Memory Keepers to Be Honored at Freedom Colony Celebration and Screening
The Bastrop County African American Cultural Center and Freedom Colonies Museum will host a community celebration honoring Freedom Colony descendants whose voices have helped preserve Bastrop County’s African American history.
The Memory Keepers Celebration will take place Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 3:00–6:00 p.m. at the Kerr Community Center, located at 1308 Walnut Street.
This event recognizes descendants who, since 2023, have generously participated in the BCAACC oral history project—sharing personal stories of family, land, upbringing, and community life rooted in Bastrop County’s historic Freedom Colonies. Their contributions form the foundation of a growing archive dedicated to preserving the lived experiences of formerly enslaved African Americans who established more than forty Freedom Colonies in the county following Emancipation.
A highlight of the afternoon will be the first public screening of edited excerpts from these recorded oral histories. The screening offers the community an opportunity to witness history through the voices of those who carry it—stories passed down through generations and now preserved for future ones.
The celebration aligns with the mission of the Bastrop County African American Cultural Center and Freedom Colonies Museum to collect, preserve, and share stories that have too often been excluded from the historical record. By honoring these Memory Keepers, the museum affirms that community knowledge and lived experience remain essential to understanding Bastrop County’s past.
Community members, supporters, and families are encouraged to attend and help recognize the descendants whose participation has made this work possible.
RSVP Information:
Please RSVP to Jennifer King at bosstrainer@yahoo.com.
The Memory Keepers Celebration is both a tribute and an invitation—one that reminds the community that history lives through those willing to tell it, and through those willing to listen.
