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Beyond the Report is an anthology series designed to take a deep look at issues surrounding the Lubbock community.

Stories From "The Flats"

Photo courtesy of Mary Ann Lawson

In 1923, the city of Lubbock established an ordinance confining African Americans to an eastern area of the city. Out of that confinement grew a tight-knit community of educators, innovators and leaders. In this episode we explore an area known as "the flats," one of the first Black communities within Lubbock. We hear the stories of the leaders who came from "the flats." As current leadership pushes the community forward, they reflect on aspects of the past that helped East Lubbock flourish, that need restoration and preservation.

Kaysie Ellingson is the former news director for Texas Tech Public Media. She came to Lubbock after living in Anchorage, Alaska, working as a documentary producer for Alaska Public Media. Prior to working in public media, Kaysie earned her master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in documentary production.
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  • S2P3: With little opportunity for African American pharmacists at the height of Jim Crowe, Alfred and Billie Caviel eventually found it in the flat, dusty town of Lubbock. In the 60s, when Lubbock was segregated, the Caviels opened a successful pharmacy that eventually became a celebration of Black history in the city. As one Lubbock local points out, it’s important to remember the roots of Black history exist in Lubbock’s own community and were planted by trailblazers like the Caviels.