Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House – South Dallas Cultural Center

Juanita J. Craft: A Celebration of Love & Legacy

karlabarthelmy — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 18:23:07 +0000

To celebrate Juanita J. Craft’s 121st birthday, the Friends of Juanita Craft House & Museum invited the community, artist residency recipients, and the Craft Kids to the South Dallas Cultural Center on Feb. 9. Participants gathered for an evening of celebration and love to honor Juanita and the re-development of the Craft House & Museum. The South Dallas Concert Choir, which began in 1986 as a 15-member workshop choir through the South Dallas Cultural Center, performed a few songs for the attendees. Special remarks were made by Friends of Juanita Craft House’s Board Chair Candace Thompson and Craft Kid Patricia Perez.

(Photos: SDCC Staff / Imani Chet Lytle)

The 1300 sq. ft. one-story frame house was the home of Juanita J. Craft, one of Dallas´ most significant civil rights figures and the second African American woman to serve on the Dallas City Council. Programming at the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House is coordinated by the South Dallas Cultural Center of the City of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs.

In 1935, Craft joined the NAACP, and in the years that followed, she started 182 rural NAACP chapters.Craft joined demonstrations against the segregated University of Texas Law School and North Texas State University, each resulting in successful lawsuits in 1950 and 1955. Afterwards, she opened a dropout preparation program in Dallas. Craft also served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Children and Youth, and as a member of the Governor’s Human Relations Committee. In 1975, at the age of 73, she was elected to the Dallas City Council, where she spent two terms working to improve the status of Hispanic and Native Americans.

Click here to learn more about the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum

February 9 Proclaimed Juanita J. Craft Day

karlabarthelmy — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 18:32:53 +0000

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson proclaimed February 9, 2022 as Juanita Craft Day as we celebrate Honorable Juanita J. Craft’s 120th birthday and the rehabilitation of her home, located at 2618 Warren Avenue, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture (OAC), the National Parks Service, the Friends of Juanita Craft Civil Rights House, the Junior League of Dallas, and other important stakeholders.

The site tells an important piece of our city’s history. For over half-a-century, Mrs. Craft dedicated herself to improving the welfare of others and to courageously defending the rights of the disenfranchised. And, when laws proved to be discriminatory, Mrs. Craft did the hard work of changing both minds and hearts; and we are indebted to the leadership of Juanita Craft as the many sacrifices she made over the course of her lifetime.

To celebrate Juanita Jewel Craft and her 120th birthday, here’s a special video made by community contributors, local residents, and city council members to honor her life and legacy!

Learn more about the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum

North Texas Cluster of The Links, Incorporated Gives to the Juanita Craft House

karlabarthelmy — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 19:22:16 +0000

North Texas Cluster of The Links, Incorporated donated $10,200 to help renovate and support the Juanita J. Craft House.

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.

North Texas Cluster of The Links, Incorporated. Dallas (TX) Chapter, Fort Worth (TX) Chapter, Mid-Cities (TX) Chapter, Plano North-Metroplex (TX) Chapter, Trinity (TX) Chapter, and Greater Denton County (TX) Chapter.

Help Us Wish Juanita J. Craft a Happy 120th Birthday

karlabarthelmy — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 20:08:14 +0000

In honor of Juanita J. Craft’s 120th birthday on Feb. 9, please join the South Dallas Cultural Center and Juanita Craft House as we create a virtual card celebrating her leadership and legacy during her life.

Instructions are simple – record a short video wishing Craft a happy birthday! Here are a few more tips to make sure your video makes the cut:

Recordings no longer than 5 – 10 seconds.
Shoot your video horizontally.
Speak clearly and make sure your in a quiet, well lit space.
Use fun birthday props; i.e. hats, party favors, confetti, cake, etc. No alcohol.
No music for copyright reasons.
Different languages are encouraged!

Deadline to submit is Jan. 28! Send your completed video to sdcc.proposals@gmail.com with “Happy Birthday Juanita” in the subject line.

Happy birthday to the great Juanita Jewel Craft from the SDCC crew!

Why Dallas Should Preserve the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House

karlabarthelmy — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 16:19:07 +0000

Juanita J. Craft (courtesy photo)

Juanita J. Craft, one of Dallas´ most significant civil rights figures and the second African American woman to serve on the Dallas City Council, lived in her home for 50 years. Discussions of the future of the civil rights movement were held here with many other great leaders like Lyndon B. Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Since 1994, Craft’s home has been operating as a historical museum, but Dallas’ Office of Arts and Culture department intends on restoring the house by the summer of 2022 with money raised from private fundraising and a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service.

“If we don’t tell these stories and preserve these places now, they will be lost. And it only gets harder as you get further away from the history,” says Director of Arts and Culture, Jennifer Scripps.

Read the full article by the Dallas Morning News.

Help preserve the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House for North Texas Giving Day