Beatrice Clabon & Curtis Mayes

Beatrice Clabon & Curtis Mayes

Beatrice Mayes Clabon and her brother Curtis Mayes are long standing residents of Texas City. As with all African American families at this time, they lived south of Texas Avenue. Clabon is the oldest of seven children and was the only girl until the family fostered her close friend, Katherine Nelson. Clabon and Mayes tell how in 1937 their grandfather, Richard Mayes, sold the family property in Sealy, Texas and moved to Texas City for the chance of finding better jobs, with most of the extended family migrating along with him. Both Clabon and Mayes talk about their love of Booker T. Washington School, their admiration for their teachers and school administrators, and the quality education they received under their tutelage. Always attending Barbour’s Chapel church, Clabon and Mayes talk about the deep influence the churches and different pastors had on them and their community. They describe a very close community where “Everybody was everybody’s family”. Mayes describes the damage done by Hurricane Carla and the subsequent flooding experienced by the city. Both Clabon and Mayes talk about Dr. Twidwell, a highly respected local doctor that made house calls in the Black community. Clabon and Mayes talk about Johnnie Henderson, a well-known crusader for civil rights within the community. Mayes goes on to say that his class was the last graduating class at Booker T. Washington School before forced integration took place. Mayes talks about coming back from the Vietnam War and the hatred people had for both Black and white soldiers. They also talk about Charles Brown and how they could sit on their porch and listen to him play the piano, not knowing he would become a musical legend one day.

2022-03-01

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Theresa Mayfield

Beatrice Mayes Clabon

Curtis Mayes