Colored Carnegie with Urban Souls Dance Company

ExxonMobil Discovery Series

Fine Arts, Social Studies, ELAR

TEKS: §113.16: 5.4(E), 5.5(A), 5.9(A); §110.7: 5.6(A), 5.9(A); §117.119: 5.2(A), 5.3(A); §115.7: 5.5(D)

Colored Carnegie is a powerful dance-theatre work inspired by Black Houston, conceived and directed by Harrison Guy, commissioned by Performing Arts Houston that premiered in November 2021. Choreographed by Guy in collaboration with dancers from Urban Souls Dance Company, with original music by Dr. John Cornelius and set design by Edgar Guajardo, the work reimagines the story of the Houston Colored Carnegie Library in the Fourth Ward.

The production traces its roots to 1907, when Black educators were denied access to Houston’s public library, despite Black residents comprising nearly 40% of the city. In response, community leaders organized, first opening a one-room library before successfully securing a separate grant from Andrew Carnegie. The Colored Carnegie Library opened in 1913 as one of the first public libraries for African Americans in the Southwest. Through movement and music, the piece honors Black resilience, intellectual agency, and the enduring power of self-determined community action.

Learn More about the Hobby Center’s educational programming and future opportunities for Houston school districts.

This project is supported in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 2026 BIG grant.