Charles Miles Memorial

The Charles Miles Memorial Scholarship supports students studying government at ACC. Charles Miles was born in Hearne, Texas as the youngest of eight children. He was in the first class of African-American students to attend the University of Texas as undergraduates and continued his education with a Master’s degree in Government from the University of North Texas in Denton. He remained in Austin and was politically active through his life, assisting in many campaigns.

He also ran for office himself a number of times, most memorably for Travis County Commissioner in 1976. Though unsuccessful, the race was an early effort by African-Americans to elect candidates in gerrymandered precincts and led to later successes. He helped co-found BVAP (the Black Voters Action Project), which sought to increase black involvement and influence in elections in Austin and central Texas. He also purchased and renewed the publication of the Capital City Argus in 1987, bringing back one of East Austin’s oldest newspapers.

In his later years, he was a professor for many years in the Government Department at ACC.