ARTISTS ARE HELPING
TELL OUR STORY

Performing History is a performance series celebrating the history of civic spaces in Houston’s First and Sixth Wards, two of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. These civic spaces provide an interesting lens with which to view the history of our community and to celebrate its people. Our project aims to keep Richard Brock Park, Dow Park, and the other parks’ histories alive, open to inquiry by new audiences, and infused with the vibrancy of the city’s art community. Our goal is to facilitate thoughtful discussion about the legacy of place and people in a rapidly changing area.

Meet Dance Afrikana

Dance Afrikana, LLC is a professional dance company dedicated to connecting and celebrating Africa and the African Diaspora through dance. It is centered on the idea that dance connects us to our ancestors and therefore to ourselves. Dance Afrikana, LLC was founded in 2016 by dancer, choreographer, and dance educator Lindsay Gary. Initially focused on Afrobeats workshops and performances, the company grew to specialize in various forms of traditional and contemporary African and African Diaspora dance.

Watch their Performing History piece below:

Read the history of Richard J. Brock Park in the First Ward neighborhood – English

Leer la historia de Richard J. Brock Park en el barrio First Ward – Español

This project was made possible by funding from Humanities Texas and Texas Commission on the Arts.

Meet Leslie Contreras Schwartz

Leslie Contreras Schwartz was the 2019-2020 Houston Poet Laureate. Contreras Schwartz is a multi-genre writer whose fourth book, Black Dove / Paloma Negra (FlowerSong Press, 2020) was named a finalist for the Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for 2020 Best Book of Poetry from the Texas Institute of Letters. She was born in Houston and has Mexican American and Mexican roots going back several generations in the city and in Texas.