The city of Independence Heights was the first African American incorporated city in Texas when it was founded in 1915. Located a few miles north of Downtown Houston, families were drawn to the location by the opportunity to own their own homes. Since then, it has relinquished its incorporation and become part of the larger city of Houston, as city limits have spread over the past hundred years. Through all these changes, the citizens of the area remain in touch with their heritage as descendants of city founders and proud African Americans.
During the summer of 2020, the nation was in uproar, calling for changes to be made in the way African-American citizens were treated. With the rise of street art and murals addressing these issues, the Independence Heights community was not to be left out.
In June 2020, Independence Heights’ Redevelopment Council director Tanya Debose reached out to the director of the University of Houston Community Design Resource Center Susan Rogers in order to see what could be done. Together, they planned to make a statement by painting a street art mural on Link Road in Independence Heights right off Main Street. To accomplish this, they enlisted the help of local artist Ange Hillz. Ange Hillz is a prolific artist born in Rwanda, who immigrated to the US. A work of his, depicting George Floyd, was featured on the cover of Time magazine on May 10, 2021. In the days leading up to Juneteenth in 2020, the painting of Link Road began.
Spelled out on the street was the message “BLACK TOWNS MATTER”. Being the first African-American town in Texas is a point of pride for the community. To honor this, within the “O” of the original work was a portrait of George O. Burgess, the first mayor of the incorporated city. Today the work is upheld and remains a symbol and statement of the community to all who see it.
Researched by the Urban Art Mapping Team