Furthermore, it breaks up a community where people coexisted together to create a unique and distinctive cultural and social fabric for years. Our highway-building spree began at a time when courts were striking down the segregation policies that had kept Black people from moving into white neighborhoods. THE STATE OF INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS MEETING. At the helm of our leadership are the ministers of the community. .article__main-image { height: 350px; } Tanya Dubose said her family is in that number. With many Black neighborhoods here in Houston and in cities across the country still disconnected from access to high-quality housing, jobs and public transit, the Biden administration is proposing a $1 billion investment as part of his sweeping infrastructure plan. Still, she sees signs of the U.S. Department of Transportations new efforts toward equity in the fact that they stepped in to temporarily halt the new I-45 project. .page-body__content figure figcaption {padding: 10px 20px; background: #f3f3f3; color: #000;} Chinese Community Center is one of our Alief neighborhood partners and a LISC FOC. .article .article__share a.icon-share {display: none;} Here in Houston, historians have estimated that somewhere between 40,000 people were displaced between the 1950 and 1960s, said Luis Guajardo of the Kinder Institute for Urban Studies. Independence Heights Redevelopment Council. In the wake of the construction, Lady Bird Johnson commissioned a report analyzing the effects of urban renewal. Houston City Council voted on Wednesday to approve a pilot program that will designate six communities as. And there are current projects doing more of the same. The historic neighborhood, the remnants of the first city in Texas incorporated by black residents, could lose homes and businesses under a plan to widen Interstate 45. /* Titles (Headers) */ div.title .menu--list {padding: 0 20px 0px 20px;} Is Houston's JPMorgan Chase tower still the tallest in Texas? .three-col-text p a:hover {color: #697E2F; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: #697E2F; text-decoration-thickness: .1em; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-underline-offset: 1.5px;} HOUSTON It can be easy to forget as we travel the busy highways of Houston that homes once stood where many roads are now. and who do the programs serve? At the time, Independence Heights was the only incorporated African American municipality in Texas. Lead Consultant. .article__body h1 {font-size: 2.75rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #00205B;} They include Milwaukee, where residents fighting a $1 billion freeway expansion now have the support of many city council members. High School students attend Booker T. Washington High School for Engineering Professions. With initial support from NeighborWorks America and then the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, they have worked with more than 1,500 residents and 65 institutional partners to create a Neighborhood Health Equity Plan. This plan guides Northline efforts into the future to help resident leaders build a strong, safe, supportive, and connected community. But that wasnt the only interstate that divided or dismantled Houston communities. The Independence Heights Redevelopment Council has requested TxDOT mitigate impact to the Independence Heights by relocating Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church, which will be impacted by the I-45 expansion, creating a pocket park in memory of the church, installing community gateways and historic signage and documenting the district's historic assets. But it is an increasingly common one, as huge highway projects become part of our national conversation on race and equality. about GuideStar Pro. .article__body h5 {font-size: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: .5rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #00205B;} EEDC is one of our Third Ward neighborhood partners. form.webform-submission-form {padding-top: 0;} Do you have comments on the Draft Independence Heights Neighborhood Resilience Plan? Maria Oran, Publication Assistant. .views-exposed-form .js-form-item label {margin: auto; font-family: CopernicusBold,sans-serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #00205b;} The congresswomans letters, and others from Houston activist groups, were forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The CRDC-UH is our neighborhood planning and community engagement partner for the development of the Quality of Life Agreements at our Comprehensive Level of Investment neighborhoods. /* Matrix block widths */ There are four well maintained parks and four schools that serve our school age children and their families. The community is filled with memoriesof the old days with land marked places and historical designations. Independence Heights: Quality of Life Agreement. Find out what's popular at Intermarch Contact in Villard-sur-Doron, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes in real-time and see activity ", Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer. In the 1950s and '60s, Americans who came of age during World War II turned their attention back home with hopes of changing the country on a grand scale. The freeway leads from the suburbs into Houstons downtown. These are indicators of a very real, authentic story of how the black community helped settle America. They established their own nonprofit organizationknown as the Independence Heights Ministerial Alliance that has given birth to other entities that serve the greater community. The community is filled with many bungalow style homes that remind us of the days gone by. @media only screen and (max-width: 64em){ LISC presented the GO Neighborhoods Challenge, and the community mobilized towards shared goals and shared efforts. Tejano Center for Community Concerns is one of our Magnolia Park neighborhood partners. In Savoie in Bisanne 1500, on the Domaine des Saisies Espace Diamant, 3-room apartment with an area of 40 m2 on the ground floor + balcony + covere. The Independence Heights Redevelopment Council recently worked with the nonprofit Lone Star Legal Aid to submit comments to TxDOT pointing out the community's history. And now the Texas Department of. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Over the last few years residents, former residents, business owners, church leaders, parents, educators, community leaders, and our partners have come together to imagine and vision a new future for our historic community, Independence Heights. div.body--two-columns h3 {font-size: 2rem !important; margin-bottom: 0 !important;} . body .header {position: relative;} "They're prioritizing certain communities over others.". Susan Rogers, Director. The GO Network includes 13 neighborhoods in Houston. Our vision is simple, we envision a diverse, healthy and vibrant community built on our faith and a historic past. Education. What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, RELATED: Federal officials tell TxDOT to halt I-45 expansion. LISC is making transactional investments and beginning a relationship with the neighborhood. "I hoped for, you know, at least acknowledging African Americans and acknowledging our historical and cultural assets in the community," Debose said. Together, they have established a network of congregations that jointogether to serve and support the entire community. To apply, or for more information, call 832-393-6637 or visit the following website: Sign Up Today to Receive Updates From the Planning & Development Department, https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Min-Lot_Size-Min_Bldg_Line.html, Fall 2022 | Complete Communities University, City of Houston Planning & Development Department, Resilient Houston - Resilience Assessment, Climate Impact Assessment for the City of Houston, Independence Heights Neighborhood Resilience Plan. // show/hide make a gift button when the main nav menu is opened However, the Wright Land Company positioned itself to sell land to blacks at a reasonable rate. Today, as executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, a group that fosters social and economic neighborhood development, Debose sees another disaster looming in the proposed $7.5 billion widening and realignment of Interstate 45. To complicate the problem, displaced families have limited options for finding places to move within the city limits, as housing prices and rental rates are significantly higher than what their homes are currently appraised. Tanya Debose, executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, said an entity is needed to take stock of the county's cultural and historical assets as they pertain to. 1 talking about this. The Near Northside was selected as one of two Pilot GO Neighborhoods communities in 2009, with Avenue CDC as convening agency. .ckeditor, .page-body__content { padding: 5% 0 0;} ': A look back since Elon Musk's takeover bid, Elon Musk says he's sleeping at Twitter and his dog is in charge. Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. To ensure success in the communities we work with, LISC wants to understand the level of readiness and capacity for change in the neighborhood. } /* Unstick the header */ This revised plan incorporates an additional $19.7 million in disaster recovery funds that will help Houstonians recover from the 2021 Winter Storm (the Freeze) and enhance resiliency in future events. .resize300 img { width:auto; } The Independence Heights Redevelopment Council is our Independence Heights neighborhood partner. Jackson Lee specifically cited the importance of Independence Heights, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the first state-chartered community of former slaves. We share the Building Sustainable Communities approach (GO Neighborhoods), best practices in comprehensive community development, and available LISC resources with these communities. The freeway is coming. One of the things she remembers is her grandfather having to sell that land and think about where are they going to move, Dubose said. Project Row Houses is one of our Third Ward neighborhood partners. Collaborative capacity is growing, there is momentum building and some participation in advocacy and training. She said her community had over 1,300 structures and less than 100 exist now. .page-body__content p a:hover {color: #697E2F; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: #697E2F; text-decoration-thickness: .1em; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-underline-offset: 1.5px;} We have a chance to set that right., A Home Owners Loan Corporation redlining map from the 1930s that labeled "hazardous areasmajority Blackof Nashville in red (left) and the subsequent paths of Interstates 40 and 440 (right). 6100 Main St. MS-208 At the helm of our leadership are the ministers of the community. .grid-mw--1380.three-col-contain .pt-3 {padding-top: 40px;} figure figcaption {color: #44474F; line-height: 1.5;} Kraft Hall Independence Heights Redevelopment Council cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors. OST/South Union Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? In 2018, 5th Ward neighborhood leaders, residents and community development experts collaborated to establish this vision, that 5th Ward will be a unified community that honors its historical heritage and embraces redevelopment for all. Fast forward into the 1950s, a time when Houston was growing, and the small town of Independence Heights had already been annexed in 1929 into the city. .views-exposed-form{display: block;} Independence Heights Redevelopment Council .hero__image {min-height: 150px;} Next, FHWA will send investigators to Texas. @media (max-width: 48em){ .hero__footer p {line-height: 1.25;} .page-body__content blockquote p { font-size: 1.1rem; } Subscribe Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. #block-reportherocallout div.grid div.col div.panel { min-height:600; } Help us get you more of the nonprofit information you need, including: An email has been sent to the address you provided. .created{margin-top: 1em;} Leadership Development By 1915, the residents of the area in search of infrastructure and other amenities established their own city charter and became the first black municipality in the State of Texas. Wesley Community Center is one of our Near Northside neighborhood partners and a LISC FOC. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own. Learn More This watershed moment inspired activists across several other states to push back on similar highway projects and marked an effort to center environmental justice in infrastructure work. div.article__header span.tags-issues { padding-left: 1rem; } Families were caring and looked out for each other. article.align-right {margin: 0 0 20px 30px} I- 45 had the worst impact because that split Third Ward, split 5th and 4th Wards, and split areas north of downtown. We share the Building Sustainable Communities . barriers between Black and white communities. Paul Wright, Senior Program Officer. Black property owners along the present-day 610 Loop were being considered in a plan to build a new freeway that would be used to help transport people into more suburban areas. .views-element-container>h2{font-family: CopernicusBold, sans-serif; color: #5F6062; letter-spacing: -0.020em; word-spacing: -0.05em; font-size: 1.8em; padding-bottom: .3em; border-bottom: #c6dae1 solid 2px;} Independence Heights Resilience Plan Public Meeting. #block-views-block-featured-stories-rice-block-1 { background: #001e6b; padding: 2em 0; } People are realizing that we cant build our way out of congestion, says Ines Sigel, LINK Houstons interim executive director. .three-col-text .accordion--link-list-primary {display: none;} The Texas Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment. .views-exposed-form .js-form-submit {width: initial;} And we cannot simply continue to widen our freeways at the expense of Black and brown communities., Thats not a big ask. 1 talking about this. Neighborhoods were lost, said state representative Garnet Coleman. 15 min from L. Over the last few years residents, former residents, business owners, church leaders, parents, educators, community leaders, and our partners have come together to imagine and vision a new future for our historic community, Independence Heights. .page-body__content h5 {font-size: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: .5rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #00205B;} .views-exposed-form{display: flex;} Independence Heights is bounded on the south and east by I-610 and I-45, respectively, and while the 2,309-page report mentioned that the community could potentially be impacted by the project, it did not address specific effects. For Tanya Debose, Independence Heights is rich with history. Independence Heights. 5. .teaser-summary p a:hover {color: #697E2F; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 2px #697E2F solid;} .icon-print::before {color: #44474F;} Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Additional Neighborhoods. Independence Heights is a historic neighborhood located in northwest Houston. It was 1924 when Deboses great-grandfather bought land here, in the first African American municipality to be founded in Texas. That marks a major step forward, according to Matthew Casale, environment campaigns director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, which compiles an annual report of highway boondoggles. Independence Heights is located in the White Oak Bayou watershed. Clearly, the Black Lives Matter movement has amplified this issue, says Kyle Shelton, director of the University of Minnesotas Center for Transportation Studies, and author of Power Moves: Transportation, Politics, and Development in Houston. Across boundaries, community leaders are focusing on ways to lessen the impacts of displacement and the losses of cultural and historical assets. Initially, grassroots groups pressed TxDOT to reexamine the human impacts of its proposed I-45 expansion with little success. For additional information or to request special accommodations for the meetings (interpreter or other), contact Ashley Lawson at (832) 394-5438 or Ashley.Lawson@houstontx.gov. 6100 Main Street, Suite 305 .pager__item--ellipsis{padding-top: 1em;} .views-exposed-form .selectric { border: none; padding: 2px;} Independence Heights Redevelopment Council. .alert {padding: .75em;} Thanks for signing up. .h3, h3 {margin-bottom: 1rem;} .page-body__content ol a::after {display: none;} Your subscription will be migrated over. Already have a GuideStar Account? .article--story .article__body {margin-top: 30px;} SEE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS LISTED HERE, Funders + Partners NRCDC is the Convening Agency for OST/South Union GO Neighborhood. Our community is very diverse. Independence Heights is a community built on a foundation of faith and a historic past. #block-views-block-news-rice-block-1, #block-views-block-news-releases-view-block-1, "I was dismayed to learn from reading this report that almost half of the 12,000 structures listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey of the National Park Service have already been destroyed," she wrote in the report's forward in 1966. To submit comments, please access the public forum here: Housing and Community Development (HCD) staff will also discuss the revised activities and budgets in the Draft Action Plan for Disaster Recovery: 2021 Winter Storm. border-bottom: 1px solid #303B61;font-size: 1.15em;} Independence Heights has been impacted by highway construction before. Subscribe to CitizensNet or manage your preferences here: Thank you for your interest in the City of Houston! /*div.hero__title.overlay__content.overlay__content--center p { display: none; }*/ While the I-45 expansion appears to be inevitable, communities of color have banned together to address the onslaught of disruption this project will bring to their neighborhoods. Independence Heights, the first municipality established by black Texans, was isolated from the rest of the city by Interstate 45 and the 610 Loop. The agency could use the information in its final assessment. Independence Heights leadership is vested in a passionate group of people who respect one another and embody the values of our founding pioneers. Many dont know the history of the community and some are new to Houston. Since then, Independence Heights has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, a preservation program that also has roots in highway construction. Additional technical assistance came in January 2013 from Blues National Park Services Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program award, the OHIP collaborative and other local partnerships. .article .article__body p a:hover {color: #697E2F; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: #697E2F; text-decoration-thickness: .1em; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-underline-offset: 1.5px;} EEDC is one of our Third Ward neighborhood partners. .article__body h3 {font-size: 2rem; margin-bottom: .75rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #00205B;} .article .article__body figure.align-left {margin: 0 30px 20px 0;} Tanya Bubose is the Director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council. If so, please add your thoughts in this forum by Friday, March 31. @media (max-width: 64em){ In addition, Houston Community College is located just east of the community as well as Lenotre Culinary School. article.align-center {margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: table;} Tanya Debose, executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council talks with others concerned about what the widening of Interstate 45 will do to the community north of Loop 610 on Jan. 5. @media (max-width: 36em){ GO Neighborhoods partners include Convening Agencies and their GO Neighborhoods staff, key partner agency staff working on GO Neighborhoods Steering Committees, GO Teams composed of residents and organizational leaders supporting and participating in the implementation of projects that advance the strategies laid out in the Quality of Life Agreements (Neighborhood Plans), and our generous funders their dedication community change would not be possible. .article .article__body figure.align-right {margin: 0 0 20px 30px} } Even decades later, the communitys powerlessness to stop that destruction haunts her. Tanya Debose. Histone Preservation & Cultural Arts Soniore and Youth by providing community mootings, participating in community basod events, and disaster assistance by providing community outreach, working with clocted officials to complete a Needs Assessment, disaster intake, and identifying homes that needed repair due to Hurricane harvey, Community, Neighborhood Development, Improvement (S20). The neighborhood has been on the path of comprehensive community development since 2007. The use of freeways in the early development of most major cities was deliberately divisive and was used to draw invisible boundary lines separating populations of people based on race and class. If we are not careful, before long the continued devaluation of property, forced displacement of people, massive flood events, and the expansion of freeways, railroads and transportation routes through communities of color will erase the culture of these unique places thereby creating a one-sided city no longer reflective of Houston's diversity. .page-body__content p a {color: #3455DB; line-height: normal !important; text-decoration-style: dotted; text-decoration-color: #00205B; text-decoration-thickness: .1em; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-underline-offset: 1.5px; display: inline;} Technical Assistance, Near Northside In an e-mail, he writes, The record investments in public transportation, passenger rail, electric buses, and transportation safety will help support a cleaner, healthier, and better working transportation future., Most of the recent changes would not be possible without the groundwork laid by citizens like Debose and the residents of Independence Heights. .hero__footer p {line-height: 1.25;} .views-exposed-form .form-text { min-height: 2.5em;} .article__main-image img{position:relative; top: auto; left: auto; right: auto; bottom: auto;} Neighborhoods like Independence Heights were already threatened with clusters of residential home buyouts, including 163 homes just west of the proposed I-45 project. Through a program of this type, and through investments like this, you are able to re-stitch some of that. Typically, the agency does not intervene outside of its normal decision-making schedule, so those watching saw Jackson Lees efforts as putting Secretary Buttigiegs civil rightssensitive comments to the test. .page-body__content ol li, .page-body__content ul li {font-size: 1.125rem;} } The Neighborhood Resilience Plans will empower neighborhoods to direct future neighborhood-based investments in the most effective ways possible to help reduce flooding, address vulnerability to climate and multiple hazards, improve quality of life, and drive economic opportunity. Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees, Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics, Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools, Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations, Revenue and expense data for the current fiscal year, CEO, Board Chair, and Board of Directors information, *with the ability to download the data for 2018. On the West Coast, Oakland residents are campaigning for the removal of a freeway that dissects their downtown, and Portland, Oregon, activists are fighting a planned freeway-widening through the middle of a deep-rooted Black neighborhood. The North Corridor light rail gives us greater connectivity, and redevelopment is transforming the neighborhoods immediately surrounding us. Consider Colorados plans to build nearly 200 miles of new traffic lanes over the next decade; the Rocky Mountain Institute projected that to be the equivalent of adding 70,000 new cars to the road. You are able to kind of heal some of those divisions in a community. .article__body h6 {font-size: 1.25rem; margin-bottom: .5rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #0A509E;} I-45 expansion impact report may not have considered Independence Heights, Elon Musk describes Starship flight as 'roughly what I expected', Elon Musk said the test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket was "roughly what I expected. Independence Heights Resilience Plan final public meeting will be held on Saturday, March 25 at the Independence Heights Community Center located 603 E. 35th St. Houston, TX 11:00 AM -1:00 PM. They were essentially built as barriers between Black and white communities. Its a legacy that lives on till this day said Luis Guajardo. South Union CDC is one of our Sunnyside neighborhood partners and a recipient of the GO Innovative Project and Innovation grant. .pv-5 {padding-top: 2%; padding-bottom: 2%;} Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. .page-body__content figure.align-left {margin: 6px 30px 30px 0;} .three-col-text p a {color: #3455DB; line-height: normal !important; text-decoration-style: dotted; text-decoration-color: #00205B; text-decoration-thickness: .1em; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-underline-offset: 1.5px; display: inline;} Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. The State of Independence Heights meeting was held in coordination with the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council October 24th at Booker T. Washington High School located at 4204 Yale St. To take the community engagement survey, please click her e. Independence Heights Special Minimum Lot Size Possible Locations .article .date {color: #44474F;} The nonprofit Transportation for America found that congestion in those same cities actually grew by 144 percent over that time period, due in part to what experts call induced demand; more highway lanes entice more people to use them. They established their own nonprofit organization known as the Independence Heights Ministerial Alliance that has given birth to other entities that serve the greater community. LISC has a major investment and ongoing relationship with at least one organization. The story of Independence Heights is just one narrative representing many places across the nation of how the black population settled into communities and spaces, creating enclaves of homes and self-sufficient communities reflective of a way of life. Copyright 2023 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Project Team: Susan Rogers, Mario Lopez, Anglica Lastra, Cynthia Cruz, Maria Noguera, Kaede Polkinghorne, Partner: Tanya Debose, Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, Volunteers: Shata Abushaikha, Arica Bailey, Austin Baldwin, Samantha Callender, Camila Castro, Claudia Cepeda, Michael Chang, Ashley Chenevert, Ulises Contreras, Ariana Cuvelier, Desmond Davis, Krissy Diaz, Dario De Leon, Answesha Dubey, Avnika Dubey, David Espinoza, Luis Garcia, Brittany Griffin, Jeremy Griffin, Jonathon Griffin, Rahma Hassan, Danielle Jones, Donna Kacmar, Maheen Khizar, Terrain Little, Danielle Lossangoye, Cody King, Isabel Martinez, Marie Martinez, Melvalean McLemore, Davone Morgan, Rami Namani, Khang Nguyen, Nhi Nguyen, Alejandro Nunez, Sheridan ONeal, Daniela Olivera, Michael Ortega, Constanza Pea, Hung Pham, Kristie Pham, Marcela Ramos, Eli Rebellon, Ana Sevilla, David Salas, Jasmine Small, Cynthia Suarez, Florence Tang, Angela Tran, Ben Tonthat, Nyx Valerdy, Fiama Villagrana-Ocasio, Paula Villagrana-Ocasio, Ashley Villalta, Princess Villalta, Charnice Williams, Lindsey Williams, Mario Yang, University of Houston NOMAS, Houston NOMA, Prairie View A&M University, Women in Architecture, Photo Credits: @repfletcher, @faithxdanielle, @cgesbaileyplanning, @madmanmario, @iseenit_rubens, Independence Heights Black Towns Matter Mural, COLLABORATING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES AND BLACK SPACE. In the process, the program displaced more than 475,000 households and one million people from 1957 to 1977.
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