Porch Talk | Shaping Culture: Care, Community & Creativity
February 26, 2026 @ 6:00PM — 8:00PM Central Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy : 1204 Victor St Houston, TX 77019 Get Directions
Porch Talk - Shaping Culture: Care, Community, and Creativity brings together Houston-based educators, historians, artists, and culture-bearers for a dynamic panel discussion and community conversation exploring how Black life actively creates and shapes culture across generations. Centering lived experience, scholarship, and creative practice, panelists reflect on the ways care, memory, and storytelling sustain communities and fuel cultural innovation. Through dialogue grounded in history and the present moment, the conversation highlights Black women’s leadership in preserving legacy while imagining new futures. The evening invites collective reflection, audience engagement, and connection.
Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM
Location: Freedmen’s Town Visitor Center
Parking: 1300 Cleveland St, Houston, TX 77019, African American History Research Center at the Gregory Campus.
Please park in the lot in front of the library. Then walk between the library and the HFTC houses, and enter the Visitor Center via the porch. The Visitor Center is the last house in the row.
ABOUT GUEST PANELISTS:
Dr. Gretchen Jackson-Odion
Professor at Houston City College specializing in United States history and African American history, holding degrees from Southern A&M University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies from the University of Houston.
She has written and produced Spurring Change: The Myrtis Dightman Story and is developing One Hundred Years of Beauty: Madam Nobia Franklin and the founding of The Franklin Beauty School.
Whitney Brantley, The Dopest Historian
Public historian and Texas Southern University graduate, specializing in Black history, Houston history, and community-based storytelling. Founder of Dope, It’s History, collaborating with organizations, schools, cultural institutions, and community groups to develop historically grounded programs.
April M. Frazier
Native Houstonian and graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Rice University, creator of research projects, exhibitions, and visual presentations that use photography and other art mediums to share history. Assistant Director of the Community Artists’ Collective whose dedication to research and authentic storytelling was rewarded with a Texas Historical Marker and designation in 2024 for her family’s land in Wharton, Texas.
Dr. Antrece L. Baggett
History and Humanities professor at Houston City College who has held leadership roles including Chair of the History, Humanities and Liberal Arts Division, President of the Faculty Senate, and Vice Chair for Fundraising at the Houston City College Foundation. She holds a doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University and her research addresses intimate partner violence, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking, emphasizing their impact on student retention and success in higher education.