CCL Hosts OPI Event During Aya Symposium
On June 6th, CCL staff, pilot project leaders, and grantees from the West and Gulf Coast regions gathered in Dallas for a special retreat focused on connection, learning, and place-based storytelling. The day included a powerful heritage bus tour led by Hidden History DFW, exploring historic Black neighborhoods, cultural landmarks, and freedom spaces across the city. Participants also engaged in a hands-on workshop on ethical storytelling and community care, facilitated by OPI Board Member Nedra Deadwyler. The retreat offered space to reflect on the significance of place, build relationships, and deepen our collective vision as preservationists.
The next day, outsider preservationists gathered in Dallas, Texas for the annual Aya Symposium. The Aya Symposium is the outgrowth of a symposium that was held in conjunction with the Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival located in the historic Freedom Colony of Shankleville in Deep East Texas. This year’s theme, “We’ve Come This Far by Faith,” explored the profound and enduring impact of religious beliefs and organizations in the creation and preservation of freedom communities—particularly those forged in the face of oppression and injustice. St. Paul United Methodist Church was the gracious host.
Check out the photos below for a glimpse into this meaningful weekend!
— Daniele Dixon, Project Associate
Photos by Andrea Roberts unless otherwise noted
OPI project leaders onboard and ready to explore during the Hidden History DFW tour — a powerful journey through Dallas’ Black cultural landmarks and freedom spaces. Along the way, participants connected Texas history to the stories of their own communities in California, Louisiana, Houston, Austin, and beyond, grounding their work in a shared legacy of Black placekeeping.
The Freedman’s Cemetery Memorial, home of one of the largest Freedman Cemeteries in the country, was one of the stops of the Hidden Histories DFW tour. This bronze statue, “Dream of Freedom,” sits at the center of the memorial park.
Photo by Daniele Dixon
Participants reflect and connect during a powerful workshop led by OPI Advisory Board Member Nedra Deadwyler. The session centered on ethical storytelling, community accountability, and the emotional labor of preservation work — offering space to name personal experiences, share wisdom, and explore how care and culture shape the stories we tell.
Dr. Lindsay Gary of Ṣawari Tours and Corhonda Corley of Kreating Opportunities of Inclusive Living and Supplication (KOILS Inc.) take part in a pair-and-share activity during the OPI retreat. The two engaged in a thoughtful exchange about their respective projects — exploring the intersections between cultural tourism, disability justice, and Black historic preservation — and discussed meaningful ways to support one another’s work moving forward.
Gloria Smith, longtime Texas Freedom Colonies Project supporter and founder of Dabney Hill Missionary Baptist Church Inc., listens during the workshop. A descendant preservationist and advocate, Gloria has worked tirelessly to uncover her roots and protect the legacy of Black settlements in Burleson County and beyond.
Aya Symposium founder and OPI Board Member Lareatha Clay welcomes attendees from the pulpit of St. Paul United Methodist Church
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