It’s hard to be a Houstonian without hearing the name Jack Yates. The former slave, who has a high school named after him in Third Ward, grew to be a prominent preacher and co-founder of historic Emancipation Park. Here’s why Yates is an important contributor to Black history in Houston.
The Early Years of Jack Yates
Growing up in the early 1800s, Yates was born into slavery in Virginia. Yates’ mom, Rachel, became a caregiver to her enslaver’s child after she died. The child taught Yates how to read, even though it was illegal during those times. Yates often ventured out to the fields with his songbook, reader, and Bible, to read away from others at night. He married Harriet Willis, who lived at the neighboring farm. The couple, who had eleven children together, moved with Harriet’s slave master to Matagorda County, Texas. After slaves were emancipated in 1865, they decided to rebuild their lives in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town.
Uplifting The Community
Since Yates could read and was passionate about his faith, he became a hot commodity to preach across Houston and beyond. He eventually became the preacher at Antioch Baptist Church, the first Black Baptist church in Houston. As Black Houstonians yearned for a place to celebrate Juneteenth, he led the effort in 1872 to purchase Emancipation Park in Third Ward. The park was the only public park available to Black Houstonians until the 1950s.
- Third Ward has a rich history, but continues to face significant gentrification.
His Legacy Lives On
Less than five years after Emancipation, Yates purchased several lots in Freedmen’s Town to build his own home. The two-story home, with Tuscan columns and decorative metal shingles, became an inspiration to the community. You can still view the house, which was restored and relocated, at Sam Houston Park. Emancipation Park remains a gathering place in Third Ward, offering activities throughout the year, including their upcoming Jazzy Sundays in March. Third Ward’s Jack Yates High School, opened in 1926 as the second school for children of color in Houston, still remains.
I’m sharing Houston’s Black History every Tuesday during Black History Month. Do you have an idea for a topic? Share it with me.
