The Newly Formed Houston Informer Foundation, Inc. Set to Preserve 129 Years of the Black Press in the Metaverse
Join leading business leaders and publishers Lorenza Butler and Mikel Collins along with early-stage investors on Friday, March 18, at 12:00 p.m. to kick-off the celebration for the formation of the Houston Informer Foundation, Inc. (HIFI) hosted at Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum in Historic Freedmen’s Town. Rutherford B. H. Yates, Jr. was the owner of Yates Printing Company, the Black-owned printing press in Houston who published Black newspapers such as the Texas Freeman and Houston Informer. It will be a full-circle moment for all involved.
“The Houston Informer and Texas Freeman is the Oldest Black Newspaper West of the Mississippi,” stated Butler. “The Houston Informer Foundation will start the arduous journey of archiving, for the first time, over 129 years of all known publications, institutional letters, bulletins, annual reports, as well as any personal letters between owners or legal materials regarding the Houston Informer and Texas Freeman newspaper.”
You will be able to let your curiosity roam free through Houston Informer Foundation’s groundbreaking multimedia philanthropic approach that disrupts the status quo in Black History preservation. HIFI plans to engage visitors in the Metaverse, a virtual world where visitors wearing augmented/virtual reality headsets will be able to go back to the 1890s and speak to the founding publishers’ avatars. Just think, warriors like Charles Love, who focused on combating Jim Crow laws in Houston and advocating for equality and hear from Carter Wesley who pushed for voting rights and weighed a campaign against systemic racism in the 1960s. The Houston Informer Foundation has created a partnership with the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum to create a podcast and host the Houston Informer Foundation digitally engaging interactive exhibitions in early 2023.
In addition, the Houston Informer Foundation will also host a series of in-person lecture series and quarterly workshops in museums, libraries, science centers, historical societies, and even online exhibits through Google celebrating the history and influence of the Black Press, specifically the history and contributions of Houston Informer and Texas Freeman newspaper. Beyond the above, the Houston Informer Foundation will support individuals and institutions committed to advancing the greater understanding of how newspapers from various viewpoints encountered the full range of life in their day in Houston.
Friday, March 18, 2022
12:00 P.M. – end
Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum
1314 Andrews St, Houston, TX 77019
AGENDA:
11:30 – Registration
12:00 – Welcome
12:10 – Introduction – Houston Informer Foundation, Inc.
12:15 – Partnership – R. B. H. Yates Museum Partnership
12:30 – Question & Answers
12:45 – Photo Opportunity
13:00 – Refreshments
To schedule an interview with Lorenza Butler, contact Lynn Page, [email protected], (832) 352-7406.
About Houston Informer Foundation
The Houston Informer Foundation, Inc. (HIFI) is a non-profit organization based in Houston. Its primary purpose is the preservation of the Houston Informer publications, bulletins, annual reports, institutional and personal letters between owners and legal matters. The Houston Informer Foundation will also usher in a ground breaking multimedia philanthropic approach that promises to disrupt the status quo of Black History presentation.
More info: www.houstoninformerfoundation.org
About Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum
The R. B. H. Yates Museum is a non-profit organization and was founded in 1996. It is based in Freedmen’s Town, Texas and is the steward of six of these historic homes, including some of the most significant and recognizable ones that were built by former community leaders; it also holds five empty lots, for a total of 11 archaeologically significant sites.
Visit the Museum by appointment only:
(713) 739-0163 | [email protected] | www.rbhy.org
Media Contact
Company Name: PageGirl101
Contact Person: Lynn Page
Email: Send Email
Phone: (832) 352-7406
Country: United States
Website: pagegirl101.com
