Keri Mitchell has spent 20+ years as a community journalist, including 15 years dedicated to community and civic journalism at Dallas’ Advocate magazines. She launched Dallas Free Press in early 2020 with the belief that all neighborhoods deserve reporting and storytelling that values their community and holds leaders accountable.
Mitchell says she is energized by “knowing our work is making an impact — listening to people, telling their stories with strong narratives paired with compelling data that leads to change. I also love spending time in our neighborhoods and with our neighbors, learning from them and working to determine how journalism can be part of the solution to their challenges.”
Mitchell is proud to be the winner of multiple awards during her journalism career including: Finalist in Magazine Feature Reporting (2018) and Finalist in Magazine Investigative Reporting (2017) from Hugh Aynesworth Excellence in Journalism, Best Feature Story (2011) from Texas Community Newspaper Association and Best Magazine Feature (2011) from Dallas Bar Association Philbin Awards.
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Languages Spoken:
English
Areas of Expertise:
local government, education, civic issues, investigative and enterprise reporting
Location Expertise:
Dallas, Texas
Official Title:
Founder + executive director
Email Address:
keri@dallasfreepress.com
Twitter Profile:
thequotablelife
Linkedin Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-mitchell/
This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]
The City of Dallas is offering free passes to local venues for 13- to 17-year-olds and their parents to pick up at their neighborhood rec center, with some passes expiring soon and others lasting until the start of the school year.
The Park South YMCA in South Dallas has reopened after a $15 million reconstruction, and the Dallas Housing Authority has broken ground on a new $96.7 million housing project for seniors in Bonton.
Janie Cisneros is suing the City of Dallas for denying her the right to apply for a public hearing to close the GAF shingles plant next to her neighborhood, citing the City's discretionary decision to suspend her right to apply and the City's recent amendment to delete this right from residents and property owners.
On July 8 and 9, South Dallas neighbors will have the opportunity to weigh in on two proposals: DART's proposed elimination of the South Dallas GoLink zone and Winners Tower's proposed 25-story hotel, condominium, and office tower.
Fair Park is set for a "total reset" as the City of Dallas will resume operations and create a new nonprofit to care for the community park, following the termination of the flawed contract with Fair Park First and Oak View Group.
The City of Dallas has terminated the contract of Fair Park First, a nonprofit overseeing the 277-acre Fair Park, and plans to create a new nonprofit to care for the community park and work with donors and partners.
Dallas Free Press is seeking a visual journalist to join their team to capture the beauty and assets of the West Dallas and South Dallas communities.
Laura Cadena won the Dallas City Council District 6 race with 50.43% of the vote, despite a recount requested by the second-place finisher, while Byron Sanders won the Dallas ISD District 5 trustee race with 65% of the vote, both with low voter turnout.
Incumbent Council Member Adam Bazaldua won the election for District 7 in South Dallas, receiving nearly 57% of the votes and avoiding a runoff, despite low voter turnout.
Eva Jones is leading an effort to have the City of Dallas designate her Queen City neighborhood as a historical district, which would help preserve the area's history and stabilize property values, though it could also make it more difficult for current homeowners to repair or sell their homes.
This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]
South Dallas residents can cast their ballots today to elect a new District 7 city councilmember, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a valid photo ID required.
Only 395 people have voted early in West Dallas — out of more than 17,000 registered voters. With low turnout deciding local elections, your vote carries serious power. Here's what candidates know (and don’t) about who’s voting — and how to make your voice count.
In the upcoming Dallas City Council and school board elections, voter information is publicly available, but the actual votes cast are not, making each vote a powerful power play.
The Dallas Free Press has released a Voter Guide to help residents prepare for the May 3rd election, including information on registration, polling locations, candidates, and early voting.
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
Leading up to the May 3 election, Dallas Free Press […]
The Dallas Free Press Voter Guide is available to help Dallas County residents prepare for the May 3rd election, providing information on registration, polling locations, candidates, and early voting locations.
A STEAM nonprofit for school-aged children and a metal salvage facility on Singleton are asking the City for zoning changes in West Dallas.
Builders of Hope and Wesley-Rankin Community Center have launched a property tax assistance program to help West Dallas families stay in their homes, and have provided $102,454.93 to cover tax increases since 2020.
Fair Park First has announced a new $8.65 million federal investment to replace acres of concrete parking lots in Fair Park with a 10-acre community park, which will include a 1-acre playspace and 325 parking spaces, and is set to be completed by late 2026.
Fair Park First has announced an $8.65 million federal investment for the 10-acre community park, which will replace a portion of the parking lots in Fair Park, and has pledged to include amenities such as a 1-acre playspace and a historical marker, while also providing easy access to the surrounding neighborhoods.
The award is named for the late West Dallas leader who fought tirelessly for housing rights on behalf of his neighbors.
KERA and Dallas TRHT have released a series of documentaries highlighting the history of civil rights and social justice activism in South Dallas and Fair Park, with plans to build curriculum around it to educate youth on the topic.
The Civic Atlas is a new tool that makes public Dallas zoning and building permit data easy to use, designed to help residents of South and West Dallas track proposed developments that could impact their property values and taxes.
Good afternoon! Here’s what the Dallas Free Press team is […]
Good morning! Here’s what the Dallas Free Press team is […]
Posters and playbills featuring Broadway musicals line the walls of […]
Good afternoon! Here’s what the Dallas Free Press team is […]
Good afternoon! Here’s what the Dallas Free Press team is […]
Good morning! Here’s what the Dallas Free Press team is […]
This new “Neighborhood Connect Telehealth Initiative” — a partnership between Aetna CVS Health and the South Dallas Fair Park Faith Coalition, which Salem pastor Todd Atkins chairs — is intended to bring health care directly to South Dallas residents, bypassing barriers such as internet access, transportation, and the historical mistrust of Black Americans in medical care.
Two high school students from South and West Dallas, Ta'Dondrian Crayton and Christian Williams, were accepted into the University of North Texas's Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists Fellowship and are now working as summer interns for the Dallas Free Press, telling their community's stories.
The Dallas Free Press is a newsroom that focuses on connecting neighbors to resources and events, with Jeffrey Ruiz serving as the communications coordinator for the weekly text message service that nearly 1,000 people in South Dallas and West Dallas subscribe to.
Trinity Groves has submitted plans to the City of Dallas Urban Design Peer Review Panel, which raises concerns about community engagement, understanding the history of West Dallas, and integrating the strong art community, culture, and history of the area.
This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]
This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]
This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]
Forest Forward, a Black-led nonprofit, has purchased 20+ parcels around the historic Forest Theater in South Dallas to revitalize the neighborhood, which has seen a 1200% increase in land value in just four years due to the government's recent recognition of the area's worth.
West Dallas' only school of choice might be renamed after Oak Cliff legacy names without the community's input.
Raul Reyes Jr., the founder and president of West Dallas 1, was a beloved community leader who dedicated his life to fighting for the people of West Dallas and will be remembered for his passion and commitment to the neighborhood.
South Dallas residents are still asking for grocery stores, and while community gardens can provide some sustenance, they are not a replacement for grocery stores, as evidenced by the recent closure of Save-A-Lot and the lack of corporate grocers in the area.
Dallas ISD School Board President Justin Henry announced this week he will not seek reelection as the District 9 trustee, and a four-way race to replace him is underway.
West Dallas homeowners are struggling to afford their property taxes, which have risen exponentially in recent years, and organizations are working to provide relief and resources to help them.
The City of Dallas has completed 31 bond projects in South Dallas, with some projects increasing in cost and others being reallocated to different projects, and a new bond package is being considered for 2024.
The City of Dallas is considering a 2024 bond package, which will go before voters in November, to fund infrastructure projects in West Dallas, such as renovations, parks, and roads, with budgets that have often changed since the 2017 bond election.
Dallas residents have until January 19th to submit proposed amendments to the city charter, which will be decided on by the Charter Review Commission and voted on in the November election.
Dallas ISD is reopening Thomas Edison as the West Dallas Junior High, after years of advocating from neighbors, to provide seventh- and eighth-graders in the neighborhood with their own school.
The Dallas Free Press has had an impactful 2023, with a renewed commitment to racial equity, the launch of the Dallas Documenters program, an expansion to Lincoln High School, increased partnerships with local media, and an expanding and resilient team.
The Dallas City Council unanimously denied Watermark Church's zoning request for the historic Pearl C. Anderson school in South Dallas due to a lack of transparency and trust between the community and the church.
The West Dallas Junior High School will fulfill the community's wishes to reclaim its history but will DISD considering all of their input.
West Dallas residents and leaders want the Trinity Park Conservancy to take action to ensure the park will benefit neighbors.
South Dallas is defined by its residents as zip codes 75210 and 75215, and a small portion of 75223 and 75226, and is a 14-square-mile area immediately south of Downtown, but immediately north and northeast of Oak Cliff.
West Dallas is defined by its neighbors as south of the Trinity River and north of I-30, with Highway 12 creating the western border, and is comprised of almost the entirety of zip code 75212.
This excerpt from Ernest McMillan’s book, “Standing: One Man’s Odyssey through the Turbulent ’60s" is a glimpse into the work of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, in South Dallas.
The case of City of Dallas v. Vanesko, heard by the Texas Supreme Court nearly 20 years ago, parallels a current situation in West Dallas' La Bajada neighborhood.
A Dallas Morning News story by real estate editor Steve Brown notes that the purchase by Nebraska-based investor Goldenrod Cos. is "one of the largest such property transactions in years located so close to downtown" and "signals future development."
Dallas Free Press is seeking a journalist or writer/researcher with a passion for local government, policy and power in Dallas to support our team as our Civic Producer.
Dallas Free Press is seeking a Program Manager to lead our local arm of the award-winning Documenters program, which trains and pays residents to produce information in the public interest.
In early 2023. Dallas Free Press will be the 10th newsroom in America to host the Documenters Network, which recruits, trains and, most importantly, pays residents for their time spent attending meetings, taking notes to contribute to the public record, and sharing back to their communities.
Frazier Healthy Homes is a South Dallas nonprofit program that provides home repairs to low-income residents, helping them to stay in their homes and pass down property to the next generation.
Dallas Free Press is looking for a journalism pathway coordinator to work with students in South Dallas and West Dallas on writing, storytelling, civic engagement, media literacy and critical thinking skills that would benefit them no matter what career they choose.
The land value of dozens of 7,000-square-foot parcels in Los Altos — just north of Singleton, up and down Borger, Crossman and Winnetka — all jumped from $65,000 to $168,000 this year. Several efforts are being made to educate West Dallas neighbors on how to protest property tax appraisals before the May 16 deadline.
A bombshell dropped on South Dallas this week when Froswa’ Booker-Drew announced that her last day at the State Fair of Texas would be next Friday, April 15.
The Hon. Diane Ragsdale, who will turn 70 this year, has spent her entire life in South Dallas. Her story has been shaped by the neighborhood and, likewise, she has shaped her neighborhood in significant ways. She’s still fighting some of the same issues that led her to run for Council, and as a registered nurse, she approaches the systems as she would her patients — a belief in preventative medicine that will treat the underlying causes, not just the symptoms.
For more than two years, West Dallas Investments has been trying to win favor from La Bajada neighbors, its board, the West Dallas community, and the City Plan Commission. They've run into opposition from almost every direction, but despite this, the developers have appealed their case to City Council, where it is on the agenda this Wednesday, Dec. 8.
Dallas Free Press is seeking an adept communicator who is highly organized to build strong relationships with potential major donors, funders and corporate sponsors.
John Spriggins, manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center, launched the Juanita J. Craft House Artist in Residency to provide artists with studio space to create work that “capture[s] the immediacy of the moment where historical neighborhoods are rapidly changing due to socio-economic shifts."
Dallas Free Press is looking for a full-time journalist to […]
Dallas Free Press has launched a journalism pathway from Dallas high schools to Dallas newsrooms, starting with efforts to educate high school students. We are looking for a part-time journalism pathway coordinator to work with students in South Dallas and West Dallas.
The Dallas Media Collaborative is searching for a part-time Project Manager to coordinate and lead its efforts toward a connected, city-wide solutions journalism network.
A neighborhood-led plan "will be used to shape the future of West Dallas for the next 10 to 20 years,” and act to "slow down the fast-paced gentrification that is running a risk of literally changing the thread of our community and wiping away the history," says James Armstrong III.
Now that anyone who wants a vaccine can get one, the challenge is overcoming barriers such as internet access needed to register for the vaccine and transportation needed to get to appointments, plus the even more daunting barrier of trust.
Two in five Dallas ISD seniors are in danger of not graduating, so alumni rolled out the red carpet when Pinkston seniors returned Monday.
Dallas Free Press has compiled a list of resources for South Dallas residents in the aftermath of the winter storm.
Dallas Free Press has compiled a list of resources for West Dallas residents in the aftermath of February's winter storm.
For many families in South Dallas, COVID has forced them to choose between sending their kids to school and facing financial and health risks, or keeping them home and dealing with isolation and learning loss.
Dallas ISD high school, middle school, and elementary students have missed days of school. Authorities presented a plan to address this.
“I’ve never seen the marquee light up before,” noted Elizabeth […]
For more than a year, Trinity Groves developers West Dallas […]
This Dallas Free Press survey will inform our community journalism efforts in South Dallas and West Dallas, and help our launching-soon local media collaborative determine its focus topic.
On Thursday, the City Plan Commission will consider West Dallas Investments’ request to allow a 400-foot tower on the north side of Singleton, adjacent to La Bajada, with the hope of attracting a Fortune 500 company like Amazon, Google, AT&T or Toyota.
The $2 million set aside solely for seven census tracts in the 75212 zip code comes from funds City Manager T.C. Broadnax pulled together from former city bond packages.
This WFAA airs from reporter David Schechter reveals how banks are still redlining southern Dallas neighborhoods.
The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Free Press, in partnership with the national Solutions Journalism Network, are looking for a reporter to spend the next five months reporting on "food apartheid" in Dallas.
The Nov. 3 presidential election is attracting record numbers of early voters in Dallas to the polls, but there are local decisions to be made, too, including five Dallas ISD bond propositions totaling $3.7 billion.
We’ve pulled the data from projects at West Dallas schools, in either Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson’s District 5 or Trustee Miguel Solis’ District 8, to chart their construction timelines, costs and completion expectations.
Co-published with our media partner, Advocate magazines On Sept. 1, […]
When South Dallas residents don’t hold the title to the […]
Co-published by our media partner, the Dallas Weekly Two years […]
Dallas ISD’s 41-page Reentry Playbook for Parents is thorough, but […]
Co-published by our media partner, The Dallas Weekly When Dr. […]
Co-published by our media partner, The Dallas Weekly Mayor Eric […]
Co-published by our media partner, The Dallas Weekly In the […]
