https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec daily 0.75 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/ea28fbcf-3f84-4668-b89c-37200aafe97a/Untitled.png https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/first-year-of-shepherding-celebrated-at-mt-olive-missionary-baptist-church monthly 0.5 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/fd1739e0-b869-4152-aa91-218c9dd2acaa/DSCN5572.png The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church - Make it stand out Church, family, and fellowship marked the first pastoral anniversary of Reverend Jermaine Davis-Green and Sister Angel Green https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773700139537-WMBUQ0ZI8WIXSKKF73EY/Untitled%2Bdesign%2B%252825%2529.png The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773700234717-Z6JHERFGZPCUWLR34E8R/DSCN5507.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773700289445-UHEQ74Y9HHLFL3U1Y21H/DSCN5533.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773700318078-ZPLQUL43CNHGA4URENIW/DSCN5557.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/0bb1285e-2c9f-4b44-b00f-5a4c1404c87c/DSCN5580.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church - That portrait came alive in the service itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6169b938-e560-4392-85e1-863e8f24e2bf/DSCN5538.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church - When Rev. Melvin Ikner rose to preach, he brought a message that met the moment directly. Preaching from Hebrews 13:7 and Ephesians 4:11–12, he reminded the congregation that a pastor is a gift from God to the church. His sermon focused not on what God expects of pastors, but on what God expects of a congregation in relation to the pastor it has been given. With clarity and conviction, Rev. Ikner framed his message around how a church should treat “God’s gift to the church.” He emphasized remembering spiritual leaders, being considerate of the burdens they carry, praying for them, honoring them, and following their example as they follow Christ. He urged the congregation to recognize that the office of pastor carries spiritual weight, often borne quietly, and that churches must not reduce their pastor to a manager of minor complaints or constant demands. Instead, he called members to be thoughtful, supportive, and spiritually mature in how they relate to the one charged with watching over their souls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024914324-RQLW5RET5ELYMPDNAH8Q/DSCN5487.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024448004-EP6P2WDKEWOYBGYEBTOR/DSCN5594.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024478629-CD7OD88PET8SIW28W5VR/DSCN5603.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024510801-P1W7IYHYFHVZY029S3MJ/DSCN5613.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024528577-9G9U8812F3QJ0J87G23T/DSCN5617.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024551669-AY9C4C1KH19XHL2NUOQK/DSCN5629.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024610884-B3HYUD48GYPZGKVCSTVL/DSCN5633.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024645266-U1DD1F5PLB2COO84G9M5/DSCN5636.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024674624-AEDQ04JNLF9PHTRJUICP/DSCN5638.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024696647-SBM61BJXHK2WZTNOG7KS/DSCN5644.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024726192-NGGES6K9Q9ZY7DT0K35Y/DSCN5649.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024756970-CE85IRBFUBO0BUSVNLAD/DSCN5656.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024782947-KHHQCKNR1UQFPX02TYTN/DSCN5659.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024835028-0KQQTLC27P3SW7M26X2H/DSCN5661.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024862461-37QBIOYX284507I2CO2L/DSCN5650.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024941373-TX1BABRSUR8FVAX87SOL/DSCN5489.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024958471-IQKOFJHQ59KB91XD5R5K/DSCN5491.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774024975348-F0Y7VZ3209RTTHA2GM9X/DSCN5492.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025006996-OCEO8S1EJ00EHZDBKQF5/DSCN5498.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025043629-I1G8DCNCDHU9JMK0LY94/DSCN5536.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025111578-YUDBGMJRPJJS23W2EAIM/DSCN5584.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025137635-FQHY2TL5S3ZJ63SEE24C/DSCN5596.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025193797-421OBMSM46HJ4G0WK4XF/DSCN5607.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025231104-KM3POBPNJ4P0Q4JTPNAM/DSCN5617.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025289637-6HFYYDM35S3ZHXNWVBFK/DSCN5639.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1774025326689-G0M5GXLPZVRFXX1SFH9M/DSCN5646.JPG The South End Chronicle - First Year of Shepherding Celebrated at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/a-storyteller-i-almost-missed monthly 0.5 2026-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/580191e7-fccd-4aa7-9968-228c3fd738f7/DSCN5463.png The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - Some people introduce themselves with titles. Others introduce themselves with stories. I first met Colin Guerra at a Sit with Sylvia gathering in Bastrop in September 2025. At the time, he was serving in his role as a Public Information Manager for the city—moving through the room with a camera, recording moments, listening more than speaking. After that evening, our paths crossed at a number of community events. Bastrop is like that. The same faces reappear wherever stories are unfolding. It wasn’t until later—after he had already walked away from a brief conversation to leave for the night—that I looked down at his business card and noticed something unexpected. Beneath his name was another description entirely. Storyteller. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/97ab651f-6e8f-4512-8f5d-4f972270301d/DSCN5474.JPG The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - Then in 2024, the festival returned under the leadership of Letha Mignon, who had previously organized the Sounds of Smithville event and worked with local traditions like Music in the Park and the Festival of Lights. After another brief break in 2025, the festival came back again in March 2026. Originally held in October at the gazebo in Railroad Park, organizers moved the festival to March to avoid overlapping with other Smithville events. The venue also shifted to Quinto Patio, at the corner of Olive and Second Street, offering a covered stage and an intimate courtyard that protects both musicians and listeners from the unpredictable Texas spring weather. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/54b7e11d-b1d2-497a-943b-19002542c554/DSCN5458.JPG The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - The Storyteller Takes the Stage The music he brought to the Smithville Folk Music Festival was something else entirely. Story songs. Cowboy ballads. Murder ballads. Old folk songs whose authors have been forgotten but whose stories survived. In a Facebook announcement promoting the event, Colin Guerra shared that he would deliver: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d6ebcc3d-bc7f-4927-9ed5-4cf20a6e2624/DSCN5471.JPG The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - Where Music Becomes Memory Between songs, Guerra paused to explain something he has clearly thought about for a long time—the nature of stories themselves. He described how someone once misheard the name of a video project he had worked on. Instead of hearing “Bastrop Stories,” they thought he said “Bastrop Storage.” At first it seemed like a simple mistake. But the more he thought about it, the more the idea stayed with him. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d17e4e02-3f73-4092-b6a2-b1165158091a/DSCN5464.JPG The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - The Music of Bastrop’s Storyteller The set moved effortlessly across eras: traditional ballads like “Black Jack Davy” haunting murder ballads such as “Frankie and Johnny” poetic works by Tom Waits protest songs by Bob Dylan and folk standards written by Woody Guthrie Each piece arrived with a story attached—sometimes humorous, sometimes reflective, sometimes deeply human. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/cd4d71c5-52e7-4354-a027-7ea52a8025f9/DSCN5462.JPG The South End Chronicle - A Storyteller I Almost Missed - Field Notes from a Folk Morning Watching the set unfold, one thing became clear. The business card had been right all along. Colin Guerra is a storyteller. He just happens to tell those stories through music. And in a county where so many of our histories live in memory—passed through conversations, songs, and community gatherings—that kind of storytelling feels right at home. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/women-of-the-world-fame-market-celebrates-women-entrepreneurs-in-downtown-bastrop monthly 0.5 2026-03-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4a79d99f-4e7b-439d-aaf1-331e9ecbaaf5/DSCN5450.png The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop - Downtown Bastrop came alive with creativity, music, and entrepreneurial spirit as Women of the World, a special National Women’s Month edition of F.A.M.E. — Fridays Art Market Entertainment, transformed the corner of Main Street and Pine into a vibrant celebration of women-led businesses and artistic expression. The open-air market featured 28 women-owned businesses, each bringing a unique piece of creativity and craftsmanship to the heart of the city. From original paintings and hand-crafted goods to wellness services and culinary treats, visitors were treated to an afternoon shopping experience that highlighted the diversity and ingenuity of women entrepreneurs in the Bastrop community and beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773629106044-F91W4SF61PGNMO4FT30A/DSCN5445.JPG The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773629147017-BOZ3Y3RZG93MR4NME2DC/DSCN5447.JPG The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773629185368-UM8QZHTA1XURZ6GYXF1E/DSCN5452.JPG The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1773629230733-PAZ9TTUTOZ4JE6VJBSMH/DSCN5443.JPG The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/356ab5a3-d849-4613-8d6f-fc5eba024b0a/DSCN5128.png The South End Chronicle - Women of the World: F.A.M.E. Market Celebrates Women Entrepreneurs in Downtown Bastrop - Events like F.A.M.E. — Fridays Art Market Entertainment are made possible through the continued support of the City of Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee, led by Michelle Limas. Through initiatives like this, the city continues to invest in spaces where artists, entrepreneurs, and community members can gather, create, and grow together. For many vendors and visitors alike, the Women of the World market was more than a marketplace—it was a reminder of what can happen when women are given room to share their talents, support one another, and bring their visions to life. The South End Chronicle extends appreciation to the City of Bastrop and Michelle Limas for not only providing a platform for women-owned businesses but also fostering an environment where creativity, commerce, and community meet in the heart of downtown Bastrop. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/telling-your-story-before-its-lost-to-time monthly 0.5 2026-03-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/ac1e84bb-06fc-4fbe-907e-5e69fa78153a/DSCN5382.JPG The South End Chronicle - Telling Your Story Before It’s Lost to Time On a quiet Saturday afternoon at the Kerr Community Center, chairs filled with elders, descendants, writers, and community memory keepers gathered for a workshop that felt less like a presentation and more like a passing of responsibility. The workshop—“Telling Your Story”—was presented by Gloria Rainwater, a Texas Southern University graduate and classmate of the host, introduced not only as a scholar but as a woman deeply rooted in Freedom Colony history. Her voice was calm but purposeful. Her mission was clear. “We are the last generation,” she reminded the room, “who remembers our grandparents and great-grandparents—the ones directly connected to the Freedom Colonies. If we don’t preserve our stories, they will be lost.” And with that, the work began. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772429675249-FWX3DOQTRSW6OX11X4V4/DSCN5386.JPG The South End Chronicle - Telling Your Story Before It’s Lost to Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772429696011-KLGDFLPAMJVQG7A7JZGB/DSCN5389.JPG The South End Chronicle - Telling Your Story Before It’s Lost to Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772429711733-E9V2SDH6VNNY83J0E0KH/DSCN5394.JPG The South End Chronicle - Telling Your Story Before It’s Lost to Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772429737276-1YVJ2WZGV6N0E5HK94Q2/DSCN5381.JPG The South End Chronicle - Telling Your Story Before It’s Lost to Time https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/rolling-through-memory-the-freedom-colony-bus-tour-reconnects-descendants-to-sacred-ground monthly 0.5 2026-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/c7cfa038-42b5-474a-8387-6e50ec618c30/DSC06016.jpg The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground - Make it stand out Thirty-five participants — including descendants, museum staff, and the bus driver — gathered for a group photo at the close of the first Freedom Colony Bus Tour. Together, they marked not just a journey across Bastrop County, but a shared commitment to preserving sacred stories. More tours are promised soon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772427825543-AD6TV3MO47IM0FNLD1W5/DSCN5220.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772427868284-AV7BSR9ZVVJARF1TO3IA/DSCN5227.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772427907805-DW4SF1A74PFDUX1KM6B3/DSCN5243.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772427950294-09K3C4L4K1A6P80TPN20/DSCN5239.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428046376-PEMJBJ8Y109EV5WICKD2/DSCN5262.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428069450-3L6CZNYE0HOAAYFNZQI5/DSCN5265.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428165551-B5EN3QIB0FNYVWFA9L3W/DSCN5302.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428237241-AZ2V5LE7ASXF45M59C3N/DSCN5289.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428390851-WXEZWOOQQRKAA1PTSNEN/DSCN5308.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428414219-QFY8QM89VUZ1CMUKF0DC/DSCN5319.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428432723-0PRDN2HDI9H5UOQXGSZ0/DSCN5322.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1772428485039-2XT9HMRO5AISA70LPJOY/DSCN5358.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b7f415cc-0199-4aba-a01f-8ddab822b133/DSCN5224.JPG The South End Chronicle - Rolling Through Memory: The Freedom Colony Bus Tour Reconnects Descendants to Sacred Ground We extend heartfelt gratitude to our driver, Elroy Green, for guiding 34 souls safely to and from our base location during the Freedom Colony Bus Tour. Your steady hands, calm presence, and care allowed us to focus fully on history, reflection, and connection. Thank you for carrying more than passengers — you carried legacy. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/from-the-museum-to-main-street-hannibal-lokumbe-meets-with-bcaacc-to-plan-a-june-walk-of-love monthly 0.5 2026-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4826008d-5ffd-4b8e-ad98-de25bf0e9b41/IMG_8109.JPEG The South End Chronicle - From the Museum to Main Street: Hannibal Lokumbe Meets with BCAACC to Plan a June Walk of Love Bastrop County African American Cultural Center & Freedom Colony Museum | Partnership Conversation with Hannibal Lokumbe | June Event https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d07d5b9d-3833-4c71-b094-a87d0301dd33/Untitled+design+%2820%29.png The South End Chronicle - From the Museum to Main Street: Hannibal Lokumbe Meets with BCAACC to Plan a June Walk of Love - A work rooted in remembrance—and in love Lokumbe explained that his upcoming performance centers on a sacred remembrance: a work he wrote in honor of the nine lives taken during the Charleston church massacre—an anniversary that marks ten years this summer. He spoke with reverence about the scope of the project and the spiritual intention behind it: not to stir revenge, not to sensationalize tragedy, but to honor the “saints,” to confront sorrow with dignity, and to lift a community toward healing. A major visual component of the work includes large panels honoring each of the nine individuals killed—artworks that, in past performances, have drawn people into silence, tears, and reflection. Lokumbe described moments from previous cities where even passersby—people coming out of bars or directing traffic—stopped and wept as the procession moved quietly through public streets. It is not, he emphasized, a performance built on anger. It is built on love, grace, and the possibility of transformation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/f2595348-1040-49c5-8957-b2536481e07f/IMG_8123.jpg The South End Chronicle - From the Museum to Main Street: Hannibal Lokumbe Meets with BCAACC to Plan a June Walk of Love - A partnership still forming—details to come At this stage, not every detail is finalized. That was stated clearly in the meeting. Final timing, RSVP structure, volunteer roles, and the full event schedule will be confirmed later as planning continues. But what is already clear is the shared intention: a partnership rooted in responsibility, community engagement, and cultural care. Lokumbe’s visit was not a performance—it was a planning table. And for the museum, it was an opportunity to help lead a public act of dignity: honoring the past, gathering the present, and guiding the next generation toward a future where love is not a slogan, but a practice. Final details will be shared as they are confirmed. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/threads-that-waited-big-mamas-fabric-and-the-history-it-held monthly 0.5 2026-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/83044991-7576-40b6-a92a-82f7b2c09c8a/shirleyatworkshop.JPG The South End Chronicle - Threads That Waited: Big Mama’s Fabric and the History It Held - Inside the mosaic workshop at Mt. Rose, the room carried its usual rhythm—glass clinking softly, quiet conversation, the slow concentration that settles in when people make something with their hands. Then, in the middle of all that careful work, a different kind of artistry entered the space: a finished quilt, folded with intention, brought forward like an offering. That was the moment I met Shirley Wallace. She wasn’t seeking attention. She was simply present—steady, warm, and clearly connected to the kind of history you don’t learn from textbooks. Nearby, Janis Bergman-Cartin stepped in with the quilt, completing a promise she had helped make possible: finding someone who could turn Big Mama’s fabric pieces into a finished heirloom. Big Mama had lived to 103. After she passed, the fabric was found—saved pieces, kept for a reason, tucked away like many women did with what they had. The kind of material you hold onto because it’s still good… because it might become something… because one day someone will need it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/64d8c748-7ce6-455f-b82a-7e43ba915f28/IMG_7738.JPEG The South End Chronicle - Threads That Waited: Big Mama’s Fabric and the History It Held Janis had helped Shirley bridge that “one day.” When the quilt was presented to her, it wasn’t just a reveal—it was a return. A return of labor. Of patience. Of love expressed through scraps and stitches. In that moment, the workshop felt quieter, like everyone understood they were witnessing more than a completed project. They were watching family history be restored into something you can wrap around your shoulders. In a side conversation, Shirley began telling me where those pieces came from and why they mattered. She spoke the name Isabella Gates Tarver Mayshack—her great-great-grandmother—with the kind of reverence that turns a name into a living presence. Not a footnote. Not a distant ancestor. Lineage. She named generations the way people do when they’ve carried stories long enough to know their weight. As she talked, I kept thinking about how quilts work like archives. They hold what time tries to discard. They preserve what mattered in ordinary life—work shirts, Sunday fabric, feed-sack prints, children’s cloth—stitched into one record. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1fb38a58-500c-4383-8ea3-b2366965a82b/IMG_7755.JPEG The South End Chronicle - Threads That Waited: Big Mama’s Fabric and the History It Held One set of pieces caught my attention immediately: fabric printed with cartoon pig characters. Shirley and I leaned into the details—the linework, the proportions, the clothing. Later, using modern tools and visual comparison references, I worked to date the fabric as carefully as possible. The pigs most closely align with the Golden Age Disney “Three Little Pigs” lineage, pointing to the late 1930s through the 1940s, with the strongest likelihood landing in the early-to-mid 1940s (approximately 1940–1945). Several visual cues supported that window: The pigs’ rounded bodies, expressive faces, and classic animation styling match Golden Age cartoon aesthetics (pre-1950s minimalism). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/3ed66ef3-03e5-47c3-bb10-2d77eabcb262/IMG_7734.JPEG The South End Chronicle - Threads That Waited: Big Mama’s Fabric and the History It Held The more I examined it, the clearer it became: this fabric likely belonged to a time when materials were reused, repurposed, and treasured—when cloth wasn’t just cloth, but possibility. And that brought me right back to Big Mama. Because the quilt wasn’t only a beautiful finish. It was a testimony. It said: she saved these pieces for a reason. Even if no one knew exactly what she planned, her instinct was still right—because here they were, decades later, gathered into one completed work. In that mosaic workshop, surrounded by tile and glue and public art in progress, Shirley’s quilt reminded me that preservation doesn’t always begin in a museum. Sometimes it begins in a woman’s hands—folding fabric, saving scraps, making do, and quietly leaving instructions for the future. That day, history wasn’t hanging on a wall. It was laid across someone’s arms—finished, presented, and finally brought home. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/0p5ar6uzz2ktcbxfdwu119spcfq4tp monthly 0.5 2026-02-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6cab4af0-074f-4ac5-b1fa-c2be4248d539/IMG_8032.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia: Streets, Growth, and What’s Next for Bastrop - On the last Wednesday of the month, El Nuevo Restaurant felt more like a community living room. People filtered in, greeting one another by name, trading quick updates, and settling into chairs as if they’d done this a hundred times—because many of them have. The city manager (Sylvia Carrillo) welcomed the room and reminded everyone what this gathering is meant to be: a standing, open forum where residents can ask what they need to ask, say what they need to say, and leave with clearer information than whatever is floating around online. “I do this every month,” she explained—one meeting in the evening and one in the morning. “If you’re a morning person, we do it at about 7 o’clock… We’ll provide donuts and coffee. You can come in pajamas if you want to.” She paused, then offered an honest aside that brought laughter: with elections underway, City Hall can feel like “silly season.” Her advice was both tongue-in-cheek and sincere—if you need a break from the noise, take one. But if you need answers, this is the place to get them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6c3992fc-d487-497c-b54d-0ed90ee46f6a/2603523121511964478.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia: Streets, Growth, and What’s Next for Bastrop Beyond project updates, the meeting carried an emotional undercurrent that residents don’t always name out loud: the strain between the speed of growth and the pace of city repair. One resident spoke up to say they appreciated code enforcement efforts and cleanup work. “He told me, be patient. Everything will be all right,” they shared—acknowledging the criticism city staff often absorb while still choosing to recognize progress when they see it. The response wasn’t defensive. It was practical: the city tries to work with property owners, tries to avoid court, tries to find volunteer support when residents lack resources. But there’s a line between patience and neglect, and enforcement exists for a reason. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/bastrop-fat-tuesday-beads-and-breezes monthly 0.5 2026-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4c447fc3-619b-4b11-aac2-5f6a50049de7/DSCN5140.JPG The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Fat Tuesday: Beads and Breezes - Downtown Bastrop was dressed in purple, green, and gold—and it wasn’t just the decorations. It was the energy. A kind of “everybody’s outside” joy that feels like a reunion even when you didn’t plan on staying long. Discover Bastrop’s posts made it official: Bastrop Fat Tuesday was on—Tuesday, February 17th, 4 PM to 9 PM—with a full schedule that stretched from daytime festivities into the evening: the Beads & Bling Crawl, Masks on Main Viewing, a Kid Zone, Gumbo Cook-Off, the fan-favorite Chicken Chase, the Umbrella Parade, and the Taste & Toast Punch Card https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/a185833a-904b-4c27-b5d5-b5891646e73d/DSCN5119.JPG The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Fat Tuesday: Beads and Breezes - This night didn’t begin with a grand entrance. It began like most real community moments do—casual, unplanned, and full of familiar faces. A quick stop to say hello turned into a string of conversations, hugs, jokes, and “let me get a picture” moments that kept happening because nobody wanted to miss anyone. Inside the flow of downtown, the story was moving in real time: friends spotting friends, people laughing at their own tiredness, folks swapping travel talk, life updates, and https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/750f8943-b9b0-4051-8a5a-90599f70f7c3/DSCN5126.JPG The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Fat Tuesday: Beads and Breezes And then there were the new connections—people passing through Bastrop, people newly planted here, people looking for a sense of place. One conversation turned into a full story in itself: a man from Brooklyn, now in Texas after life shifted, talking about his late wife with the kind of tenderness that makes a crowd feel quiet even in the middle of a celebration. He spoke about family, discipline, raising children with intention, and returning to work not because he had to—but because he needed purpose again. In between all the Mardi Gras color, that was a reminder: community isn’t only celebration—it’s also belonging. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d5736fdf-778a-4dfb-aaca-a773bc0540a6/DSCN5158.JPG The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Fat Tuesday: Beads and Breezes Outside, the breeze carried the sound of downtown—music, movement, people calling to each other, and the occasional “come on, we’re taking one more photo.” Beads shimmered under streetlights. Folks posed in pairs and groups. Couples smiled into the camera. Friends squeezed into frames. Somebody joked about angles and posture, and somebody else said what everybody was thinking: the photographers need to be in the pictures too. That’s what Fat Tuesday looked like in Bastrop—not just an event, but a living collage. A town making room for fun, yes—but also making room for memory. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/freedom-colony-voices-fill-the-room-at-kerr-community-center monthly 0.5 2026-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/f1fdd5ea-e930-41ca-919d-d32ca64b9795/DSCN5074.JPG The South End Chronicle - Freedom Colony Voices Fill the Room at Kerr Community Center - Make it stand out Descendants gathered from across Texas—including Arlington and Houston—filled the room alongside elders, community leaders, neighbors, and donors for the screening of 18 oral histories. Together, they listened as families shared their lived experiences—stories of land, faith, labor, and legacy—spoken in their own voices and preserved for generations to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/52e39265-4df2-47f5-8841-3a21b42b70a8/DSCN5067.JPG The South End Chronicle - Freedom Colony Voices Fill the Room at Kerr Community Center - Then came the moment that shifted the atmosphere. A beloved community elder and past president—known affectionately as the “Governor of Hills Prairie,” because Hills Prairie is often called the “capital of the Freedom Colonies”—stepped forward. His presence carried humor, pride, and the kind of leadership that doesn’t need a title to be felt. He spoke three simple words into the microphone like a declaration, like a promise kept: “We are back.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/9cad7ffd-0a84-4dbe-a7b5-a529dd8ed60c/DSCN5106.JPG The South End Chronicle - Freedom Colony Voices Fill the Room at Kerr Community Center - And then the program did something that felt both celebratory and sacred: it honored the oral history narrators publicly, calling each name alongside a quote from their interview. One by one, the words reminded everyone what Freedom Colony history really is: Being raised by community. Learning what it takes to live and earn. Surviving off the land. Taking advantage of opportunities. Respecting elders and holding dignity. Refusing to surrender land for “a quick dollar.” Recognizing the church as the backbone. Telling the truth until the truth changes how you stand. The quotes weren’t just inspirational—they were instructions. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/mt-olives-black-history-program-honors-legacy-at-home monthly 0.5 2026-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/e28981f9-56db-4ce4-b87b-81f79a8caacf/Pastor+Green.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mt. Olive’s Black History Program Honors Legacy at Home On Sunday morning, February 15, 2026, Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Mt. Olive Road in Cedar Creek opened its doors for a Black History Program that felt less like a scheduled event and more like a homecoming—a gathering where memory, faith, and local leadership met in the same pews. From the moment the service began, the tone was clear: this wasn’t going to be Black history as a distant lesson or a list of famous names. It was Black history as lived experience, spoken aloud in a sanctuary that has held generations through joy, grief, revival, and routine Sundays. Pastor Jermaine Davis-Green welcomed the congregation with both warmth and urgency, reminding everyone that history matters—and that honoring it starts close to home. “A lot of times we hear about the Dr. Kings,” he shared, “but you’ve got to come back in your home community. We have people right here who paved the way.” That message became the thread of the morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/88b49f2b-9ebd-4d3a-a96d-2f4c60c9dafb/Choir.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mt. Olive’s Black History Program Honors Legacy at Home - Praise, Prayer, and the Spirit of Welcome The service moved with the familiar rhythm of the Black church—call and response, laughter in the aisles, and songs that don’t just entertain but carry people. Scripture was read from Psalm 100, a passage centered on gratitude and praise—“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving…”—grounding the program in the kind of faith that has always been a foundation for survival and celebration. Then came the welcome that made Mt. Olive feel exactly like what it is: a church that feeds you in every way. With joyful honesty, a church leader promised what everyone already knew: you will be greeted, you will be spoken to, and you will not leave without food. “Don’t leave this place without a plate,” she urged, and the room responded with knowing laughter—because hospitality is part of the testimony. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b20d4ecb-f9a8-49fc-b0a5-42df8e83b0b0/DSCN5051.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mt. Olive’s Black History Program Honors Legacy at Home She shared how she chose not to carry anger, how she built trust through consistency, how she served with humanity—offering grace when she could, choosing alternatives when enforcement didn’t have to be punishment. And she made plain what strengthened her: Scripture. The program theme—Rooted in Faith. Rising in Purpose.—became more than a slogan as she read Colossians 2:6–7, then connected her life to it: rooted built up strengthened overflowing with thankfulness As she described leading with character—organizing gatherings, supporting officers, taking calls others avoided—it became clear: her leadership was never about recognition. It was about integrity. And when she reflected on the season that led to retirement—changes in leadership, COVID limitations, increased scrutiny—she named the truth that many in the room understood without explanation: sometimes you do everything right and still have to let go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b5149f0a-8272-4e11-96a6-7d14d81f4977/DSCN5054.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mt. Olive’s Black History Program Honors Legacy at Home He spoke of his father’s experience with desegregation and how hardship didn’t harden him—it shaped him into someone who poured wisdom into the next generation. Then Mayor Harris widened the lens to honor local trailblazers: the first Black officer, early judges, board members, church leaders, and mentors who made civic leadership accessible long before he ever imagined becoming mayor. And then he named his own calling plainly: to bridge the gap. Not as a slogan, but as a responsibility—between growth and preservation, past and future, opportunity and access. He framed it in scripture, pointing to the biblical pattern of rebuilding, repairing, restoring, and standing in the gap—language that landed deeply inside a church setting where “bridge work” isn’t theory. It’s what communities have been doing for generations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/3ceecf8b-cf14-4e2b-92e2-028a4fb38c97/first+lady.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mt. Olive’s Black History Program Honors Legacy at Home - Black History as Home Practice Mt. Olive’s Black History Program did what the best community programs do: it reminded people that history is not just something you study—it’s something you practice. You practice it by gathering. By naming your elders. By feeding your guests. By telling the truth about what it cost to serve. By teaching young people not just that we celebrate, but why. Because as Pastor Green said later—reflecting on a moment he witnessed during a Juneteenth gathering—people can get caught up in the music, the parade, the joy…and still not know the reason. That, he warned, is why teaching history matters now more than ever. On this Sunday, Mt. Olive didn’t just host a program. They hosted a reminder: Black history is not far away. It is local. It is spiritual. It is carried in families. And it is sustained—one gathering at a time. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/love-in-motion-from-handmade-valentines-to-line-dances-into-midnight monthly 0.5 2026-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/f6b04e84-d9e3-4323-b6fc-95f40bcc8a17/DSCN4978.png The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight - Make it stand out Cedar’s Coppice set the mood for Valentine’s Day with a dedicated craft station—tables stocked with art supplies and sweet details—inviting guests to design their own cards while they dined, lingered, and visited with friends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/30ca7c27-1053-4137-90a9-8b3dffa67b24/DSCN4985.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight Live music by Amber Gutierrez, indie folk singer-songwriter, set the tone. Her gentle covers and original melodies drifted through the space, creating a soundtrack that felt intimate without being intrusive. Conversations softened. Smiles lingered. Cards took shape. It was the kind of afternoon that reminded you love can be handmade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/2aacc397-3a4d-44bb-a893-573b1d036aa0/DSCN5015.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight Then the music turned up. Special guest Hakeem Felix of Step & Groove with Keemy Line Dancing took the floor, delivering instruction in the only way he knows how—confident, rhythmic, and contagious. “Right, right—turn on the right!” “Step back—hit!” “Cha-cha—back it up!” At first, there were tentative steps. A few laughs. Some sideways glances for reassurance. But Hakeem has a way of pulling people in. “You say you don’t got rhythm—but I’ll get you rhythm!” he called out, and the crowd responded. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/ef0e1ec1-9cf4-418b-ab22-0b93fbff5b17/DSCN5030.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight Between sets, the crowd gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” in more than one rendition. Linda, celebrating 75, thanked everyone for coming and expressed her love for the community. Judy, turning 73, echoed the sentiment and added, “We have to gather more often.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216433037-033M4GH282U98BUUIJ7U/DSCN4987.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216817839-OQXR8HH36QMUW0XMIDKU/DSCN4977.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216743957-XTYZZSPQA180NCWV587D/DSCN4982.png The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216496289-T93UNF9BO1Q3O9127213/DSCN4989.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216793987-TL8T75E0VXEHWDC6EACU/DSCN4979.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216542459-NLIOE6S6L2SI5L6A9LN7/DSCN5001.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216570729-DHF3JC1SZRMTJZAYA7O8/DSCN5004.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216597679-EXS843CRO76E3LWK7S94/DSCN5007.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216613858-YAXNWPNUPJNVTC7MO4KX/DSCN5009.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216680490-9YBCJVAEZY8M5TQA9ULE/DSCN5028.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216718842-8PGI3JXQCCP1X21YN60W/DSCN5021.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1771216888136-5GAFIFN4DB8R4UBZGOHJ/DSCN5024.JPG The South End Chronicle - Love in Motion: From Handmade Valentines to Line Dances into Midnight https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/sister-moses-when-history-rose-and-moved-in-bastrop monthly 0.5 2026-02-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/5f56a057-227f-4124-9efe-7a2d3930650f/IMG_7862.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Sister Moses: When History Rose and Moved in Bastrop - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d735214f-a071-4cc0-ac8e-70ae98975d12/DSCN4929.JPG The South End Chronicle - Sister Moses: When History Rose and Moved in Bastrop Music flowed throughout the production, led by the Bastrop Community Singers, the Sister Moses Choral Ensemble, and musicians whose voices and instruments carried spirituals that have long traveled through Black history. Songs like Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom, Wade in the Water, and Keep Your Eyes on the Prize did more than accompany the dancers—they summoned history into the present moment. One of the most haunting moments came with Strange Fruit, a protest song made famous by Billie Holiday. Through movement and restraint, the performance confronted the brutal reality of racial violence in America, leaving the audience in reflective silence before continuing forward—just as history demands. A spoken-word portrait of Harriet Tubman followed, recited with clarity and conviction, honoring her courage, determination, and refusal to accept oppression. Her story unfolded not as myth, but as lived experience—marked by danger, sacrifice, and unwavering resolve. Nineteen times, the production reminded us, Tubman returned to the South to lead others to freedom. She did not move alone then, and she does not stand alone now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/88e2b38e-8efa-47a5-ac48-b7e41c985d71/DSCN4961.JPG The South End Chronicle - Sister Moses: When History Rose and Moved in Bastrop The second act introduced Freedom Calling, a dance piece created in 2024 in connection with a Harriet Tubman traveling sculpture at the Kerr Community Center. The choreography embodied Tubman’s desire not only to escape, but to return—to bring others with her. Themes of resilience, faith, and community moved across the stage, carried by dancers whose bodies spoke where words could not. As the night built toward its close, the audience was no longer separate from the performance. Clapping, singing, and movement rippled through the room, blurring the line between stage and seat. The message was clear: liberation is not passive. It requires participation. When the final notes faded and the curtain held, the audience remained—standing, applauding, holding space for what had been shared. Sister Moses did not offer an easy ending. It offered a truthful one. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/history-was-built-by-handone-tile-at-a-time monthly 0.5 2026-02-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b7362c9c-2b43-4951-8042-cb2398ae72a3/DSCN4889.JPG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time The sanctuary at Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church looked a little different this weekend. Instead of pew-side quiet, there was the soft rhythm of work—tables lined with tile, tools, sketches, and careful hands moving in collaboration. This wasn’t just an art class. It was a living act of preservation. On location with Shelton Talks, I watched community members step into the work with intention—placing glass and ceramic pieces like they were setting down memory itself. Under the guidance of artist and instructor Stanton Pittman, participants began shaping mosaic panels that will soon become permanent witnesses inside Bastrop County’s cultural record. “You can do a few and then step back and look,” one instructor encouraged—reminding everyone that mosaic-making is both technical and meditative. There’s no rushing it. Every piece counts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581761489-EX6Y8VHIJ2JE9Q1KSX0N/DSCN4891.JPG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581783431-SGNCG5UC5ZYAQZFDOL2M/DSCN4897.JPG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581818357-7PFS8WBQ0H4HIE5TPS1I/DSCN4894.JPG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581857605-DJM3RZU93M19A9B9X35S/DSCN4888.JPG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581910744-EXP1U5MTTUV2YQY7KU5B/IMG_7760.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581941761-Y2DM1HL82KCXEWW06PFW/IMG_7767.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770581981023-T8Q5ULWQXOO6ULOD666W/IMG_7772.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770582008860-WUOVQCBYDFQ1UEL76G1F/IMG_7778.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/2c7af2d1-8b89-4dfc-9226-6f6f4987688e/IMG_7783.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time From left to right: Stanton Pittman, lead artist with the Austin Mosaic Workshop; Casey Gonzalez, Bastrop High School art student and workshop apprentice; Lynn Sherbarth-Mills, former Bastrop High School art teacher; and Jocelyn Arce, Bastrop High School art student and workshop apprentice—representing a shared moment of mentorship, learning, and creative legacy in motion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/c6555e13-0efc-41ff-a4d1-9d7529307033/IMG_3494.JPEG The South End Chronicle - History Was Built by Hand—One Tile at a Time - What Legacy Looked Like in Motion By afternoon, the panels were beginning to take shape. Participants stepped back to check spacing. Tiles were adjusted by millimeters. Borders became straighter. Patterns emerged. And the room—filled with conversation, laughter, and concentration—felt like a community choosing to build together. From Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Church to the walls of the African American Cultural Center and Freedom Colonies Museum, these mosaics will stand as permanent witnesses to what happens when a community honors its story—one tile at a time. And here in Bastrop County, history isn’t only something we study. It’s something we are still making. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/fame-day-launches-a-new-tradition-in-downtown-bastrop monthly 0.5 2026-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/0d7fd6e3-a306-4e71-a45c-c62d76caad6b/DSCN4865.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop - Make it stand out Step & Groove with Keemy Line Dancing turned the street into a shared dance floor, calling out steps as the music played. One by one, community members followed his lead—moving in rhythm, laughing, and welcoming others to join as the crowd flowed together in motion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/874304c6-0b72-435f-854a-4fca18ab814e/DSCN4876.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop Robert Reed, caricature artist, captures a young child’s likeness as her guardian looks on nearby. The moment ends with smiles and gratitude, as the child walks away holding her new caricature—an unexpected keepsake from a night rooted in joy, creativity, and community connection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442094258-SAFPT0NM6829MIXB7XV6/DSCN4831.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442137728-0JT83V1RJ2HB6MYTNW39/DSCN4833.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442159256-MHGZOOE4TVJ3EFIBUZ5I/DSCN4835.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442173510-YUPKJLCHS1OQPH3SOL4K/DSCN4836.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442209780-DJT5H7QTRH5FQUVA8D18/DSCN4838.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442239420-VQOHV86NR1ADK5HN3L5E/DSCN4841.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442268958-3YUK32UK3AUOPVGG5PA7/DSCN4844.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442289433-GQ5UVVCGMJB97AQUEZT4/DSCN4845.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442329524-WW0KYAMKZBA9RD2GNBL5/DSCN4880.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442367948-QFMHILH6YL4RV9QNZLHP/DSCN4870.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442389163-PURT76EAMOPAIZJ00JW1/DSCN4886.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442446557-QQZ04HCIZYXXN0IXYV0U/DSCN4872.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442464719-722GR1VVERMSEYPRXNQY/DSCN4852.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442513186-5H1E3PZK7IYPYEOXCE6B/DSCN4855.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1770442553979-BOE9F0AMQIKOZ5C6SGZP/DSCN4873.JPG The South End Chronicle - F.A.M.E. Day Launches a New Tradition in Downtown Bastrop https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/in-the-studio-with-stanton-pittman-where-art-memory-and-meaning-take-shape monthly 0.5 2026-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d2402f1c-0cad-467d-b88a-1c56710d5177/DSCN4802.png The South End Chronicle - In the Studio with Stanton Pittman: Where Art, Memory, and Meaning Take Shape - Make it stand out A roadside invitation into creativity—Austin Mosaic Workshop’s colorful entrance at 729 Airport Blvd welcomes artists, learners, and storytellers alike, reminding passersby that art lives in everyday places and begins the moment you choose to step inside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/63ee25a7-e0c8-4694-982a-4b8ea4b234f4/DSCN4754.JPG The South End Chronicle - In the Studio with Stanton Pittman: Where Art, Memory, and Meaning Take Shape - A Studio That Invites You In Tucked away in a quiet stretch of Austin—so hidden, Pittman jokes, that people often get lost trying to find it—the Mosaic Workshop feels less like a business and more like a working sanctuary. On the morning of my visit, the space was already alive: trays of stained glass and ceramic pieces spread across tables, the soft clink of materials being sorted, and the hum of an intro class just getting started. This was my first extended visit with Stanton Pittman, mosaic artist and one of the creative forces behind the upcoming Freedom Colonies mosaic workshop in Bastrop. What began as a studio tour quickly unfolded into something deeper—a conversation about art as preservation, storytelling, healing, and responsibility. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/75fe43b2-0f8c-4805-a144-b34da41c5cc0/DSCN4761.JPG The South End Chronicle - In the Studio with Stanton Pittman: Where Art, Memory, and Meaning Take Shape - Make it stand out An instructor leads the room through safety guidelines and creative instruction as participants prepare to design personal mosaic pieces—some arriving with a clear vision, others taking time to explore the space, materials, and process before creating works meant to be kept, shared, or gifted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/a06e99ff-b61b-4f15-96c7-298fc870eb63/copy+of+heart.JPG The South End Chronicle - In the Studio with Stanton Pittman: Where Art, Memory, and Meaning Take Shape - Two halves, one heart This mosaic—created together—reflects our distinct rhythms and styles: structure beside spontaneity, calm blues meeting bold color. Separate in design yet united in form, it holds space for both individuality and connection, a shared expression of who we are—together and on our own. By LaMonica & Lueella Shelton https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6343c924-7c4f-4037-970b-04decc9ffefe/copy+of+mr+pittman.JPG The South End Chronicle - In the Studio with Stanton Pittman: Where Art, Memory, and Meaning Take Shape - ZEALE by Stanton Pittman Pitman explains how the mosaic comes to life, inviting touch as part of the learning process. He holds the work securely, the textures reveal their story, turning instruction into a shared, tactile experience. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/cedar-coppice-becomes-a-third-place-again-a-year-in-bloom-brings-art-music-and-intention-back-downtown monthly 0.5 2026-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/df1a64eb-dae3-41f3-b10e-876540419a1d/IMG_3449.png The South End Chronicle - Cedar Coppice Becomes a “Third Place” Again: A Year in Bloom Brings Art, Music, and Intention Back Downtown - Make it stand out Focus: History History isn’t distant—it’s layered, fragile, and alive. It’s the receipts we keep, the names we collect, the wings that return, and the stories still nesting among us. This collage is a reminder that preservation is an act of care—and that what we gather today shapes what can be remembered tomorrow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/7ecbedca-bbbb-4b98-8e3d-8aea4ec15ddd/IMG_7666.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Cedar Coppice Becomes a “Third Place” Again: A Year in Bloom Brings Art, Music, and Intention Back Downtown - Two Simple Activities—One Big Impact The event centered on two interactive stations that brought people in quickly and kept them lingering longer than they planned. The first was the Bloom Wall, where guests selected a leaf cutout, wrote their word of the year, intention, or personal goal, and added it to a growing “tree in bloom.” By the end of the event, the tree was meant to stand full—layered with hope, private promises, and quiet declarations of what people want this year to become. The second station invited guests to build collage mood boards using magazines, stickers, and found images—an open-ended craft designed to let “your mood take you where it takes you,” as the host described it. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was presence: sitting down, slowing down, talking with people, and letting the creative process loosen what the week had tightened. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/e1c4ed0b-e1c9-4bd3-bb96-640a15a434bb/IMG_4692.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Cedar Coppice Becomes a “Third Place” Again: A Year in Bloom Brings Art, Music, and Intention Back Downtown - Focus on the Future of Cedars Coppice For Shelby White, owner of Cedars Coppice, the word Focus captures exactly what this season requires: refining the identity of the coffee shop, strengthening community roots, and building something lasting in a town that is growing fast. “I really do enjoy community, and I want this to be a third place,” White explained. Events like A Year in Bloom were not random add-ons—they were part of a larger direction: a coffee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/a4ad833c-874a-407e-a0ab-29e0548be0f6/ChatGPT+Image+Feb+1%2C+2026%2C+07_59_55+PM.png The South End Chronicle - Cedar Coppice Becomes a “Third Place” Again: A Year in Bloom Brings Art, Music, and Intention Back Downtown - A Soundtrack for the Moment As guests crafted and talked, live music filled the room—soft enough to let people speak, strong enough to shape the mood. A featured trio introduced themselves as Coleto Souls, a group rooted in South Austin with personal ties stretching from Georgia to Texas. They played intimate sets designed for close rooms and listening audiences—music that doesn’t compete with community but complements it. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/bastrop-countys-mlk-walk-for-peace-calls-the-community-to-unity-scholarship-and-action monthly 0.5 2026-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/966581ab-c344-4c3b-bd05-5d60bb5814d3/0B893C59-40CD-4FA5-AFB4-C8277AB83A51.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action It was a beautiful Monday morning in Elgin—cool, bright, and full of purpose—as Bastrop County gathered for the 37th Annual MLK Walk for Peace and scholarship program on January 19, 2026. Hosted this year at Booker T. Washington Elementary School, the annual observance carried a clear message from the start: Dr. King’s legacy is not simply something we remember—it is something we live. The day began with a community walk from Veterans Memorial Park at 10:00 a.m. and transitioned into the program at 11:00 a.m. inside the Booker T. Washington Elementary gymnasium. This year’s theme—“Joining Together: Celebrate! Remember! Act! A Day On…Not a Day Off!!!”—was visible throughout the printed program and echoed repeatedly from the stage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768858585889-R5FIZNH8B5YBP5G2BMYQ/IMG_7481.jpg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768858879843-UVJQOILE6DM8QRJHFJAL/6287E1E8-4F23-470E-9EEF-1C1EAACFB43A.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768859245826-5MLXW6RO93NRHO3HP8SY/DDA02155-AF3D-4D42-AADA-855A4B6D0663.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768859233811-58LBTF63Q74THMBK3GZM/CEC7CDE1-CDB0-48C7-B084-580A5433E134.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768859562562-0FXID2WVU5ATN61RKNGV/IMG_7380.jpg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768859577969-VE2YTQTHQE2U0G7DMEBA/615D309E-829C-4B92-831B-0A289855666F.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6dd5c160-9e12-4bfc-bb18-d3c284eb0e22/424561DE-74ED-46BB-BD31-7A0EC3110ECE.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action Their speeches reflected what the commission hopes to protect: a generation that understands leadership as service, not spotlight; courage as daily practice; and justice as a responsibility shared by everyone. Entertainment and reflection were also woven into the program through a poem by Ardelia Session (Smithville) and praise dance presented by Cynee’ McIntyre (Bastrop). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/5ae6d24e-6b44-4454-a279-43a35bb1074e/IMG_7476.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action - Make it stand out Representatives from each school district across the county were present to share scholarship information and accept donations in support of next year’s recipients. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/3e56d2cf-c4a3-4b9b-bb1e-0c681f54bb08/SisterMosesAdFlyer.png The South End Chronicle - Bastrop County’s MLK Walk for Peace Calls the Community to Unity, Scholarship, and Action - Announcements that Keep the Community Moving In addition to scholarships, the program served as a platform to invite continued engagement. Announcements included: The Brown Primary Historic Marker Celebration will take place on January 20 at 10:00 a.m. at 403 SW 4th Street in Smithville. An upcoming performance: “Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman” (a dramatization), with student showings on February 6 and a public performance on February 7 at the Jerry Fay Wilhelm Performing Arts Center. A community note highlighted that Black History Month programming was approaching, including a Hatitude event honoring Dr. Marilyn Jones on February 7 at 10:00 a.m. (Location: TBA) A reminder that voter registration forms were available onsite—because civic action remains part of King’s legacy. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/still-here-mrs-doretha-poe-of-center-union monthly 0.5 2026-01-16 https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/peterson-brothers-brought-the-live-music-as-bastrop-kicked-off-mardi-gras-in-style monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1843612d-21b0-4c06-8c96-ee934e390669/IMG_7066.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/23b3ef81-fd97-4af4-8b05-c02f74f32424/IMG_7058.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style Food was a central part of the experience. Large pots of jambalaya were prepared on site by Dave and Jim—family friends from New Orleans who traveled to Bastrop specifically for the event—while Cypress Grill provided gumbo, bringing authentic Louisiana flavor to Central Texas. As one guest noted while peeking into a steaming pot, “That looks real good.” It was the kind of meal meant to be shared, reinforcing the event’s welcoming, family-centered atmosphere. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768106613400-84T65D3G34H3W0EPWAWQ/IMG_7215.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768106622069-YZOUJ8AZMLS5T1ZS5PQC/IMG_7069.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768107411535-CAYO6IIVK3ZKH1BB0RCM/IMG_7216.jpg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1768107725511-805KPGZ7V7LYIY9YKBID/IMG_7207.jpg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/f54c918e-83f7-46e0-98a3-7cba367a5317/IMG_7102.jpg The South End Chronicle - Two Bands, One Beat: Bastrop Kicks Off Mardi Gras in Style Now in its third year, the Mardi Gras Kick-Off Party has become a signature tradition for Lost Pines Toyota. Liriano, who grew up in New Orleans, explained that Mardi Gras is not a single day but a season that traditionally begins on January 6—King’s Day. Wanting Bastrop to experience that full cultural meaning, he committed to hosting the opening celebration each year and helping set the tone for the weeks of festivities that follow, including senior-centered events and future parades later in the month. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/a-code-of-protection-faith-fatherhood-and-the-work-of-holding-the-line monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/09b7b412-312a-44d1-8181-a6b0999ff40b/ChatGPT+Image+Jan+9%2C+2026%2C+04_31_02+PM.png The South End Chronicle - A Code of Protection: Faith, Fatherhood, and the Work of Holding the Line - Make it stand out Image Title: Protector in the Face of Adversity https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/memory-keepers-to-be-honored-at-freedom-colony-celebration-and-screening monthly 0.5 2026-01-07 https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/5awo0wmphzrtf0jyllbc0wwmmpxhsn monthly 0.5 2026-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/352a77d3-be75-4162-ac74-8838d04af7e3/IMG_6997.jpg The South End Chronicle - Brotherhood, Memory, and the Invitation That Never Stops The pastor titled his message “Brotherhood Unity.” It was fitting—not only for the first Sunday of the year, but for the moment itself. He spoke directly to the men of the church, calling them to strength, faith, and togetherness. Unity, he reminded us, is both good and pleasant—aligned with God’s creation and pleasing to His spirit. It is not passive. It requires effort, humility, and love. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/january-memory-and-the-meaning-of-home monthly 0.5 2026-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d4a277d0-a98a-47df-a5f0-b8f5a9ec26e5/F3AAC705-C987-4D90-80A6-6E493C197961.png The South End Chronicle - January, Memory, and the Meaning of Home January is not only a season of renewal—it is an invitation to pause, look back, and carry what matters forward with intention. For five academic years, I have known this family. Over time, they have welcomed me into moments of celebration—Fourth of July gatherings, Labor Day festivities, and New Year’s traditions that arrive as faithfully as the calendar itself. This year was different. This year, I found myself arriving unannounced on Thanksgiving Day and again on Christmas Day—seeking refuge, yet received without question. Welcomed all the same. I believe that happened for two reasons. First, because that space feels like home—or perhaps what we hope home feels like. Second, because being there stirred fragmented childhood memories stretching from my state of birth to the place I now call home. The matriarch—whose name I will keep close and private—always greets arrivals with a smile as bright as the morning sun. Her kitchen is a gathering place where food is prepared with love, laughter, and celebration. It is the kind of food that touches your soul, seasoned by the presence of both those still living and those lovingly remembered. Her home is open, warm, and inviting. And this year, I tested that openness more than I ever had before. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/hopewell-honors-elder-c-e-shelton-with-celebration-musical-marking-nearly-seven-years-of-pastoral-service monthly 0.5 2025-12-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/08a83cf8-bb7f-4826-9b7d-72a9a384f806/IMG_6568.jpg The South End Chronicle - Hopewell Honors Elder C. E. Shelton With Celebration Musical Marking Nearly Seven Years of Pastoral Service - Make it stand out The sanctuary was filled with representative members and honored guests from approximately eight congregations across the county and beyond, a testament to the far-reaching impact of Elder C. E. Shelton’s ministry and the deep collective respect for his years of faithful service. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/cb296e5f-0810-42c4-bc39-876135576abb/67D1A3B9-08FF-4FAA-8EAD-6491BE49FBCF.png The South End Chronicle - Hopewell Honors Elder C. E. Shelton With Celebration Musical Marking Nearly Seven Years of Pastoral Service - Music as Ministry The Celebration Musical included more than ten musical selections, with each visiting choir asked to render one selection each out of respect for time, a protocol repeated throughout the evening to keep the program moving while still making room for every church that came to honor the pastor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4605d4bd-cf7f-4303-967e-c2ab836b4947/DSCN4724.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Hopewell Honors Elder C. E. Shelton With Celebration Musical Marking Nearly Seven Years of Pastoral Service As the program moved forward, tributes arrived not as formality, but as lived testimony. Dr. Ira Bell offered a deeply reflective tribute rooted in Proverbs 11:25, describing Elder C. E. Shelton as a generous and faithful shepherd whose ministry was defined by service, humility, and love. He emphasized that Pastor Shelton’s work was never simply a role, but a calling—marked by late nights of preparation, quiet prayers, and an unwavering presence through seasons of joy and hardship. Dr. Bell noted that Shelton’s sermons planted lasting seeds of faith, his counsel reflected scriptural wisdom, and his leadership modeled a faith lived daily, not just preached on Sundays. Framing retirement as a new season rather than an ending, he affirmed that Pastor Shelton’s influence would never retire, declaring his ministry a living testimony whose legacy will continue to bear fruit for generations to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/c33a9088-253f-4af1-973c-809c163d1b82/IMG_6796.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Hopewell Honors Elder C. E. Shelton With Celebration Musical Marking Nearly Seven Years of Pastoral Service Alvin McDonald followed with a featured tribute that spoke to Elder Shelton’s impact beyond the pulpit, acknowledging the way his leadership extended across relationships, districts, and everyday life. McDonald highlighted Shelton’s steady presence, accessibility, and willingness to stand with people where they were, reinforcing the pastor’s role as both a spiritual leader and a trusted community figure. Later, district leadership formally expressed gratitude on behalf of the Providence District Association, recognizing Elder Shelton’s faithfulness and responsiveness—returning calls, offering counsel, and consistently standing in the gap whenever he was needed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1cc75b7f-dec1-48ea-87e2-9c9601e07a77/IMG_6688.jpg The South End Chronicle - Hopewell Honors Elder C. E. Shelton With Celebration Musical Marking Nearly Seven Years of Pastoral Service - Make it stand out Surrounded by fellow ministers and leaders, Elder C. E. Shelton offers the Benediction, closing the celebration with prayer as brothers in faith stand beside him in unity, reverence, and gratitude for a ministry marked by service, love, and steadfast leadership. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/a-season-of-gratitude-reflection-and-legacy monthly 0.5 2025-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/413dcf59-3675-471f-aadf-f613755156fb/IMG_2874.jpg The South End Chronicle - A Season of Gratitude, Reflection, and Legacy As the year draws to a close and the glow of the Christmas season settles gently around us, we at Shelton Legacy Press pause—not out of obligation, but out of deep gratitude. This moment invites reflection: on the stories entrusted to us, the partnerships formed, the voices amplified, and the communities strengthened through the power of the written word. Christmas has always been more than a date on the calendar. It is a season that calls us inward, urging us to remember what truly matters—faith, family, history, generosity, and hope. It is a time when memory feels closer, when voices of ancestors echo more clearly, and when the act of preserving what matters most becomes sacred work. To our clients, collaborators, readers, supporters, and extended community: thank you. Thank you for believing that stories matter. Thank you for trusting Shelton Legacy Press with pieces of your history, your truth, your imagination, and your legacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/e4bcfebe-7a2d-4aed-aa05-5ba10f5b5697/2B9F666F-3F4D-4513-90EB-1FA708413FCC.png The South End Chronicle - A Season of Gratitude, Reflection, and Legacy - To Our Clients: Thank You for Your Trust To those who chose Shelton Legacy Press to publish a book, preserve a family oral history, document a Freedom Colony, or bring a long-held dream to print—thank you for trusting us with your vision. Trust is sacred currency, and we are deeply aware that selecting a publishing partner is not simply a business decision; it is a personal one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/c90044bf-3322-4327-b6b7-821fa3992a9d/8414604804627113333.jpeg The South End Chronicle - A Season of Gratitude, Reflection, and Legacy We live in a time when information moves quickly, yet meaning can be lost just as fast. In such a world, the act of slowing down to document history—to listen deeply, to record carefully, to publish intentionally—is an act of resistance and reverence. This year reaffirmed why Shelton Legacy Press exists: to ensure that stories are not erased, simplified, or forgotten. To honor elders while uplifting youth. To preserve truth even when it is complex. To create work that stands the test of time. Christmas reminds us that light often enters quietly—through a story shared, a memory recorded, a legacy protected. We are honored to be stewards of that light. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/cada7a0d-84e6-4a3c-868c-100d593e10d5/B1C0AD1F-FDE2-4201-9D6C-A2384FEE54F3.png The South End Chronicle - A Season of Gratitude, Reflection, and Legacy - A Christmas Blessing As Christmas arrives, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this season bring rest where the year brought exhaustion. May it bring peace where there was uncertainty. May it bring joy in small, quiet moments and hope that carries you forward. May you find time to gather, to reflect, to remember, and to dream. And may the stories that matter most to you—your own and those you love—continue to be told, honored, and preserved. From our hearts to yours, thank you for allowing Shelton Legacy Press to be part of your journey. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/tql0gcxutz7quoyqirmsfr7ec4mwnb monthly 0.5 2025-12-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/a2d7e006-458e-403a-93d4-3c377981ab47/897111A8-B3A6-46C7-B49D-4225122D894C.png The South End Chronicle - A House Full of Home: Center Union Community Gathers for Annual Christmas Celebration Door prizes and raffle tickets added excitement to the evening, with guests lingering, laughing, and waiting to hear whose name would be called next. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/9fdf1635-8b70-4f2c-abbb-025d072f45f0/80D2C760-C3AF-419A-BF61-30B1FF8ADA8D.png The South End Chronicle - A House Full of Home: Center Union Community Gathers for Annual Christmas Celebration For many, the Christmas party is more than a seasonal gathering—it is a reminder. A reminder that Center Union is still here. Still gathering. Still feeding bodies and spirits. Still holding memory and making room for new ones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/67511b14-9182-430f-a36e-365dd4218221/724EADE9-3E20-44FE-A934-92E92A9B908B.png The South End Chronicle - A House Full of Home: Center Union Community Gathers for Annual Christmas Celebration - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/angels-weeping-for-those-washed-away-a-night-of-remembrance-music-and-spiritual-witness monthly 0.5 2025-12-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/96f5431d-12f5-482e-85a1-e4ef64bc5e01/EA11A6B3-479E-4BA5-9C5A-9C52E8DE817B.png The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness Samai Lokumbe followed with a prayer that grounded the space in gratitude and collective care. She spoke of safety, of community, and of Bastrop as a place where family, connection, and love converge. Her prayer invoked blessing over the music, the musicians, and all present—especially those whose lives were forever altered by Hurricane Katrina and by the devastating floods in Kerrville. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/22b08df5-8cfe-4e51-acfa-9daefb1d00ae/3FA7B675-AB6C-41A3-B1DE-D6B0E1120C3B.png The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness - Make it stand out Composer Hannibal Lokumbe listens as his son, Heile Selassie Lokumbe, interviews him prior to the live performance of Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away, offering the audience an intimate glimpse into the personal history and spiritual origins of the work before the music began. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/a4395c2a-e74f-4e7a-a5cb-47d698fcdb48/22F55F84-F293-4234-AC54-0CEDBA2A50AD.png The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness The City of Bastrop formally recognized the significance of the evening through a proclamation presented by Mayor Ishmael Harris, declaring December 19, 2025, as a day honoring Calvary Episcopal Church’s role as a cultural and artistic anchor in the community. The proclamation acknowledged the church’s concert series and its commitment to making world-class music accessible to the public. The honor was dedicated to those who envisioned the series from its inception, affirming that spaces like Calvary are essential not only for worship, but for healing, reflection, and cultural remembrance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/23623225-b84d-4469-99e1-74833db9e009/85E3A5F9-59ED-43FA-BCA7-C2A67D276CAE.png The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness At the heart of the evening was Lokumbe’s philosophy of “spiritual alchemy”—the transformation of pain into beauty, sorrow into sound, grief into grace. He spoke of music as the force that saved him from bitterness and violence in his youth, and as the discipline that continues to keep him anchored in love rather than rage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4e3e543e-8861-464a-9836-9433734f3608/FE5D5C95-8F27-471E-BF2A-A8BE81FCB86A.png The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness That philosophy took form on stage through a powerful ensemble of musicians, vocalists, and spoken word. Each note, each rhythm, and each silence carried weight. The work’s closing passages—lyrical, haunting, and deeply intimate—gave voice to parents and children separated by water, to souls lingering beyond the physical, to love that refuses to disappear with death. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/45835d02-8377-4609-b855-d22a4d7db51e/IMG_6255.jpg The South End Chronicle - Angels Weeping for Those Washed Away: A Night of Remembrance, Music, and Spiritual Witness In one of the most moving moments, the narrative turned inward: a father speaking to a child, a child responding from beyond, assuring presence in wind, moonlight, butterflies, thunder, and laughter. The audience sat in collective stillness, many visibly moved, as the piece affirmed that love, once formed, is never erased. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/kerr-community-center-board-advances-governance-programming-and-community-partnerships monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/ae599c9a-a2ea-4ab1-aef1-c6802795d7d8/IMG_6141.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Kerr Community Center Board Advances Governance, Programming, and Community Partnerships The Kerr Community Center Board convened on December 15, 2025 with a quorum present, marking a substantive meeting focused on governance, financial oversight, programming, and community service. Serving as interim chair, the board formally called the meeting to order and opened with a prayer reflecting the center’s mission to serve the broader Bastrop community with integrity, purpose, and care. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/fac93e18-9b19-41fd-a50e-613c66ca599a/IMG_6150.JPG The South End Chronicle - Kerr Community Center Board Advances Governance, Programming, and Community Partnerships A significant portion of the meeting focused on updates for the Sister Moses Project, a nationally recognized dance, music, and narrative production portraying the life of Harriet Tubman. Funded in part by the City of Bastrop, the project is scheduled for February 6–7, 2026, at the Bastrop Independent School District Performing Arts Center, which has been donated for student matinees. The production will include community participation through auditions for dancers, singers, and youth performers. After discussion, the board agreed to schedule auditions and rehearsals in January 2026, allowing sufficient preparation time ahead of performance week, with additional details to be shared as plans are finalized. Community rehearsal spaces—including the Kerr Community Center, local churches, and other civic facilities—will be utilized as needed. The board also discussed outreach efforts to BISD, neighboring school districts, senior citizens, and the broader community, with ticket pricing kept intentionally affordable to ensure accessibility. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4a2ef798-9c9f-41c7-84b6-84698a3a73f6/IMG_6147.jpg The South End Chronicle - Kerr Community Center Board Advances Governance, Programming, and Community Partnerships - Community Services and Partnerships Reports highlighted the Kerr Community Center’s role as a hub for essential services, including Meals on Wheels, which serves between 60 and 80 seniors weekly with hot and frozen meals. Volunteers deliver meals across Bastrop and Paige, underscoring the center’s critical role in elder care and food access. The board also reviewed partnerships with organizations that regularly use the facility, including civic groups, service clubs, cultural organizations, and educational partners. Discussions reaffirmed the center’s commitment to remaining nonpartisan while equitably serving all community groups under clear rental and membership agreements. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/mapping-memory-ut-researchers-reclaim-bastrops-past monthly 0.5 2025-12-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/042b4408-c0ce-4c82-8257-ab2ecb56eae3/DSCN4689.JPG The South End Chronicle - Mapping Memory: UT Researchers Reclaim Bastrop’s Past - Make it stand out UT Research Team at the Bastrop County African American Cultural Center & Freedom Colonies Museum From right to left: Dr. Rich Aman, Dr. Ted Gordon, Aaron, Jaden, Hannah, Mia, Roxanne Evans, Ricardo, gathered with Members of the Museum to share ongoing Bastrop Township and County census mapping research. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/60c4e9b7-4c97-48d9-9319-5f305a6b8273/DSCN4681.png The South End Chronicle - Mapping Memory: UT Researchers Reclaim Bastrop’s Past “This kind of research cannot be done without community,” Gordon explained. “Otherwise, it becomes disconnected.” He noted that Bastrop stands out in Central Texas as a place where African American residents have not only preserved history, but built infrastructure around it—through museums, books, oral histories, and active stewardship of place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/5c9b7890-2b52-441f-ac07-0b4f7611cc07/Untitled+design+%2811%29.png The South End Chronicle - Mapping Memory: UT Researchers Reclaim Bastrop’s Past - Each census household is represented by a dot: Blue dots for Black families Red dots for white families https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/39ecd686-7f9b-4539-b17c-48ef192afb9a/Untitled+design+%2812%29.png The South End Chronicle - Mapping Memory: UT Researchers Reclaim Bastrop’s Past - Patterns of Land, Race, and Resilience Beyond mapping individual households, the team presented data analysis examining racial demographics and homeownership patterns from 1870 to 1950. Contrary to common assumptions, Black homeownership rates in Bastrop Township during the early 20th century were often comparable to—and at times higher than—white ownership rates, a finding consistent with earlier research in Austin. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/c1f4v48mlrnwzht71knft59jdib6qp monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/c9e28fee-27bd-49bc-b533-6dee41fc8369/IMG_5980.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade Brightens Main Street Hosted by the City of Bastrop and sponsored this year by Frontier Bank, the parade felt less like a scheduled event and more like a cherished hometown tradition. From the announcers’ platform, Becki Womble, President/CEO of the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Ishmael Harris guided the evening with warmth, humor, and visible pride—welcoming first-time visitors while celebrating the many families who return to Main Street year after year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1b7926c6-6083-47c2-b1df-7896af150304/IMG_5969+-+Edited.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade Brightens Main Street - Make it stand out Frontier Bank, this year’s presenting sponsor of the Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade, served as the festive broadcast hub—hosting parade announcers, judges, and community leaders as Main Street filled with families gathered below to celebrate the holiday season in downtown Bastrop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b775f45a-4a9e-4f9b-bab2-01a980ecb9b2/IMG_5976+-+Edited.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade Brightens Main Street Positioned along the route, this year’s parade judges carefully viewed each entry as it passed. From left to right, the judging panel included Gabrielle Palma, Tim Miller, Alice Tralgott, and Debbie Denny, whose attention and enthusiasm reflected the care taken in recognizing creativity, community spirit, and holiday presentation among the many participating floats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/37f94450-ec39-4ed6-a99f-68bb405ac6fb/IMG_6089+-+Edited.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade Brightens Main Street - Make it stand out Bastrop High School ROTC cadets march proudly down Main Street, uniforms illuminated with holiday lights, earning applause from the crowd as they exemplified discipline, service, and school pride during the Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade in downtown Bastrop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4f4f752b-bc02-4ea7-b3d0-fea4a4a362a4/IMG_6005+-+Edited.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lost Pines Christmas Lighted Parade Brightens Main Street - Floats That Felt Like Storybooks This year’s entries ranged from elaborate to charmingly simple, united by creativity and light. Spectators watched Model T classics glide past in holiday glow, themed floats transform trailers into moving storybooks, and churches and civic groups present nativity scenes that reminded onlookers of the meaning of the season. Music, color, and motion turned Main Street into a continuous celebration. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/bastrop-freedom-colonies-storytelling-event-honors-memory-keepers-and-ancestral-legacies monthly 0.5 2025-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/fc0ada54-8bab-4185-9632-91329dcaca07/IMG_5885.jpg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies - Mount Olive Soft-spoken but grounded in deep family pride, Shirley Thorne Haywood began the program with memories of her upbringing in Cedar Creek’s historic community. Born in 1954 to Reverend Lawrence “Mac” Thorne Sr. and Catherine Love, Shirley is part of a long lineage tied to Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, where she has been a member for more than 60 years. Mt. Olive, she reminded the audience, was not just a church—it was a gathering place, a school, and a cultural landmark. She recalled racing her brother to ring the church bell, holiday meals under the oak trees, and the smell of her grandmother’s tea cakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4825ad23-a9ae-46c2-ae6a-2e15acc6a446/IMG_5886.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies - Piney Stepping forward with humor and reverence, Thaddeus McDonald Jr. spoke on behalf of his late father, historian and author Thaddeus McDonald Sr., whose works Episodes in Irony and African Americans: A Blessing to the Nation remain foundational texts on Black history in Bastrop County. Though McDonald himself did not grow up in a Freedom Colony, he is the grandson and great-grandson of the Piney Creek community—descendants of enslaved people including Joseph Morgan and the McDonald line. He explained that Freedom Colonies thrived because they offered safety, survival, and self-sufficiency in a world where freedmen had few legal protections. “These communities grew because our ancestors knew how to work, how to fix things, how to grow food, and how to survive without anyone helping them,” he said. “And they passed those skills down.” He emphasized the importance of land stewardship—a recurring theme among all the speakers: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/35d5b6da-5559-4b6c-8165-e6cc157ad3c5/IMG_5921.jpg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies - Cedar Creek “We didn’t have much, but we had a whole lot of family.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/e21e93a2-3c52-47bb-9911-fc1eed202fb1/IMG_5920.jpg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies - Piney/Cedar Creek “She lived a unique life—enslaved, but allowed to come and go freely. Reading her story taught me that every enslaved person’s experience was different, and every story matters.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297024127-7FUN09UINV6XBGEU6WWB/IMG_5923.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297024141-1IN3ZC6AU2XYP5HDXKYS/IMG_5922.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297025141-OCX47BU72RD0ZDLMMSKE/IMG_5921.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297026605-865XRYZKMA7GXNBSJAFU/IMG_5920.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297026825-ZWLELGR2IAP4D607MIVI/IMG_5895.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297028927-AQK7KP0Y1Z753G8YRTQL/IMG_5894.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297030924-7HXN4TR4VI7HPH1H7LQM/IMG_5891.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297032351-W3H6S72J4HDZWVFV8Y3N/IMG_5890.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297033221-BLY1RDU5MW0RNA60WXDN/IMG_5893.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297034081-RJWT7HFG07XIULPTGBH1/IMG_5887.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297035020-U06M9ISE0Y7NW1YJ1JST/IMG_5892.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297035956-M2GGIYUSS3HCRIB37JQC/IMG_5888.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297036587-PVVINACJPSVWNSTJ04BU/IMG_5889.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297038828-AXS447L6XFQE73UNUN5S/IMG_5886.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297040520-A2DT6FIR2HS17CBPWSB2/IMG_5885.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297043076-OI39HR9DZKNHUFGGTLLL/IMG_5883.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297043569-1XV8CYRVDGUCAEQCRFIJ/IMG_5882.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765297045263-EYSLH46TF2XKNNWSAYRM/IMG_5881.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Bastrop Freedom Colonies Storytelling Event Honors Memory Keepers and Ancestral Legacies https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/mnpa1gl5sthq29pp64iegetmqsuksm monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085127699-O68LTR12HO2D23PT0CBO/IMG_5924.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085079366-LC04PXM7UECKJ92QLBQG/IMG_2829.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085080424-1JREZUEBY9Z683U247K2/IMG_5880.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085117096-STI0ZHV81KDWLIHLSX6R/IMG_5879.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085101811-K3H81XNGUEAITQDAPKAZ/IMG_5878.jpg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085081681-G8L3JNZW48SYKDDE5NU6/IMG_5877.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085084579-SC9WV4PLE6IBHOYC059A/IMG_5813.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1765085085071-DDHTHRLZ3ZCATYL2I393/IMG_5812.jpeg The South End Chronicle - Lunch & Learn: Authors Illuminate the Legacy of African American Settlements in Bastrop County https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/restoring-paul-quinn-ame-church-preserving-faith-through-reconstruction monthly 0.5 2025-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/fedb8b0d-0c13-4003-915b-53c95a8aee93/DSC09556.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction - Make it stand out Photo by NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/b9ed959a-29b2-466b-a714-03cf959d43bb/1921edit.jpg The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction - Make it stand out (1912) Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bastrop, Bastrop County, Texas. Sanborn Map Company, Jan. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn08421_006/. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/d5c82a11-3e05-4b8b-afb5-24749cb3e753/DSC09566.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction - Photo by NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick The restoration effort, led by a private contractor specializing in historic preservation, focuses primarily on dismantling and rebuilding the tower structure to meet modern safety and building codes while maintaining its original elevation and historic form. “We’re taking it down and rebuilding it up to code,” Steven explained. “Same height, same look, same everything—but strong enough to survive another hundred years.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760579431024-DXV3063ES3WZ7RRSWNRO/DSC09576.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760577905101-RH8CKCAUBIG8L187FHX7/DSC09562.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760577926772-C1BT6CE0KBCHZZH2F4NQ/DSC09561.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760577979265-NTDA31T44UL0B1XNRHE3/DSC09591.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760578081325-HG8ZXN4FOP0H4ER44HVI/DSC09579.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760579472236-BCVA4WE74FJLOYV1G7IY/DSC09578.png The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1760985087748-4NOR5WHTELR1V5Q1WR4R/DSC09585.JPG The South End Chronicle - Restoring Paul Quinn AME Church: Preserving Faith Through Reconstruction https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/a-night-of-jazz-and-community-at-the-kerr-center monthly 0.5 2025-12-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/4e77abe2-3ad5-4c93-9d16-2a58e0bc73e8/Pamela+Heart+%281%29.png The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/5d14d3c4-68c8-4044-b930-7b44ead85340/Pamela+Heart+%282%29.png The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center Council Member Perry Lowe with his wife and daughter, Council Member Cynthia Sanders Meyer with her husband https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/eee3a38f-3886-4f91-8532-34dc90942b68/7.png The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center - Kylie Philips singing Nina Simone’ s Feeling Good https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/512ae444-7038-4770-aa08-44058ff8fce0/20250928_175405+%282%29.jpg The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759650187756-G88Z9IUM5TBQKI3RUCW1/6.png The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759646727227-FF7LOL9DLDUWXPJN8H6P/20250928_181807%2B%25282%2529.jpg The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759647167531-95FALTQRNHEIA7AQ4KCT/20250928_171137.jpg The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759646402475-G4SVXNARK98EHRQI23OE/20250928_175340.jpg The South End Chronicle - A Night of Jazz and Community at the Kerr Center https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/qzroij81f6b9q1ikm8kdt6oib87kbg monthly 0.5 2025-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/dd370596-14a4-48e8-af14-e103f66c8de4/IMG_5321.jpg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia Carrillo: A Community Conversation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/e3dd1f56-75f0-4240-a000-427ac840dfa1/IMG_5323.jpg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia Carrillo: A Community Conversation - Carrillo acknowledged the deep need: “The votes are in this room, and I hear you loud and clear.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759170858589-WS1IHE1U7F1JT07P7UX0/IMG_5325.jpg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia Carrillo: A Community Conversation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1759170863870-84JUP3FB5GOETXY2G6C1/IMG_5324.jpg The South End Chronicle - Sit with Sylvia Carrillo: A Community Conversation https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/3em3y14ni7hzkrevel8q3o4xqyy312 monthly 0.5 2025-09-29 https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/main-street-sunday-spirit-spreading-the-word-about-the-south-end monthly 0.5 2025-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/413c624c-31ed-469a-a648-f494c0844bc6/IMG_5122.jpg The South End Chronicle - Main Street, Sunday Spirit: Spreading the Word About the South End - On a warm Sunday afternoon, fresh from worship and filled with purpose, we walked down Main Street—flyers in hand, hearts open, and history on our minds. Just days after our boundary tour of the South End, I felt called to keep the conversation going. To take what we had seen and learned and begin planting those seeds face to face, with the very people who make this town what it is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/255cdf14-da05-4061-9776-dcd4eab99d92/IMG_5133.jpg The South End Chronicle - Main Street, Sunday Spirit: Spreading the Word About the South End - The message was simple: Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you. After our outreach, we made our way to Tough Cookie Bakery for a well-deserved treat. But the warmth of the day didn’t end with conversation—it extended into the kindness and encouragement offered by local business owners, who welcomed the vision of honoring the South End’s legacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/40c4e6b5-0194-4735-b8ff-c6a382760dce/IMG_5128.jpg The South End Chronicle - Main Street, Sunday Spirit: Spreading the Word About the South End - Cedar’s Coppice A special shout-out goes to Cedar’s Coppice, a stunning new storefront on Chestnut Street, right across from the food truck park. The energy there is peaceful and welcoming. If you haven’t stopped in yet, I encourage you to visit. I can already tell it will become one of my favorite places in town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757029338048-E71114IHXLPM2DUQVK1K/IMG_5132.jpg The South End Chronicle - Main Street, Sunday Spirit: Spreading the Word About the South End https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757029697689-2Z22FMFMTTCUMHH9NQK2/20250823_205313.jpg The South End Chronicle - Main Street, Sunday Spirit: Spreading the Word About the South End https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/walking-the-past-into-the-present-a-south-end-tour-with-lulu-shelton-amp-nakiva-washington-fitzpatrick monthly 0.5 2025-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/6b5add65-c93c-4cc9-b673-42f0dfa9c6a5/IMG_5058.jpg The South End Chronicle - Walking the Past Into the Present: A South End Tour with Lulu Shelton & NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick - Make it stand out Bastrop, TX – Evening Tour Photo by LaMonica Shelton https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757026475508-V6N9XSUW30GGGWW7TJPW/IMG_4996.jpg The South End Chronicle - Walking the Past Into the Present: A South End Tour with Lulu Shelton & NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757026484810-PY8XGO73G2K3WW4PWOZ6/IMG_5011.jpg The South End Chronicle - Walking the Past Into the Present: A South End Tour with Lulu Shelton & NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757027225927-JH5QU7KJ1DEZPHM4MOEC/IMG_5054.jpg The South End Chronicle - Walking the Past Into the Present: A South End Tour with Lulu Shelton & NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1757027230301-E7O11EO9IJGDAXLCABO0/IMG_5152.jpg The South End Chronicle - Walking the Past Into the Present: A South End Tour with Lulu Shelton & NaKiva Washington Fitzpatrick https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/steering-committee-sets-vision-in-motion-for-south-end-cultural-district monthly 0.5 2025-08-23 https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/getting-it-right-the-first-steps-toward-the-south-end-cultural-district monthly 0.5 2025-08-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/7021cd60-1108-4303-bb69-362b92fbfdf8/Untitled+design+%282%29.png The South End Chronicle - Getting It Right: The First Steps Toward the South End Cultural District - Make it stand out Proposed boundary of the South End suggested by the Steering Committee on August 14, 2025. https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/blog-post-title-two-a2k5j monthly 0.5 2025-08-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/67ce6b9a-e6de-4d5b-b8ac-4d237777e28e/8806446801630449282.JPG The South End Chronicle - From Conversation to Commitment: Organizing the South End’s Next Chapter - Make it stand out Attendees were reassured that primary funding for the project will come from grants and partnerships—not taxpayer dollars. The initiative is not intended to displace residents or raise housing costs. Its core mission is to preserve, protect, and invest in the African American Cultural District known as the South End. Photo by Robert “Doc” Washington Photography https://www.lulu-writes.com/sec/blog-post-title-one-tr4hm monthly 0.5 2025-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1ab7ec96-7362-4912-adf1-f4f3cc75d137/IMG_4368.JPG The South End Chronicle - The South End Speaks - Make it stand out Mayor Ishmael Harris and Council Member Perry Lowe Photo by Robert “Doc” Washington Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/417be483-75b4-43a4-bdca-4764238a9134/IMG_4363.JPG The South End Chronicle - The South End Speaks - Make it stand out Mr. Winfred states, “From our home, we had a perfect view of the neighborhoods, rhythm, and life.” Photo by Robert “Doc” Washington Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/305d50d1-5962-4e10-be29-e9d9a47a0b3b/IMG_4361.JPG The South End Chronicle - The South End Speaks - Make it stand out According to Mrs. Jackson, "We didn’t have to go across town for anything. We had everything we needed—right here." Photo by Robert “Doc” Washington Photography https://www.lulu-writes.com/events daily 0.75 2026-02-22 https://www.lulu-writes.com/events/fame-day-women-of-the-world monthly 0.5 2026-02-22 https://www.lulu-writes.com/events/event-five-pj46j-46tgh monthly 0.5 2025-11-06 https://www.lulu-writes.com/events/event-four-m8d6x monthly 0.5 2025-09-19 https://www.lulu-writes.com/events/event-one-p35tm monthly 0.5 2025-09-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6872c50233960f0398b06806/1758234090406-VFVBBVLLBS1FQNF2Q5WK/IMG_5260.jpg Events - Book Launch & Signing - Book Launch & Signing at the CTX Mac & Cheese Fest! 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