African Americans in Corpus Christi (Images of America)

African Americans in Corpus Christi (Images of America)

From slavery to freedom, to education, to achievement: these words reflect the goals of African Americans who first came as slaves with the Spanish to this part of the Texas coast. Freed by the Civil War on Juneteenth (June 19, 1865), blacks soon established an active and viable community, a significant part of which was defined by the black churches. Prominent leaders emerged, including Solomon Melvin Coles, H. Boyd Hall, Rufus Avery, and Gloria Randle Scott. Using photographs from individual collections, as well as the Corpus Christi Public Library, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, African Americans in Corpus Christi reveals the history and people of Corpus Christi. The authors bring varied experiences to this collection. Bruce Glasrud is a specialist in African American history; Mary Jo O'Rear publishes works on Corpus Christi; Gloria Scott was the first black president of Girl Scouts of the USA and was later president of Bennett College for Women, where she provided leadership, knowledge, and energy; Cecilia Gutierrez Venable publishes photographic history books and articles on ethnicity; and Henry J. Williams is a pastor of a local church as well as a community activist, giving insight and experience to the project.