HOUSTON – Nestled near the heart of Houston, Independence Heights carries a history as rich as its roots-built by resilience, strengthened by faith, and held together by a community determined to hold onto it’s identity and preserve its legacy.
“I’m three generations here. Independence Heights has a special place in my heart,” said Mardie Paige, President of Super Neighborhood 13, which includes Independence Heights.
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For Super neighborhood President Mardie Paige, Independence Heights isn’t just home-it’s history.
A history built by generations who fought to create a self-sufficient city-the first in Texas to be incorporated by African Americans.
But as time moves forward, she added “We can’t rely on anyone else to tell our story. We have to tell our own story. ”
The challenge remains: how do you protect the past while embracing the future?
“We are downtown a lot. We travel to city council meetings. You stay on your elected officials, you attend meetings, and you make sure your voice is heard. And that’s not always an easy thing,” Paige said.
For those moving in, like Carlos Barrios, there’s a responsibility to understand the foundation they’re now part of.
“It has a nostalgic feel to it. The community. The community is a big thing. You want to feel comfortable where you live. At the end of the day, you wanna get to know your neighbors,” Barrios said.
That small-town spirit is what longtime residents and community leaders are working to protect, ensuring that newcomers embrace the legacy that built this neighborhood.
“What we’re trying to do is blend them, merge them, marry them, essentially, to continue with the legacy of Independence Heights.”
Pastor Eric Wilson says churches play a critical role in that mission-bringing people together across generations and backgrounds. Standing as pillars of hope, unity, and action. He added that finding things that are common will be the key to the community’s survival and growth.
That shared spirit is already shaping the neighborhood’s future. The community is deeply involved with the proposed Emancipation Trail-stretching from Galveston tracing the journey from slavery to freedom.
“We’re making sure the trail that’s coming through ends in Independence Heights. That’s something Sheila Jackson-Lee pushed. We have apartments coming on the corner of Yale and Crosstimbers that we had to go in and fight for a couple of weeks ago,” Paige said.
The spirit of Independence Heights will always be carried by the people-those who’ve called it home for generations and those just discovering it’s legacy- united in refusing to let its story fade. A community with a rich past and a future still being written, together.
“I see a lot of diversity, all of us coming together. I see us working together. I see a prosperous future. But we have to remember our past-because if we don’t, how can we go toward the future? We still have a lot of work to do here in Independence Heights. I’m in it for the long haul,” Paige said.
