My great-grandparents and other relatives are buried in a small no-name cemetery on farmland in the hills of Missouri. My grandmother took me there when I was early in my career at the Kansas City Star.
She died years ago, so I doubt if anyone knows where that cemetery is now. There's probably nothing left to signify my family, only tall weeds and unruly flowers.
I thought about this when I recently visited the burial site of Jack Yates, who helped establish Emancipation Park in Third Ward and was one of the esteemed members of Freedmen's Town in Fourth Ward. He's buried at the College Memorial Park Cemetery, one of three remaining Black cemeteries in Houston, in an increasingly upscale neighborhood along West Dallas Street near Shepherd.
On the day I visited, unleashed dogs were roaming the property with owners casually strolling behind. Red signs everywhere clearly stated that animals had to be leashed. But it was Yates' small headstone and burial plot covered with weeds that was most heartbreaking. He is one of the city's celebrated historical figures, and this is his final resting place?
There is a volunteer association trying to preserve the cemetery, which has 5,000 Black men, women, and children, but they can only do so much with the little support they have. The struggle is much the same at the other Black cemeteries in the city.
In my latest column, I put out an appeal. Surely, there's something the city can do.
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In today's edition, Chronicle arts writer Amber Elliott talks with artist Kehinde Wiley, who is known for his portrait of President Barack Obama, about his exhibition, "An Archaeology of Silence," at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston through May 27. Also, Latino Communities Reporter Jhair Romero examines how Houston Latino grocers are concerned about their future as H-E-B and Kroger expand into the Latino market.
Welcome back to HouWeAre.
 | By Joy Sewing
Culture Columnist
Joy.Sewing@houstonchronicle.com |
|
Read this
Photo by: Houston Chronicle
Politics can bring out a sparring of words, especially during a city's runoff election. In this case, outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner didn't take lightly to state Sen. John Whitmire's claims that City Hall lacks representation of Asian and Hispanic leadership and said Whitmire, who is in a runoff for mayor, owes him - and the city - an apology.
Whitmire's campaign declined a response, as Chronicle reporters Abby Church and Yilun Cheng write. They explain that Whitmire is correct, but it's a similar story at city governments around the nation. Of the city's 41 past and current department heads appointed by Turner, 18 are Black (44%) and 16 are white (39%), according to data provided by the Mayor's Office. Five are Hispanic (12%) and two are Asian (5%).
Early voting in Houston's runoff election continues through Dec. 5.
What We're Talking About
Our Picks
 Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer | | As large chains like H-E-B and Kroger vie for Latino consumers, independent Latino grocers and vendors worry they will one day be put out of business. | |
 Photo by: Karen Warren, Staff Photographer | | Kehinde Wiley's "An Archaeology of Silence" at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston reimagines Old Masters, monuments with Black subjects. | |
 Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer | | Houston transportation leadership is no longer comprised of lookalikes, with experts and elected officials reflecting the diversity of modern Houston more than ever before. | |
 Photo by: J.C. Reid / Contributor | | Brothers Don and Theo Nguyen's Khói Barbecue landed in Condé Nast Traveler and CBS News Sunday Morning in one month. | |
 Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer | | Andre Johnson says he'd be open to the idea of coaching at Texas Southern. It's a fit that makes sense for both the Texans legend and the school, writes Jerome Solomon. | |
One More Thing
This story has all the feels: Janel Prator, the owner of dessert shop the Puddery in Pearland, posted an Instagram reel, in which she said there are days her shop only has two customers. She previously had to shut down her business in Los Angeles, even after her banana pudding business landed her on an episode of the Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race." But then famed TikTok food critic Keith Lee, with 15 million followers on TikTok, rolled into Houston and visited her business after she tagged multiples times. Well, Lee not only left her a $2,000 tip, but he also brought out the crowds. There were lines out the door and around the block to try Lee's fave: the Oreo "Croffle" and much more.
From the HouWeAre team of Jaundréa Clay and Joy Sewing, thanks for reading. If this email was forwarded to you, sign up for HouWeAre here. Let us know what you think by emailing us at HouWeAre@chron.com.
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