DALLAS — With Broadway Dallas’ new public exhibition on display, the nonprofit organization takes a trip down memory lane of South Dallas’ complicated history. ‘South Dallas Stories: Fair Park Uprooted’ debuted at Fair Park this month, cataloging the lives of South Dallas’ own with a mission to highlight the community's evolution.
What You Need To Know
- On the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s visit to the Music Hall at Fair Park, Broadway Dallas unveiled a public exhibition
- "South Dallas Stories: Fair Park Uprooted" takes a look at the community's historic past chronicling the lives of residents and features historical artifacts plus memorabilia
- Visitors can tour the exhibit at the Music Hall Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re very pleased with the fact that this exhibit will be here for everybody coming to see our shows at the Music Hall,” said Ken Novice, president of Broadway Dallas.
"South Dallas Stories: Fair Park Uprooted" aims to expose the racism that played a factor in the development of Fair Park and the South Dallas neighborhood through “truth-telling and narrative change.” The exhibition, underwritten by The Addy Foundation, welcomes visitors as they enter the front lobby of the Music Hall.
Fair Park and South Dallas’ history includes the dislocation of the community by either eminent domain or buyouts to make way for more public parking at the State Fair of Texas. Lines of homes once stood where the parking lots of the fair now sit. It wasn’t until the 60s that the fair ended segregation and Black families could attend on any day. Prior to that, Negro Achievement Day remained the only day to attend the widely popular event that drew African Americans from all over the state of Texas.
Decades of systemic racism are discussed in the exhibition in various forms, according to officials. Every six months, elements of the exhibition, unveiled 60 years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Music Hall, will rotate for guests to view, including historical artifacts and memorabilia.
“As members of this community, we feel that it is important to acknowledge the past and honor our neighbors in a meaningful way,” Novice told Broadway World in an interview. “This exhibition is a vital component of Broadway Dallas’ racial equity journey and we are proud to use our platform to create this learning experience for all who visit the Music Hall. I’d like to thank and celebrate the many community members who participated with us in creating the Uprooted installation.”
Both born and raised in South Dallas, current residents Lucy Cain and James Williams have endless stories to tell about their own lives and the families living in the area. Growing up in the majority Black neighborhood, each recalls a time when the residents owned their homes and flourished in the once-thriving community. Decades later, South Dallas still holds a special place in their heart, which the installation captures by sharing their stories.
“What makes me proud to be from South Dallas — it’s my roots,” said Williams in the documentary “South Dallas Stories: Fair Park Uprooted.” “It’s my upbringing. It’s where my morals, principles, values, and integrity was formulated and instilled.”
As for Cain, her family has lived in the area for at least 80 years, and her residence there continues the tradition. Describing the convenience of living in South Dallas, she notes DART’s bus and train service as one reason she enjoys it.
“I’m proud to be from South Dallas, because South Dallas to me is one of the richest areas in Dallas and it’s being shown now because every day you cannot do anything without getting a call, ‘are you interested in selling your property, are you interested in selling your property.’ So, it’s nice. It’s 18 blocks from downtown. I can get anywhere in 20 minutes and that’s the one thing that I like.”
Visitors can view the free exhibition Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, visit Broadway Dallas.
