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- The history of African Americans in Austin dates back to 1839, when the first African American, Mahala Murchison, arrived. By the 1860s, several communities were established by freedmen that later became incorporated into the city proper. The relative share of Austin's African-American population has steadily declined since its peak in the late 20th century. During the Reconstruction Era, newly emancipated African American slaves began moving from rural areas into towns and cities to establish Freedmen's towns (also known as freedmantowns). Several such communities existed in Austin, including Clarksville, Wheatville, Masontown and Kicheonville. African Americans have pioneered public safety roles in Austin, including the hiring of the first African American firefighters in the state. African American police officers, rarely seen until the 1930s, were hired by the Austin Police Department since the early 1900s. Officers John Gaines and Tom Allen were the first 2 of 3 officers killed in the line of duty in the history of the agency. In 1968, Wilhelmina Ruth Delco became the first African American to be elected to public office in Austin. In 1972, Barbara Jordan, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, was elected to the Texas Senate as the first African American since the Reconstruction Era. Due to historic segregation, Jordan was unable to attend the University of Texas at Austin. Ironically, after retiring from a life of politics, Jordan went on to become an adjunct ethics professor at the university. There is now a statue honoring Jordan on the university campus and a boulevard named in her honor. Pflugerville has the largest percentage black population out of all suburban cities in the Austin metro. (en)
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