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blackaustintours Come disrupt public space and engage with the histories, experiences and contributions of Black people in Austin and beyond.

What do 100 FREE marshmallow biscuits have to do with nearly 80 years of Black Austin history?Quite a lot, actually.In 1...
10/22/2026

What do 100 FREE marshmallow biscuits have to do with nearly 80 years of Black Austin history?

Quite a lot, actually.

In 1946–47, Algerene Akins Craig and her husband Isaac Craig Jr. developed a commercial building at 1914 E. 12th Street that would become home to generations of Black entrepreneurship.

In 1947, James “Jimmie” and Juanita Darby opened Jimmie’s Alcove Grill, serving the East Austin community for more than 30 years. The restaurant became part of a thriving Black business corridor where food, fellowship, and community went hand in hand.

The space later became home to Skyylords Print & Screen, which helped produce iconic Black cultural designs, including “Black by Popular Demand” and a nationally recognized Juneteenth shirt.

Then came Galloway Sandwich Shop, which opened in 1995 and continued the tradition of feeding and gathering the community for nearly three decades.

Today, Lynny’s occupies this historic space, and they’re honoring the building’s legacy in a delicious way!

100 FREE Mini MARSHMALLOW BISCUITS during Heritage Weekend!

It’s a small treat with a much bigger story: generations of Black ownership, creativity, entrepreneurship, and community on East 12th Street.

Because preserving Black history isn’t just about remembering what was here. It’s about connecting that history to what happens here today.

📍 Lynny’s ATX | 1914A E. 12th Street
📅 Saturday, October 24
🎟️ 100 FREE biscuits while supplies last!

Join us for Heritage Weekend at Ideal Barbershop and The Backyard at 1914 East, with music, art, history, family activities, and more.

👇🏾 Comment HERITAGE for the full schedule and to RSVP for activities!

Heritage Weekend is made possible through grant support from the City of Austin’s AACME program.

What does a barbershop have to do with the history of voting in Black Austin?More than you might expect.During segregati...
10/22/2026

What does a barbershop have to do with the history of voting in Black Austin?

More than you might expect.
During segregation, voting was not as simple as showing up at the polls. In Texas, the poll tax created a financial barrier that restricted political participation, particularly among Black communities.
But Black Austinites continued organizing.

A 1963 newspaper clipping preserved in our archive documents a Black Austin poll-tax drive, offering a glimpse into the efforts taking place at a time when voting rights were still being contested.
And right here at 12th & Chicon, our research into the historic Ideal Barbershop property reveals another interesting connection.

Since Leonard F. Hill opened Ideal Barbershop in 1948, the property has been home to Black-owned businesses that served the neighborhood in different ways. Our research also traces the business spaces' connection to poll-tax payment and civic engagement.

These histories remind us that Black-owned businesses were more than places to get a haircut or share a meal. They could also be places where information, economic independence, and community concerns came together.
That's one of the stories behind 1914 East 12th Street.

This Heritage Weekend, we're inviting you to visit the historic Ideal Barbershop and discover more about the people, families, businesses, and histories connected to this corner of East Austin.

📍 Ideal Barbershop & Backyard, 1914 E. 12th Street, Austin
📅 Heritage Weekend: October 23–24, 2026
🎟️ Free Heritage Day: Saturday, October 24, 2–6 PM
Join us where the history happened.

Comment “Heritage” to get more details about Heritage Weekend

10/22/2026

To understand the Black history of East Austin, we also have to understand migration: how Black people moved through the region after emancipation, why families left rural communities for Austin, and how they built new lives and communities here.

This is an addition and context for the creation of the Negro District following the city’s adoption of the 1928 Master Plan.

The Great Migration is often associated with movement to California, the Midwest, New York, and other urban centers in the North.

But Black migration also connected rural places across the South to growing cities like Austin. Those stories are tied to freedom colonies, racialized geography, zoning, and housing practices that shaped East Austin, including the creation of the Negro District.

During Heritage Weekend, join us on a bus journey to St. John Colony to explore these connections: the history of migration, the impact on rural Black communities, and the lasting ties between St. John Colony and East Austin.

There are still seats available. Come ride with us. we hope to see you on the bus!

This experience is made possible in part by a grant from AACME and gracious sponsorship support from Six Square further expanding the reach!

Who makes sure the stories of Black Austin are remembered?Algerene Akins Craig understood the importance of that questio...
10/21/2026

Who makes sure the stories of Black Austin are remembered?
Algerene Akins Craig understood the importance of that question.

An educator, historian, and preservationist, Mrs. Craig dedicated much of her work to documenting Black Austin's history and helping secure historical recognition for its schools, churches, and community institutions.

Her family also had a connection to East 12th Street.
In 1946, her husband, Isaac Craig Jr., received a commercial building permit for the property at 1912–1914 East 12th Street, where Ideal Barbershop would later open.

Today, that same historic property will bring people together for 1914 East Heritage Weekend.
And as we reflect on the histories preserved by people like Mrs. Craig, we're inviting you to think about the stories in your own family.

Join Black Austin Tours in partnership with Ode to Our Grandmothers for a Collage Memory Making Workshop, led by Ode to Our Grandmothers and Reiness Garcia.

Using photographs, images, words, and other materials, participants will create a personal collage honoring their ancestry, memories, and the people who shaped their families.

No previous collage-making experience is required.
📅 Saturday, October 24 | 11 AM–1 PM
📍 Ideal Barber Shop, 1914 East 12th Street, Austin, TX

10/21/2026

Finding voter registration records from 1867 to 1869 moved me. I saw the names of formerly enslaved men in my family who went to register to vote. Learning about the Douglass Club and the Black women who fought for our right to vote pushed me further.

Then I learned that Ideal Barbershop had served as a poll tax location and participated in a program helping Black people pay the poll tax. I realized I had no excuse. My ancestors put their lives on the line to exercise their right to vote. I honor that history by voting.

Heritage Weekend falls during early voting in Austin, which runs October 19–30. Join us for the activities, and if you can, make time to vote early on Saturday, October 24.

Look for your ancestors in voter registration records from Travis, Caldwell, Bastrop, Hays, and other Central Texas counties. Find their names. Learn their stories. Let their courage move you to vote.

Pic 1: Josiah Hill registered to vote in Bastrop County in 1867

Pic 2: Shelton Born 1810 in Georgia. Registered to vote in Bastrop 1867. Him and Josiah registered on the same day

Pic 3: Calvin Hill registered in Bastrop in 1867

Pic 4: William Crenshaw born in Louisiana in 1840s. Registered to vote in Caldwell County 1869

Pic 5: Squire Merriwhether born in Georgia. Registered to vote in Guadalupe County 1867

Pic 6: Hemsley Coursey Born in Maryland. Registered to vote in Caldwell County in 1867

We’re grateful for our continued partnership with Road Scholar and for the curious, engaged learners who joined us yeste...
10/21/2026

We’re grateful for our continued partnership with Road Scholar and for the curious, engaged learners who joined us yesterday.

Their travelers remind us that learning doesn’t stop at any age. A lifelong curiosity keeps us sharp, open, and connected to the places and people whose stories shape our understanding.

We’re proud to help Road Scholar offer a fuller picture of Austin and Texas, one that includes the history, experiences, and perspectives of Black communities. Thank you for making space for these stories and for learning with us.

Planning a group visit to Austin? Black Austin Tours can help your travelers learn more about the city through its Black history and experiences.

Contact us to get started. Info in bio

Before Ideal Barbershop became part of East Austin’s history, the land beneath it already had a story to tell.In 1903, p...
10/20/2026

Before Ideal Barbershop became part of East Austin’s history, the land beneath it already had a story to tell.

In 1903, property records connected three names to a piece of land on East 12th Street: Robert Lee, J. M. Patterson, and William Akins.

But behind those names was a family whose history reached back to the days of enslavement.
Among the people who called this property home was Adeline Burdett Akins, William Akins’s mother.

Born in Travis County during the era of slavery, Adeline worked as a laundress, earning a living in a society where Black families continued to face enormous barriers to economic opportunity.

Her story reminds us that the history of a place isn't only found in the buildings that stand there. It lives in the people who worked, raised families, and made a life on that land.

Decades later, another chapter began.
In 1946, Isaac Craig Jr., husband of William Akins’s daughter Algerene, received a permit to construct a commercial building at 1912–1914 East 12th Street.

By 1948, Leonard F. Hill had opened Ideal Barbershop at 1914B, beginning a family business that continues today.

What began as a record of land ownership became part of a much larger story of Black family life, entrepreneurship, and community along East 12th Street.

And more than a century later, that history is still present at the very same address.
This October 24, Heritage Day brings us together at historic Ideal Barbershop to honor the people, families, and businesses whose lives are woven into this place.

📍 Heritage Day | October 24, 2026
1914 E. 12th Street, Austin, Texas
Join Black Austin Tours for Heritage Weekend. Visit the link in our bio for event details.

Who says a meaningful weekend has to be expensive?Sometimes, the most memorable experiences are the ones that bring us c...
10/20/2026

Who says a meaningful weekend has to be expensive?

Sometimes, the most memorable experiences are the ones that bring us closer to our community, our families, and the stories that connect us.

And if you're in Austin or nearby, something meaningful is closer than you think!
This October 24th, join Black Austin Tours for Heritage Weekend, a celebration of Black Austin's history, culture, creativity, and community.

And yes, some of our experiences are completely FREE! Here's what you need to know.
FREE EXPERIENCES — JUST RSVP!

Join us for Heritage Day, an afternoon bringing generations together through:
•Heritage and genealogy conversations
•Interactive art and memory-making activities
•Black Austin history and storytelling
•Music and community activations by Where Y'all At Though
•The Heritage Lounge, presented by E4 Youth
•Family-friendly activities and community connections

📅 Saturday, October 24
🕑 2–6 PM
📍 Ideal Barbershop & Backyard, 1914 E. 12th Street, Austin

Admission is FREE! All you need to do is RSVP. Some workshops have limited space, so early registration is encouraged.
🚌 PAID EXPERIENCES — SEPARATE TICKETS REQUIRED
Want to take your Heritage Weekend experience even further?
Our special From St. John Colony to East Austin Heritage Bus Tour takes you through the history of Black freedom communities, landownership, and the families who helped shape Central Texas.
📅 Saturday, October 24
🕘 9 AM–1 PM
📍 Departs from Ideal Barbershop
Your ticket includes round-trip transportation, a guided historical experience, and a Texas BBQ sandwich.

These guided tours are not included in the free Heritage Day RSVP.

Whether you're spending an afternoon with family, joining meaningful conversations, or taking part in a guided historical experience, we'd love to have you with us.

🎟️ HOW TO JOIN:
FREE Heritage Day → Simply RSVP. No ticket purchase necessary!
PAID Guided Tours → Purchase your tickets separately.

Comment “Heritage” and well help you reserve your spot.

Know someone around Austin looking for something meaningful to do? Share this with them and make plans to join us October 23–24!

Why vanilla orchid seedlings at Heritage Weekend? Because their story connects Black knowledge, labor, and ownership acr...
10/20/2026

Why vanilla orchid seedlings at Heritage Weekend? Because their story connects Black knowledge, labor, and ownership across generations and places.

Edmond Albius, an enslaved 12-year-old on Réunion, is credited with developing a practical method for hand-pollinating vanilla orchids. Here in Austin, William Aikins worked as a florist and purchased the property where Plant Society now stands, beginning a legacy of Black ownership that continues today.

During Heritage Day, visit The Plant Society inside the Dollhouse at 1912 East 12th Street. They’re giving away 40 vanilla orchid seedlings, free while supplies last.

You’ll also have a chance to support this small plant business, which focuses on bringing sustainable plants into people’s homes, and learn more about the history connected to this legacy building on East 12th Street.

Join us Saturday, October 24. Comment HERITAGE for more information and RSVP details.

Join Black Austin Tours and Where Y'all At Though?! 👀 (WYAT) for HERITAGE WEEKEND on Saturday, October 24! We’re bringin...
10/20/2026

Join Black Austin Tours and Where Y'all At Though?! 👀 (WYAT) for HERITAGE WEEKEND on Saturday, October 24! We’re bringing history to life at the historic Ideal Barbershop and The Backyard at 1914 East with a full day of experiences for all ages!

✨ Here’s what’s happening:

🎧 Live DJ sets and activations with Where Y'all At Though?! 👀

🚌 St. John Colony Historic Bus Tour (9 AM–1 PM)

💈 FREE Haircuts & Loc Styling (RSVP required)

🎨 Ode to Our Grandmothers Collage Workshop with An Ode to Our Grandmothers supported by FUTURE FRONT (FREE RSVP Required)

📚 Children’s Hour with Story Craft & Author Deborah Orr, & Ideal Barbershop tours

🎤 Conversations on Black preservation and genealogy

🖌️ Interactive street art with RichesArt Gallery + Studio | Austin, Texas

🛍️ Local vendors, music & good vibes in The Backyard at 1914 East

🌱 40 FREE Vanilla Orchids from The Plant Society, plus neighborhood specials with Lynny’s

🎬 Built to Last documentary screening with Black Outside Fest at the Black Makers Market at The Millennium

This isn’t just about remembering Black Austin history. It’s about experiencing it, celebrating it, and making new memories together!

🎟️ Most activities are FREE! Some require advance RSVP. Bus tour tickets sold separately.

👇🏾 Comment HERITAGE for the full schedule and event page, where you can explore activities and reserve your spots!

📍 1914 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX
📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026

Made possible with support from the City of Austin through Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment

Come for the music, art, and community. Leave with a deeper connection to Black Austin’s history!

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Austin, TX
78759

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