By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
For the month of February, the Waco History app’s self-guided tour takes participants on a journey back in time to learn the ways in which African Americans have shaped Waco today, from industry and farming, to serving Black youth in education and political spaces.
Dr. Eric Ames, associate director for advancement, exhibits and community engagement at Baylor’s Texas Collection, said in an email that this tour gives people a chance to view Waco history at a ground level through the streets of downtown as well as through the viewpoint of the Black experience.
“I hope students use this tour as an opportunity to gain a new perspective on their hometown, for the time they are at Baylor, at least,” Ames said. “Also, to better appreciate the many contributions African Americans have made and continue to make to Waco’s story.”
Adrienne Cain Darough, secretary treasurer of the Texas Oral History Association, said that although Jim Crow Laws were put in place after the Civil War to block economic and civil rights progress for African Americans in the South, trailblazers in Waco’s community helped forge a path forward.
“One of these roles that African Americans played in Waco is evident in the example of the Farmer Improvement Society located on Bridge Street,” Darough said. “In the early 20th century, this society helped people who were struggling to make ends meet due to Jim Crow Laws get out of poverty and earn their own wages through farming.”
According to Darough, another element of African American history in Waco was the establishment of Paul Quinn College, which helped establish a middle class in Waco and attracted more professors, students and staff to the area.
“Similarly, the founding of AJ Moore High School, which was predominantly Black, started the center for education for Black youth post-emancipation,” Darough said. “Even today, there are many alumni who still reside in Waco and attended AJ Moore.”
Although some of the sites have since been gentrified, Darough said they still are important to Waco’s identity today.
“The Negro leagues used to play baseball in Katy Park,” Darough said. “Now, the Magnolia Silos are built on that same land.”
One of her favorite parts of the tour is the Mae Jackson Educational Development Center, she said.
“Mae Jackson became Waco’s first elected Black mayor in 2004,” Darough said. “Sadly, she is no longer with us today, but has left a lasting legacy.”
While the self-guided tour is available at any time, Darough said there will also be a community walk on Feb. 15, starting at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., each walk lasting between 1.5 and two hours. Participants will meet downtown at the McLennan County Courthouse.
For those interested in more opportunities to learn about African American history, Ames suggests the Readers Meet the Author Talk with Dr. Elise Edwards, author of “Architecture, Theology, and Ethics: Making Architectural Design More Just” on Feb. 26.
