Continue your day taking in more black history
George Washington Carver Complex
From downtown, take a short ride to East Austin, the former "Negro District," to visit the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural Center, and Library(Known locally as "the Carver." Black Austinites petitioned the city to relocate the public library's "colored" branch within the segregated district and change the name. The community decided on George Washington Carver in homage to the famed Black scientist and educator. The original library is still on-site and includes multiple buildings, a library, and park grounds. The museum is a 36,000-square-foot facility that consists of four galleries that work to preserve and exhibit African American material culture, history, and aesthetic expression. The Carver Museum works to create a space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.
Voyage to Soulsville Mural
A visit to "the Carver" isn't complete without engaging with the Voyage to Soulsville Mural painted on the side of the library. Black Austinite John Fisher painted this mural in 1986 as an ode to his deceased son. Fisher was trained by legendary artists including; Amado M. Peña, Jr., Dr. Avila Wardlaw, and the legendary John T. Biggers. Biggers was Fisher's art professor at Texas Southern University and influenced much of Fisher's work, including this mural. While in college, Fisher received a fellowship from the Ford Foundation and traveled to Togo in West Africa to study art in their local context. In this beautiful mural, Fisher includes various forms of artistic style in his narration of Austin's Black history.