OUR VOICES: District 4 – What’s in a name?

By Carolyn King Arnold

To name a street, building or park after a person is a way of publicly honoring that person’s achievements. Seeing those names ignites interest within us to find out more about that person, talk about where we’ve been, and helps us determine if we’re heading in the right direction.

Arthello Beck Jr. (1941-2004) artist and native oak cliff resident was the first Black person to open a gallery in Dallas Texas. Beck’s paintings spoke loudly through his use of bright colors on social, political and religious matters, they demonstrated his diversity in artworks that captured the daily lives of Black people. Twin Falls Park, located, on the corner of South Polk and West Red Bird Lane in Dallas Texas will be the new home an Arthello Beck Jr. sculpture.

Hiawatha Williams, founder of Williams Chicken has dedicated his life to improving the lives of others in the community and giving them an opportunity to succeed. For 18 years Mr. Williams worked for the Church’s Chicken enterprise, thirty years ago believing in himself, a dream and his abilities started The Williams Chicken Enterprise. The Cummings Recreation Center located at 2976 Cummings St, Dallas, TX has been renamed the Hiawatha Williams Recreation Community Center.

Together we will transformer today’s District 4 into a thriving district where jobs, community pride, respectable affordable housing and the essentials of quality of life are common place for all residents.