In the beginning, Dallas was inhabited by Native Americans. The Caddo Native Americans inhabited in the Dallas area before. Later, the rest of Texas, Dallas, etc. was part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain in the 16th century. Viceroyalty refers to a Spanish colony in the Americas. The area was also claimed by the French. Yet, in 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty officially placed Dallas well within Spanish territory by making the Red River the northern boundary of New Spain. In 1778, one European who visited the Dallas area probably was Athanase de Mezieres. De Mezieres was a Frenchman who was in the service of the King of Spain. He probably crossed the West Fork of the Trinity River near present day Fort Worth. He crossed the western edge of the Eastern Cross Tembers from the Tawakoni Village on the Brazos River near present day Waco. He then came north to the Red River. He wrote about his experiences too. De Mezieres' biographer, Bolton, was convinced de Mezieres was describing the Eastern Cross Timbers and the route would have him crossing the West Fork of the Trinity River between the present Fort Worth and Arlington. Dallas remained under Spanish rule until 1821. That was the year when Mexico declared independence from Spain. The area became part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. The Republic of Texas (filled with newcomers and slavery) broke off from Mexico in 1836 and remained an independent country for nearly 10 years. John Neely Bryan wanted a good trading post to serve Native Americans and settlers. He first surveyed the Dallas area in 1839. He might have been drawn by the intersection of Caddo trails at one of the few natural fords or hundreds of miles along the wide Trinity floodplain. Bryan knew that the planned Preston Trail was to run near the ford. The north-south route and the ford at Bryan’s Bluff became more important when the United States annexed Texas in 1845. After Bryan surveyed the area, he returned home to Arkansas. In Arkansas, a treaty was signed removing all Native Americans from Northern Texas, which was evil. He returned to Dallas in November of 1841. Half of his customers were gone. He decided that instead of creating a trading post, he would create a permanent settlement. He founded it on November 1841. In 1841, J. P. Dumas surveyed and laid out a 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) section of blocks and streets near present downtown.The origin of the name is uncertain, as there were a number of people named Dallas who could have been the inspiration for the name. In 1855, a group of European artists and musicians (like the French, Belgians, and the Swiss) set up an Utopian community west of Dallas called “La Reunion.” When that venture collapsed in 1857, many of the artists moved to Dallas. In Dallas, they formed the base of a culture which a century and a half later was reflected in the creative neighborhoods of Deep Ellum (east of Downtown) and lower Greenville Avenue.
By February 2, 1856, Dallas was granted a town charter during the Regular session of the sixth Texas legislature. Samuel Pryor was elected the first mayor of Dallas along with a constable, a treasurer-recorder, and six aldermen. In 1860, the town of Dallas reach 678 people including 97 African Americans (mostly enslaved), as well as Belgian, French, German, and Swiss immigrants. In that year, the railroad was approaching from the south and several stage lines were already passing through the city. In July 1860, a fire broke out in the square, destroying most of the buildings in the business district of Dallas. Out of fear, many white residents assumed that slaves were behind it, and two abolitionists were run out of town. They lynched three African-American slaves, and officials ordered all other slaves in Dallas to be whipped. People already know that racism and injustice were found in Dallas back then and today. Slavery and lynching are totally evil period. On the eve of the Civil War in 1861, Dallas County voted 741-237 in favor of secession. June 8, 1861 of that year was when a state of war was declared. Many citizens supported the rebels. Dallas was a long way from any battles and it suffered no damage from the war. The Reconstruction period brought many new events for Dallas and many benefits for the state. On June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth, Texan slaves were emancipated, as announcement of the end of the war was delayed. Many African Americans migrated to Dallas after the war for work, because the city was thriving compared to other Southern cities. They also wanted to leave rural areas to escape the supervision of whites and establish their own communities. Freedmen's towns were scattered throughout Dallas. Racist white supremacists retaliated against Reconstruction by creating a KKK chapter in Dallas in 1868 made up of white insurgent veterans. In 1869 the Reconstruction legislature established a funding mechanism to support public education for the first time, and authorized school districts to be set up across the state. Notable Civil War soldiers living in Dallas include William W. Ross. The Dallas Morning News states that, “William W. and Andrew J. Ross were early land owners who came to Dallas in 1866. One was a Civil War veteran, but, both men were farmers and real estate developers.” Ross Avenue is named in honor of the two brothers and bisects the land they formerly owned. In 2009, a Nevada-based clergy group proposed that Ross Avenue be renamed after the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. The major north-south (Houston and Texas Central Railroad) and east-west (Texas and Pacific Railway) Texas railroad routes intersected in Dallas in 1873, thus ensuring its future as a commercial center. The arrival of the trains also meant soaring populations — the population of Dallas increased rapidly from 3,000 in early 1872 to more than 7,000 in September of the same year. New buildings and new businesses appeared daily. Dallas was the epicenter of the markets for raw materials and commodity crops, such as grains and cotton, which were shipped to the South and East. It was also the "last chance" stop for supplies for people traveling west.
Magnificent words from Jesse Williams. It is always important to promote black liberation instead of worshiping the status quo. We have a serious problem where cops can kill innocent, unarmed black people in broad daylight without any accountability, but black people are overtly oppressed via a vicious system. The post-racial people and the deniers of reality should listen to this speech and witness what is real. We desire freedom now. Our job is not to support the agenda of the oppressor. Our goal and our agenda is to defend the human rights of the oppressed and to honor our black humanity. He is right to say that just because we are magic doesn't mean that we aren't real. Precisely, in this world, we face many evils, but we have the power to make a difference. One of the greatest parts of the speech was when he exposed the materialism in the industry. He accurately stated that we shouldn't be in this for money alone. The love of money is the root of all evil as history and the great recession taught us. Materialism and corporate greed are antithetical to consciousness. We want to build a real society where justice is real and where oppression is eliminated. We are opposed to unfair gentrification, cultural exploitation of our black genius, and bigotry. Jesse Williams not only wanted people to respect black human lives. He also wanted to refute the common misconceptions and lies that the far right makes about race and police brutality in general. His points about police brutality, brands, race, and the oppressive system are accurate, eloquently shown, and it should open many folks' eyes that we are not finished yet. The haters and the trolls do need to sit down, because we, as black people, will talk about our heritage and defend our human rights no matter what. He also has been actively involved in helping people in Flint, Ferguson, and in other places of America. Therefore, his speech was great, it was comprehensive, it was eloquent, and we should be inspired to walk and stand up. We stand up and never bow before evil. We believe and cherish the sacrifice and the heroic contributions of black women (who are the Mothers of the Human Race) and we fight for our human rights as black people. That is what we will always do.
One of the greatest unsung heroes was Olive Morris. She worked in Britain to defend the human rights of black people. She spoke up courageously against police brutality, economic exploitation, and other injustices. She was a great community activist and she confronted the powers that be. She lived for less than 30 years. She lived from 1952 to 1979. Her legacy is still strong. RIP Sister Olive Morris. Chimamanda Ngozi's writings and speeches has stirred minds and sparked inspiration. She believes in equality and we believe in equality too for all sexes. Her advocacy of feminism in a new generation (of the 21st century) is a continuation of the work that our ancestors have done in promoting justice (from Sojourner Truth to Harriet Tubman). She is from Nigeria and her novels outline the concepts of love, wisdom, human rights, and hope for a better future. To promote change, you have to question established views and promote notions that go against the grain. She has done that and then some. Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all time. She isn't done yet either. For years and decades, she expressed her love of tennis in enumerable ways. From the streets of Compton to the U.S. Open in New York City, she has outlined grace, inspiration, and compassion. She has inspired a whole generation of women in general to pursue their aspirations in athletics, STEM fields, and other endeavors. She has motivated humanity to see that human dignity matters and we should be judged by the content of our character never on the color of our skin. She has won Olympic Gold medals and tournaments galore. Also, her mother and father raised her to be outspoken on important issues (as she works in charities in real life) and to be her own person. Her Sister Venus Williams is an amazing person as well who personifies excellence. Serena Williams is a beautiful black woman with courage. We all cherish Black Excellence and we wish even more blessings for her.
The disgraceful poster from the Red Cross should be condemned. It's racist and disrespectful to black people. Also, such racist images are found all over the West and throughout the world. Anti-black propaganda is an evil epidemic and no fake token apology can stop that propaganda. We can never expect those who oppress us to liberate us. We have the power to liberate ourselves via using self-determination and our will. Also, it is important to care for the environment, to care for the poor, and to promote social justice since there can be no liberty without a social transformation of the whole of society. We want the world to have justice not just America. Financial mismanagement & outright corruption of funds relating to Haiti has been documented as Sister Tiffanie has eloquently written. Haiti is the first black Republic of the Americas. Haiti defeated the French and the English during the 19th century. Also, Haiti suffered Western occupations, coups, was forced to pay to France unjustly, and continued oppression by MINUSTAH occupation. Neoliberal politicians are in Haiti and corporations have exploited its resources to build large hotels instead of schools, various industries, and other infrastructure in a massive scale (which can benefit the poor in Haiti in a comprehensive way). Therefore, we embrace a Pan-African mentality meaning that we are in solidarity with our black people in Haiti. I also send great respect for the heroic activists in Haiti who are doing great work. The GOP leadership are filled with folks who supports a bigot like Trump. I will never be a GOP member at all. Mia Love has the right to believe in what she wants, but I do wish for her to condemn the extremism, the bigotry, and the hate-rhetoric shown by Donald Trump (who now doesn't want a Palestinian state and he is known to slander the Central Park Five). Even before Trump ran for President, the GOP has been filled with racists, sexists, and other bigots. Mia Love is part of a party that has shown its face as being against the interests of working class and poor people. The bigger point is that we have extremism in the world and we are not ashamed of believing in racial justice, gender justice, and the equality of humanity. I will forever believe in social and economic justice.
By Timothy
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