About Us
About Riverside Civic Association
RCA organizes neighbors, advocates for quality of life, supports neighborhood preservation, and celebrates the families and institutions that make Riverside Terrace a historic Houston community.
Mission
RCA brings residents together to protect quality of life, strengthen civic engagement, preserve neighborhood character, and celebrate the people and history of Riverside Terrace.
What We Believe
Residents deserve clean, safe, peaceful blocks.
Neighborhood growth should respect existing families and community character.
Civic power comes from organized residents.
Riverside Terrace history should be protected and celebrated.
Families, elders, homeowners, renters, businesses, churches, and schools all have a role in the community's future.
Who We Serve
RCA serves the Riverside Terrace community and surrounding RCA boundary areas. We work for and on behalf of homeowners, renters, families, elders, local businesses, churches, schools, and neighborhood supporters.
RCA Boundary
Riverside Civic Association sits in south-central Houston, bounded by North MacGregor Way along Brays Bayou, Highway 288, Blodgett St, and Columbia Tap Trail.
Board & Leadership
RCA leadership is elected annually by members in good standing. The rules governing elections, officer roles, and member rights are in the RCA bylaws (2024, PDF).
President
Rayven Moore
Vice President
Sabrina Dean-Bass
Secretary
Sharon Evans-Brooks
Treasurer
Phyllis Moss
Membership Chair
Jamila Glover-Hurd
Parliamentarian
Joy Sewing
How RCA works
The rules below come from the association’s adopted bylaws. Anything not covered here is in the full document.
- Officer terms
- Officers serve a one-year term and are elected by the members at the annual November meeting.
- Bylaws, Art. IV §2
- Running for the board
- Apply to the board by email or letter at least 30 days before the November meeting. Candidates must live inside the RCA boundary and be current on dues.
- Bylaws, Art. III §9
- How the vote works
- One ballot per member household. Winners are decided by the highest number of votes, a tie goes to an immediate run-off, and proxy voting is not allowed.
- Bylaws, Art. III §9–11
- Standing committees
- Beautification, Programs & Events, Safety/Crime, and Community Outreach. All committees report to the Vice President.
- Bylaws, Art. IV §7
- Meeting schedule
- General membership meetings are bi-monthly on the second Thursday, paused June through August. The annual meeting is held in November.
- Bylaws, Art. III §2–3
- Dues
- $50 per household, $25 for a senior household (age 65 and over). Renewals are due at the January meeting.
- Bylaws, Art. II §2
History of Riverside Terrace
Riverside Terrace is one of Houston's historic communities — known for its architecture, families, churches, schools, and civic life. RCA exists to protect that legacy and carry it forward.
Originally developed in the 1930s as a whites-only subdivision, Riverside Terrace was transformed in the late 1950s and 1960s when prominent Black families — including doctors, lawyers, educators, and business owners — began purchasing homes in the area, making it one of Houston's first neighborhoods to integrate. By the 1970s, Riverside Terrace had become a center of Black professional life in Houston, known for its stately mid-century homes, tree-lined streets, and deep community ties. Generations of families have raised children, built institutions, and invested in the neighborhood's future here.
How to Get Involved
- Become an RCA member.
- Attend the next general meeting.
- Volunteer for a committee.
- Submit a Riverside story.
- Share RCA with a neighbor.