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On Friday November 19, in the year of our Lord 2021 Samuel Austin Carter Evans made history. For the first time, in America, a statue of a black founder was unveiled on a major white university campus. All due to the brilliant efforts of young Samuel Austin Evans; an Eagle Scout, Posse and Gates Millennium Scholar, who is completing a Master’s degree at TAMU before taking a doctorate and JD
Samuel Austin Evans stands in front of the newly unveiled statue of Matthew Gaines, ex-slave and founder of Texas A&M University
Five years ago, Austin was elected to the Texas A&M University Student Senate, which, essentially, runs the university on behalf of 65000 students. As a Senator Austin studied how bills are written and passed into law. He then created a bill to erect a statue of one Matthew Gaines, a black ex-slave who, from 1870 to 1873 served in the Texas State Legislature. Gaines single handedly authored a bill to create a land grant college for ex-slaves, to be called Texas A&M College and, Gaines pushed the bill through the Texas State Senate. However, through less-than-honorable means, Gaines was expelled from the Senate before the grant was approved. As a result, Texas A&M was changed from a black institution to a white only university.
The legacy of Matthew Gaines languished in the back waters of history until Austin decided it was time to recognize the man whose efforts founded TAMU.
This statue represents the first time a white institution acknowledges what essentially is its black roots. Kudos to Austin Evans and to all young black men, and women, who are stepping up and making a difference.
