The Austin History Center is kicking off Black History Month with a new exhibit sharing selected photographs collected by the Travis County Negro Extension Service. The photographs date from 1940 to 1964 and are a window into the assistance Prairie View A&M University provided to African-American rural youth in Travis County through the extension service during that time. Established in 1915, the extension service sponsored a variety of programs such as 4-H clubs, farm demonstrations and home improvement classes. The service was modified after the end of segregation and continues today as the Cooperative Extension Service. Titled “Clearing Stones and Sowing Seeds,” the exhibit will open with a pie social at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. Entrance to the exhibit and reception are free.
The headline of this whisper has been corrected.