Blinn College students help uncover history of Brazos Valley Rosenwald Schools

Museum exhibit invites community members to share information and memories

October 12, 2026

A search for 41 historic schools that once served African American children across the Brazos Valley is giving Blinn College District students the opportunity to uncover local history while helping preserve stories that might otherwise be lost.

Led by Blinn History Professor Dr. W. Dale Weeks, the research project is identifying the locations and documenting the histories of schools established through the Rosenwald School Building Program, a historic partnership between educator Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Co. The schools were built between 1917 and 1932, with the program funding the construction of more than 5,300 schools for African American students across the South. Approximately 500 were built in Texas.

“We have 41 of them right here in the Brazos Valley, and our goal is to find the location of all of these buildings,” Weeks said. “Most of them are gone now, but there are people out there who know where they were. There are former students, former staff members, and people who remember these communities.”

Working in partnership with the Brazos Valley African American Museum in Bryan, Blinn students have developed an exhibit highlighting the schools and the communities they served. The first version of the exhibit is currently on display at the museum and invites community members to help researchers identify the locations of the Brazos Valley schools, many of which no longer exist.

The research team has identified several locations where Rosenwald School buildings remain, including sites Calvert, Anderson, and Navasota, with additional locations still being researched. The team is particularly interested in connecting with people who attended the schools, worked at them, or have knowledge of their locations and histories.

As part of the project, researchers hope to conduct oral-history interviews that preserve stories that may not otherwise appear in traditional historical records.

“Most former students don’t know that Booker T. Washington had a hand in building the school they went to,” Weeks said. “The fun part is getting to let the people tell us about these communities and these schools.”

For the 21 Blinn students participating, the project provides a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on historical research, which is rare at the undergraduate level. Students have taken roles based on their interests, from studying historical records and maps to visiting libraries and contacting local organizations.

Blinn alumna Melissa Rutherford has been involved with the project for more than two years and has continued to unearth new information by interviewing former Rosenwald school students even as she pursues her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sam Houston State University.

“I’ve spent so many hours at the Carnegie History Center in Bryan looking through old articles for information,” Rutherford said. “This project has been so meaningful to me. It taught me how to work with a team and how to do research together. It’s helping me decide if I want to pursue a master’s or even a Ph.D.”

Freshman Cayle Canon was eager to participate after learning about the project in Weeks’ Texas History class.

“I've always really enjoyed history and just learning about everything, how we got where we are today,” Canon said. “So being able to research on this project has been an amazing opportunity.”

A Caldwell native, Canon has a personal interest in Texas history and hopes to transfer to Texas A&M University to study agricultural leadership or agricultural communications. She is focusing her efforts on communities near her hometown, where she is working to identify people who may have information about the schools.

“Having the opportunity to start this at such an early stage is such a great way for me to build up my skills and communication with people and learn how to be a good researcher,” she said.

Weeks said the research experience gives students the opportunity to develop skills that can benefit them regardless of their major or eventual career path and enhances their résumé.

The first version of the exhibit currently on display at the Brazos Valley African American Museum features maps and details about the schools, along with a QR code and tablet for visitors to help expand the project. Community members are invited to provide information about school locations and their personal connections to the schools.

Canon hopes the exhibit will encourage people to share information that might otherwise be lost.

“If they read it and know something about one of the schools, they’ll have the opportunity to tell us through the exhibit,” she said.

For Weeks, the project represents more than an academic exercise. It is an opportunity to connect Blinn students with the communities around them while helping preserve an important part of Brazos Valley history.

“This is an amazing bridge builder between the community, the museum, and Blinn,” Weeks said.

Community members with information about the Brazos Valley Rosenwald Schools are encouraged to visit the exhibit at the Brazos Valley African American Museum or contact the research team and share their stories by emailing dale.weeks@blinn.edu.

To learn more about Blinn’s History Department, visit www.blinn.edu/history.

About the Blinn College District

With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.