Craft’s protests paved a peaceful path
When segregation issues were brought before the public in the most violent and visible ways imaginable during the ’60s, one area of the country seemed to be left out – Dallas.
When Yvonne Davis Frear, a Ph.D. history candidate from Texas A&M University, informed her mentor at school that she wished to do a paper on the civil rights movement in Dallas, she was told, “That’s going to be one of the shortest papers in history.” There had been a strong civil rights movement in Dallas; it was just well organized so that little to no violence resulted here as it had in other cities.
The main source of the movement was Juanita Jewell Craft, a civil rights activist in Dallas who was born in 1902. Frear spoke about Craft last week in the Texana Room of the DeGolyer Library at SMU.
Crafts grandparents were slaves, her father was a high school principal, and her mother was a teacher and seamstress. She had a teaching certificate and taught kindergarten for a short time.
She married and worked as a drugstore clerk in Galveston for three years. When her marriage ended, she moved to Dallas, where she was employed as a maid at the Adolphus Hotel from 1925 to 1934. She later worked as a dressmaker until she married Johnny E. Craft on Oct. 2, 1937. He died in 1950.
Craft joined the Dallas branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1935.
“I became involved because I experienced humiliation and disgrace when I had my children with me and could not even buy them a Coke in downtown Dallas,” Craft is quoted saying.
Craft was active across the state of Texas during the ’40s, she was appointed Dallas NAACP membership chairwoman in 1942 and in 1946 she was promoted to Texas NAACP field organizer. She and her friend Lulu Belle White of Houston organized 182 branches of the NAACP in Texas over a period of 11 years.
In 1944 Craft became the first black woman in Dallas County to vote. She displayed her real passions when she received an appointment as Youth Council adviser of the Dallas NAACP in 1946. Her work with the young people of Dallas pioneered the way for other NAACP youth groups throughout the country.
The Dallas Citizens Council did not favor desegregation, but began to compromise on a number of issues. One issue that they did not want to compromise on was the State Fair of Texas.
African-Americans were only allowed to visit the fair on one specific day called “Negro Achievement Day”. Even then were not allowed on the midway because they might come in contact with white patrons for fear of violence. By 1947, two days were set-aside as fair days because of the expansion of the African-American population in Dallas. Even the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce seemed to support segregation of the fair and businesses.
In October of 1955, John W. Rice stated, “The State Fair of Texas does not practice segregation at any price.” This infuriated many of the Dallas business leaders.
“African-Americans who visited the fair at any other day besides the designated days were told to come back on their day,” Frear said. “There was not any violence, they were just ignored or received a cool treatment.”
Oct. 17, 1955, Craft and the youth council picketed the fair with signs that read, “This is Negro grievance day. Keep out.” Some people left the fair, some stayed.
“Juanita Craft would provide the picketers with food and drink or support as it was needed,” Frear said. “Craft never felt that the efforts were hers alone, but were shared by many others.”
By 1967, the State Fair of Texas was opened to African-Americans for the first time, every day. Peaceful protests had won. Frear feels that this was one of Crafts greatest achievements.
Also in 1955, Craft attempted to enroll the first black student at North Texas State College (now North Texas State University). This began a battle that was eventually won through litigation. The student later decided that he would rather stay at Texas Wesleyan College where he had been attending while the court battle raged.
From 1961 through 1964 she led the Youth Council in picketing lunch counters, restaurants, theaters, and public transportation to protest segregation. If an African-American wanted to buy a sundry item in Nieman’s, they could. However, they could not buy a 10-cent Coke at the same time. The belief was that either the white patron would be offended by being served along side of an African-American or that violence might erupt.
Dallas was under the control of a group of merchants in the Chamber of Commerce referred to as the Dallas Elite. People like Stanley Marcus. It was decided that word of protests or sit-ins did not really belong in local papers, so they were rarely mentioned. Frear only found one reference from 1960 in the Dallas Post Tribune.
Frear quoted Roy Wilkins of the National Association for the Administration of Colored People (NAACP).
“Young people are fanning the flames of the winds of change. We get hungry and thirsty like anyone else.”
The council investigated businesses and schools, which were segregated. They researched them and then held peaceful sit-ins and pickets of these businesses.
A student would attempt to purchase a specific item, like a 10-cent Coke. When they were refused, they asked why they were not being served. They said “Thank you” and quietly walked away, then documented the incident. When there were several such incidents, the students would have a sit-in at the lunch counters or wherever.
Stanley Marcus was one of the first businesses to desegregate.
By 1967, Craft had initiated an investigation of fraudulent trade-school practices in black communities in Dallas. This resulted in legislation being passed that established rules for such schools.
Juanita Craft was a Democratic precinct chairwoman from 1952 to 1975 and served two terms on the Dallas City Council between 1975-1979. In 1985 the NAACP recognized her 50 years of service to the organization. During her life she visited the White House on invitations from Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. She died on August 6, 1985, and was buried in Austin.
