Natearah Austin is a passionate advocate for historical preservation, dedicated to illuminating African American stories, places, and legacies in her hometown of Brenham/Washington County and beyond. After returning to Brenham in 2015, she quickly recognized the gaps in local African American historical representation and felt called to help restore visibility to the community that shaped her. This commitment led her to the Brenham Heritage Museum, where she has served on the Board of Directors since 2017 and founded the African American Content Committee—a working group committed to ensuring that African American history is meaningfully represented in the museum’s exhibits, narratives, and community programming. Under her collaborative leadership, the committee has forged partnerships with organizations such as the Texas Freedom Colonies Project, the Boys & Girls Club, and Texas Co-Op Power magazine, and played a vital role in the museum’s renovation and the reopening of the historic Post Office building.
Natearah’s work extends well beyond a single institution. She is active in the AR Pickard Reunion Association and the AYA (Freedom Colonies) Symposium Planning Board, and serves on the Out(sider) Preservation Advisory Board, supported by the Mellon Foundation. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, she contributes to the Cypress, Texas community through focused volunteer programs. Her collaborations on heritage tourism and public history projects—including the Camptown Soundwalk, Camptown Family Fun Day, Museums on Main Street, and the permanent Freedom Colonies exhibit in Downtown Brenham—are helping reshape how African American history is shared, experienced, and valued. She is also the founder of the Washington County Center for African American Culture & Heritage, an organization dedicated to preserving African American buildings, stories, and community history in the Brenham area.
Outside the preservation field, Natearah is an accomplished Quality & Operations leader with more than 20 years of experience transforming teams and processes across the energy, power generation, and software industries. A Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, she has led global teams in continuous improvement and business transformation initiatives. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and her Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
Natearah currently resides in Brenham, Texas, with her husband, Roland, and their three children. A proud descendant of the Gay Hill Freedom Colony, she is driven by the belief that preserving African American history strengthens communities, deepens understanding, and ensures that future generations see themselves reflected in the stories of the past.
