AUSTIN—As people across our nation celebrate Black History Month, the black community in Austin is fighting to preserve cultural and historic sites.
Community organizers are trying to build awareness to places they say are in danger.
In 1928, a city plan called for moving all black families to East Austin, north of 8th Street. The area quickly became rich in culture. Rosewood Courts was one of the first federal housing projects in the nation to serve African-Americans and the Carver Museum used to be the colored branch of the Austin Public Library.
Another one of those sites is Downs Field. Baseball was a big part of Austin's African American pastime, and on any given Sunday anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people would be out here watching a ballgame.
“If you drive by Downs Field now, it does not give you the appearance that anyone has ever cared for that field,” said Lisa Byrd, with Austin’s African-American Cultural Heritage Center.
Leaders in the black community want to see these sites remain significant, not only to them, but to all people who call Austin home.
“Whether we are Hispanic, or African American, or German or Swede, or whatever your founding culture is, we all have participated in the building of this great city of Austin,” said Lisa Byrd.
Other sites include Huston-Tillotson University, and Downs Field.