On Juneteenth, we gathered at Wooldridge Square with Council Member Kathie Tovo, County Commissioner Jeffrey Travillion, former mayor Lee Cooke and community partners including the Austin History Center, Texas Historical Commission, City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Travis County, and Friends of Wooldridge Square for the unveiling of the Booker T. Washington interpretive panel.
The new panel details Booker T. Washington’s visit to Austin in 1911 during which spoke to a crowd of 5,000 people at Wooldridge Square after he was not allowed to speak at the state capital. Content for the panel was developed through Our Austin Story, a project to uncover and highlight diverse and untold stories of Austin’s rich history. Stop by Wooldridge Square, located at 900 Guadalupe Street to experience a new facet of this historic and beautiful public space.