Around midnight on Aug. 13, 1906, an assault on the city of Brownsville, Texas, was carried out by an unknown party of men. The townspeople were quick to identify the culprits from the 25th United States Infantry, an all-black unit. The Museum of South Texas History, a museum chronicling the heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, welcomes Dr. Joseph Chance to present “The Brownsville Raid of 1906,” an examination of the timeline and political climate of the era, on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m.

Dr. Joseph Chance during a Sunday Speaker Series presentation at MOSTHistory in 2017.

The incident had been largely swept under the rug by historians until the 1992 publication, The Brownsville Raid, by John D. Weaver (Texas A&M Press, 1992).  This carefully documented account of the raid supplied the facts in the case that enabled Dr. Chance to construct a scenario that not only ensured the innocence of the black troops but to point the finger of guilt at other parties. How anyone at that time could have arrived at any other conclusion related to the guilt of the black troops is the only mystery that remains of this incident.

Chance is an author of several published books on history, newspaper columns and essays. A fifth generation Texan, Chance was raised in Austin before making the Rio Grande Valley his home. Currently, he is a retired professor residing in Edinburg with his wife.

Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of the Museum are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship.

This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.

About Museum of South Texas History
The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Hours of operation are from 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown over the decades through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. In 2003 following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook, follow on Twitter, find on Google+ or call +1-956-383-6911.

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