Our Own Hands Temporary Exhibit

Published February 9, 2026

Brenham, Texas – Our Own Hands: Early Black Businesses that Shaped Our Community, a temporary exhibit, will be on view throughout the month of February in the Blue Bell Gallery at the Brenham Heritage Museum. The exhibit honors early Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs whose work helped shape the economic and cultural landscape of Washington County.

In a rural setting where opportunities were often limited, Black community members relied on creativity, skill, and determination to build livelihoods for themselves and their families. Through historic photographs, artifacts, and personal stories, Our Own Hands explores how entrepreneurship and ingenuity took hold, revealing an often-undertold history rooted in resilience, self-reliance, and strong community networks. These businesses were more than places of commerce; they were centers of connection, pride, and identity.

The Brenham Heritage Museum has a longstanding commitment to presenting Black history through rotating exhibits developed with the assistance of the museum’s African American Content Committee. Working closely with Washington County residents, the committee helps source artifacts, photographs, and oral histories to ensure these community stories are preserved and shared through meaningful, community-centered interpretation. “Our Own Hands reflects the strength, determination, and ingenuity of Black entrepreneurs who built opportunity where little existed,” said Ciera Harris, Interim Executive Director of the Brenham Heritage Museum. “By working directly with community members to share these stories, we are ensuring that local history is told authentically and preserved for future generations.”

In conjunction with Our Own Hands, the museum will debut two new permanent interpretive kiosks examining the history of slavery and the Reconstruction era. The kiosks will be unveiled during the museum’s grand opening event on February 27 at 4:00 p.m. That evening, from 6:00–7:00 p.m., esteemed subject-matter scholar Dr. John Lundberg of Tarrant County College will present a public program exploring these topics and their lasting historical impact.

The Brenham Heritage Museum is located at 105 South Market Street, Brenham, TX 77833. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Additional details about Dr. Lundberg’s presentation and related programming are available at www.bhmtexas.org. Sponsorship opportunities remain available for guest speakers as part of the Dr. Wilfred Dietrich Speaker Series.