Black Lives Houston

Book excerpt: Black Lives Houston: Voices of our Generations honors the enduring spirit of Black communities and the great strides Black residents have made while recognizing the challenges Blacks in Houston continue to overcome. The book features generational profiles that show the creative ways Black communities have thrived through such things as Jim Crow, mass incarceration, and racial violence. Yet, the goal is not just to educate Houston about the work of Black communities in the past. It is also about revealing the work that is still necessary to do in our world today. In a season wherein too many of our Black communities are dealing with underemployment, structural violence, and failing schools, it is vital that we as a community of people, agencies, and elected officials work together to bring forth a Beloved Community in the twenty-first century. In the end, Black Lives Houston: Voices of our Generations leaves us with a sense of hope. The men and women highlighted throughout the book prove that together we can make changes. Most importantly, it reveals spaces where all of us can get involved in making a better world.