Houston playwright brings Third Ward to the world in virtual tour
From the pews of Riverside Church to the location where Houston’s Black Panther Party head member Carl Hampton was killed by police, ShaWanna Renee Rivon aims to bring the history of Third Ward to the world.
The award-winning Houston playwright partnered with Catastrophic Theatre to create a virtual tour of the historic neighborhood, focusing on eight locations that exude local Black history. Each location, pinned on an interactive map, is accompanied by a collection of historical facts, interviews and storytelling by artists, activists and community elders.
Rivon featured places she felt defined the city, including the location of Houston’s lunch counter sit-ins, the focal point for Houston’s push for desegregation; and Jack Yates High School, which was named after the Rev. John Henry Jack Yates, a formerly enslaved minister who led the efforts to purchase Emancipation Park — the first Black park in Texas. There’s also Eldorado Ballroom, a historical Black-owned live-music venue that once welcomed major acts such as Ray Charles and Etta James; the dedication site to the late Cleveland “The Flower Man” Turner, a beloved Third Ward resident known for his eclectic art and decorations; artist Brian Ellison’s studios; and the place where Hampton was assassinated as some say, by police, as described by former Black Panther Party member John “Bunchy” Crear.
Rivon, who has written nationally touring plays including “Marriage Material” starring actress Vivica A. Fox, said the project has been a labor of love — an effort to help people learn about both Third Ward’s past and present.
The 43-year-old native Houstonian attended the University of Houston and engaged in arts and community service in Third Ward. The community has informed her work, inspiring her to loosely base her storylines on events such as the lunch counter sit-in led by Texas Southern University students at Weingarten’s grocery store and the formation of the People’s Party II, a chapter of the Black Panthers.
It’s also made her protective and cautious about Third Ward preservation, particularly as gentrification threatens its original dynamic and flair, she said.
She’s witnessed events thrown in the community that have not invited or considered its residents. “So many people were taking out and not putting in,” she said. So Rivon wanted to add something.
“I wanted to make other people aware of how great Third Ward really is and how much Houston benefits from the different civil rights activities that took place,” she said. She wanted to show “why it’s important to keep Third Ward Third Ward, and not erase it.”
Rivon applied for a grant, envisioning on-site plays hosted throughout the community. The COVID-19 pandemic forced her to rethink that, and after deciding against a physical tour that would bus groups to the different locations, she settled on a virtual tour — a safe option accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
“I wanted something that would live on,” Rivon said. “And so, it became not so much about the places (or buildings) but getting the stories out.”
The filming process was educational for Rivon.
She learned and grappled with the legacy of Lynn Eusan, the University of Houston’s first Black homecoming queen and a Black Power student leader who co-founded Third Ward’s Shape Community Center; Eusan was murdered in 1971 after reportedly accepting a ride home from a stranger. (UH later established Lynn Eusan Park in her honor.) And Rivon was moved by how people in the community took interest, often stopping in their tracks to listen to the interviews, some honking their horns as they drove by.
The tour has been a success so far, with at least 300 check-ins on opening day. And though already launched, Rivon said the project is not over.
She and Catastrophic Theatre have plans to compile the tour into a full-length documentary. With all the messages she has received from community members hoping to share their stories, Rivon sees ample opportunity to expand with additional locations and history.
The more people with whom she can share the beauty of Third Ward, the better, she said.
You can take the virtual tour by visiting her website at virtual3wardtour.com.