Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, founded by ABC13's Melanie Lawson's father, Reverend William A. Lawson, has continued to be a staple in the community, but the places and buildings in their names continue to grow from the Audrey H. Lawson Middle School to the Melanie Lawson conference room at ABC13.
"When I walk in here, I just sense the history, the culture, and I can just feel the impact that Miss Lawson has left," Khalil Brown, a student at Lawson Middle School, said.
Students at the fine arts magnet school, also known as LMS, said the legacy has impacted them.
"You get to come to a school where you see that people are passionate about this month," Lawson Middle School student Cordae Dixon said. "Not only that, but they're passionate about us black and browns getting education that we really didn't receive back in the day."
The impact is beyond the halls and walls, but also in the minds of young girls who get the privilege to continue their education at a school where the namesake means something for them beyond the classroom.
"I've seen this African American woman being named after school," student Carsyn Daniels said. "It shows that me as an African American woman, I can do so much more, so much greatness."
Daniels is not alone.
"It really inspired me to understand that just because I'm a black woman, black girl in America, like I don't have to sit down, I don't have to stay quiet, I can use my voice, say anything I want to do," student Madison Woods said.
Woods - an 8th grader on the cheer team - said she wanted to learn about the influence Audrey Lawson had throughout the city of Houston.
"I found out that she used to work in an orphanage when she first moved to Houston," Woods said. "I learned that she won an NAACP award. And I learned that she was a civil rights activist for education, for all, and like just civil rights in general."
Assistant Principal William Tucker said that at LMS, they continue to push the vision of high-quality education to current, former, and prospective students.
"We let them know that you're not just coming to a building with four walls, you're coming to a bit of four walls that has a long-standing history behind it," Tucker said. "And this name means something. When you go out to the community, and you say, I'm at Audrey Lawson's middle school, that means something."
Audrey Lawson's true namesake, ABC13's Melanie Lawson, said that the namesake means a lot to her as well.
"Kids always think the name up on the wall has to be, you know, some old dude that died a long time ago. So, I think for them it's interesting that it was a black woman and not somebody else," former ABC13 Anchor Melanie Lawson said. "And a black woman who wasn't a huge benefactor, who wasn't wealthy and just gave money to organizations because it was cool."
Melanie said her mother - the educator, social activist, and arts lover - continues to play a role in her life, as the leader she was.
"But the thing about it is, my mom was always the power behind the throne. People think that the wife just sort of stands by and nods when it's appropriate. But that was not my mother. She was a force in and of herself," Melanie said.
Melanie is also following in her family's footsteps - a force herself, as ABC13 General Manager Mike Carr announced our conference room is now renamed in honor of Melanie.
"I had absolutely no idea. I was completely floored when our boss announced it," Melanie said.
While Melanie retired less than a month ago, the renaming of the conference room is still helping her be a part of our newsroom.
"That was amazing! That was amazing to have a conference room where I argued so many years to actually be named after you, so that was incredible," Melanie said.
From interviewing former presidents, traveling around the world to tell stories, and what is now called "Melanie Journalism," the history continues at ABC13.
Melanie's unwavering tenacity and determination - paving the way for the untold stories of people of color across the city of Houston.
"I get emotional looking at you guys. I really do," Melanie said. "And I think, you know, it was all worth it. All those arguments were worth it, and especially when I look back now, and I think to myself as they rolled some of the old stories, I think 'oh, that was a battle,' but now here it is, and now they're actually emphasizing it."
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