In Celebration of Our Hispanic Culture...
In 1924, Franciscan
missionaries came to Texas from Mallorca, Spain and established
a mission in Waco. By 1931, St.
Francis Church on the Brazos was built. In later years
the walls were decorated with paintings representing the
Stations of the Cross and the glorification of St. Francis. The church is a replica of the historically important San
Jose Mission in San Antonio.
Dating
back to the early 1900's, Santa Cruz Cemetery is the oldest
Hispanic cemetery in the area.
Strong Hispanic leadership is evident in Waco's past and present. The Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana De Jornaleros originally organized Waco Hispanics in 1924. Since then the Waco Missions was founded. Both organizations offer halls for celebrations and musical events.
Waco's
first Hispanic mayor, Roland Arriola, was one of the visionaries
who spearheaded the Brazos riverwalk project. Manuel Sustaita,
founder of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was
instrumental in Waco's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial becoming a reality.
Special events and celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo and Fiesta De La Raza are held annually. For additional information:
Cen-Tex
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
915 La Salle Ave
Waco, TX 76701
Tel: 254/754-7111
Fax: 254/754-3456
In Celebration of Our African Culture...
New Hope Baptist Church, founded in 1866, was the earliest
African American congregation in Waco. The original 18-member
church body settled at 915 North 6th in 1923. St. James
Methodist Church was founded in 1874 by the Rev. Anderson
Brack, a circuit rider of the Methodist church. Its present
day location is at 2nd and Clay. Saint Paul AME Church,
founded in 1875, was for years the largest meeting place
for African American groups in Waco. It has been located
at 2nd and Webster since 1913.
Paul Quinn College, a historically black college, was founded in 1872 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In its early days, the school taught trades such as blacksmithing, carpentry, and tanning. The college was named after Bishop William Paul Quinn, an early missionary. The school was relocated to Dallas in the early 1990's. Today, the campus is being revitalized, with the former George B. Young Auditorium now housing the $1 million City of Waco Multipurpose Facility, and the former Kultgen-Jackson Gymnasium becoming the new home of the Doris Miller Family YMCA.
Waco
native Jules Bledsoe (1897-1943) was a noted concert singer,
actor, and composer. He is best known for his interpretation
of "Ol' Man River" in the musical "Show Boat", which made
the song an American classic. Bledsoe died at the age of
45 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Waco.
Doris
Miller, born in Waco in 1919, was a famous African American
hero of Pearl Harbor. During the attack, he aided the mortally
wounded captain of the ship, the USS West Virginia.
He then manned a 50-caliber Browning anti-aircraft
machine gun until he ran out of ammunition and was ordered
to abandon ship. Miller
received the Navy Cross in tribute to his brave efforts
during Pearl Harbor.
Oscar Du Conge, Waco's first African American mayor, was
elected in 1974. 
Waco's own Kermit Oliver, the only American artist to design for Hermès, is featured in exhibitions periodically at Art Center Waco. He was also the first African American artist in Houston represented by a commercial gallery. Click here to see his artwork. Terrance Corbin is another African American artist hailing from Waco.
Michael Johnson, winner of five gold Olympic medals, trained at Baylor University under famed track coach Clyde Hart.
For more information:
Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce
715 Elm Ave.
Waco, TX, 76704