Algerene Akins Craig - Austin’s Black Historian & Preservationist
- Virtual Assistant
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
January 29, 2023
Do you know the architect of many of the Black historic markers in Austin? Meet Mrs. Algerene Akins Craig, who, among many firsts in the field of education, was a historian dedicated to preserving Black historical places in Austin.
Mrs. Craig was born Algerene Akins in 1909 in Austin to William and Lula (Smith) Akins. She later married Mr. Issac Craig. In 1934, Mrs. Craig organized the first elementary school library at the Gregory Town School, which became Blackshear Elementary. While at Blackshear, she worked as a teacher, librarian, and assistant principal until AISD's desegregation in the 1970s. AISD moved her to Rosedale Elementary. In addition, to her pioneering career as a librarian and educator, Mrs. Craig was a dedicated historian.
Mrs. Craig had the knowledge and foresight to use historic preservation to protect and guarantee the memorialization of the histories, experiences, and contributions of Black people in the Austin area. As things change in Austin and historic buildings are demolished, a piece of the community goes with it. Just because a building or a space ceases to exist doesn't mean the stories are gone. Mrs. Craig made it impossible for us to have "historical amnesia" of what happened in Austin.
She used the power of knowledge and writing to craft stories and histories that passed the test of THSC bodies that initially didn't value Black historical contributions or spaces. Historically, the written word has been valued in the official documentation and preservation of historical places, but that often poses an issue for African Americans. African descendant people in the Americas emerged from rich oral traditions in Africa, which became more important as enslaved persons were largely denied access to western forms of knowledge production such as reading and writing. Historic preservation policies and review procedures often don't value these preservation forms. As such, it has been much more difficult for Black people to secure historic designations and receive their benefits.
We must applaud Mrs. Craig for her commitment to collecting the varied ways African Americans have preserved our histories to obtain these designations. These markers do more than protect these Black spaces' cultural heritage and memories. Depending on the type of historic designation a place or building receives, it protects it from demolition and offers tax incentives.
Have you ever wondered why there aren't mid to high-rise residential tours going up in West Austin neighborhoods close to downtown as we see in East Austin? Nearly all of the areas and neighborhoods west of downtown are official historic districts. According to the City of Austin, "locally designated historic districts offer the strongest protection and greatest benefit for older neighborhoods." Individuals or developers can't just go into west Austin and knock down homes and buildings as they can in East Austin. This is a systemic issue; at the very least, we must say thank you to Mrs. Craig. She has ensured that parts of the histories connected to the buildings and spaces in Austin that Black people inhabited will continue to be present, even if they knock down the building.
Sources:
Austin History center photos : https://ahc.access.preservica.com/?s=algerene+craig
Austin Historic Property Viewer: https://www.austintexas.gov/page/historic-districts
Photo of Principal Friendly Rice: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth17435/History of TX Historical Markers: :https://www.thc.texas.gov/preserve/projects-and-programs/state-historical-markers/history-state-texas-historical-markers
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