department and an assistant professor of history.” (Image from Sull Ross University)

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY, Jan 26 2024 | Dr. Deborah Liles, Tarleton State University Associate Professor and past-President of the East Texas Historical Association, has been unanimously elected to the board of the nonprofit Texas Library and Archives Foundation. (Image by Tarleton State University.)

NY TIMES, Jan 2024 | “The American Museum of Natural History will close two major halls exhibiting Native American objects, its leaders said on Friday, in a dramatic response to new federal regulations that require museums to obtain consent from tribes before displaying or performing research on cultural items.” (Image by Unsplash.)

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, Jan 2024 | This conference “provides an opportunity for preservationists and officials to network and learn with County Historical Commissions, Main Street managers and participants, historic preservation officers and design review boards, architects and engineers, historians, archeologists, curators, interpreters, managers of museums and historic sites, as well as THC staff, Texas Heritage Trail Regions, and many partner organizations.” (Image by Texas Historical Commission.)

AXIOS, Jan 2024 | “SAAACAM recently purchased the Kress-Grant Building on Houston Street with $2.5 million from the city, $1.25 million from the Houston Street Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, $5 million from Bexar County and a $4.3 million loan from the seller.” (Image by SAAACAM.)

EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOC, Jan 2024 | This article by Scott Sosebee from his All Things Historical weekly series, gets behind the front lines of historic events to look at people who made a difference (Image from Wood County Register).

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, Jan 2024 | The traveling panel exhibit, Life and Death on the Border: 1910-1920, highlights the matanza, or massacre — a period of state-sanctioned violence that some historians estimate killed anywhere from 500 to 5,000 ethnic Mexicans in Texas in the early 20th century. (Image from Texas Public Radio.)

USA TODAY, Jan 2024 | “Almost 140 years after the Tonkawa were expelled from Texas, they have returned to purchase Sugarloaf Mountain, a sacred site in Milam County, northeast of Austin, that plays a key role in the tribe's creation story.” (Image from USA Today.)

AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, Nov 29, 2023 | Carlos Kevin Blanton reviews the conflict within the Texas State Historical Association. (Image from Unsplash.)