The City of Dallas is set to pay tribute to a civil rights luminary with brushes and proclamations. This Friday, a mural will be revealed in honor of the activist Juanita J. Craft, whose birthday is now a Dallas institution, marked annually as Juanita J. Craft Day, according to the City of Dallas.
As part of the celebration, the commissioning of a new public mural celebrates her continuous advocacy for civil and human rights. Following the unveiling at the corner of 2734 MLK Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd., attendees will have the chance to hear the reading of the Juanita J. Craft Day proclamation at City Hall, an event first launched in 2022. With light refreshments on hand, there couldn't be a more agreeable setting for Dallasites to commune over Craft's extraordinary legacy.
Craft's influence extends beyond her own time, as the Friends of Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum, who have partnered with the city for this occasion, will attest. Visitors are encouraged to step into history at the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum, a site that stands out as one of less than 10 homes in the nation committed to spotlighting the story of an African American woman's battle for rights. The museum will be specially commemorated on Saturday, Feb. 10.
For those unable to make it in person, the event will not happen without them; a live stream is scheduled to be aired on youtube.com/@CityofDallasCityHall/streams, offering both English and Spanish interpretations.
At the forefront of the celebration are key figures including Office of Arts & Culture Director Martine Elyse Philippe, Friends of Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum Chair Candace Thompson, Juanita Craft's cousin Shirley Walker, and muralist Lakeem Wilson. They will lead the activities, which are poised to kick off at 10 a.m. for the mural unveiling, followed by the City Hall event at 11:30 a.m.
The City of Dallas cordially invites media partners to register at forms.office.com/g/nGHDqSLDUt for the opportunity to capture B-Roll footage; interviews will be granted once the City Hall event concludes.
