Oral History Interview with Michelle Barnes, June 17, 2016

Michelle Barnes grew up in Third Ward, a historic African American neighborhood in Houston, TX. She talks about the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of Third Ward and how the drowing of a child in Sunnyside sparked her involvement in the Committee for Better Race Relations and the fight for African American Studies. While at the University of Houston, she played an active role in creating social organizations for Black students, particularly the creation of a Delta Sigma Theta chapter. Once she graduated from UH, Barnes participated in youth art programs at the SHAPE Community Center and eventually co-founded the Community Artists' Collective, which originally focused on providing a cooperative space for female African American artists and continues to be a major hub for African American art. She ends the interview by talking about how gentrification has affected the Third Ward community.