South Dallas in Dallas County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Juanita Craft House
Juanita Jewel (Shanks) Craft (1902-1985) was born in Round Rock and attended schools there and in Austin before earning certificates from Prairie View and Samuel Huston Colleges. She joined the Dallas Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1935 and became a pivotal NAACP civil rights organizer, children's advocate, public servant and humanitarian. From 1950 until her death, she lived here, hosting nationally-known politicians and civil rights leaders, including Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins. In the 1950s, artists such as Duke Ellington and Marian Anderson stayed in her home when touring Jim Crow Dallas.
This Craftsman-style bungalow was built in 1925 in Wheatley Place Addition, just south of Wheatley Place, one of Dallas' first residential subdivisions developed exclusively for African American families. This area has been home to a remarkable community of educators, political reformers, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs. This house was a nexus for community mobilizations, social justice activism and political campaigns on local, state and national levels. As advisor to the South Dallas NAACP Youth Council, Juanita Craft shaped generations of youth from this house and on annual summer trips across the nation. Her backyard was the setting for countless barbeques bringing citizens from all communities together to address the issues of the day.
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. One of Dallas' most beloved public figures, she bequeathed this home and an extensive historical estate to the public, so that future generations could come to understand the importance of service to community and nation.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2010
Marker is property of the State of Texas
Erected 2010 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 16679.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Civil Rights • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1935.
Location. 32° 45.884′ N, 96° 46.018′ W. Marker is in Dallas, Texas, in Dallas County. It is in South Dallas. Marker is on Warren Avenue just north of Atlanta Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2618 Warren Avenue, Dallas TX 75215, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. South Boulevard-Park Row Historic District (approx. 0.4 miles away); John C. McCoy (approx. half a mile away); Richard M. Gano, CSA (approx. 0.6 miles away); WRR Radio (approx. 0.9 miles away); A Tribute to Texas Women in the Civil War (approx. one mile away); Tueria Dell Marshall (approx. 1.1 miles away); L. Butler Nelson Cemetery (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fabulous Quarter Horse Steel Dust (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dallas.
Also see . . . More information about Juanita Craft. (Submitted on September 15, 2020.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 14, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.