Rebirth In Action
Telling the Story of Freedom
What's the Rebirth In Action Initiative?
A multi-year initiative to preserve, celebrate, and reinvest in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town
The Rebirth in Action Initiative is a collaborative initiative that tells the story of freedom through art, cultural experiences, and community investment—elevating Freedmen’s Town as a monument of Black community, agency, and heritage.
Launched in 2022 by Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy (HFTC) and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), in partnership with the City of Houston and artist Theaster Gates, the initiative weaves together infrastructure resilience, archaeological preservation, and artist-led storytelling to ensure Freedmen’s Town’s past is honored and its future is secured.
The Journey Forward
A comprehensive, phased approach to community revitalization that honors history while building a sustainable future.
Phase One: Telling the Story
Phase One centered on community engagement and artistic storytelling. Key components included:
- Community engagement and listening sessions to ground the initiative in the voices of Freedmen’s Town residents and stakeholders
- Artist-led activations through CAMHLAB, CAMH’s artist residency program
- An exhibition with renowned artist Theaster Gates
- Infrastructure and resilience planning for the historic brick streets
- Archaeological planning for the preservation of the brick pavers
Phase One was generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Phase Two: Building What’s Next
Phase Two transforms the work of Phase One into tangible, lasting investment—in the streets, the stories, and the people of Freedmen’s Town.
Since February 2025, HFTC, CAMH, and their partners have been identifying, cataloging, and preserving over 20,000 historic bricks—laid by formerly enslaved Black Houstonians after Juneteenth—under the oversight of archaeologist Dr. Alexandra Jones. These bricks are more than infrastructure. They are living artifacts of Black freedom, tenacity, and self-determination.
Phase Two also includes the construction of new community infrastructure designed by a visionary team of artists and architects:
- A new cultural pavilion designed by artist Theaster Gates and landscape architect Sara Zewde (Studio Zewde)
- The rehabilitation of three historic row houses, led by architect Daimian Hines (Hines Architecture + Design)
- New community spaces for a food pantry & garden, after-school programming, and senior services
The project will break ground in May 2026 and is slated to open Spring 2027. Forney Construction is serving as the principal construction company.
Phase Two is generously supported by The Brown Foundation Inc., Houston Endowment, Kinder Foundation, Wagner Foundation, Workforce Solutions, and the Preservation Champions: Anonymous, Reginald and Paula DesRoches, Johanne and Joe Gatto, Kent Lucas, Karen and Ramon Manning, Christian Menefee, Eric and Annette Mullins, and Barron and Lisa Wallace.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
May 31, 2026 | 1:00 PM
Mount Horeb Missionary Baptist Church
118 W Gray Street, Houston, TX 77019
Join us as we break ground on the new cultural pavilion and community hub at Freedmen’s Town. This public celebration marks the beginning of a new chapter—one that honors the past while building a more vibrant and equitable future for the neighborhood.
Parking available at the Gregory School lot and street parking.