She said her community. border-bottom: 1px solid #303B61;font-size: 1.15em;} .player .vp-unmute {display: none; } Independence Heights Redevelopment Council. 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. It was 1924 when Deboses great-grandfather bought land here, in the first African American municipality to be founded in Texas. "This is a serious loss and it underlines the necessity for prompt action if we are not to shirk our duty to the future.". This is the first time in a long time that theres been this level of pushback against this type of project. They include Milwaukee, where residents fighting a $1 billion freeway expansion now have the support of many city council members. .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;} Sometimes were not cognizant as were driving on these roads and highways. div.article__header h6 span.tags a { line-height: 1.1; } During a time of segregation and Jim Crow laws, blacks were not encouraged to own land. We are identifying opportunities for old and new residents to work together creatively on ways to reclaim our historic identity and shape our future revitalization efforts, while we work to remain true to our roots and utilize local talent to rebuild our community. 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. div#block-views-block-herc-committee-profiles, div#block-views-block-advisory-board-emerita-emeritus-kinder-profiles { max-width: 1380px; margin:0 auto; } Apr 13, 2023 - Entire condo for $80. div.article__urbanedge-info { padding-top:0;} EEDC is one of our Third Ward neighborhood partners. form.webform-submission-form {padding-top: 0;} Independence Heights is a historic neighborhood located in northwest Houston. In December 2012, the OST/South Union community joined the partnership, followed by Fifth Ward in September 2018, and Northline in January 2020. SEE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS LISTED HERE, Funders + Partners Please check your inbox in order to proceed. The Neighborhood Support Team (NST) and the City of Houston request community review and comments on the draft of the Independence Heights Resilience Plan. .article .article__body figure.align-left {margin: 0 30px 20px 0;} Three neighborhoods were chosen to participate in this process: East Houston, Edgebrook, and Independence Heights. Painted on Houstons first Whole Foods 365, this mural is the first of its kind in the city to showcase the origins of the Independence Heights neighborhood as the first city incorporated by Black residents in the state of Texas. 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. .article .article__body figure.align-right {margin: 0 0 20px 30px} Thanks for signing up. Effective or not, the I-45 expansion would displace some 1,300 homes, businesses, schools, and houses of worshipin many of the same Black and Latino neighborhoods already decimated by those earlier roads. .button__text {font-size: 1.25em;font-weight: 600;} div.container.pb-5 { padding-bottom: 0; } Local residents enjoy a friendly environment and take pride in the fact that they still know their neighbors. Volunteers of America is one of our Independence Heights neighborhood partners and a LISC FOC. 15 min from L. .grid-mw--1380.three-col-contain .pb-5 {padding-bottom: 20px;} 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. .ckeditor, .page-body__content { padding: 5% 0 0;} 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. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings and refresh the page. .page-body__content figure.align-left {margin: 6px 30px 30px 0;} Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon, Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Dyson's air purifying headphones have finally arrived, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today, There are a ton of great patio furniture sets on sale right now, Beat the heat with this discounted Lasko tower fan from Amazon, Apple deal: The 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop is under $2,000 on Amazon. Northline. Independence Heights is located in the White Oak Bayou watershed. But residents see yet another catastrophic, ineffectual boondoggle in the works. .overlay__content h1 {font-size: 2.75rem; line-height: 1.25;} So not only did these massive highways split city neighborhoods and create conditions that led to segregated enclaves with diminished opportunity for growth, but the additional pollution also placed residents at heightened risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems. We share the Building Sustainable Communities . Across boundaries, community leaders are focusing on ways to lessen the impacts of displacement and the losses of cultural and historical assets. View materials & get involved at bit.ly/Public-Hearings or email HCDPlanning@houstontx.gov. .page-body__content blockquote p { font-size: 1.1rem; } Try a low commitment monthly plan today. Chinese Community Center is one of our Alief neighborhood partners and a LISC FOC. Will it change again? The community is filled with many bungalow style homes that remind us of the days gone by. Independence Heights is a community built on a foundation of faith and a historic past. 5th Ward 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. .menu__sub-items>a {font-size: 16px; text-transform: none;} Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston. The decision of power and where alignment of highways went through really became weaponized, and that became a tool to confirm a lot of the racial redlining practices and segregation practices that were occurring, he said. In Sunnyside, Houstona neighborhood that recently registered the citys highest unemployment rateresidents are preparing for an influx of jobs to come from the Sunnyside Energy Community Solar project. Independence Heights is a historic community located in northwest Houston just a few minutes from downtown and the Bush Intercontinental Airport. /* Page Body */ Lead Consultant. @media (max-width: 64em){ figure figcaption {color: #44474F; line-height: 1.5;} South-facing chalet in the municipality of Villard sur Doron. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today. We're in the process of transitioning services for our Today in Houston newsletter. Paul Wright, Senior Program Officer. .views-exposed-form .js-form-item { padding: .2em .5em; display: flex; flex: 0 0 40%;} .resize300 img { max-width:300px; } .ckeditor-accordion-container > dl dt > a {padding: 20px 15px 20px 50px;background-color: #0A509E; article.align-left {margin: 0 30px 20px 0;} /* Matrix block widths */ Furthermore, it breaks up a community where people coexisted together to create a unique and distinctive cultural and social fabric for years. The Independence Heights Redevelopment Council (IHRC) is the current community liaison for GO Neighborhoods. Many American cities got on board: Collectively, theyve made room for roughly 30,000 new freeway lanes over the past quarter century, nearly doubling our highway capacity, and costing upward of $500 billion. .article--info{margin: 10px; } 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. Connected there is interest in learning and small projects are underway. Subscribe Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. We also have a healthy mix of ethnicities in the community. // show/hide make a gift button when the main nav menu is opened 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. .article__body h6 {font-size: 1.25rem; margin-bottom: .5rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #0A509E;} Independence Heights Redevelopment Council Northline Development. Sign in. For Independence Heights, this meant something bigger than cars and roads it is the downright displacement of its people of color. Independence Heights leadership is vested in a passionate group of people who respect one another and embody the values of our founding pioneers. .views-element-container h2{font-size: 1.4em;} Independence Heights is home to 4,000 kids under the age of 17. Together, they have established a network of congregations that join together to serve and support the entire community. Project Row Houses is one of our Third Ward neighborhood partners. The agency could use the information in its final assessment. Independence Heights Redevelopment Council Hunter Memorial Church Of God In Christ Tanya Debose Oscar Green Iii Green Chapel Ame Church Percy Moultry Burglary Break-in Break-ins Burglaries Vandalism Vandalized Adam Zuvanich Follow Adam Zuvanich Welcome to the discussion. TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez defends his department, pointing to more than 300 public meetings where a majority of comments supported the I-45 project. } div.article__header h6 span.tags-issues {display:none;} As the first African American municipality in the state of Texas, we deserve to be here.. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. .resize500 img { width:auto; } .page-body__content ol li, .page-body__content ul li {font-size: 1.125rem;} "Change will only come when we truly hear each other's voices. 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). Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? OST/South Union .article .article__breadcrumbs span:not(:first-of-type) {color: #005B50;} .grid-mw--1380.three-col-contain .pt-3 {padding-top: 40px;} If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. Independence Heights Redevelopment Council Project Row Houses. .article .date {color: #44474F;} @media only screen and (max-width: 64em){ .article .article__breadcrumbs span {color: #44474F;} elements[i].href = 'ckeditor-accordion-container'; , an easier tool to provide residents with a better way of protecting the character and history of their neighborhoods. barriers between Black and white communities. Edwards chaired city council committees that dealt with affordable housing, flooding and the HIV/AIDS epidemic and was described by colleagues as compassionate, selfless and community-minded. 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. Technical Assistance, Near Northside Some content on this page may not display correctly. .article--story .article__body p {font-family: 'MalloryBook';} At the helm of our leadership are the ministers of the community. The GO Network includes 13 neighborhoods in Houston. div.article__header span.tags-issues { padding-left: 1rem; } 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. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. 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. Learn more 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 a presidential memorandum issued in January, President Joe Biden wrote: The Interstate Highway System disproportionately burdened historically Black and low-income neighborhoods. .three-col-text .accordion--link-list-primary {display: none;} Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. All around us investment in neighborhoods and infrastructure is occurring. article.align-right {margin: 0 0 20px 30px} } Send us an email and we will connect you with news and information about the community. /* Lists */ Our community was established around 1905 when the Wright Land Company developed the area and sold lots to African Americans. "It allows TxDOT the opportunity to do it right, and not just run over us," Debose said. .icon-print::before {color: #44474F;} Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. p.noresults{margin: 1em; font-style: italic; font-size: 1.2em;} Before it became a Houston neighborhood, it was a city, one of the oldest if not the very first Texas cities to be founded by African Americans. Many dont know the history of the community and some are new to Houston. .page-body__content h4 {font-size: 1.75rem; margin-bottom: .75rem; font-family: CopernicusMedium,serif; color: #0A509E;} 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. Given all of the harmful impacts, its hardly surprising that a growing segment of America has soured on big road projects, says Joseph DiMento, a University of California, Irvine law professor, and co-author of Changing Lanes: Visions and Histories of Urban Freeways. Then theres the way this work has targeted communities of color. Independence Heights deemed in the pathway of construction, and by 1959 610 Loop wiped out more than 250 homes in Independence Heights. In the wake of the construction, Lady Bird Johnson commissioned a report analyzing the effects of urban renewal. Karen Warren / Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle, By Rachel Butt, David Wethe and Kevin Crowley, By Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman and Jeremy B. Merrill. Click on the link in that email But LINK Houstons Sigel describes a very flawed public engagement that sidestepped neighborhood people who couldnt attend because of work or childcare commitments. 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. 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. The loss of cultural and social infrastructure is not something generally perceived as a valuable, until "grandmother" is forced to move miles away from the grandchildren she helps daily to raise and nurture. Infrastructure has been used for decades to create barriers and establish unspoken division lines in communities of color across America. What did we get for all that money?In terms of traffic relief, not much. 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). While it allocated significant sums for roads, it also pledged record levels of funding for alternative transportation, including $39 billion of new investment to modernize public transit, and $66 billion for rail. Technical Assistance, Near Northside .views-element-container{margin: 0 1em;} In 2017, residents of Independence Heights, Acres Home, Fifth Ward and other communities of color began receiving notification of the I-45 project, an expansion which would double the capacity of lanes on the road to accommodate more cars. The Neighborhood Support Team (NST) and the City of Houston request community review and comments on the draft of the Independence Heights Resilience Plan. To ensure success in the communities we work with, LISC wants to understand the level of readiness and capacity for change in the neighborhood. In the heart of nature, quiet, hiking trail at the foot of the chalet. The Whole Foods Market 365 mural reflects the African American roots of the Independence Heights on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, in Houston. Its a legacy that lives on till this day said Luis Guajardo. That same year, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law. var $=jQuery; If so, please add your thoughts in this forum by Friday, March 31. 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.