Browse Exhibits · Hidden Histories at the University of Texas at Austin

Against the Current: Alice Embree & Student Dissent at UT Austin, 1963-1967

This exhibit focuses on Alice Embree within the climate of student civil rights and anti-war activism at the University of Texas at Austin. The materials presented here illustrate how students used organizations like the Student Interracial Committee (SIC) and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to protest against segregation, American intervention in Vietnam, and the policies of the university.

Although students claimed that their protests were nonviolent, administrators and authorities frequently saw their efforts as disruptive or seditious. This exhibit will provide insight into how dissent led to conflicts between students and institutional power structures.

1960s, Alice Embree, Anti-war, Austin, Austin Police Department, Bert Gerding, Campus protest, Civil rights, Desegregation, FBI, Feminism, Social Justice, student activism, student dissent, Surveillance, Texas, university of texas at austin, university of texas police department, UT Austin, vietnam war protests

Unequal Ground: Policy and Resistance in Austin, Texas

When the government encodes racial inequality into law and urban space, it creates conditions that marginalized communities are forced to confront and whose effects continue to shape who has access to resources and care in the city today. In Austin, the racial segregation of neighborhoods and resources created environmental and social conditions that disadvantaged communities of color across the city.

1900s, 1928 plan, 20th Century, Activism, Advocacy, African American, Black American, City planning, Community engagement, Deaf education, Disability access, Environmental Activism, Environmental Justice, Environmental racism, Housing discrimination, Mexican American, PODER, Public health, Racial discrimination, Racial inequality, Racism, segregated education, Segregation, tank farms, Texas School for Blind Deaf and Dumb Colored Youths, Texas School of the Blind, visually impaired education, Zoning

Platforming Immigrant Voices in Texas Music

Whether through festivals, local venues, performance media, or self-advocacy, this exhibit examines the process by which Mexican-American Texan musicians strove to make their voices heard. These avenues of platforming lead the way for future generations of Tejano and folk musicians, whilst cementing these creators' voices among the culturally rich sounds that define Texas music.

20th Century, Festivals, Folk music, Identity, Immigrants, Musicians, Oscar Martinez, Performer, Platforming, Promotion, Tejano Music, Texas, Tish Hinojosa

Threads of Revolution: Latin@ Feminist Thought and Activism in the Americas

An exhibit that examines samples of Latin@ feminist thought and activism throughout the United States and Latin America, and its role in spearheading change.

19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, Art, Change, Feminism, Identity, Labor, Latin America, Latin@, Latina, Latino, Thought, United States

Architects of Society: Case Studies in Women's Contributions to Cultural Development

This exhibit examines the permanence of women's voices—how women used their platforms to reshape their cultural spheres and leave significant legacies.

From mothers passing down folklore by firelight, to a poet rewriting the rules of verse, to a magazine editor rebuilding her platform from the ground up, the women showcased in this exhibit contributed more than cultural narratives—they left behind legacies, sets of values, modes of expression, and models for the women who came after them.

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TO FULLY INHABIT A SPACE IS TO TRANSFORM IT.

No matter the medium—oral traditions, written poetry, fashion magazines—the works these women created and passed on were significant in redefining the world around them.

1800s, 1900s, 1920s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, 20th Century America, Clare Leighton, Cynthia Cooper, Fashion, Folklore, Grace Mirabella, Madeline Mason, Magazine, Oral Tradition, Poetry, Ut Folklore Center Archives, Women, Women's voices

Identifying “Home” in Disrupted Narratives

An exhibit that examines the concept of home as it relates to five varied populations and communities that have been forced to reconcile with an altered sense of belonging.

Credits:

Hamza Bouderdaben, Aidan Ellis, Caroline Henderson, An Le, Katie McGhee

1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, Identity, Political asylum, Politics, Refugee, Slavery, United States, Veterans, Vietnam, War

Generating Activism and Ideological Mobilization: Leftist Organization in Latino Communities from the 1930s to 1980s

This exhibit draws upon primary sources at the Benson and Briscoe Archives to analyze different leftist organizing and consciousness-raising strategies in Latino unions and communities across North and Latin America.

Credits:

Parker Aguilera, Alex Goralski, Ramiro de los Santos, and Sydney Thornborrow

1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Activism, Art, Austin, Chicano, Communism, Cuba, Labor, Latino, Mexican American, Socialism, Texas

Otherness in America

This exhibit draws from the cultures, histories, and perceived “otherness” of a diverse array of minorities and communities in the United States. Experience the power of presentation and storytelling through the eyes of Latinos, Indigenous individuals, and Jews by seeing how they interact with hegemonic institutions in America and greater society.

Credits: Cooper Shawl, Carson McNabb, Leona Mariel Hernandez, Lila Katz

1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Barbra Streisand, Folklore, Great Depression, Identity, Inca, Indigenous, Jewish, Latino, Literature, Otherness, Theatre, United States

Accessing Austin: Breaking Barriers In The Capitol City

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Defined by its transformation from a hamlet on the banks of the Colorado River to a global powerhouse, Austin is a city firmly planted in the cultural landscape of Texas, the United States, and the World. This exhibit explores the fight to gain this position and brings light to key players within those discussions.

Credits: Olivia Green, Casey Pack, Dylan Shears

1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Accessibility, Advocacy, African American, African American storytelling, Almetris Duren, Austin, Co-op, Dormitory, Feminism, Housing, Segregation, UT Austin, Women's Education, Women's Rights

Creating Spaces for Cultural Intersections Through Texas Fine Arts

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This exhibit will use archival findings from various University of Texas repositories to explore the evolution and intersections of fine arts in Texas, focusing on areas such as music, theater, and visual arts, and the organization and promotion of all of the above.

Browse Exhibits (31 total)