Standing on the shoulders of those who came before her, and stoking the fire for those who would follow, Juanita Jewel Craft (1902-1985) was an iconic NAACP and social justice reformer in the long-battle for first-class citizenship for African-American and other oppressed communities across 20th century Texas. Born forty years after The Emancipation Proclamation, Craft took up the mantle of leadership during the crucible years of the modern civil rights movement and left in her wake a more humane society. She vigorously advocated a post-racial vision for America, one of the earliest public figures in this region to do so.
The ability to surmount cultural, ethnic and social barriers and gather people together on the common field of their humanity was Juanita Craft’s special gift. A unique and beloved public figure, she bequeathed both her home at 2618 Warren Avenue in South Dallas and an extensive historical estate to the public so that future generations may come to understand the power of service to community and nation by individual citizens who rise to meet the continuing challenges of social inequality and lack of economic security.
The Juanita Craft Foundation was established in 1985 at her request and honors our namesake primarily in three ways.
The Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and the adjacent Craft Memorial Garden in the Wheatley Place National Register District in Dallas, is owned by the city of Dallas under the auspices of The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. The 1920’s era Craftsman bungalow, the residence of Mrs. Craft from 1950 to 1985, was the organizational epicenter of major social justice campaigns in support of mid-century Texas Freedom Movements. The Craft House is only one of a handful of sites across the United States memorializing women activists from the 20th-century civil rights and social justice movements. One of the Craft Foundation’s primary objectives is to fund a conservancy ensuring the long-term sustainability of this historic site in an initiative led by the Juanita Craft Museum House Task Force and the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Please visit juanitacrafthouse.org to stay in touch with this effort.
The second focus of the Foundation is designing, sponsoring and conducting signature conferences, symposia and roundtables addressing fascinating yet understudied subjects within the field of 20th century Texas Freedom Movements. A number of events are being actively planned for the 2019-2020 program cycle.
The third initiative is an archival collection program, The Juanita Craft & Lulu White Collecting Consortium, that focuses on collecting then accessioning mid-century Texas Freedom Movement oral and material history to two major university archives in Texas.
The Juanita Craft Foundation, her partners and collaborators are committed to deepening the current historiography of The Texas Freedom Movements, identifying new areas for inquiry, broadening the pool of primary materials and encouraging scholarship through grants. The Foundation endeavors to further the full incorporation of Texas Freedom Movement history into the constantly evolving master narrative of the civil rights and social justice histories referenced by academics, journalists and informed generalists across the United States.
For additional information, please contact G. Chandler Vaughan, Managing Trustee, at gcvaughan@juanitacraft.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/g-chandler-vaughan-5000522b/
Join us on our journey together through this inspiring history!
The Juanita Craft Foundation 