Michael Hurd is a historian and author who has worked as a sports writer at USA Today, the Austin American-Statesman, and Yahoo Sports. He has authored two books on the legacies of football programs at historically black colleges. In 12 years at USA Today, he covered a wide variety of sports, including National Football League games. He covered Super Bowls XIX — San Francisco-Miami, 1985, at Stanford Stadium, and XXI — 1987, New York Giants-Denver Broncos, at the Rose Bowl.
Michael is currently managing editor for the Texas Black History Preservation Project, which is documenting the 500-year history of African Americans in Texas
He is reaching out to writers with an interest in his project. An essay from the project will run on Scribe tomorrow (Monday).
People of African descent have had a presence in what would become Texas since 1528 when a Moor servant, Esteban, waded ashore near Galveston Island with a shipwrecked party of conquistadors that included Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca. In almost 500 years since, African Americans have contributed significantly in all facets of the building of the state – its infrastructure, its image, its culture.
That history has, in many ways, been overlooked though more black history scholarship is now becoming available. Because of that, the Texas Black History Preservation Project (tbhpp.org) is producing the most comprehensive documentation ever undertaken for the history of the African American experience in Texas. Our online encyclopedia will be a digital portal for all things relating to black Texans and their existence in the Lone Star state. Because of that, we feel our project will have a profound effect on education, specifically in helping to fill the gaps that still exist in the teachings and discussions of black history.
The site will include profiles, bios, vintage images, and entries on wide ranging subjects (government, politics, sports and entertainment, education, churches, etc.) about people, places, events and issues. Also included will be interpretive essays from prominent scholars, historians, and journalists addressing almost five centuries of seminal events and African American personalities in Texas.
Want to help? We encourage you to contribute by submitting:
- General entries – People, places, events, issues, politics/legislation, sports, entertainment, religion, etc.
- Essays – In-depth, longer entries focusing on a single topic.
Our documentation is comprehensive and diverse, therefore, we’re open to including subject matter relating to anyone (living or deceased) or anything notable that relates to black history in Texas. You may research and write about the subject of your interest or, to start, visit our website for a list of suggested biographical entries and submission guidelines: http://www.tbhpp.org/submissions.html. (You are encouraged to visit the site and view entries and essays already posted.) All entries must be approved by TBHPP editors before beginning your research/writing.
We welcome your questions or comments via email or telephone – michaelhurd@tbhpp.org, 512-673-0565.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you as we build this very important and unique project.
