Hays County proclaims February as Black History Month

The Hays County Commissioners Court recently proclaimed February as Black History Month in Hays County and many municipalities will follow suit in their upcoming city council meetings.

“This is the first time there has been a collaborative effort of the whole county to work together and put together this schedule of activities,” said Vanessa Westbrook, chair of the African American Heritage Committee of the Hays County Historical Commission. “Some of the activities have been going on for years. Some are new. The old and the new have met together to provide the citizens of Hays County with a great opportunity for discovery, exploration and learning about significant African Americans in Hays County. 

The organizers had to be creative and many of the events will be virtual, Westbrook said, to allow everyone who wants to participate and stay safe.

On Feb. 5, the City of Kyle will be hosting an in person event called Dialogue for Peace and Progress, in person at Kyle City Hall, 100 W. Center Street in Kyle.

The event will be hosted by Kyle City Councilmember Dex Ellison and will focus on Black family dynamics.

There will be options to participate virtually through Spectrum 10, the city’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/cityofkyletx or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cityofkyletx/live/.

On Feb. 13, Soulful Creations will host an event called Celebrating Black History Month: I Love You TWO at Wonder World Park, 100 Prospect Street in San Marcos.

The event aims to encourage community members to bring two canned food items to be donated to the Hays County Food Bank. Those who bring two food donations will get prizes and  discounts on Soulful Creations soul food and the Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

On Feb. 19, The Hays/Caldwell County Women’s Center (HCWC) and the Dunbar Heritage Association will host a virtual zoom event called the Myth of the Strong Black Woman. Jonnie Wilson, an outreach coordinator at HCWC will lead a panel of women discussing the mental health of Black women.

The Zoom Link for the event is https://zoom.us/j/91484530989 and the password is HCWC.

On Feb. 20, the City of Buda and Keeping Communities Connected will host a virtual event called Buda Black History Celebration 2.0: Lift Ev’ry Voice.

On Feb. 21, Sandra Organ Solis and Marissa Fehler will co-moderate a community forum on race and social injustice titled Voices At The Table. They will discuss Black and blended families in Wimberley and Hays County.

Visit https://table.yosoyx.net  to register for the event.

On Feb. 27, also at Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park, Soulful Creations is sponsoring Karaoke at the Cave in support of the HCWC. 

The event will be broadcast live on Facebook. Attendees are asked to bring donations for the HCWC including household cleaning supplies, new towels, bath towels, hand towels, face towels and writing journals with pens.

On Feb. 28, the Dunbar Heritage Association will host an event called Celebrating Our “Hairitage!” Pt. 2, discussing the politics, complexities and the beauty of Black hair both within the larger American culture and within the Black community. The virtual portion of the event will be live on their Facebook page.

The Buda and Kyle public libraries will host weekly events that can be viewed at their websites, such as reading kids books online dressed in costume. 

The City of Kyle will also be highlighting one influential African American that contributed to everyday life on their social media accounts. 

For more information on these events and to see additional events as they are added, visit the Hays County Historical Commission website at http://www.hayshistoricalcommission.com/