‘Everything’s going to pieces’: how a port took over a Black US neighborhood

Port Freeport in Texas has obtained 95% of property in East End as part of an extensive expansion - and many former residents are upset over being displaced

At age 97, Henry Jones is preparing to move out of the house he called home for more than 70 years, a modest dwelling he built in Freeport, Texas. The exterior is a cool, teal color; the interior walls are lined with family memorabilia and intricate wooden detail. This, he says, is where the best memories of his life have taken place.

The process of leaving, however, has made for some of the worst. Jones is one of the final residents of the city's East End, a historically Black neighborhood that became encircled by industry throughout the 20th century, much of it related to Port Freeport. Like many residents in the neighborhood, Jones's relationship to the port has evolved over time: when he was younger, he took shifts loading and unloading ships, work he says was hard but helped him provide for his growing family.