Southern Dallas Neighborhood Stories: Preserving the Undertold Histories of Communities of Color

FAIN: PY-263756-19

Bcworkshop (Dallas, TX 75201-5504)
Lizzie MacWillie (Project Director: May 2018 to present)

Three digitization days to collect family memorabilia and oral histories that explore how urban renewal and school desegregation impacted Dallas’s communities of color in specific neighborhoods, including historically African-American communities in former Freedmen’s Towns—Short North Dallas (now Uptown and Deep Ellum), Joppa, Elm Thicket (North Park), Little Egypt, Queen City, and Tenth Street, as well as historically Mexican-American communities like La Bajada, Los Altos, La Loma, and the former Little Mexico.  The materials would be used in subsequent exhibits and programs at three branches of the Dallas Public Library and be accompanied by a short film compiled from the oral histories recorded.  Panels discussing the historical significance of the exhibit items would include members from community groups, such as the African American Genealogical Interest Group and the Dallas Mexican-American Historical League.  With donor permission, the digitized materials would be made available for research at the Dallas Public Library by the Dallas History and Archives Division.

buildingcommunityWORKSHOP will partner with the Dallas Public Library to mount digitization events and exhibitions at three library branches in Dallas’s southern sector. Many neighborhoods in the southern sector face challenges such as blight, vacancy, and deterioration. Yet, these communities also possess rich cultural histories that often go untold in traditional narratives. During the mid-20th century, the city of Dallas experienced many changes in its built and cultural form; the design and planning decisions that underlied these changes often had disproportionate impacts on communities of color. These stories often are only preserved in the minds and personal artifacts of residents. Through this new digitization and oral history filming project, which will result in three exhibitions and three short films, residents and stakeholders alike will gain a greater understanding of how physical and cultural changes have left a legacy that is still evident in the inequities we see today.

Associated Products

West Dallas Neighborhood Stories (Exhibition)
Title: West Dallas Neighborhood Stories
Curator: Hafsa Ambreen
Abstract: The current narrative of Dallas and the archives available sorely lack information about the robust history of West Dallas and how it has grown and changed since it was annexed into the City of Dallas in 1954. This work aims to ensure that this area's history can be accessible to a larger audience and preserved for future generations. The items we have scanned included everything from birth and marriage certificates to an old photo of the Continental Bridge. Along with scanning, we filmed oral interviews about life in West Dallas, in one instance going as far back as the 1930s.
Year: 2019

Red Bird Community History Exhibit (Exhibition)
Title: Red Bird Community History Exhibit
Curator: Hafsa Ambreen
Abstract: The history of the Red Bird neighborhood in Dallas, TX is key to our understanding of how the city developed, yet this community is sorely underrepresented in the available public archives. Through historic photos, documents, and oral histories, this exhibit amplifies and celebrates this neighborhood and key site to Dallas's community history.
Year: 2020

South Dallas Digital Community History Exhibit (Exhibition)
Title: South Dallas Digital Community History Exhibit
Curator: Hafsa Ambreen
Abstract: The current narrative of Dallas and the archives available sorely lack information about the complex history of South Dallas and how it has grown and changed alongside the history of white Dallas. [bc]'s goal with this project, and in partnering with the Dallas Public Library, was to ensure that history can be accessible to a broader audience and preserved for future generations. [bc], over the period of several months, had the pleasure of working with community members from all over South Dallas to record their personal histories of the area. We began with one full day of archiving at the MLK Branch Library this past fall, which led to a few follow-up conversations with community members. We recognize that this project is a small piece of a process that takes years, even generations, to truly give justice to a neighborhood’s history.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: http://dallaslibrary2.org/blogs/bookedSolid/2020/06/south-dallas-community-history-exhibit/
Primary URL Description: South Dallas Community History Exhibit

Red Bird Digital Community History Exhibit (Exhibition)
Title: Red Bird Digital Community History Exhibit
Curator: Hafsa Ambreen
Abstract: Over the course of several months, [bc] had the pleasure of working with community members from the Dallas community of Red Bird to record their personal histories of the area. We began with one full day of archiving at the Polk-Wisdom Branch Library back in November, which led to follow-up interviews and one and one meetings with community members. This project is a small piece of a process that will take years, even generations of Dallasites, to truly give justice to the neighborhood’s robust history. With this small exhibition, we hope to encourage more people to record their personal history with the Library and help expand the collection!
Year: 2020
Primary URL: http://dallaslibrary2.org/blogs/bookedSolid/2020/12/red-bird-community-history-exhibit/
Primary URL Description: Red Bird Community History Exhibit

West Dallas Digital Community History Exhibit (Exhibition)
Title: West Dallas Digital Community History Exhibit
Curator: Hafsa Ambreen
Abstract: Over the course of several months, [bc] worked with community members from West Dallas to record their personal histories of the area. Each area project began with one full day of archiving at the local DPL Branch, in this case the Dallas West Branch Library. This led to multiple follow-up conversations and one and one meetings with community members. Our partnership with Dallas Mexican American Historical League (DMAHL) allowed us to record more than two dozen interviews, and scan dozens of photos and documents for the DPL public archives. The items we scanned included everything from birth and marriage certificates to an old photo of the Continental Bridge. This process allowed [bc] to record accounts of the neighborhood’s fight against the lead smelter plant, the history of and the fight to save the Bataan Center, the beginnings of the Ledbetter/Eagle Ford neighborhood, images of now demolished housing projects, and so much more.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: http://dallaslibrary2.org/blogs/bookedSolid/2021/01/west-dallas-community-history-exhibit/

Oral History Project Aims To Amplify Voices Of West Dallas Residents (Article)
Title: Oral History Project Aims To Amplify Voices Of West Dallas Residents
Author: Galilee Abdullah
Abstract: Overview of the work done in partnership with the underrepresented West Dallas community to document their community history, adding personal artifacts of key events and places to the Dallas Public Library.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.keranews.org/news/2019-09-18/oral-history-project-aims-to-amplify-voices-of-west-dallas-residents
Primary URL Description: Link to news article, "Oral History Project Aims To Amplify Voices Of West Dallas Residents"
Access Model: open
Format: Newspaper
Publisher: Kera News

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