Little documentation hinders research of local black history
February 25, 2008
It took the Taylor County Historical Commission two years to gather enough information
to apply for historical markers honoring two African-Americans who played an important
role in Abilene history.
The lack of recorded history -- from books to monuments and newspaper articles -- can probably be attributed to a lack of interest on the part of white people, who make up a majority of the population, and a lack of resources or education for the black population in the past, Dr. Paul H. Carlson, a Texas Tech University history professor, told an Abilene audience last week while discussing his book "Slavery to Integration: Black Americans in West Texas."