Holly Adrienne Hogrobrooks, a former professor of journalism at Texas Southern University and a civil rights pioneer in Houston, died on January 22 after a long illness. She was 75 years old.
As a student at Texas Southern University in 1960, Hogrobrooks was one of the leaders of a student movement that staged the first lunchcounter sit-in Houston. She continued to be a leading civil rights advocate in the city for the next several years. In 1961, she met Freedom Riders who arrived at Union Station in Houston. Hogrobrooks and other Texas Southern University students joined the Freedom Riders in a sit-in at the station’s restaurant. The protesters were arrested and thrown in jail.
Professor Hogrobrooks retired from the faculty at Texas Southern University in 2000.
Holly was my neighbor when I was a child, her daughter Heather, along with my sister Ronardo were really good friends, when I left town I lost contact. I wish we would have stayed in touch, but being a kid I didn’t think like that. I had wonderful times with her, her husband Joe and Heather. Rest In Heaven!