Galveston Historical Foundation’s African American Heritage Committee (AAHC) was established in 2002 at the 1859 Ashton Villa, when more than forty community members gathered with a shared passion for preserving the island’s Black history. Leading the charge was Maggie Williams—a Galveston native and retired schoolteacher—who was elected the committee’s first chair. Since its founding, this committee has dedicated itself to identifying, commemorating, and preserving historic sites important to African Americans and the Galveston community.
Among the early efforts the committee focused its attention on was the preservation of Rosewood Cemetery. Rosewood, Galveston’s first burial ground designated exclusively for African Americans, was established in 1911 by a group of African American citizens who organized themselves as the Rosewood Cemetery Association. Through the hard work of the committee and other concerned citizens, a Texas Historical Commission (THC) Historic Texas Cemetery Marker was placed at the site in 2011, officially recognizing Rosewood’s historic significance.
Since the founding of the AAHC, its membership has included numerous chairs and an ongoing roster of new, returning, and inaugural members who remain steadfast in their commitment to the mission.
CURRENT AAHC MEMBERS
Tommie Boudreaux
Joan Hubert
Rosa Crooks
Diane Henderson
Lillie Little
David O’Neal
Greg Samford
The AAHC’s work doesn’t end with events and exhibits—they’ve also helped put Galveston’s African American History on the forefront through their dedicated work on Juneteenth outreach, published works, ongoing engagement, and community involvement. Current and past committee activities include involvement with GHF’s annual Dickens on the Strand Victorian holiday festival, Juneteenth lectures and programs, ongoing research, and extensive efforts to advance Juneteenth recognition, including the development of Galveston’s Juneteenth Exhibit “And Still We Rise…”.
In 2014, the committee dedicated a Texas Historical Commission subject marker for Juneteenth, held in celebration of the 150th anniversary of U.S. General Gordon Granger’s arrival in Galveston in 1865. The committee also joined the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project in 2017 and dedicated a Middle Passage Marker on Galveston’s historic harbor at the Galveston Historic Seaport, honoring the forced migration of enslaved people. In 2020, they sponsored a Texas Historical Commission Undertold Stories Marker for Jessie McGuire Dent, which was dedicated in 2024.
Published works by the committee and individual members that document the island’s Black history include Galveston’s African American Historic Places & Pioneers (2005), African Americans of Galveston (2013), Lost Restaurants of Galveston’s African American Community (2021), and Galveston’s Juneteenth Story (2024).
More than two decades in, the committee continues to grow and evolve, with new members joining original founders to shine a brighter light on Galveston’s African American heritage—one story, one marker, one memory at a time.
ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last sixty years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, coastal resiliency and stewardship of historic properties. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life and conceives of history as an engaging story of individual lives and experiences on Galveston Island from the 19th century to the present day.
