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    Oak Cliff
    Oak Cliff
    Oak Cliff
    Ebook139 pages49 minutes

    Oak Cliff

    By Mary Elliott Skinner and Leigh Gettman-Allen

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The community of Oak Cliff is one of progress and transformation, experiencing a "rebirth" over the last few decades. Covering approximately one fourth of Dallas County, Oak Cliff has become one of the most ethnically diverse and culturally opulent neighborhoods in the state of Texas. From the events surrounding the death of Pres. John F. Kennedy to the demographic shifts over the last 40 to 50 years, Oak Cliff has become a symbol of inimitability, re-establishing its image as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the United States.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 27, 2016
    ISBN9781439656525
    Oak Cliff
    Author

    Mary Elliott Skinner

    Mary Elliott Skinner has a lifelong connection to Oak Cliff, having been a resident of Oak Cliff as well as an active member of one of the community's iconic churches, Tyler Street United Methodist Church. With friends and family in the area, she has a personal relationship with Oak Cliff and its history. Leigh Gettman-Allen attended preschool through college in Oak Cliff. As Miss Oak Cliff 1996 and 1998, she made over 200 appearances in Oak Cliff alone, serving as an ambassador for racial reconciliation. Leigh serves as a member of many Oak Cliff organizations as well as teaches at Oak Cliff's premier college, Dallas Baptist University.

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      Book preview

      Oak Cliff - Mary Elliott Skinner

      history.

      INTRODUCTION

      It has been said, For everything there is a season . . . a time to plant and a time to harvest . . . a time to tear down and a time to build up . . . a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1–4). To many of its residents—past and current—nothing can describe the modern evolution of the community of Oak Cliff more accurately. For the last six decades, image has been an ongoing battle for Oak Cliff. From its location to its ever-changing demographics and economic brackets to its modern, hipster-like appeal, Oak Cliff seems to be in a continual confrontation with how people view it and its progression.

      The civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s brought much change to Oak Cliff. Beginning in 1971, major court battles over government-mandated desegregation of the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and busing of students disrupted lives in Oak Cliff. Many families fled to North Dallas or southern suburbs, or decided on private-schooling their children. The battle lasted more than 30 years, as DISD’s schools were not officially declared desegregated until 2003.

      Through its continual growth and challenges, Oak Cliff has preserved its small-town ambiance for a new generation. The diversity of ethnicities that harbor in its neighborhoods is what gives Oak Cliff its modern attraction. Nowhere in Dallas but on Jefferson Boulevard can one listen to live mariachi music and catch a screening of Kung Fu Master on the same street. Oak Cliff has an exceptionally rich artistic heritage and has been a breeding ground for many notable musicians and performers such as Edie Brickell, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, just to name a few.

      There has been a major commercial and privately owned business expansion in Oak Cliff since the 1960s, growing it into one of the most popular and artistic areas of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. With a steady increase in the real estate value in Oak Cliff, Dallas residents who once fled the community are now flocking to inhabit its early-20th-century homes and reestablishing its image as one of the most culturally enriched and restored neighborhoods in the United States.

      Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District, the Sylvan|30 development, and the newly established Trinity Groves area have become three of the hottest commodities of North Texas, proudly touting their independently owned restaurants and bars, trendy boutiques, esteemed art galleries, and beloved coffee shops. The Bishop Arts District has gained national attention, having been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, and the Daily Beast for its small-town appeal amidst a largely urban area.

      Oak Cliff is becoming more well-known for its tastes concerning non-mainstream fashion, progressive political views and actions, and unconventional appreciations, including organically grown foods, independent film, alternative music, and Bohemian lifestyles. Because of its recent renaissance, Oak Cliff has even been referred to once again as the Brooklyn of the South, a reference to an ad from the pages of The Southern Mercury of March 12, 1891.

      The parks and public venues of Oak Cliff are alive and moving on a daily basis, hosting anything from church cookouts and baseball tournaments at Kiest Park to art festivals at Lake Cliff and the Dallas Symphony at Kidd Springs. The Dallas Zoo, marked with its iconic and beautiful giraffe statue, is expanding yearly and has become one of the most visited sites in Oak Cliff.

      Millennials with a wide variety of styles, behaviors, and creative professions are flocking to Oak Cliff to experience this cultural phenomenon that many have known for so long. It is now not unusual to catch someone in the city proudly expressing their love for the Oak Cliff community on a bumper sticker. Quotes such as I Love Oak Cliff, Oak Cliff > Dallas, and I got my taco in Oak Cliff are becoming popular on locally sold T-shirts. Many Oak Cliff landmarks and icons are being reproduced through various pieces of art, such as tiles, paintings, mounted photography, and sculptures, that vendors cannot keep on shelves for very long. Since its revival in 2010, the Kessler Theater has brought national names from the music industry to its intimate setting. It has also hosted numerous community events, church services, and local bands. People from all over the country are purchasing front-row entertainment from popular recording artists in Oak Cliff.

      The growth of culture, culture, and more culture is what makes the image of Oak Cliff so interesting, but this expansion and growth has not been without opposition. With the extreme popularity of the neighborhood, land grabbing by developers from outside the area has become very common within the last few years, causing an uproar among residents who prefer to keep the commercial retail and residential developments

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