PFLUGERVILLE — Community advocates will march to Pflugerville City Hall on May 26 to urge the City Council to adopt a resolution preserving the historical significance of the Historic Colored Addition area. A coalition of community groups plans to gather at the Pflugerville Justice Center at 5:30 p.m., ahead of the 7 p.m. city council meeting.

"The Historic Colored Addition really is a sacred space in Pflugerville," MEASURE President Meme Styles said. "It's a complete block of land, and back in 1910, there was a gentleman named La Rue who sold off plots of land to Black Pflugervillians, who at that time could not purchase land anywhere else." Styles is working to secure a 'yes' vote from council members on the preservation resolution. "As soon as I saw that, I went to work. I said, 'Wait a minute. If we're building a road through it, then we need to make sure that the history is preserved and the history is front and center,'" she said. "But we don't want it just to be a second; we want it to actually be a lasting moment and a matter-of-fact a movement."

The Historic Colored Addition currently houses St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church and two cemeteries. Although a flooding mitigation system was recently installed, the area still lacks paved roads and sidewalks. Styles hopes the city’s Beautification Plan will incorporate preservation as it invests millions to address infrastructure gaps.

Councilmember Rudy Metayer expressed support for the resolution, saying, "I can understand the frustration from the people who live there because they look around and they say, 'Wait a minute. If we're seeing all this prosperity around Pflugerville, why isn't that happening here in our community?'" Metayer added, "I see no division. I see that everyone understands the importance of representing and respecting this history," and said he is confident the resolution will pass.

If approved, more than $375,000 will fund a study on improving the area while safeguarding its historical legacy.