Mapping the Lost Freedmen Settlements of Texas and the Fear of Critical Race Theory

This week’s collection of the race-related stories you might have missed

Happy Juneteenth, everybody! By the time you read this, you’re probably on the cusp of celebrating when the day’s news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas. It’s just become a federal holiday, a move which is sure to be seen as a victory by some who have fought decades for it to be recognized. Whether you’re marking the day with some reflection time to yourself or a party with the red food and drink traditionally associated with the holiday, take a few minutes to read up on the ways Black folk continue to fight for and embrace our freedom. And a small suggestion — be sure to share this roundup of race and racism news where our non-Black friends can see it and educate themselves on the struggle.

Mapping freedom after Juneteenth

Once the enslaved people of Texas had been freed on what we now celebrate as Juneteenth, where did they go? According to Texas A&M researcher Andrea Roberts, more than 182,000 of them and their descendants founded what became known as freedom colonies — settlements and towns set up by Black Texans between 1865 and 1930. Roberts has counted…