Part of the mission of the Alliance for Texas History is to help ensure that honest history about Texas is available and accessible. We find these citations pertinent and instructive. The latest additions will be at the top.

Please take note of the kinds of articles we are interested in covering and email us with your suggestions for news about history. Join ATxH to support our shared greater good.

UT NEWS, May 7, 2024 | The Ellen C. Temple Professor of Women’s History Emerita in the Department of History at the University of Texas has won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for History. Her book “No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era,” published by Basic Books, provides a “breathtakingly original reconstruction of free Black life in Boston that profoundly reshapes our understanding of the city’s abolitionist legacy and the challenging reality for its Black residents.” (Photo by UT News).

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, May 8, 2024 | This article tends to focus on issues and conflicts of the past, not as clearly on the direction and mission of the Alliance for Texas History going forward. Board member, Frank de la Teja, tries to explain that rather than one organization “pitted against” another, that this inclusive effort wants to ensure a place in history to all. (Image by Unsplash).

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, May 7, 2024 | A new book by historian, David Ponton III, asks that question and looks for answers. HIs book, Houston and the Permanence of Segregation: An Afropessimist Approach to Urban History, published by the University of Texas Press, examines post-war challenges in what has been called “Heavenly Houston.” This article is an interview of Ponton by Leah Binkowitz of the Chronicle. (Image by Unsplash)

TEXAS MONTHLY, May 6, 2024 | The Texas Historical Commission has committed millions to improving sites with historical importance, Mission Dolore in San Augustine, Caddo Mounds State Historic Site near Alto, and San Felipe de Austin are recent examples. Now, a $51 million project at Washington-on-the-Brazos is finding archaeological artifacts from its earliest history.

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, Apr 30, 2024 | A new sculpture added to the National Mall in Washington DC, emphasizes that what’s beneath a vaunted person placed on a pedestal is important to understand and acknowledge. Commemorative statues are dominated by themes that emphasize particular aspects of our culture and ignore others. This work by Korean artist Do Ho Suh takes a different view. (Image by Donny Bajohr for the Smithsonian.)

TEXAS MONTHLY, May 3, 2024 | Texas Monthlsy senior editor, Michael Hardy, attended the ATxH Symposium in Fort Worth and heard first-hand how the mission and values of the Alliance for Texas History are already having an impact. (Photo by Gary L. Pinkerton)

TEXAS OBSERVER, May 1, 2024 | The inaugural gathering of the Alliance for Texas History was held on the TCU campus on April 27. This story by Josephine Lee of the Observer captured feedback from the mission-focused attendees and presenters. Those in attendance said they left re-energized and committed to the scholarly pursuit of history in way that connected with every Texan. (Photo by Josephine Lee).

THE DAILY TEXAN, Apr 25, 2024 | An effort to put Indigenous Texas Indian tribes on the map. . . literally . . . received a Research and Creative Grant to help them educate the public about Indigenous communities in Texas. Their website will connect regions on map to histories, particular sites, and to an online course teaching historical research methods and visiting Indigenous cultural sites around Austin. (Image by Unsplash)

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, Apr 21, 2024 | An NPR Investigations series called “Off the Mark” examines widespread examples of historical markers containing inaccurate information. Their reporting found that “hundreds of markers across the country that still call Native Americans savages, hostile, or use racial slurs,” and that “nearly 70 percent of markers that mention plantations do not mention slavery.” This particular segment is about an effort in Alabama to make corrections. The entire series can be found here. (Image from TxDOT.)

USCIS, April 2024 | ATxH board member, Frank de la Teja, was honored by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as one of 2024’s Outstanding Americans by Choice. USCIS recognizes naturalized citizens who have made significant contributions to both their community and their adopted country. Frank was recently a guest speaker at the citizenship ceremony at the state capitol on Texas Independence Day. Other honorees include the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, a Brigadier General, and members of Congress. (Photo of Frank and his wife, Maggie.)

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Apr 21 2024 | This editorial addresses questions and conflict about how a man named Joe, enslaved b William Barrett Travis’, is depicted in new Alamo displays. The Chronicle notes that the debate is a good thing. “Instead of applying broad swaths of official semi-gloss over moments in our collective history, particularly the troubling ones, we’re re-considering, re-collecting elements of our past, including how we remember the Alamo.” (Image from Wikipedia)

TEXAS MONTHLY, Apr 18, 2024 | An effort mounted by volunteers and supported by historians is telling a story of slavery not widely known. At least eight Black men from Barbados who had been granted their freedom from bondage, were sold to a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and a member of the Republic of Texas Congress. A marker in Port Arthur now memorializes their ordeal.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Apr 13, 2024 | A rundown warehouse is the site of plans to create an archival library focused on the rich Latino history of Houston. The center will house the Houston Public Library’s Latino archives. (Renderings are by architecture and design firm NADAAA.)

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, Apr 12, 2024 | On April 13, 2019, visitors to Caddo Culture Day held at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site were hit by two tornadoes, destroying the visitor’s center and severely injuring multiple people. Lives were changed that day. On May 18, they will celebrate the reopening of their new building. Storms are strong, but hearts are stronger. (Image from Caddo Mounds Facebook).

ATxH, Apr 12, 2024 | Gregg Cantrell, Interim President of the Alliance for Texas History, announced that Gary L. Pinkerton will become the first Managing Director for the organization. “Gary embodies the mission of the Alliance for Texas History. Although he is not a professional historian, he is dedicated to the objective, fact-based research and writing of our state’s history, adhering to the highest standards of our craft.”

TEXAS MONTHLY, Apr 11, 2024 | Anyone who has driven through Crockett, TX, has likely seen a mysterious old building in ruins. Only those who stop to read the marker will know that its role in history was significant. Efforts are underway to restore both the building and the honor of Mary Allen College. (Image from Mary Allen Museum Facebook)

ARIZONA PUBLIC RADIO, Apr 4, 2024 | Not all cultures feel the same way about the coming solar eclipse. Although this is not a Texas-specific story . . . it is about Navajo traditions from Arizona. . . it does remind us that rich cultural traditions still matter. And why someone who works at the Lowell Observatory will be taking the day off. (Image by Jason Howell at Unsplash.)

TEXAS PULIC RADIO, Apr 6, 2024 | TPR reporter, Jerry Clayton, interviews interim president of the Alliance for Texas History, Gregg Cantrell. Dr. Cantrell is asked about the state of Texas history education, plans for a journal, and the upcoming Symposium.

The Institute of Texan Cultures, under the stewardship of the University of Texas at San Antonio, is planning into the future to preserve Texas history. Their strategic plan includes moving to a temporary site, determining the location for a permanent home, and planning for use of the Hemisfair Campus in the more beneficial way. (Image from UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures.)

NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, Mar 21, 2024 | Technology, storytelling, and a desire to preserve Latine histories have combined in a unique project. Latinos in Heritage Conservation ad students from the University of Texas at El Paso have joined forces to docment endangered Mexican cemeteries across Texas and to tell the stories of migrant farmworkers who were part of the Bracero Program between 1941 and 1964. (Image by Latinos in Heritage Conservation).

YAHOO NOTICIAS/AGENCIA EFE, Apr 2, 2024 | "Un siglo después de 'La matanza', una sangrienta década durante la cual familias mexicoamericanas fueron víctimas de violencia racial en la frontera de Texas (EE.UU.) con México, sus descendientes, historiadores y académicos luchan para que esta parte de la historia no sea olvidada." (Image from Refusing to Forget).

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, Apr 2, 2024 | Many think the battle at the Alamo or San Jacinto were the most important conflicts with Mexico. When the Mexican American War ended in 1848, however, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo changed Texas, the United States, the world on an almost unimaginable scale. This story highlights efforts at the Bulllock Museum to present part of the document itself and interpret its role in history.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, Mar 31, 2024 | How people and events from history are depicted matters. The importance of that fact has led to controversy in an Alamo Museum Planning Committee aligned with the Alamo Trust. Dissenters complain that the planned sculpture communicates a “happily enslaved” depiction of African-American survivor, William Travis’ slave, Joe. (Image by Unsplash.)

UTA, Mar 28, 2024 | Understanding the experiences of people who do not have power is one way Stephanie Cole seeks to understand the dynamics of power in history. ““What motivates me is really figuring out who has power and why,” she said. “We can’t really answer those questions unless we look at the experiences of all sorts of people, including those who don’t have power. Often, that’s going to be women.” (Image by UTA).

CBS-19 TV (Tyler), Mar 12, 2024 | ATxH member, Merideth May, is part of the 1919 Remembrance Project, a community effort that spent over four years researching a dark day in East Texas history. At a time when there is much public attention to how we commemorate the past, as one member of the group said “it is important that we are giving people dignity by honoring their stories.”

PRESERVATION TEXAS, Mar 22, 2024 | Preservation Texas, the only statewide nonprofit historic preservation advocacy, education, and stewardship organization in Texas, is actively working to protect endangered rural African-American historic buildings and cultural landscapes statewide. the Dr. Dickey House reconstruction project in Taylor. For more about the projects click here.

TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION, Mar 19, 2024 | Not everyone is pleased to hear about the formation of the Alliance for Texas History, only those who fully understand our mission and values. “Perhaps” and “maybe” don’t count for much, so we encourage you to read the article by the TPPF, and then join us at ATxH — where facts and footnotes matter. (Image by Unsplash.)

TEXAS OBSERVER, Mar 18, 2024 | Memorials to victims of past atrocities help are not only to recall a darker past but also to guide our understanding of the future.

Those who think this history is only in our past should read about the “Goon Squad” in Mississippi to see we have much to learn. (Image from Design Jones)

TSLAC, Mar 13, 2004 | “The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty welcomes a special guest for an evening with the namesake of the Center, Sam Houston himself. A one-night-only viewing of two important documents from Houston’s service to Texas will be part of this event. Sam Houston’s copy of his official report of the Battle of San Jacinto and the Treaty Between Texas Commissioners and the Cherokee Indians of 1836 will be on display.” (Image from TSLAC.)

KERA, Mar 14, 2024 | An interview with Dr. Gregg Cantrell, interim president of the board for the Alliance for Texas History tells the story of the group’s formation and mission. Image by ATxH. Click to see the full image of interests expressed by our members.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Mar 13, 2024 | Archaeological excavations at Washington-on-the-Brazos are providing new insight into the lives of people in the community present well after the famous signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Remains of taverns, wells, and homes help piece together their lives. (Image by Shutterstock.)

HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT, Mar 8, 2024 | “Harris County commissioners approved the master plan for an area in downtown Houston that will be redeveloped into Remembrance Park—a dedicated space where residents and visitors can commemorate the actions and struggles of those who fought for social justice.” (Image by FreedomMarker.org)

AHA, 2023 | The AHA has collected a range of articles about the “challenges teachers and educators face from legislation restricting the teaching of ‘divisive concepts’ and issues related to teaching history with integrity.” (Image by American Historical Association.)

Hosted by history professors Scott Sosebee (Stephen F. Austin State University) and Gene Preuss (University of Houston-Downtown), Their guests include “people who make Texas history accessible to the public (including academic historians, public historians, archivists, living history practitioners, and history enthusiasts).”

NY TIMES, Nov 8, 2023 | “The Houston suburb Sugar Land got its name from a business reliant on the forced labor of convicts. But efforts to memorialize those people have stalled.” (Image by Unsplash.)

KVUE/ABC, Feb 7, 2024 | “The museum announced Wednesday that its three floors of Texas History Galleries are now fully bilingual in English and Spanish.” (Image by Bullock Museum.)

UT NEWS, Feb 17, 2017 | This article first appeared in 2017. The byline answers the headline’s question - “Now more than ever, the country needs to be reminded of the humanity of all of its citizens, particularly those of African origin.” (Image by Unsplash)

TEXAS OBSERVER, Jan 30, 2024 | “If this is an indication of how history will be treated, then I know it will be tough when we review social studies courses next year.” (Image by Unsplash)

BIG BEND SENTINEL, Jan 31, 2024 | Dr. Kendra DeHart of Sul Ross University has been selected as the recipient of a 2024 Leadership in Education Award from the Texas State Historical Association. “Dr. DeHart is the chair of the Sul Ross State University’s Behavioral and Social Sciences Department and an assistant professor of history.” (Image from Sull Ross University)

TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY, Jan 26 2024 | Dr. Deborah Liles, Tarleton State University Associate Professor and past-President of the East Texas Historical Association, has been unanimously elected to the board of the nonprofit Texas Library and Archives Foundation. (Image by Tarleton State University.)

NY TIMES, Jan 2024 | “The American Museum of Natural History will close two major halls exhibiting Native American objects, its leaders said on Friday, in a dramatic response to new federal regulations that require museums to obtain consent from tribes before displaying or performing research on cultural items.” (Image by Unsplash.)

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, Jan 2024 | This conference “provides an opportunity for preservationists and officials to network and learn with County Historical Commissions, Main Street managers and participants, historic preservation officers and design review boards, architects and engineers, historians, archeologists, curators, interpreters, managers of museums and historic sites, as well as THC staff, Texas Heritage Trail Regions, and many partner organizations.” (Image by Texas Historical Commission.)

AXIOS, Jan 2024 | “SAAACAM recently purchased the Kress-Grant Building on Houston Street with $2.5 million from the city, $1.25 million from the Houston Street Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, $5 million from Bexar County and a $4.3 million loan from the seller.” (Image by SAAACAM.)

EAST TEXAS HISTORICAL ASSOC, Jan 2024 | This article by Scott Sosebee from his All Things Historical weekly series, gets behind the front lines of historic events to look at people who made a difference (Image from Wood County Register).

TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, Jan 2024 | The traveling panel exhibit, Life and Death on the Border: 1910-1920, highlights the matanza, or massacre — a period of state-sanctioned violence that some historians estimate killed anywhere from 500 to 5,000 ethnic Mexicans in Texas in the early 20th century. (Image from Texas Public Radio.)

USA TODAY, Jan 2024 | “Almost 140 years after the Tonkawa were expelled from Texas, they have returned to purchase Sugarloaf Mountain, a sacred site in Milam County, northeast of Austin, that plays a key role in the tribe's creation story.” (Image from USA Today.)

AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, Nov 29, 2023 | Carlos Kevin Blanton reviews the conflict within the Texas State Historical Association. (Image from Unsplash.)