Underground in H-Town is an exhibition that highlights the importance of minority and alternative publications in the construct of local history. The exhibition will present examples of the alternative press from the second half of the twentieth century, with a special focus on the 1960s and 1970s, due to the particularly volatile nature of the times. In addition to increased activism, this time also corresponds to a period in printing history when offset printing becomes more financially feasible for minority communities. Xerography or photocopying also makes printing more accessible during this time, for a broad range of smaller communities.

Alternative publications presented in the exhibition include: Forward Times and Voice of Hope, Space City!, Texas Observer, The Jewish Herald Voice, El Papel Chicano, El Sol De Houston, among others. Communities represented include the African American, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, Gay/Lesbian. Documents will be borrowed from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC), participating alternative publications, and from private collections.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.