The PECAN Project (Preserving Essential Cultures and Narratives) is a cultural memory and reparative journalism initiative dedicated to preserving and uplifting the legacy of Black placemaking in East Texas.

Rooted in the histories of Texas Freedom Communities, PECAN works alongside Black trail riders, rural land stewards, elders, artists, journalists, researchers, and community members to document stories and knowledge that have too often been overlooked, erased, or extracted from the communities that created them.

Through multimedia storytelling, community workshops, exhibitions, research, and documentation, PECAN explores the connections between land, memory, culture, and power. The project examines how industries including railroads, lumber, oil, and gas have shaped and profited from the exploitation of land and Black labor, while creating space for communities to confront this history and imagine more equitable futures.

At the heart of PECAN’s work is a commitment to intergenerational memory and cultural resilience. By preserving community knowledge and amplifying the voices of people closest to these histories, PECAN helps ensure that Black East Texans can tell their own stories, steward their own histories, and shape the narratives that define their communities.

Support for PECAN makes it possible to continue this work through reporting, oral history and archival documentation, community engagement, creative programming, and public storytelling. Together, we can preserve essential cultures and narratives while building a future rooted in memory, dignity, self-determination, and collective liberation.