Feb 18 2025 45 mins
In honor of Black History Month, Education Director Aimee Bachari will be discussing race and labor on the Houston Ship Channel with Jason Theriot. Jason is an independent professional historian and consultant based in Houston, TX who specializes in historical research and writing services, focusing on energy, environment, business, and culture along the Gulf Coast.
Jason and Aimee both received their graduate degrees at the University of Houston and worked for with the Center for Public History's Houston History Project, which has an oral history program, publishes the Houston History magazine, and maintains an archive in the university's library where the oral histories are preserved.
Jason conducted a series of oral histories on the Port of Houston back in 2006 for the Houston History Project and interviewed individuals with a long history of working at the Port of Houston and on the Ship Channel. They worked as port captains, ship pilots, commissioners, and longshoremen.
After hearing from Jason, you'll hear segments of his oral history with Charles Mills, who spent fifty years in the maritime industry. Originally from Galveston, Texas, he joined the U.S. Merchant Marine in the late 1930s, served in an integrated unit, and sailed for Lykes Brothers Shipping. The Merchant Marines primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime, but in times of war, they serve as auxiliary to the U.S. Navy. At this time, all branches of the U.S. military were segregated. On July 26, 1948, when President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 mandating the desegregation of the U.S. military.
Learn more about Jason's work at https://jasontheriot.com/ and find more information on his Oral History of the Port of Houston at https://jasontheriot.com/oral-history-of-the-port-of-houston/.
Find the Houston History Magazine's issue on the 100 year anniversary of the Houston Ship Channel at https://houstonhistorymagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/vol-12-no-1-port-final.pdf.
Check out the Center for Public History at the University of Houston at https://uh.edu/class/ctr-public-history/.
Learn more about the Steamship Historical Society at https://shiphistory.org/.