In Memory Of…Marking the Unmarked

The first African Americans to live in Oak Cliff were enslaved, brought here by settlers in 1845 to work the land. The neighborhood became known as the Tenth Street District, an important African American enclave within the historically white community of Oak Cliff. It was not until after the Civil War that this became a Freedman’s Town that grew and thrived. Records differ as to when and how quickly African Americans settled here, but by 1900, Oak Cliff contained more than 500 African American residents, almost a sixth of the town’s population. Segregation forced the development of a separate commercial district that thrived. Tenth Street Historic District gave rise to famous entertainers like the noted blues artist, T-Bone Walker, and 1960 Olympic gold medal decathlete Rafer Johnson. Though the community continued to maintain a strong African American heritage, the construction of IH-35 East in 1955 and integration in the 1960s resulted in the demolition of around 175 original structures, most in the commercial area, and resulted in residents seeking opportunities elsewhere. Residential buildings date to as early as 1910 and are relatively unchanged. Oak Cliff Cemetery, established in 1846 by settler William Beaty, is within the heart of the district next to the African American elementary school, N. W. Harllee School which was built in 1928. The African Americans buried in Oak Cliff Cemetery were relegated to the rear of the cemetery, many in unmarked graves. Today we honor those deceased by creating commemorative stones which will lift up their names.