Melissa Enaje/Houston Public Media
At City Hall in Downtown Houston, Ashley Turner Captain, center, received a posthumous award Thursday on behalf of her father, the late Houston Congressman Sylvester Turner, as part of a Black History Month event hosted by City Controller Chris Hollins, right.
What was first designated as “Negro History Week” in 1926 by American scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson has evolved to what the United States now recognizes as Black History Month. Throughout February, communities across the nation, including in the Greater Houston region, gathered to celebrate and honor more than 100 years of contributions from Black Houstonians.
At a celebration at City Hall Thursday, Houston City Controller Chris Hollins spoke about how Black history shapes the city he grew up in.
“Houston’s story cannot be told without Black excellence, it cannot be told without Black leadership, it cannot be told without Black service, it cannot be told without the individuals that we are honoring here today,” Hollins said. “We know that Houston is Houston, the Houston that we know, because it’s a mosaic of its people. Diversity isn’t just a word here, it’s a lifestyle.”
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Hollins’ office honored several notable Black Houstonians for their contributions to the city. Award recipients included longtime TV anchor Melanie Lawson, international gospel recording artist Yolanda Adams, Rice University President Reginald DesRoches, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and his wife Jamila, and twin United Airlines pilots Jamil and Jalal Paul, as well as a tribute to the late Congressman Sylvester Turner.
Turner’s daughter, Ashley Turner Captain, accepted the posthumous award on behalf of her father and told the crowd how special it was to be back at city hall, a place where she said her family spent eight years of their life during Turner’s two terms as Houston mayor from 2016 to 2024. Captain recalled her father’s dreams as a young boy growing up in the Acres Homes area in north Houston.
“He said one day I want to work in one of those tall buildings downtown, and gosh, look what the good Lord can do,” Captain said.
Whether it was the choir from historically Black Texas Southern University singing African hymnals, or songs by Houston violinist Michael Prince, who recently performed at Super Bowl LV, events throughout the region echoed years of generational excellence and community transformation.
Melissa Enaje/Houston Public Media
At the Fort Bend County courthouse on Friday, sounds of applause erupted amidst a family reunion after a Texas historical marker was dedicated and unveiled to honor Walter Burton, a former slave from North Carolina who became the first elected African American sheriff in the U.S.
At the Fort Bend County courthouse on Friday, sounds of applause erupted amidst a family reunion after a Texas historical marker was dedicated and unveiled to honor Walter Burton, a former slave from North Carolina who became the first elected African American sheriff in the U.S.
Beyond championing education and civil rights, Burton also served as a Texas senator from 1874 to 1883, according to officials from the Fort Bend Historical Commission. Burton’s life and influence resonated beyond Fort Bend County, where he is remembered for advancing education-related bills, including the one that led to the creation of an educational institution for Black students, and what is today known as Prairie View A&M, a historically Black school northwest of Houston.
Birdie Kelley, a representative from the office of state Sen. Borris L. Miles of District 13, read a formal proclamation during the public ceremony.
“Burton demonstrated profound leadership and resilience during a pivotal time in our state’s history, and the establishment of this marker helps ensure that his remarkable legacy will be recognized for generations to come,” Kelley said.
Even as the final days of Black History Month wind down, Candace Burton Garrett, the fourth-generation great-niece of the day’s honoree, said her family’s legacy lives on, pointing to her four-month-old daughter in a car seat.
Shereka Burton, another fourth-generation great-niece of Burton, said she encourages others to look into their family’s ancestry. Burton said she met several family members for the first time on Friday and hopes to reconnect with other possible family members who might also be related to Burton.
“Look into it and find the hidden gems because there’s beauty in what’s hidden,” Burton said.
The family’s hope, they said, is to one day have a formally recognized day in their great-uncle’s honor.