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[CALL TO ORDER]
ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WE ARE BACK ON THE AIR AND MEMBERS, I'M TOLD THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 2024.
THE TIME IS 11:06 AM AND I NOW CALL THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, OUR SECRETARY AT THIS POINT.
[PH1. A public hearing to receive comments and to approve an ordinance granting a request to change the name of S. Central Expressway (SH 310/US 175) between C.F. Hawn Freeway (US 175) and Al Lipscomb Way to “S.M. Wright Freeway (FWY)” - NC234-005 - Not to exceed $29,608.00 - Financing - General Fund]
YOU MR. MAYOR.YOUR ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PH ONE.
PH ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS AND TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A REQUEST TO CHANGE THE NAME OF S CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY SH THREE 10 SLASH US 1 75 BETWEEN CF HAN HIGHWAY, US 1 75 AND AL LIPSCOMB WAY TO SM WRIGHT FREEWAY NOT TO EXCEED $29,608.
THERE ARE NO REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM, BUT ARE THERE ANY INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM? YOU'LL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
ARE THERE ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL? IF YOU'RE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE, THE OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU'RE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE SM RIGHT FREEWAY, UM, ISSUE, YOU CAN START MAKING YOUR WAY TOWARDS, UM, THE FRONT IF THERE'S ROOM TO MOVE.
AND I DO WANT TO TAKE JUST A SECOND, MADAM SECRETARY IN, IN CASE THEY'RE NOT ALL SPEAKING.
I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT I'VE BEEN INFORMED ARE, ARE HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE OUR STATE SENATOR ROYCE WEST IS WITH US TODAY.
SENATOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE YVONNE DAVIS IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE VINTON JONES, WHO REPRESENTS THE GRAY'S LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I AM, I'M NOT GONNA LIE ABOUT IT.
AND SHERIFF MION BROWN IS IN THE HOUSE WITH THE HAT.
ALRIGHT, MADAM SECRETARY, IF, IF WE ARE READY, WE'LL HAVE OUR, UM, SPEAKERS, UH, SPEAK.
AND JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO, TO GET, UM, TO, UH, AN EVENT AFTER THIS, TO COMMEMORATE THIS OCCASION.
AT WHAT TIME? UM, ASSISTANT, OH, I'M SORRY.
WE'D LIKE TO BE LEAVING THE CHAMBERS BY 11:50 AM ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY AND MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY.
THE FIRST SPEAKER MAY COME TO THE PODIUM.
AGAIN, YOU'LL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I ESTEEMED MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME'S YVONNE DAVIS AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT ONE 11.
I'M HAPPY HERE TO BE HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS A CORRECTION OR A MISSION REGARDING THE NAME OF SM WRIGHT FREEWAY.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW, WORK AND LEARN FROM HIM.
DALLAS IS A BETTER CITY BECAUSE OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THEME LESSON WE CAN ALL BENEFIT STILL TODAY, WE MUST NEVER FORGET OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND COMMITMENT MUST BE TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AND TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF OTHERS THROUGH THIS SERVICE.
HIS LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO THIS CITY WAS UNWAVERING.
HE TRULY BELIEVED THAT WE COULD ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TODAY I'M HERE TO COMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITMENT TO CORRECTING OMISSION, WHETHER ACCIDENTAL OR INTENTIONAL, WHAT I KNOW AND HAVE LEARNED OVER MY MANY YEARS OF SERVICE.
IT IS ALWAYS APPROPRIATE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN WHEN WE MIGHT NOT AGREE OR UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES BLIND AMBITION AND THE URGENCY CAN CLOUD OUR VISION.
RECOGNIZING AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE MUST BE THE ULTIMATE GOAL.
I THANK YOU FOR STANDING UP AND RECOGNIZING THE OMISSION AND COMPLETING THE RENAMING OF SM RIGHT FREEWAY TO HONOR HIS SERVICE, LEADERSHIP AND LEGACY TO THIS CITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR MADAM CITY MANAGER OR INTERIM CITY MANAGER AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE BEING HERE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
LET ME, LET ME JUST GO BACK AND I CONCUR WITH EVERYTHING REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS SAID ABOUT, UH, REVEREND SM WRIGHT BACK IN 1995.
I WAS IN MY FIRST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, CHAD AS A STATE SENATOR AND RODNEY ELLIS WAS THE STATE SENATOR OUT OF HOUSTON, 22 AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE STATE SENATE.
BUT WE LOOKED AROUND AND SAW THAT THERE WERE NO HIGHWAYS
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IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS IN 1995 NAMED AFTER AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.AND SO AS RODNEY AND I WOULD DO, WE WOULD HAVE A CAUCUS MEETING, JUST THE TWO OF US IN A TELEPHONE BOOTH AND DISCUSS IT.
AND SO I BEGAN THE PROCESS AND BEGAN THINKING ABOUT WHO IN DALLAS SHOULD WE NAME A HIGHWAY AFTER, NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT CAME TO THE NAME OF SM W RIGHT? THE STATE OF TEXAS SENATE.
AND THE HOUSE CAME TOGETHER AND WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
WE WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS ON A HOT AUGUST DAY, I THINK SM JULY, IN JULY TO COME AND DEDICATE THE HIGHWAY.
LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THAT PROCESS WASN'T FULLY COMPLETED AND THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE HERE AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND ONCE IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE COMPLETED, I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER EXPEDITIOUSLY COMPLETED THAT PARTICULAR PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD HONOR A PERSON THAT'S MUCH DESERVED TO BE HONORED SM RIGHT.
EVEN THOUGH SOME PEOPLE CRITICIZED TO ME HAD HIS CRITICS, BUT HAD HIS SUPPORTERS ALSO.
I HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF THOSE SUPPORTERS AND I WAS HONORED TO FILE THE LEGISLATION THAT ENDED UP BEING SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR OF STATE OF TEXAS TO CREATE THE SM RIGHT.
I I AM AUGUST CELERY BISHOP JOSEPH JACKSON, THE TEXAS METROPOLITAN ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION.
I STAND TODAY TO REPRESENT THAT JURISDICTION OF THE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST.
WE OWE MUCH HONOR AND PRAISE TO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THIS GREAT MAN.
I'M DOUBLY BLESSED AND HONORED, UH, TO SHARE IN THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION BECAUSE OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDER AND THE SIT-IN AND THE STATE AT THAT TIME, SM WRIGHT WAS A BRIDGE BUILDER AND RECOGNIZING THE NECESSITY AND THE NEED OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY.
UH, THERE WAS SOMEWHAT OF A, A DISTANCE BETWEEN DENOMINATIONS.
IT WAS THE ACT, THE GESTURE, THE GODLINESS OF REVEREND DR.
SM WRIGHT TO TAKE THE EXTRAORDINARY STAND TO BRIDGE, UH, THE GAP BETWEEN DENOMINATIONS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
YOU RECOGNIZE AN ORDER TO BRIDGE GAPS.
WE AS CLERGYMEN HAD TO BE UNIFIED TO THIS DAY.
WE APPRECIATE HIM FOR THE GALLANT EFFORT THAT HE PUT FORTH TO BRIDGE THAT GAP SO THAT WE, FROM A RELIGIOUS ORDER, COULD BE WITHIN THE STRUCTURING AS TO REACH OUT TO THE CITIZENRY OF DALLAS TO MAKE IT BETTER.
I SEE MY TIME IS OUT, BUT WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE LEGACY OF REVEREND SM WHITE.
THERE IS ONE THING I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER, THOUGH.
HE SLEEPS HIS LEGACY YET SPEAKS VOLUMES.
WE WOULD DO OURSELVES GOOD IF WE PRACTICE THE LIFESTYLE OF THE REVEREND SM.
THANK YOU TO OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND TO ALL OF YOU, IT IS, UH, SUCH A DELIGHT TO BE ABLE TO COME TO CITY HALL AND CELEBRATE.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE IN RIGHTING A WRONG AND WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED IN YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY IN HONORING A MAN
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WHO LOVED THIS CITY.HE LOVED GOD, HE LOVED HIS FAMILY, HE LOVED THIS CHURCH, HE LOVED DALLAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
SO WHEN OUR CHILDREN DRIVE DOWN THE SM RIGHT FREEWAY, WHEN THEY ASK WHAT MEANETH THESE STONES, WE CAN TELL 'EM ABOUT THE LIFE OF A GREAT MAN.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WILL YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? MY NAME IS DAVID WILSON, PASTOR OF GREATER CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH, PRESIDENT OF THE HISTORICAL INTERDENOMINATIONAL MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, ALL WHO ARE PRESENT.
WE STAND TODAY UNITED AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IF ALL THE PASTORS, MINISTERS, AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE NAME WHEN IT'S FREE, WE WOULD PLEASE STAND WITH ME TODAY.
WE STAND UNITED, WE STAND BEING REMINDED OF THE WORDS OF THE LATE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
WHO REMINDED US THAT THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS TOWARDS JUSTICE.
AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE JUSTICE IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS FREEWAY IS NAMED AFTER THE REVEREND DR.
IT WAS MAHA MAHI WHO REMINDED US THAT THERE ARE TWO DAYS IN THE YEAR THAT WE CAN DO NOTHING.
THAT'S YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW.
THAT WAS A QUOTE THAT SAYS YESTERDAY IS BUT A DREAM.
AND TOMORROW IS ONLY A VISION.
BUT TODAY WELL LIVED MAKES EVERY YESTERDAY A DREAM OF HAPPINESS AND EVERY TOMORROW A VISION OF HOPE.
AND AFTER TODAY, AUGUST THE 14TH, WE WANT MS. DEBORAH WRIGHT, PASTOR SM WRIGHT II AND CALVIN WRIGHT NOT TO HAVE TO HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT SIGNS COMING DOWN AND THE LEGACY OF DR.
SM WRIGHT BEING REMOVED FROM THE FREEWAY.
BUT WE WANT THEIR YESTERDAY'S TO BE A DREAM OF HAPPINESS AND THEIR TOMORROWS TO BE VISIONS OF HOPE.
IT'S BEFITTING THAT IT'S NAMED THE SM RIGHT FREEWAY.
A FREEWAY IS AN EXPRESSWAY, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH CONTROLLED ACCESS.
AND SIMPLY PUT, THERE ARE NO INTERSECTIONS, NO YIELD SIGN, NO STOP SIGN ON THE FREEWAY, DR.
SM RIGHT LIVE SO THAT WE ALL COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE FREEWAY.
WE STAND HERE TODAY ON THE SHOULDER OF DR.
WE HAVE ACCESS TO CHURCHES, WE HAVE ACCESS TO CITY HALL BECAUSE OF THE REVEREND DR.
THANK YOU ALL FOR KEEPING HIS LEGACY ALIGNED.
ARE, ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM? NO FURTHER SPEAKERS, MR. MAYOR.
WELL, AT THIS TIME THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM ADAM BASS WILL DO A FOR MOTION.
I THANK YOU MAYOR JOHNSON AND INTERIM CITY MANAGER, MS. TOLBERT.
WE WENT TO CHURCH A MOMENT AGO AND SO WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE GLORY CLOUD.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS MOMENT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY PASTOR, THE LATE DR.
CERTAINLY HE WAS A PREACHER, HE WAS A PASTOR, BUT HE ALSO HAD POLITICAL RIGHT.
AND THEREFORE, WE COME TODAY AGAIN TO LIFT OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE LEGACY OF THE LATE DR.
AS GEORGE BUSH WAS GOVERNOR OF OUR STATE SET ON THE DAY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE FREEWAY, HE WAS A BRIDGE BUILDER BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND THE NORTHERN SECTOR.
HE WAS PROUD TO BE FROM SOUTH DALLAS BUNTON.
HE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT LINCOLN HIGH.
HE OFTEN SHARED HIS LOVE FOR DALLAS.
HE HOSTED MANY CONVENTIONS HERE IN DALLAS.
HE MADE THE WORLD COME TO DALLAS.
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ARE MANY PASTORS, LAY PEOPLE AND ALIKE WHO HAVE COME HERE TODAY FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY, THROUGHOUT OUR STATE AND THROUGHOUT, UH, THE UNITED STATES TO SHOW THEIR LOVE.WE WANT ALL OF OUR OUT OF TOWN GUESTS TO STAND THAT WE MIGHT RECOGNIZE THEM WHO HAVE COME BECAUSE OF THE LEGACY OF DR.
HE WAS NOT JUST A LEADER IN OUR CITY AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT HE LED OUR NATION.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE THE BETTER.
AND THE ROOT WORD FOR LEGACY IS THE WORD LEG.
HE HAS GIVEN US SOMETHING TO STAND ON AND WE COME TODAY STANDING ON THAT LEGACY.
AND SO WE ONCE AGAIN REQUEST THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL GO FORTH WITH THE RENAMING OF THE SM WRIGHT FREEWAY.
MY NAME IS TONY JENS AND I'M COMING AS A CITIZEN OF DALLAS IN HONOR OF Y'ALL WRITING AROUND.
I STARTED GOING TO PEOPLES IN 2017.
AND ONE THING THAT I LEARNED THAT IF THE LATE REVEREND WRIGHT IS AS GREAT AS HIS SONS ARE, IT'S THE HONOR TO THIS CITY.
BECAUSE ONE THING I FOUND OUT ABOUT PASTOR AND CO-PASTOR IS THEY'RE GREAT FOR THIS CITY.
THEY HELP THE HOMELESS, THEY HELP THE NEEDY, THEY HELP THE FORTUNATE, THE UNFORTUNATE, AND THEY JUST BRING A LIGHT TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT MINISTRY.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL AGAIN FOR WRITING THE WRONG AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON THAT ITEM ON THIS ITEM? MR. MAYOR, THIS CONCLUDES YOUR SPEAKER FOR THIS ITEM.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE THE, UH, OUTBURSTS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I APPRECIATE IT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, AT THIS TIME, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM FOR A MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE THIS ITEM AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION.
MR. BASIL DOULA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR FIVE MINUTES AND WE'LL HAVE THE NORMAL 5 3 1 STRUCTURE FOR THIS MEETING AS WELL.
AND WOW, THE ENERGY IN HERE IS NOT LIKE WE USUALLY GET TO FEEL ON WEDNESDAY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, UH, TO HONOR A LEGEND, UM, TO RIGHT A WRONG, TO ACKNOWLEDGE A LEGACY THAT IS BEING CARRIED OUT BY, UM, ESSM WRIGHT JR.
CO-PASTORS AT PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOTH OF Y'ALL FOR CARRYING OUT THE LEGACY IN REAL TIME WITH OR WITHOUT A SIGN, WITH OR WITHOUT A SIGN.
WRIGHT'S LEGACY HAS NOT SKIPPED A BEAT BECAUSE OF THOSE TWO GENTLEMEN RIGHT THERE.
AND I'VE SEEN THE WORK THAT'S PUT INTO THE COMMUNITY FIRSTHAND.
I WANT TO TELL Y'ALL THAT BACK IN MAY WHEN I HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I STARTED, MY PHONE STARTED BLOWING UP.
I MEAN, IN A WAY THAT I SAID, WHAT IS HAPPENING? I WAS ACTUALLY OUT OF TOWN AND WHAT IS HAPPENING BACK HOME.
AND I QUICKLY FOUND, UM, CAME TO REALIZE THAT THE SIGNS HAD COME DOWN, UH, AND REPLACED WITH CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY SIGNS BECAUSE OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION'S.
WE, WE WELCOME THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WANT TO BE MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT, IT DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE CITY DROPPED THE BALL.
UM, SENATOR WEST, REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS, Y'ALL DID Y'ALL'S PART.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN LEADERSHIP TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND WE HAVE A RIGHT, A WRONG TO RIGHT.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, UH, AN ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID.
SO I, I MADE A CALL TO KIM, TO OUR CITY MANAGER AND HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE URGENCY OF THIS GETTING CORRECTED.
I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT AND WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS, EMPHASIZING THE URGENCY TO GET THIS CORRECTED.
I MET WITH SEVERAL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND SOME WHO ARE NOT.
I SPOKE TO SEVERAL ON THE PHONE AND TRIED TO GIVE SOME ASSURANCE
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TO THE WRIGHT FAMILY THAT THEY AREN'T GONNA HAVE THOSE NIGHTMARES.UM, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
I DO WANT TO SAY THOUGH, AND I'VE I'VE SAID THIS TO THE, THE CONGREGATION, I'VE SAID THIS TO THE FAMILY.
I ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK AT A POSITIVE SPIN TO ANY NEGATIVE.
AND I'M NOT GONNA IGNORE THAT THIS WAS A NEGATIVE, THAT THIS CAME TO LIGHT.
HOWEVER, THERE'S ALWAYS A POSITIVE.
AND I THINK THAT THE TIMING OF THIS WAS INCREDIBLE.
WHILE THERE WAS STILL A GENERATION WHO HAS BEEN PERSONALLY TOUCHED BY DR. WRIGHT, IT HAPPENED AT A TIME WHERE WE COULD STILL FILL THE CHAMBERS WITH PEOPLE WITH THEIR OWN PERSONAL TESTAMENTS OF WHY HONORING THIS LEGACY IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT HAPPENED AT A TIME WHERE A LOT OF THE RIGHTS AND FIGHTS THAT OCCURRED WHEN THIS LEGEND WAS LEADING OR AT THE TABLE, AGAIN, WERE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE SAME FIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT THIS ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED THAT I'M NOT GOING TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HIGHWAYS NAMED AFTER A LOT OF PEOPLE.
JUST AS SENATOR WEST, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED.
WHAT I THINK IS UNFORTUNATE IS THAT A MISTAKE LIKE THIS, AN OVERSIGHT LIKE THIS, WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED TO A LOT OF THOSE OTHER NAMES THAT EXIST.
THAT IS, AGAIN, ANOTHER PART OF WHY THIS NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
WHEN IT HAPPENED TO REMIND US THAT THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.
WE CAN HONOR A MAN'S LEGACY, BUT WE AREN'T REALLY HONORING A MAN'S LEGACY IF WE AREN'T CONTINUING TO FIGHT.
IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE STATISTICAL DATA TO SHOW US THAT YOUR ZIP CODE IS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY, WE STILL HAVE A FIGHT AS LONG AS WE STILL HAVE YOUTH IN OUR CITY WHO ARE HOMELESS AND NOT ABLE TO GET A MEAL OR A QUALITY EDUCATION OR FIND HEALTHCARE AS A RIGHT, WE STILL HAVE A FIGHT.
SO MUCH OF THE FIGHT THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME WHERE THE DISPARITIES WERE SO GLARING TO US OF THE INEQUITIES THAT EXIST IN OUR CITY, LIKE THE INTEGRATION OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT ESSEN WRIGHT PLAYED SUCH A CRITICAL ROLE IN HERE LOCALLY.
SO I WANT TO SAY WE CAN FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE THAT THIS HAPPENED AND THE BALL WAS DROPPED, OR WE CAN FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE THAT THE BALL WAS DROPPED, BUT IT'S GETTING PICKED BACK UP.
AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE IS THAT THIS LEGACY IS SEEN NOT JUST FROM THOSE WHO ARE HERE NOW, BUT FROM MY DAUGHTER, FROM THE NEXT GENERATION, FROM THOSE WHO ARE GONNA SEE THIS SIGN AND ASK QUESTIONS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HONORING A LEGEND'S NAME IS NOT FORGETTING THE LEGACY THAT WE ARE HONORING.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR SHOWING UP, FOR CALLING THE, ANSWERING THE CALL, AND FOR CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF A LEGEND IN SOUTH DALLAS, DR.
THANK YOU TO THE, TO THE, UH, FAMILY FOR JUST STEADFAST, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT REMAINED A PRIORITY IN OUR CITY.
I NOTICED THAT, UH, FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE HELEN GIDDINGS, UH, HAS JOINED US AND SHE'S HERE TODAY.
UM, I ACTUALLY, UM, WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY IF YOU WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
I'LL YIELD, UH, TWO MINUTES OF MY TIME SINCE I'VE SAID A LOT OF WHAT I WANNA SAY TO THE FAMILY IN PRIVATE.
AND I'LL MAKE SOME REMARKS LATER.
I'LL YIELD TWO MINUTES OF MY TIME TO FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE GIDDINGS RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SOME REMARKS.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR MAYOR PRO TEM.
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE CORRECTION OF THE NAME CHANGE TO THE SM WRIGHT, UH, FREEWAY.
OF COURSE, I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THIS WAS THE FIRST HIGHWAY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO BE NAMED FOR A BLACK PERSON.
SO IT'S VERY HISTORIC AND THERE'S NEVER A CHAPTER THAT CAN BE WRITTEN ABOUT, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS IN DALLAS AND THE HISTORY OF DALLAS WITHOUT SOMETHING ABOUT REVEREND SM WRIGHT AND ALL THE WORK THAT HE DID.
MELVIN WADE TELL ME SOMETHING ON LAST SUNDAY THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, UH, SM WRIGHT WAS BEHIND THE ELECTION OF JOSEPH LOCKRIDGE TO THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE FIRST BLACK FROM DALLAS TO, UH, SERVE IN THE, IN THE TEXAS HOUSE.
AND ONE MORE, UH, LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, TWO LITTLE BITS OF HISTORY IS ONE IS AS
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YOU WELL KNOW, ZAN HOLMES WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE WHEN THAT ELEVATED FREEWAY CAME AND HE COULDN'T STOP IT.ED DESTROYED SOUTH DALLAS TO SOME DEGREE AND THEY'RE STILL SUFFERING FROM THAT.
AND ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY, THE RECONSTRUCTION WAS DONE BY EDWIN JONES CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
IT WAS THE FIRST PRIME REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS, YOU'RE OUT THERE TO BE EVER AWARDED TO AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY THERE.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING.
WE'RE GONNA LET THE, UH, THE MAKER OF THE MOTION JUMP BACK ON THE RECORD FOR JUST A SECOND BEFORE I GO TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
JUST, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PLUG IT IN THERE, BUT I WANT TO GIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO A COUPLE OF LEADERS, FORMER LEADERS FROM DISTRICT SEVEN.
WE HAVE, UH, HONORABLE DIANE RAGSDALE AND HONORABLE TIFFANY YOUNG AS WELL, UH, HERE IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE.
MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY IN 2024.
I'VE BEEN KNOWING S AND WRIGHT FOR ALMOST 55 YEARS.
I'M FROM SOUTH DALLAS, RIGHT ON HATCHER STREET BEFORE THEY CHANGED THE NAME OF MARTIN LUTHER KING FROM FOREST AVENUE AT ST.
PHILIP COMMUNITY CENTER BEFORE UNITED ST.
NOW THAT HE DID A WHOLE LOT OF SERVING FOOD.
THE BICYCLE HE DO NOW, HE GIVE NOW TO STATE FAIR.
HE BEEN DOING THAT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED.
BUT I WANT TO GET A GOOD SHOUT OUT TO PASTOR TOMAN LEE BROWN.
HE WAS ON VACATION AND HE CALLED ME, HE SAID, HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT'S GOING ON WITH SM RIGHT FREEWAY? AND I ALWAYS THINK THAT HERE IS A PASTOR ON VACATION CALL A COUNCIL MEMBER AND SAID, HAVE YOU HEARD THE WRONG THAT HAVE BEEN DONE? AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO CORRECT THE WRONG? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO CORRECT THE WRONG? AND HE DID WHAT ANY PASTOR WOULD DO CALLED THE SHEEP IN ORDER.
AND LET'S TALK ABOUT IT WRONG.
NOT SCREAMING, NOT HOLLERING, NOT SHOUTING, NOT FIGHTING.
COME DOWN, HEAR MY VOICE THE RIGHT WAY.
NOT FIGHTING, NOT SCREAMING THE RIGHT WAY.
TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER, TALK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND SAY, HEY, A WRONG WAS DONE.
HOW CAN WE GET IT CORRECTED IN REAL TIME, NOT FUTURE TIME.
AND WHAT WE ARE DOING? AND THANK YOU INNER THE CITY MANAGER IN REAL TIME.
WE ARE CORRECTING A WRONG THAT SHOULDN'T BE DONE ALONE TIME AGO.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE NEVER HAVE COME TO THIS DAY TO CORRECT A WRONG.
THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
HELEN GUINES, STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS, SENATOR RO WEST, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE THING THAT YOU DID FOR THE LEGACY OF S DR.
BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE COMMUNITY, SOUTH DALLAS COMMUNITY, TIFFANY YOUNG, DIANE, DALE.
WITHOUT YOU, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
BUT I ALSO WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME HERE TODAY AND SHOWED THE URGENCY THAT WHEN WE DO DO IT WRONG, WE CAN COME AND SEE THE HOUSE TO CORRECT A WRONG.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LEARN.
WE NEED TO TAKE A LESSON FOR AN SMU RIGHT FREE AND WHEN A WRONG WAS DONE, HOW WE CAN COME AND CORRECT A WRONG.
AND THIS HOW YOU DO IT IN GOVERNMENT.
THIS WHAT YOU CALL PROCESSING PROCEDURE.
THIS HOW YOU DO IT, YOU GET IT DONE AND YOU FOLLOW THE PROCESS.
AND SOMETIMES THE PROCESS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW.
AND SOMETIMES THE TRAIL, THE HARD.
AND WHEN YOU OUT THERE PREACHING THE PULPIT, SOMETIMES THEY LISTEN TO IT, SOMETIMES THEY DO NOT.
BUT YOU DON'T STOP PREACHING, RIGHT? YOU KEEP ON, YOU KEEP ON, KEEP ON TILL YOU GET ONE.
BUT ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN NOT TO THIS CITY, BUT NOT TO THIS STATE, BUT TO THE NATION AND TO THE WORLD THAT ALL THE CIDES WHO COME IN HERE TODAY, WILL Y'ALL PLEASE STAND UP AGAIN? I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY SEE YOU STAND UP ONE MORE TIME PLEASE.
EVERYONE STAND UP ONE MORE TIME PLEASE.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO STAND UP AND I WANT TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT YOU SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL SEE THAT YOU DID NOT HAVE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT YOU CHOSE TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND WITH THAT, I WANNA SAY IT TO YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, ESPECIALLY FROM SOUTH DOLLAR RAYS,
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I-D-C-I-C-D-C OVER THERE WITH YOU, DR.REELL, WHILE I WAS GROWING UP ON MILL PLACE ON SOUTH BOULEVARD, YOU KNOW, ON PINE STREET, ALL THOSE STREETS THAT I CAME FROM WENT SCHOOL THAT CHARLES WRIGHT JU RAZER FANTASY HARRIS.
NOW THOSE SCHOOL, Y'ALL PROBABLY DON'T KNOW, SOME OF THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED DOWN NOW, FANTASY HARRIS, BUT OLD SCHOOL, I'M OLD.
BUT I DO KNOW WHEN A WRONG WITH DONE.
I DO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU GROW OLD, YOU'VE BEEN LIVING GOOD BECAUSE GOD BLESS YOU.
AND IF GOD DO BLESS YOU, WHEN YOU STINK AND YOU SAY WHAT YOU BELIEVE FROM YOUR HEART.
AND I BELIEVE BECAUSE I LOVE DALLAS AND I LOVE SOUTH DALLAS BECAUSE SOUTH DALLAS HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME FOR SIX, EIGHT YEARS.
SOUTH DALLAS HAD BEEN GOOD TO ME.
AND OUR WAY WILL BE GOOD TO BEING AND OUR WILL WILL FIGHT FOR SOUTH DALLAS BECAUSE IT'S A HEART.
DID YOU SAY YOU WENT TO SCHOOL AT ST.
CHAIRMAN GRACIE, YOU RECOGNIZE FOR FIVE MINUTES.
IT IS SO HARD NOT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT ONE, BUT, UH, LISTEN.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED AND CALLED BY MY NAME, Y'ALL GATHERED YEARS AGO TO MAKE THIS, TO START THIS JOURNEY WHEN THINGS WENT ASTRAY.
YOU GATHERED, WE ARE HERE TODAY, YOU GATHERED, UH, SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT THESE TYPE OF THINGS, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, UA ALLUDED TO IT.
WE START THESE THINGS, WE START THESE JOURNEYS UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S GONNA COME WITH THE BARRIERS.
WE JUST KNOW THAT OUR HISTORY TELLS US THAT.
BUT WE KEEP GATHERING AND WE KEEP COMING AND WE KEEP FIXING AND WE KEEP CORRECTING.
AND AGAIN, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE AND WE ARE HONORING AND ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, THAT THAT WAS A MISHAP ON OUR PART.
AND THAT'S THAT ACCOUNTABILITY.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION.
NOW YOU CAN IMAGINE I'M A YEAR IN AND I GET A CALL, UH, ABOUT THIS AND PEOPLE ARE YOUNG MAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHO I DO? YES MA'AM.
I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHO IT IS.
AND THE WAY MY BRAIN WORKS IS WHEN THE CALL CAME, I IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE PROBLEM.
SO I'M LISTENING FOR THE PROBLEM AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO TAKE ME DOWN HISTORY.
AND MY A DD IS LIKE, OKAY, I, I KIND OF KNOW THAT PART, BUT LET'S GET TO THIS SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
SO IMMEDIATELY CALL BASS AND TEXTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO AGAIN, I'M JUST GLAD THAT WE ALL GATHERED HISTORICALLY.
AND I SAY WE, I WASN'T THERE, BUT I'M STILL PART OF WE, WHETHER I WAS IN MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, WHEREVER WE ARE, WE ARE A WE AND WE GATHER AND WE'RE CALLED BY NAME TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, UH, UH, ACCORDING, UH, TO HIS WORD.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR GATHERING, KEEP GATHERING, KEEP COMING.
THIS MAY NOT BE UNFORTUNATELY THE THE THE LAST OF NOT THIS ISSUE, BUT THERE'LL BE OTHER ISSUES THAT COME UP AND WE WILL NEED YOU ALL TOGETHER VS TALKED ABOUT IT.
HE SAID THERE'S AN ENERGY THAT CHANGED.
THAT'S THAT SUNDAY MORNING ENERGY.
IF YOU AIN'T KNOW, THAT'S THAT SUNDAY MORNING ENERGY.
GO TO ANY ONE OF THESE CHURCHES AND EXPERIENCE THAT SUNDAY MORNING ENERGY BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET THAT SUNDAY MORNING ENERGY, IT MAKES IT EASIER TO COME IN HERE BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE IS.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND LET'S CONTINUE, UH, TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRMAN ARVA, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.
UM, FIRST I WANNA START BY, UM, LETTING MY COLLEAGUE MR. GRACIE KNOW THAT, UM, I GET THOSE SAME TYPE OF PHONE CALLS, UM, FROM ELDER ATKINS NEXT DOOR FROM OVER HERE, UM, LETTING ME KNOW WHAT I NEED TO GET DONE OR WHAT'S GOING ON.
HE CALLED HIMSELF OLD EARLIER AND I WAS LIKE, NO, HE'S THE ELDER.
THAT'S THE NAME THAT, UH, MS. ARNOLD GAVE HIM.
UH, SO I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO HELP YOU OUT THERE.
I, I CAME INTO COUNCIL WITH HIM AND, UM, HE HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH.
SO TO HEAR THE STORIES AND TO HEAR, UM, WHAT YOU ALL SHARED, ESPECIALLY TO, UM, SENATOR WEST, REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS AND REPRESENTATIVE GIDDINGS, THANK YOU FOR THAT HISTORY.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SOME OF US DON'T KNOW ALL OF THAT HISTORY IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, RIGHT? YOU SAID IT WAS 1995.
SO I WAS A, I BELIEVE I WAS A JUNIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN THEN.
SO, UM, I DIDN'T LIVE IN DALLAS.
I HADN'T LIVED IN DALLAS BEFORE.
SO, UM, BUT WHEN I GOT HERE, THE FREEWAY WAS ALREADY NAMED SM RIGHT? SO THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, THAT MORNING, UM, MY PHONE DIDN'T RING AS MUCH.
UM, BUT I KNOW HIS WAS, AND I CALLED HIM, I LET THE DAY GO BY 'CAUSE I KNEW, I KNEW HE WAS GONNA BE BUSY.
UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS ALL OVER THE, THE INTERNET.
SOCIAL MEDIA WAS BLOWING UP AND I KNEW FOLKS WERE UPSET.
AND YOU HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE THOSE FEELINGS MUST HAVE BEEN HORRIFIC TO WALK OUTSIDE AND SEE THE, THE SIGNS OF SOMEBODY WHO'S SO IMPORTANT, ONE OF THE GREATEST LEADERS THAT HAS COME OUT
[00:35:01]
OF, UM, NOT JUST SOUTH DALLAS, BUT OF DALLAS AND TO SEE THOSE NAMES REMOVED.SO I WANNA APOLOGIZE THAT THAT HAPPENED.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS 29 YEARS AGO.
NOT A SINGLE PERSON ON THIS COUNCIL, OR I DON'T EVEN THINK IN, UM, IN THIS BUILDING WORKING WAS HERE THEN.
BUT IT HAPPENED AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT HAPPENED.
AND I'M THE CHAIR OF TRANSPORTATION, SO I'M LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT IS, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS? I I, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE DEAL WITH.
TYPICALLY BY THE TIME I CALLED MR. BAA, UM, I SAID, HEY, HOW'S IT GOING BROTHER? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I BET YOU'RE GETTING, YOU'RE BEATING A GOOD WHOOPING TODAY, AREN'T YOU? AND HE'S LIKE, AH, IT'S BEEN TOUGH, BUT YOU KNOW, HE'S HOLDING HIS OWN.
AND I SAID, WELL, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT AS CHAIR, TRANSPORTATION, WHATEVER YOU NEED, EXPEDIENCY, WHATEVER WE NEED ON THE COMMITTEE, YOU JUST, YOU JUST CALL YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED, IT'S GONNA GET DONE.
AND THEN I CALLED, UM, OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER AND UM, KIM TOLBERT AND I SAID, KIM.
AND SHE GOES, I ALREADY KNOW CHAIRMAN.
SHE GOES, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY A WORD.
AND SHE ALREADY GAVE ME THE PLAN.
AND I SAID, JUST WHATEVER YOU NEED, KIM AS A CHAIR, YOU, YOU, YOU JUST GOTTA SAY IT.
AGENDA, WHATEVER, SPECIAL CALL MEETING, WHATEVER WE GOTTA DO.
LUCKILY BETWEEN MS. TOLBERT AND MR. BAA, THE PLAN WAS ALREADY SET.
AND UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU MR. BA FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ESPECIALLY YOU KIM AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP BECAUSE IT, THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT OVER HERE.
AND SOMETIMES THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, IS ALL SOLID AND TOGETHER AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE GOT LITTLE FRACTURES BETWEEN US AND THAT, THAT'S JUST HOW THIS GOES.
RIGHT? BUT WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY, AND I LOVED HEARING, UH, MR. GRACIE TALK ABOUT THAT SUNDAY MORNING ENERGY.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHO SPOKE A LITTLE BIT AGO, BUT I WAS LIKE, OH, WE'RE ABOUT TO, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO CHURCH NOW.
IT'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, RIGHT? SO, UM, BECAUSE OF WHAT THE GIFTS THAT HE WAS GIVEN SM WRIGHT AND THAT'S WHY THIS FREEWAY WAS NAMED AFTER HIM.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD THAT TODAY WE GET TO CELEBRATE HIM AGAIN AND GET, AND, AND WHAT SOMEBODY SAID ABOUT LEARNING THAT HISTORY, THE NEXT GENERATION WILL, THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE LEADING UP HERE NOW, BUT IT'S THE ONE AFTER, RIGHT? AND SM WRIGHT DID SO MANY GOOD THINGS AND, AND OPENED UP DOORS FOR SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT A YOUNG, A YOUNG, SMART, THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT MAN IS NOW A STATE REPRESENTATIVE AT 100.
AND THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE VINCENT JONES WHO'S MAKING THINGS HAPPEN AS WELL DOWN IN AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD SEE AS A, AS A POSITIVE LEGACY GOES ON AND ON AND ON.
AND THEN TO MY, I I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET TO WORK WITH THE HONORABLE DIANE RAGSDALE OR TIFFANY YOUNG, BUT I'VE KNOWN TIFFANY FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE AS WELL BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO YOU ALL AS FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, SHARING EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL SHARED WITH US, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST MONTHS AND THAT YOU KEEP COMING BACK TO SERVE YOUR CITY.
SO THANK YOU, UM, MR. MAYOR, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE.
AND UM, I'M GONNA BE QUIET NOW, SO, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A FEW MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO SPEAK, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT AND NOBODY WAS STANDING IN ANYBODY'S WAY.
'CAUSE WE WANTED TO GET THIS RIGHT AND WE'RE GETTING IT RIGHT.
AND I KNOW THAT OUR CITY MANAGER, UM, WAS LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THESE MISTAKES ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO THE 29-YEAR-OLD MISTAKE, WE, WE DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS A MISTAKE, INTENTIONAL, WHATEVER, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS FIXED.
'CAUSE NO COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT YOU ALL WENT THROUGH THAT MORNING.
AND THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING US TO GET THIS RIGHT.
AND TO THOSE THAT ARE VISITING, WELCOME TO DALLAS.
MS. WILLIS, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.
SO I DON'T THINK I COULD MATCH THE ELOQUENCE OF DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM BEZEL DUA ON TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND TOMORROW.
UM, I THROUGH THIS MISTAKE, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS DOES GIVE LIGHT AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE, UH, GENERATIONS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE ABOUT THESE STORIES THAT I'M SURE THAT ARE TOLD.
BUT IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A RAINBOW FROM THE RAIN, IT MAY BE THAT IT'S GETTING MORE LIGHT TO SOME OF THESE STORIES.
UM, MS. GIDDINGS, WHEN, WHEN YOU AND, UH, SENATOR WEST AND OTHERS COME AND TELL US AND, UH, THE, THE, THE STORIES BEHIND THIS STORY, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
IT MEANS A LOT AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT IT'S TOLD TODAY RATHER THAN JUST IN DAYS PAST.
BUT, UM, THE SIGN IS UP AND, AND THE RIGHT WILL BE WRONGED, BUT OR THE WRONG WILL BE, RIGHT RIGHTED.
IT'S RIGHT WITH AN R AND RIGHT WITH WR, UM, BUT WHAT LINGERS AND THAT I FEEL STILL IS, UH, THE PAIN BECAUSE I KNOW IN OUR EXCHANGES THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN AND UM, I'M SORRY FOR THAT AND I JUST WANNA BE SURE YOU KNOW THAT
[00:40:05]
CHAIRWOMAN ARNOLD, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO THE AUDIENCE AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE HERE TODAY, YOU'VE PROBABLY MADE ONE MISTAKE FOR SURE TODAY, WHEN YOU SHOW UP LIKE THIS, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP TALKING
JUST ALL OF US, I'M SURE HAVE RECEIVED PHONE CALLS.
I WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO ALSO, UH, RECEIVED PHONE CALLS, WHETHER IT IS FROM PASTOR, UH, UH, WRIGHT, WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, HIS FAMILY, UH, IS VERY ACTIVE OF COURSE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
AND I GET THOSE CALLS ON SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
AND WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
BUT WHAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IS THE MESSAGE.
AND I, I'M SO EXCITED TODAY AND I GET TO BRAG A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD OF THE REPRESENTATIVE, SENATOR WEST WHO HAS THE HISTORY.
AND TODAY IS A LESSON BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE ACCUSED OF DROPPING THE BALL, WE ARE GOING, WELL, I WAS JUST ELECTED IN 20 15, 19, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IT WAS GOOD FOR US TO HAVE THE, THE, TO CONNECT THE DOTS.
SO SENATOR WEST REPRESENTS ME, AND THIS REPRESENTS DISTRICT FOUR.
MY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, YVONNE DAVIS REPRESENTS US IN ONE 11, DISTRICT FOUR.
UH, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE VENTON JONES WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT FOUR AND PASTOR WRIGHT AND YOUR FAMILY WHO LIVED IN DISTRICT FOUR.
SO IT IS ABOUT DOING MORE, DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR DALLAS.
AND SO I WAS GIVEN A NOTE THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN BECAUSE I WILL SAY THIS QUICKLY.
WHEN I ARRIVED FROM AUSTIN, I USED TO COME HERE BECAUSE I HAD AN AUNT HERE AND MY NUMBERS WAS 29 0 2 PINE STREET, 29 0 2 PINE STREET.
AND SO AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, AND I'LL BE QUICK, I WAS BROUGHT BACK HERE AND CONNECTED TO CATHERINE GILLIAM.
AND SO I WOULD TRAVEL FROM DISTRICT FOUR TO COME TO WHAT'S NOW DISTRICT SEVEN BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND SO WE CONNECTED WITH THE, THE CONGRESS, THE POL CONGRESS OF OF, OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, THE POLITICAL CONGRESS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN.
'CAUSE IT WAS ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN I BEGAN TO HEAR ABOUT THE RIGHT NAME, THE RIGHTS.
AND SO EVENTUALLY, UH, AND I'M FAST FORWARDING WHEN I WAS ELECTED AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVITED TO THE FIRST EVENT, I WAS IN AWE, THE CHRISTMAS EVENT.
IF YOU DON'T SEE GO TO ANY OTHER EVENT TO VISIT, EXCEPT YOU NEED TO GO THERE.
THE LEGACY, THE LEGACY THERE IS AWESOME HELPING PEOPLE ON EVERY LEVEL.
AND SO YOUR FATHER LAID THE GROUNDWORK OF SERVICE BECAUSE YOU ALREADY DIDN'T HAVE TO PICK THAT MANTLE UP.
YOU KNOW, SO MANY TIMES CHILDREN DON'T CONTINUE THE WORK OF THEIR PARENTS, BUT YOU ALL HAVE MADE A DECISION TO SERVE.
AND SO MY OTHER NOTE IN TERMS OF THE HANDS OF, UH, PASTOR WRIGHT WERE ON CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, I UNDERSTAND HE HELPED MOVE IN THOSE CIRCLES TO HELP HER TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE FROM DALLAS IN CONGRESS.
AND SO VERY POWERFUL, VERY INFLUENTIAL.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO TELL ALL THE STORY, BUT WE'VE TOLD ENOUGH.
AND PASTOR BROWN, YOU'VE MADE ENOUGH POINTS HERE TODAY ABOUT TODAY, YESTERDAY, AND TOMORROW.
BUT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THE STORY IS CORRECTED.
WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NO DISCONNECT IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'M VERY SURE AS I SHARE WITH THE IA MEMBERS OF THE IMAI TRUST OUR STAFF AT THIS POINT AND I FELT SURE THAT WE COULD GET ON THE BUS WITH GUS AND TAKE CARE OF THIS BUSINESS.
AND I'M SURE HE MAY, YOU KNOW, MR. GUS, UH, WILL BE HERE, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT I WANT TO CLOSE OFF TODAY BECAUSE THE MAYOR'S ALREADY TOLD US WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT HERE AT 1150.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, I GET EXCITED WHEN WE SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE.
COULD YOU LOCK IT? I'M JUST JOKING.
BUT SERIOUSLY, WE ARE HERE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
AND SO IN CLOSING AND ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE TO SPEAK ON AND OUR WILL, BUT THIS IS WHAT I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH.
I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH THIS STATEMENT RIGHT ON AND LET'S KEEP MARCHING.
[00:45:03]
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WE SHOULD SPEAK ON FOR OR AGAINST MR. BA'S MOTION? IF NOT A RECORD VOTE HAS BEEN REQUESTED AND A RECORD VOTE HAS BEEN GRANTED.THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE STATE YES IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR.
DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM BASIL? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ IS ABSENT WHEN VOTE TAKEN.
WITH ALL 14 MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT.
VOTING IN FAVOR? ONE MEMBER ABSENT VOTE TAKEN.
THAT'S WELL, MADAM SECRETARY, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THIS BODY AS RELATES TO THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
SO I BELIEVE, UH, THAT IS CORRECT, MR. MAYOR.
WE THEN CAN ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
SO THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE TIME IS NOW 11:53 AM REMEMBER THAT TIME AND THIS MEETING OF THE DOSS CITY COUNCIL IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WRIGHT FAMILY.