Black Texans, Inc.

THE STORY BEHIND THE GLORY:  How a Deck of Playing Cards Was Used to Pen  Rock of Ages.  By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.” Sometimes God uses the most unexpected moments to teach us a lesson. This morning on the New Mount Rose Prayer Line, I mentioned that we would be hosting a funeral service at the church on Saturday. One of the ministers asked the name of the family. I did not have that information readily available, but I did remember that the funeral directors were Rock of Ages Funeral Directors . That one statement sparked something unexpected. Before he prayed, Rev. Eugene Thompson began singing: “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.” Almost immediately, others on the prayer line began humming along. The melody was familiar. The words touched our hearts. Yet most of us realized that while we knew the opening line, we did not know the rest of the hymn. After the prayer concluded, the singing co...

  DIGGING FOR DIGNITY:  One Year Later: The Stories That Define People’s Memorial Legacy Park in Haltom City, Texas.  By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. Curator, Digging for Dignity Legacy Project “Mother Frances Fretwell understood something profound: a people who preserve their history preserve their humanity.” Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilUnXZTwCww   — Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. A year ago, I set out to find one hero. Instead, I found thousands. On July 28, 2025, my colleague, Ms. Christina Drummond, and I began searching for the gravesite of Florence Marie Cole Rawls , a member of the legendary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion , better known as the Six Triple Eight ( https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-forgotten-leaves-at-new-trinity.html ). The women of the Six Triple Eight were the only all-Black, all-female battalion deployed overseas during World War II. Decades after their service, they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal f...