Star of the Republic Museum is celebrating Black History in Texas with a yearlong exhibit that captures the spirit of 19th-century black Texans and the challenges they faced before, during and after the Civil War. While the first African Americans in Texas were free men and women seeking opportunity and advancement, the laws of the newly formed Republic of Texas forced them out and opened the door to thousands of enslaved people who served as the backbone of the labor force for almost 30 years. Finally gaining their freedom after the Civil War, they discovered their struggle was far from over. Artifacts on display include slave records, freedmen contracts and an oath of allegiance.