In 1950, South Dallas was composed of mostly white residents. Demographics started to change when a few black families began to move into this neighborhood with their savings and others with money from service in World War II. These families were not welcomed, and in February 1950, the first bombing of black families in South Dallas occurred near Exline Park.
Although these families had the money to purchase a home and wanted a property of their own, the mayor at the time, Wallace Savage, thought that the answer to the bombings was segregated public housing for blacks. They said, “There has been practically no Negro housing built in Dallas since the war. Negroes are living two, three, and four families in small dwellings, and it is impossible to keep them from overflowing into white areas unless places are provided for them” (Schutze, 1986, p. 14).
“For a while, the city’s white power structure took note of the threat the bombings presented to the larger racial peace. The newspapers of the period hinted that the Dallas Police Department, if not directly involved in carrying out the bombings, was not actively involved in stopping them” (J.S., 1987, para. 9).
While city government and business leaders attempted to solve this situation, more black families were bombed and harassed. Police officers were assigned to patrol their homes. However, the bombings continued. In June of 1951, four black-owned businesses were bombed. The Dallas Police Chief said they knew who was behind the bombings but refused to give further details. Some individuals believed authorities knew the identity of the bombers but were not stopping them. Instead, “…the police redoubled efforts to keep the black community motionless” (Schutze, 1986, p. 15). Amid the bombings, Ray Butler, a black man was handcuffed, beat, and shot in South Dallas by the Dallas police.
To read more about these bombings, The Accommodation by Jim Schutze provides an in-depth narrative, and the film Bonton + Ideal also discusses the bombings that occurred in this community.
Sources:
J.S. (1987). A bombing victim recalls the nightmare. D Magazine. https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1987/march/a-bombing-victim-recalls-the-nightmare/
Schutze, J. (1986). The accommodation: The politics of race in an American city. Dallas, Tex: Taylor Publishing Co.
Weflen, C. (Director). (2016). The Accommodation, Bonton + Ideal [Film] bcWORKSHOP.