Upon graduation from the University of Texas, Clay went to work for Southwestern Bell. Transferred to Orlando, Florida, in the 1980s, she became a member of the city’s preservation board; here, Clay’s love of history would be employed on a larger scale, and she’d become involved in historic preservation. As part of her board duties, Clay attended the National Trust Conference. She realized there were careers in preservation, and she met people interested in
humanities festival was developed to save Eatonville from being wiped off the map by development. Being part of the festival was a turning point for Clay. She began thinking about having a festival in Shankleville that would entertain, educate and make an economic impact in the region. Clay returned to Texas in 1995 with the goal of being appointed to the Texas Historical Commission so she could continue to learn about historical preservation through connections she’d make. Achieving
Freedom Colonies: Independent Black Texans in the Time of Jim Crow (Jack and Doris Smothers Series in Texas History, Life, and Culture) Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication Date: March 2005 Zora Neale Hurston Harlem Renaissance Novelist and Anthropologist Their Eyes Were Watching God Publisher: J. B. Lippincott & Co. Publication Date: Sept. 18, 1937 Shankleville Historic Marker 3.5 miles southwest of Burkeville via SH 63 west to FM 1415 S. Across from cemetery in Shankleville.
Clay at home with family photos.
preserving both the natural that goal in 2001, Clay travAya Symposium and the built environments. eled the state visiting comEducation: THE Foundation for Clay knew Shankleville munities where heritage tourCivil Rights in Texas Freedom had historic fabric; now ism is a recognized part of Colonies June 19 she began thinking about the economy. Many places Prairie View A&M University how she could preserve this were off the beaten path, like Prairie View, TX 77446 community and tell its story. Shankleville, which only fed ayasymposium.org That conference prompted her desire to bring people CPE credits available Clay to work on obtaining a there. for Texas educators National Register designa In 2005, Thad Sitton and tion for the Odom Family James H. Conrad authored TexasPurple Homestead; that designaFreedom Colonies: Independent Hull Pea Festival Saturday, June 29 tion was eventually awarded Black Texans in the Time of Jim Live music, walking tours, in 2012. Crow and coined the phrase food and games Additionally, Clay “freedom colonies.” After gained firsthand knowledge reading the book she realized VISIT SHANKLEVILLE of historic preservation as that there was a name for A historic freedom colony in Newton County, Texas a volunteer at the ZORA the community she grew up shankleville.org/txphpfest Festival in Eatonville, with: a freedom colony. Clay Florida. Eatonville is condescribes a freedom colony sidered the first African American city in as, “a settlement or a town, but basically a the U.S. and was the home of author place where African Americans owned their Zora Neale Hurston. The annual arts and land, had a church, school and cemetery. It 78
doesn’t have to be on the map, just a collective belief that it exists. The communities know what the boundaries are, but they can change.” That set in motion plans for developing the Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival and the Aya Symposium. The name of the festival comes from the purple hull peas grown all over East Texas. It’s also a tribute to Clay’s fond memories of planting, picking and shelling peas with her grandparents. The first festival and symposium were held in 2014 in Shankleville at the historic Addie L. and A.T. Odom Homestead. Clay’s mother and siblings plus local volun-
JOVELYN RODEN
LIVING HISTORY:
Named for Jim and Winnie Shankle, known as the first Newton County blacks to buy land and become local leaders after gaining freedom by emancipation. Both were born in slavery: Jim in 1811, Winnie in 1814. After Winnie and her three children were sold to a Texan, Jim ran away from his Mississippi owner. He traveled by night, foraged for food, swam streams (including the Mississippi River), walking out of sight the 400 miles to East Texas. At dusk one day he found Winnie beside her master’s spring. After slipping out food for several days, Winnie told her master, who arranged to buy Jim. The couple worked side by side, bringing up Winnie’s children and six of their own: Wash Rollins, Tobe Perkins, Mary McBride, George, Henry, Houston, John, Harriet (Odom) and B. M. (Lewis). In 1867, they began buying land, and with an associate, Steve McBride, eventually owned over 4,000 acres. In their neighborhood were prosperous farms, churches, a cotton gin, grist mills, sawmills, schools — including McBride College (1883-1909), built by Steve McBride. Jim and Winnie Shankle are buried in Jim Shankle Cemetery. A great-grandson, A.T. Odom, has been guardian of this heritage. Annual homecomings have been held since 1941.
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