Everyone in Their PlaceAfrican Americans were very much a part of Northeast Texas communities in the early days of East Texas Normal College and even before then. However, their role within the communities was different from those of whites. African Americans had opportunities to attend schools, but they could only attend designated schools that were for African Americans. You would find no white faces in these schools. There were also a few opportunities for employment. You might find African American women working in sewing rooms or cafeterias. You might find African American men working on plantations or with an outdoor cane press. You would NOT find them in an institution of higher education such as East Texas State Teachers College or East Texas State University. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed. This act forced public universities in the South to open their doors to African American students. Today, you will find African Americans, Whites, and a number of other diverse populations attending Texas A & M University-Commerce and working in the same Northeast Texas surrounding communities.
| African Americans in Northeast Texas |