April 26, 2018
Dallas, TX. - The Commemoration Committee to Honor Marvin Crenshaw and Roy Williams, an organization advocating for the renaming of Marilla St. to M.E. Crenshaw Blvd., filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 in the Northern District of Texas. The suit specifically seeks to undo the resolution which prohibits the renaming of Confederate streets throughout the City of Dallas, which was passed on April 25, 2018.
The lawsuit states that, “The resolution as worded under Agenda Item #34(2), now prevents the renaming of streets associated with the confederacy. The Committee is arguing that the resolution acts as content based unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech, and that it chills the Plaintiffs political speech by disallowing any meaningful participation in the established process to rename a street. Omission of such rights is tantamount to official oppression, as the African American litigants have to speak and participate in a city which officially honors their historical oppressors.”
Residents of Dallas spoke out against agenda item 34(2), arguing that it seems to be a giveaway to supporters of the Confederacy in an effort to ease the deal to bring down the Confederate War Memorial located in Dallas’ Pioneer Park. By creating a protected class of Confederate streets, the Council is in open opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement from which these issues ultimately originated from. Regardless, the resolution passed with a 10-5 vote.
Just to recap and to clarify if you can’t believe what you’re seeing, the Dallas City Council just voted to pass a resolution to PROHIBIT the renaming of streets connected the Confederacy.
This is a complete 180 from where this all started, and as you can see even African American Dallas City Council Members,Tennell Aktins representing District 8, and Dwaine Caraway representing District 4, voted in favor of the resolution. The political calculus required to issue such a vote is beyond me, and from my conversations with folks who live in South Dallas, it seems to be beyond them as well. Black elected officials in coalition with known Republicans and outright Trumpian Conservatives, just voted in favor of protecting Confederate streets. Yes...you read that right. Only in Dallas, the Accommodation Capital of the United States.
Let me let you in on something that you might not know, but the Dallas City Council was well aware of before the vote, and was part of the lawsuit that sat in front of them while they voted; “Cabell committed numerous war crimes at during the 1864 Battle of Poison Springs in Arkansas. It was so notorious that African American Union regiments had a battle cry, “Remember Poison Springs”. After the battle the 29th Texas Cavalry execution squads, led by Cabell, roamed the battlefield murdering wounded African American soldiers chanting “Where is the First Kansas N***** now? All cut up to pieces and gone to hell.” Some were scalped. The captured Union wagons were used in a contest to crush “n***** heads” under the wheels.” Not only is Cabell Rd. now protected from being renamed, but the street on which the seat of government power sits, Marilla St., is now too.
Creating a protected class of streets designed to honor and protect Confederate War Criminals, their associates, and Pro- Slavery White Supremacists, is in opposition to everything the City of Dallas and its residents stand for.
Along with the alleged Prior Restraint violation of 1st Amendment Free Speech, this vote violates the Due Process rights of he Plaintiffs. I won’t go into detail here, but you can read to see the full legal argument in the federal lawsuit here:
https://bit.ly/2HPWrKT
Needless to say the lawsuit, will move forward, and we need your support. The Committee continues on in the spirit of justice and equality by honoring the only living plaintiff of a federal lawsuit that ended Dallas' discriminatory at-large voting system. Marvin E. Crenshaw fought to give all minorities in Dallas a voice in the electoral process, and won. The 14-1 system we all function under now, is a testament to his dedication to justice and equality.
By passing this resolution the Dallas City Council has placed themselves on the wrong side of history, and for that I am saddened. Please contact us at renamemarillast@gmail.com to support our ongoing lawsuit and movement to make it possible to rename Confederate streets in Dallas, TX.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.