Jack Yates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Yates
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| Born |
John Henry Yates
July 11, 1828 |
| Died | December 22, 1897 (aged 69) Houston, Texas
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Known for | Antioch Baptist Church, Houston Emancipation Park, Houston |
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Notable work
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Jack Yates House (Sam Houston Park, Houston) |
John Henry "Jack" Yates (born July 11, 1828 – died December 22, 1897) was an important American leader. He was born into slavery in Gloucester County, Virginia. Even though he was enslaved, he learned to read when he was young.
Yates married Harriet Willis, who was also enslaved. To stay with his family, he chose to be enslaved again when Harriet's owner moved to Texas. After they gained freedom in 1865, his family moved to Houston. There, Jack Yates became a minister and helped build a strong community. He helped start the first Black Baptist church in Houston, called Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. He also helped create Booker T. Washington High School and Emancipation Park. His original home in Houston, the Jack Yates House, is now a museum.
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Jack Yates's Early Life
Jack Yates was born on July 11, 1828. His parents, Robert and Rachel Yates, were both enslaved. When his mother took care of the owner's child, that child taught Jack to read.
Jack would hide books and read them secretly at night. He also went to religious meetings held by enslaved people. Jack learned about money during business trips with his owner. This knowledge later helped him buy his own freedom. He met Harriet Willis and they got married. She was enslaved on a nearby farm.
Moving to Texas
In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. This law said that many enslaved people were free. To avoid this, Harriet's owner moved his farm to Matagorda County, Texas. Jack Yates was a free man at this time. But he chose to become enslaved again. He did this so he would not be separated from his wife and three children.
In 1865, Jack and his family were in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, General Gordon Granger announced that all enslaved people in Texas were free. This day is now known as Juneteenth. Yates and his family chose to leave their former owners and start a new life.
Freedom in Houston
After gaining their freedom, the Yates family moved to Houston. Jack Yates became a drayman, which meant he drove a cart for deliveries. He was one of the first Black freedmen in Houston. He helped create Freedman's Town, which is now called the Fourth Ward.
In 1869, Jack Yates bought land on Andrews Street. He built the first two-story house in the Black community of Houston.
Jack Yates as a Minister
Jack Yates preached to the community in the evenings and on weekends. He also traveled up to 100 miles on horseback to preach to Black communities. Missionaries noticed his ability to read, teach, and preach.
In 1866, a group of freedmen built a church. This church became the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. It was Houston's first Black Baptist church. In 1868, Yates became the first full-time preacher there. He taught people about managing money, reading, carpentry, and other useful skills.
Yates also helped start Houston Academy around 1885. This school is now known as Booker T. Washington High School. In 1891, he left Antioch to start another church, the Bethel Baptist Church.
Emancipation Park
In 1872, while Yates was still at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, the church worked with another church to buy ten acres of land. They wanted to create a place for the Black community to celebrate Juneteenth.
This land became Emancipation Park. It was the first public park in Texas. It is located on what is now Emancipation Avenue.
Later Life and Legacy
After his first wife, Harriet, passed away, Jack Yates married Annie Freeman in 1888. They had one child together. Jack Yates died on December 22, 1897. He was first buried at Olivewood Cemetery, but later moved to College Park Cemetery.
To honor his memory, Yates High School in Houston was named after him in 1926.
The Jack Yates House
In 1994, Jack Yates's home was moved from Andrews Street to Sam Houston Park in Houston. It was restored to look like it did in the 1870s. Yates's granddaughter, Martha Whiting, gave the house to Houston's Heritage Society. The Jack Yates House opened to the public in December 1996.
See also
