Though she grew up in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town, Avalon Hogans didn’t start digging into the history of the area until she came to Rice University. Hogans said she learned a great deal about the neighborhood where she spent most of her life while working with the Center for Civic Leadership’s (CCL) Houston Action Research Team on the Black Subtexts project led by English professor Nicole Waligora-Davis. The neighborhood is the focus of her new spoken word poem, “A Story of Freedom,” commissioned by the Houston Rockets.
“It was an incredible experience to share something I’m passionate about and collaborate with such an amazing team,” said Hogans, a junior majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and minoring in African American studies. She also plans to earn a certificate in civic leadership.
A video version of the poem, shared by the Rockets on social media, was shot in a single day and highlights the history of Freedmen’s Town.
“The Rockets’ media team had recently toured Houston’s Freedmen’s Town, and I was a resident of and researcher for this town, so we knew that topic would be perfect,” Hogans said.
Hogans gained the attention of the Rockets during her spoken word performance at the 2023 Houston Sports Awards, one of her many achievements. Others include being named the 2021-22 Houston Youth Poet Laureate and a 2023-24 Freedmen’s Town Research Fellow at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH). Rice also commissioned Hogans for a poem titled “Rice Fight Inspires.”
When Rice News connected with Hogans in June, she was in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the 2023-24 Loewenstern Fellowship through CCL. During her 10 weeks there, she is working for Azadi Kenya, a survivor-led, counter-trafficking NGO that provides long-term support for survivors, leading the group’s annual art exhibition for the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
“I’m very grateful to be here,” Hogans said. “My favorite part so far has been connecting with the other members and artists of Azadi. I’m excited to curate and contribute to this exhibition through photography, collage-making and storytelling.”
When she returns to Houston, Hogans will continue work on a program at CAMH, which is scheduled for later this summer. Though the details haven’t been publicized yet, Hogans said the performance-based program will feature “visual art, poetry, music and dance to tell a story of a hopeful future for Freedmen’s Town.”
Hogans said she will continue her studies at Rice this fall, inspired by the teachings of professors such as Olivia Young (assistant professor of art history) and Biko Caruthers (English lecturer). Young’s “African Diasporic Studies” course was Hogans’ first in art history and where she learned about close reading and how to write about art.
“Dr. Young created a safe space for us in the classroom,” Hogans said. “Every class felt comfortable and empowering.”
Hogans called Caruthers’ “Colonialism & Chaos — New World Literature” course “rare and crucial” because it exposed her to pre-1800s literature by Black and indigenous authors.
“Although these professors’ courses were engaging for me, they stand out to me because they’re both very supportive,” Hogans said. “Dr. Young and Dr. Caruthers inspired me to pursue art and literature. They always ask my opinions and listen to my ideas, and they even attended my art exhibition last semester. It’s so motivational to have professors like them.”
Motivated in part by her Rice experience, Hogans continues to inspire and uplift others with her passion and creativity, exhibited beautifully in examples such as “A Story of Freedom.”