The inaugural Engage Dallas Bus tour took place on September 8. A total of 27 students participated and explored several historical sites around Dallas. We are so grateful to have partnered with Dallas Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation who led the tour. In many ways, the tour highlighted the way that race and race relations in Dallas have impacted the lives of many Dallas natives. The tour also adds clarity to Engage Dallas’ place-based approach to service.
The tour went as follows:
Stop 1: John Neely Bryan Cabin, Old Red Courthouse, and Martyrs Park.
Stop 2: Allen Brooks Marker
Stop 3: Pike Park and Santos Rodriguez Memorial
Stop 4: Freedman’s Cemetery and Memorial
Stop 5: Booker T. Washington High School, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and Old Moreland YMCA.
Stop 6: Dallas Heritage Village, Millermore Mansion, and Gano House
Stop 7: Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House
In a post-event assessment, some of the students shared what they learned from the tour. One student shared:
“I learned about how gentrification of towns can affect racial demographics.” Another said: “I learned about important people like Juanita Craft and Santos Rodriguez.”
Other students shared what they liked about the event.
“I liked how we were able to see some landmarks, and information about important people that I didn’t know existed.”
Another student expressed, “I liked to see the women’s representation during that period [of time].”
We’d like to acknowledge that all students who participated earned 4.5 hours of general engagement that go towards their Community Engagement and/or Civics & Individual Ethics Proficiency.
We hope to make this tour an annual event.
Stay connected with us by following @smu.engage.dallas on Instagram!