Texas Storyscapes is a digital community archive and oral history initiative that documents and preserves the stories of people and communities across Texas.
As a state of over 28 million people, Texas is a multicultural, multiethnic, and multireligious mosaic. Yet, this diversity is often ignored in larger narratives of Texas and by its halls of power. Texas Storyscapes centers the stories of people left out of conventional or dominant narratives of Texas: those who are underrepresented, marginalized, or systemically overlooked in the media, political discourse, and civic conversations.
Texas Storyscapes democratizes the historical record by creating a space where Texans can tell, share, and preserve their narratives on their own terms. This is a vital means of recognition, representation, and making claims for belonging in the larger Texas public sphere. Because it is an independent archive, Texas Storyscapes documents a richer, more expansive narrative of a multicultural, multireligious Texas through the memories and perspectives of its people.Texas Storyscapes is the story of Texas, by Texans and for Texans.
This initiative began in 2019 as “Religions Texas,” and while we continue to explore religious identities and communities, we’ve learned that the identities and lived experiences of contemporary Texans needed a more expansive framing. Rebranding as “Texas Storyscapes” allows us to broaden the scope of our archive and storytelling activities and amplify more voices. This digital community archive and oral history initiative remains a space for gathering, sharing, and preserving stories that can empower, transform, and voice a more expansive story of Texas.
Texas Storyscapes is an initiative of the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life. This project has been made possible by support from the Henry Luce Foundation, the Summerlee Foundation, and the American Academy of Religion.
