Newsletter

South Dallas residents and Fair Park First leaders urged the City Council to "get the dirt moving" on the long-promised community park within Fair Park, citing delays and urging the council to take action to complete the project before funds are lost.

We’re highlighting Documenter and South Dallas resident Shani Dixon. Dixon […]

City of Dallas, Dallas College, and Dallas ISD have voted to move their elections from May to November of odd-numbered years, in order to increase voter turnout and participation.

Scottie Smith II is proposing a Sunny South Dallas Public Improvement District (PID) to generate $9 million over the next decade to pay for increased police patrols, landscaping, sidewalks and drainage, with the money coming from extra fees paid by property owners in the area.

Cynthia Rogers-Ellickson, a West Dallas native, is retiring after 19 years in the City of Dallas housing department, where she rose to the position of director, and her legacy will continue in the newly formed office of housing and community empowerment.

The Dallas Free Press has created a visual story to simplify the complex South Dallas Fair Park Area Plan and a roundtable discussion between three of South Dallas' new arts leaders, both of which can be found on their YouTube channel.

James Armstrong has been appointed as the City of Dallas Deputy Director of Housing and Homelessness, giving him the power to implement the changes he has been advocating for at Builders of Hope and to bring a neighborhood perspective to City Hall.

The Pointe South Business Group and the South Dallas arts institutions are working to ensure that the South Dallas community benefits from the millions of dollars being invested in the area, while also preserving its cultural heritage.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

South Dallas is hosted back-to-school fairs to provide thousands of free backpacks, haircuts, vaccines, school supplies and other giveaways to help families prepare for the start of the school year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

District 6 Youth Commissioner Margarita Hernandez and Dr. L.G. Pinkston High School students hosted a donation drive to stock the school's community closet with hygiene products, after a student asked why there were no pads and tampons in the school bathrooms.

Minutes after a TribFest interview promoting nonpartisan local governance, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced his switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

West Dallas has been busy — and our events calendar shows it. Over the past 10 days alone, neighbors gathered at meetings, planning sessions, and community conversations that speak to housing, infrastructure, and the future of the neighborhood. Here’s a quick look at what we heard, where we showed up, and what’s coming next.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Dallas in a 2005 case, allowing the city to enforce a zoning ordinance against a homeowner who built a house in violation of the ordinance, despite the city having given preliminary approval to the building plans.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

The Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum and the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam House have both been reopened after extensive restoration, and are now available for tours and educational events.

The historically Black working-class neighborhood of Gilbert-Emory in West Dallas is facing gentrification due to the influx of new, much larger homes and the sale of the land where the segregated Black Fred Douglass School once stood, leading to frustration among longtime residents.

Dallas Free Press completed the Dallas TRHT 2022 ReNOW cohort, resulting in a racial equity policy and plans, as well as the launch of the Dallas Documenters program to recruit BIPOC residents to become community reporters and storytellers.

The Dallas City Council voted to remove the home insurance requirement for its home repair program in West Dallas, allowing residents like Patsy Ruth Jackson to finally qualify for assistance and make necessary repairs to their homes.

The Dallas Free Press is participating in The Trust Project's Phase VII cohort to rebuild trust in news media and combat misinformation by adding the project's 8 Trust Indicators to their website.

Dallas Free Press is throwing a community celebration to highlight the amazing local vendors in South Dallas and to report back to neighbors on how they are responding to the feedback from surveys.

The Dallas Free Press team will be hosting a community coffee event tomorrow, Sept. 14, at Mokah from 8-9:30 a.m. to introduce their Report for America corps member Jeffrey Ruiz and discuss the role of community journalism in South and West Dallas.

Dallas Free Press has been nominated for two 2022 LION Local Journalism Awards for their "Dallas Forgot" project and pop-up newsroom, which have been successful in connecting with the community and providing equitable, community-centered journalism.

Dallas Free Press was named one of Big D's best news outlets by D Magazine and is working with other local newsrooms to tackle civic issues, while also raising funds to support their Report for America corps member Jeffrey Ruiz.

Cornerstone Baptist Church opened a new nonprofit grocery store in South Dallas, which is now profitable, while a Save-U-More store in the same area has been vacant for almost a year despite receiving nearly $3 million from the City of Dallas.

Esther Villareal, a West Dallas mother, teacher, and gardener, was appointed to the city's new environmental commission, and the West Dallas STEM school will open its new campus, with West Dallas families having priority admission.

Dallas Free Press has successfully increased its text subscribers threefold and expanded its pop-up newsroom outreach to South Dallas events, while also supporting local Black- and Latino-owned businesses.

Dallas Free Press was recognized by the Institute for Nonprofit News and the Local Independent Online News Publishers for its innovative use of text messaging to grow readership and its commitment to community-centered journalism.

The Dallas Free Press has been selected as a host newsroom partner for Report for America, and is seeking donations to cover the salary of a fellow who will be reporting on the impact of gentrification in South Dallas and West Dallas.

The Dallas Free Press has been recognized for its local journalism efforts, including its coronavirus coverage, text message service, and new publisher of the year, and has partnered with local media outlets to provide coverage of South Dallas and West Dallas.

Dallas Free Press was named the New Publisher of the Year by LION Publishers, and received awards for Best Coronavirus Coverage and Game-Changer for its text messaging service, recognizing its commitment to community-centered journalism.

Dallas Free Press has added two new community journalists to their staff, and is seeking a development manager to focus on fundraising, supported by a 2-year fellowship with training and guidance provided by LION.

Dallas Free Press conducted a study with UT Austin's Center for Media Engagement to better understand the needs of South and West Dallas communities, and will host events this fall to present the findings and discuss how their work will respond to the community's requests.

Dallas Free Press has launched a pop-up newsroom at the MLK Food Park in South Dallas to listen to neighbors' stories, provide wooden nickels for food vendors, and highlight the importance of civic journalism and government transparency.

West Dallas residents affected by power outages were provided with food, water, blankets, light and hope by volunteers, while environmental justice advocacy group Downwinders At Risk encouraged neighbors to submit public comments to push back against the presence of roofing plant GAF in their neighborhood.

Dallas Free Press is seeking input from South Dallas residents to shape their reporting and storytelling, and is offering a $50 gift card raffle for those who complete the survey, as well as paid interviews and gift cards for those who complete the survey in person.

Dallas Free Press is looking forward to 2021 with a range of initiatives, including a food apartheid series, internet access reporting, a media collaborative, civic engagement, and a deep dive into the history of Dallas' Black schools.

Dallas Free Press is releasing a survey to inform their community journalism efforts in South and West Dallas, and to help their launching local media collaborative determine its focus topic, with the results of the survey to be distributed to subscribers and used to shape their work in the coming year.

West Dallas Investments has proposed a 400-foot office tower near the historic La Bajada neighborhood, while the City of Dallas is offering up to $10,000 in home repairs to 200 West Dallas residents and surveying residents to address disproportionate fines and fees.

Dallas Free Press is committed to providing quality, trustworthy journalism to all communities in Dallas, and is seeking to hire two full-time reporters to focus on South Dallas and West Dallas in 2021.

Dallas Free Press is working to bridge the digital divide in Dallas by partnering with KERA and the Solutions Journalism Network to report on internet initiatives and provide coverage to the community through various platforms.

The Dallas Free Press is hiring journalists to cover the challenges of food apartheid in South Dallas and West Dallas, while listening to and amplifying the voices of the community.

Dallas Free Press has been using Subtext to send texts with community information to South Dallas and West Dallas residents, and is actively working to grow its reach.