Photo exhibit shines light on African American voices
The Victoria Regional History Center at Texas A&M University-Victoria has opened a photo exhibit this February, spotlighting the lives and legacies of African Americans in Victoria and the neighboring counties.
The exhibit, “History in the Crossroads: African American Influences,” will run throughout February and is located on the third-floor landing of the A&M-Victoria Library inside University Commons.
Materials in the VRHC are jointly owned by Texas A&M University-Victoria and Victoria College. It is managed and housed in the A&M-Victoria Library located in University Commons, 3006 N. Ben Wilson St.
The exhibit combines historical photographs with original research to highlight local figures whose stories have shaped the local community. The display centers exclusively on people local to the Crossroads region and pairs visual materials with contextual research to deepen visitors’ understanding, said archivist Mia Campbell.
“This exhibit honors the Black Americans whose leadership has shaped Victoria and the surrounding areas in numerous ways,” Campbell said. “We invite visitors to engage with this exhibit both as learners and witnesses.”
The exhibit’s research and initial curation were completed by former archivist Brittany Rodriguez and research assistant Kevin Oliver, Campbell said. She credits Oliver with compiling much of the biographical materials and locating the photographs. According to Campbell, Oliver drew on the Victoria Advocate archives, the history center’s photograph collections and photos contributed from the community to assemble the display.
Additionally, another feature of the display is the African American Cemetery Database, a research resource that documents African American burial sites across the region that can be found in the Victoria Regional History Center. The database was the work of Cuero native James Lucas, who assembled the collection through in-person visits to cemeteries, examination of cemetery records and outreach to funeral homes, Campbell said. Lucas went on and donated his database to the history center where plans are being made for its expansion to serve as a record for researchers and community members, she added.
The exhibit will include a guest book and informational materials for visitors. The history center is also actively seeking additional photograph donations and other materials to expand its collections. Those wishing to contribute or inquire further can contact Campbell at (361) 570-4169. Additional information on the history center can be found at https://vrhc.tamuv.edu/home. The African American Cemetery Database can be accessed on the history center’s website at https://vrhc2.uhv.edu/cemeteries/search.aspx.
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.