Collection: Heritage Collection

The Heritage Collection celebrates the legacy of Freedmen’s Town, Houston’s historic heart of resilience and progress. Featuring iconic and historical photographs, this exclusive collection brings the stories of the past to life on beautifully crafted t-shirts and postcards. Each piece pays homage to the strength, culture, and enduring spirit of the community, ensuring that its history is honored and remembered. 

Wear it. Share it. Keep the legacy alive.

1935 - Houston Negro Chamber of Commerce

In September 1935, several prominent community leaders organized the Houston Negro Chamber of Commerce (HNCC) to empower and promote African-American businesses in the city. They focused on encouraging business within African-American communities, since Jim Crow laws prevented blacks from accessing opportunities outside of their neighborhoods. With J. E. Robinson, Sr. as its first President, it was the first successful group of this type in Houston’s black community. The office was in the black-owned Pilgrim Temple building from 1935 to 1963.

Martha Yates Jones, left, and Pinkie Yates in a buggy festooned for Juneteenth in Houston, 1908. Their father, Jack Yates, was a prominent minister at the Antioch Baptist Church.