“From Plantation to Emancipation – The Freedom Experience” is a “Houston Signature Experience” by Visit Houston

During your tour of three historic houses that tell Houston’s stories from plantation to emancipation, the talented actor brings the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom to life in dramatic reenactments. The historical script was written by Martha Whiting-Goddard, Reverend Jack Yates’ great granddaughter, who lived in the Yates House that was relocated to Sam Houston Park.

Explore the following three houses that are designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project” - 1847 Kellum-Noble House; 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage; and 1870 Yates House. “Sites of Memory,” or “Sites of Conscience” are historic places that activate the power of memory to engage the public in a deeper understanding of the past, inspiring action to shape a more just future. These sites break the silence surrounding slavery, and place the tragedy into our universal memory. It is only through dialogue that we can have peace and reconciliation. We have a duty to remember the crimes committed against humanity by our ancestors, especially as we see the return of prejudice and discrimination today.

Starring Kijana Wiseman, M.Ed.! You will be enchanted by Kijana’s dynamic and versatile performances in the realms of theatrical and communicative arts. An award-winning lyric coloratura soprano with an impressive 3.5-octave range, she has garnered accolades such as the City of Houston Talent Competition and the national APCA Best College Performing Artist of the Year. Her interactive one-woman show, The Griot, was honored as the Best College Diversity Program. Kijana’s theatrical journey began in her childhood at Houston’s Theatre Inc. and Alley Theatre, where she played numerous lead roles in both musicals and plays. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Houston and a Master’s degree specializing in African Theatre, achieved through joint studies at Texas Southern University and the University of Liberia, West Africa.

The talented reenactor, Khi Stephens, brings the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom to life through song, a Library of Congress slave narrative, and a portrayal written by a descendant of the Reverend Jack Yates. Stephens studied theater in Los Angeles and was coached by Martha Whiting-Goddard on her roles.

From Plantation to Emancipation – The Freedom Experience begins on Saturday, February 10 in celebration of Black History Month. These 90-minute tours are offered on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month; from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to make a reservation at least two (2) weeks in advance. To make a reservation or to request more information, call 713-655-1912 or email tours@heritagesociety.org.

Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your tour time for parking and walking through our campus to the museum gallery for check-in. Free parking is available at 212 Dallas Street.

“From Plantation to Emancipation – The Freedom Experience” is a “Houston Signature Experience” by Visit Houston

During your tour of three historic houses that tell Houston’s stories from plantation to emancipation, the talented actor brings the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom to life in dramatic reenactments. The historical script was written by Martha Whiting-Goddard, Reverend Jack Yates’ great granddaughter, who lived in the Yates House that was relocated to Sam Houston Park.

Explore the following three houses that are designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project” - 1847 Kellum-Noble House; 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage; and 1870 Yates House. “Sites of Memory,” or “Sites of Conscience” are historic places that activate the power of memory to engage the public in a deeper understanding of the past, inspiring action to shape a more just future. These sites break the silence surrounding slavery, and place the tragedy into our universal memory. It is only through dialogue that we can have peace and reconciliation. We have a duty to remember the crimes committed against humanity by our ancestors, especially as we see the return of prejudice and discrimination today.

Starring Kijana Wiseman, M.Ed.! You will be enchanted by Kijana’s dynamic and versatile performances in the realms of theatrical and communicative arts. An award-winning lyric coloratura soprano with an impressive 3.5-octave range, she has garnered accolades such as the City of Houston Talent Competition and the national APCA Best College Performing Artist of the Year. Her interactive one-woman show, The Griot, was honored as the Best College Diversity Program. Kijana’s theatrical journey began in her childhood at Houston’s Theatre Inc. and Alley Theatre, where she played numerous lead roles in both musicals and plays. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Houston and a Master’s degree specializing in African Theatre, achieved through joint studies at Texas Southern University and the University of Liberia, West Africa.

The talented reenactor, Khi Stephens, brings the hardships of slavery and the victory of freedom to life through song, a Library of Congress slave narrative, and a portrayal written by a descendant of the Reverend Jack Yates. Stephens studied theater in Los Angeles and was coached by Martha Whiting-Goddard on her roles.

From Plantation to Emancipation – The Freedom Experience begins on Saturday, February 10 in celebration of Black History Month. These 90-minute tours are offered on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month; from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to make a reservation at least two (2) weeks in advance. To make a reservation or to request more information, call 713-655-1912 or email tours@heritagesociety.org.

Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your tour time for parking and walking through our campus to the museum gallery for check-in. Free parking is available at 212 Dallas Street.

Educated in the "Texas state of mind" she never questioned that she'd spend her life telling the stories about the state and the people who make its past, present, and future.

Meet Texas History and Houston History Author Lora-Marie Bernard at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 4, 2024, when Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston opens the fall season with enchanting stories about Texas. View the show on Facebook or Instagram on his free, online program that also highlights history happenings at The Heritage Society.

About the Author

Lora-Marie Bernard writes nonfiction books about Texas. She has been called one of the state's best storytellers by Texana Reads. 

She was the 2018 recipient of the Dan Parkinson Literary Award for her efforts to preserve Texas culture through literature. She is the 2020 recipient of the Catherine Munson Foster Memorial Award for Literature in recognition of her efforts to increase the public’s understanding of Texas and its people.

During her time as a Texas-based journalist and communicator, she won numerous Associated Press awards and national press honors for her public affairs and investigative reporting. Early in her career, she earned the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.

As a Washington D.C. field correspondent, she served as an international radio commentator, journalist and photographer for the 2017 Trump presidential campaign, the 2018 Texas U.S. Senate Race, the Washington D.C. Women's March, and Hurricane Harvey.

She earned her master’s degree in liberal arts extension studies from Harvard University in 2018. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. She is the Vice President of the Southeast Texas Museum. She also serves as an international Corporate Board member for the Alumnae-i Network for Harvard Women. 

THS Members and LULAC Members are invited to a commemorative evening highlighting the 60th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Houston on November 21, 1963. The event will be held at The Heritage Society, 1100 Bagby Street, in the museum gallery, and starts at 6:00 PM. Beverages and light bites served.

Please RSVP to info@heritagesociety.org to attend. If you would like to become a member, please click below.

We are thankful for historic milestones and would like our guests to come learn about the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys visit to Houston and their speeches at The Rice Hotel in Downtown.  This special indoor exhibit portrays how November 21, 1963, was a celebration of Presidential recognition for Latinos as a voting bloc. Enjoy complimentary Mexican pan dulce and beverages.

Did you know that while the President was in Downtown Houston, he attended a dinner at The Houston Coliseum (the Hobby Center) honoring U.S. Rep. Albert Thomas and his work to bring the Manned Space Center to Houston? Now, you know, and you will learn other significant facts leading up to Kennedy’s visit and the day after his visit to Houston in Dallas when the world learned about his assassination.

What is a SIP? Explore Houston’s interesting places and history on these guided tours with subject matter experts! See Interesting Places (SIP) is an adventure that highlights Houston sites. 

Discover the Old World Charm of The Beaconsfield with Stephen Fox

Wednesday, November 8

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Our exploration guide is architectural and historical subject matter expert Stephen Fox. Fox is an architectural historian and a Fellow of the Anchorage Foundation of Texas. He is a lecturer in architecture at Rice University and the University of Houston. Fox is the author of the Houston Architectural Guide (2023), published by the American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter. He is also the author of The Architecture of Birdsall P. Briscoe.

Our Destination -

The Beaconsfield is a 7-story high residential building with 18 lofts built in 1911 and is listed on the US Interior Department’s National Register of Historic Places.  The Beaconsfield has a rich history, visible in its architectural design. It lies at 1700 Main Street, touted as the first high-rise complex in Houston. The building retained its facade, including the 11′-12′ beamed ceilings, gas fireplaces, most of the original hardware, and the original elevator (still operated by the doorman).  It has an attended lobby with an Old World setting complete with French doors and arched stained-glass panels.

Join us on Wednesday, 8/2 on Facebook or Instagram at 7 p.m. and learn about 50 Black Houston historical and cultural sites in our beloved city. Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston hosts Facebook Live with Dr. Lindsay Gary in this free, online program.

Dr. Gary is a dancer, an author, and an educator who stands by the power behind historical and cultural origins through interactive teaching.  Her exhibit, The New Red Book, with The Printing Museum and THS puts 50 historical sites and cultural organizations on the map as it embraces several neighborhoods in the heart of Houston.

JUNETEENTH SPEAKER SERIES PROGRAM

Saturday, June 17, 2023    11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Join us for our second annual Juneteenth educational program experience “From Plantation to Emancipation”. This year, our program is free to the public thanks to our sponsors at Constellation Energy.

Special Guests: Georgia Nolan, Past Texas State President, Chairperson NACW and Past President of Houston; Trinity United Methodist Church; Rae Bryant of the Houston Suffragists Project; Descendants of the Reverend Jack Yates and Members of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

SPEAKERS

Opening by vocalist Sheryl Brady, Member of NACW

• Brady researched music that was sung by the NACW members in the early part of the 20th century

Dr. Donald Williams recites the Emancipation Proclamation, General Order No. 3

• Union General Gordon Granger and his troops traveled to Galveston, Texas to announce General Order No. 3 on June 19th, 1865.  Williams is a Texas historian, veteran, and THS board member who performs poetry for organizations

Welcome and Juneteenth Introduction by Martha Whiting-Goddard, great granddaughter of Jack Yates

• Whiting-Goddard is a THS board member who helped relocate the 1870 Jack Yates House to Sam Houston Park, wrote our Black History Tour Program and headed our UNESCO historic house designation project

175th Anniversary of Trinity UMC Church by Anita Lee-Punch, TUMC Historian

• Lee-Punch will be sharing how Trinity was formed in 1848 by enslaved men. It has been located at Live Oak and Holman streets in Third Ward since 1951.

B.H. Grimes of the Ancient Order of Pilgrims by Dr. Kevin J. Williams, descendant of Buchanan H. Grimes

• The Ancient Order of Pilgrims was established in Houston in 1882 to address economic issues faced by the city's African-American population during the difficult years following the period of Reconstruction.

The Pilgrim Temple Memorabilia Collection by Cheryle Cavitt, daughter of Roscoe A. Cavitt, the former Executive Secretary of National Negro Chamber of Commerce

• In 1926 the fraternal organization of The Ancient Order of Pilgrims erected a headquarters building called the Pilgrim Temple. The structure is long-gone from the corner across from THS, but an historic marker for the organization has been placed in Sam Houston Park.

The Reverend Jack Yates House by Devaron Yates, descendant of Jack Yates

• Yates, a preservationist, will share an architectural review of the 1870 Jack Yates House that was originally located at 1318 Andrews Street in Freedmen's Town and now in Sam Houston Park.  Reader’s Digest has named the house the most famous house in Texas for two years in a row.

The UNESCO Slave Route Project and Slavery Migration Studies by Summer Perritt of Rice University

• Perritt will share segments of her dissertation on the migration of Black Americans to the U.S. South in the post-civil rights era and her primary research interests include Black southern identity, Black culture, slavery, and memory.

Video about Willie Blount, first graduate of a Texas law school

• Very little was known about this female trailblazer until now.

The Heritage Society presents Legendary Houston, 1960s Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, on Friday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. in The Ballroom at Bayou Place. Jillian Jopling and Peter McGillivray are the Gala Chairs and past gala honorees. C. C. and Duke Ensell are Honorary Chairs for this year’s event. Brandon Weinbrenner, Master of Ceremonies is Associate Producer & Casting Director at Alley Theatre.

1960s Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine Gala is a night to celebrate a decade that brought about radical change. Innovative changes in clothing styles, changes in music, changes in culture, and most important to this night is the change in nightclub styles. Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine quickly became a hot spot for psychedelic nightlife in Houston and remained so for many years and transformed Allen’s Landing/Market Square. It was famous for bands such as 13th Floor Elevators, Moving Sidewalks, and ZZ Top made their debut there in 1969. Guests will enter our lounge, reminiscent of the legendary “Zonk Out Room”, to the sounds of a Psychedelic Trio while feasting on themed hors d’oeuvres and colorful beverages. There will be a brilliantly curated Art Gallery Auction with selections donated from the collection of Christy and Lou Cushman. The main event will relive the era with hit songs by the David Caceres Band. A dance contest will be featured, and a Dancing King and Dancing Queen will be crowned. Wear your best interpretation of the 1960s psychedelic era clothing!

Your support of the gala provides support for The Heritage Society’s programming such as school tours, exhibits, lectures, educational videos, and fun-filled family events. We operate ten historic houses, museum gallery, and a collection of more than 23,000 historical items. Help us bring Houston history to life!

The Heritage Society aims to create The Legendary Houston Series, continuing celebrations of our history, culture, enterprise, and spirit. You may view the enclosed reply form or go to heritagesociety.org/gala or contact Laura Woods at 713.655.1912, lwoods@heritagesociety.org with any questions. We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2023 Legendary Houston Gala!

Mini Candlelight Tour

The Heritage Society is offering a Mini Candlelight Tour on Saturday, December 3, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Two other reasons, to purchase tickets - The Mayor’s Annual Tree Lighting is the same evening and Winter Wanderland on Bagby Street, a holiday lights extravaganza by the Downtown District will also make for great family fun. Great photo opportunities with dazzling holiday light installations – including an 80-foot light tunnel – on Bagby Street from Lamar to Preston.

Children under 5 are free. Children’s tickets are for young ones from 5 to 18 years of age.

Here is how we will be getting festive…

• Tour 2 Historic House Tours with Jesse H. Jones Park Reenactors and Docents

• Enjoy a musical performance by the professional string ensemble HeartStrings Houston

• Enjoy holiday punch and Christmas and holiday cookies in our Musuem Gallery

• Shop our gift shop for Hounique presents including holiday ornaments

• Sip hot chocolate/coffee by Active Passion Coffee and grab dinner at El Kiosko and sit outdoors to see all the holiday lights

• See beautiful decorations from Kirksey Gregg Productions

• Free parking