Texas Southern University and Third Ward: A Legacy of Power, Purpose, and Progress
By Nestled in Houston’s historic Third Ward, Texas Southern University stands as a symbol of academic excellence and cultural pride. Located on a 150-acre campus near downtown, Texas Southern is one of the largest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. and is deeply rooted in the Third Ward, a neighborhood long known as a center of Black history, activism, and resilience.
Established shortly after Houston’s founding in 1836, Third Ward evolved into the city’s most iconic African American community. By the 1930s, it was predominantly Black and described as a “microcosm of the larger Black Houston community.” Today, 71.7% of its residents are African American.
Texas Southern presence here is intentional and integral. Located near Emancipation Park, founded in 1872 by formerly enslaved people to commemorate the end of slavery in Texas, the University shares a space with the University of Houston, the Urban League, and NAACP offices, continuing the neighborhood’s legacy of education and empowerment.
With over 120 academic programs, Texas Southern prepares students in fields like law, health, communication, aviation, and urban planning. It’s the only public four-year university in Texas offering an Aviation Science Management degree with a Professional Pilot Concentration and an on-campus flight simulator. The Texas Southern University also offers the first maritime transportation degree at an HBCU and the only one in the Houston area.
Third Ward has long been a hub for Black innovation and civil rights. It was home to the city’s first Black churches, UNITY Bank (Texas’s only Black-owned bank), the historic Riverside Hospital, and numerous cultural institutions like the Black Ensemble Theatre, Project Row Houses, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture. Notable figures such as Beyoncé, Jason Moran, and Phylicia Rashad also hail from the area.
As the neighborhood faces gentrification pressures, local efforts are underway to preserve affordable housing and protect its cultural legacy. Texas Southern University and Third Ward continue to move forward together, grounded in a shared history and a commitment to community, equity, and progress.
