"I have no natural children. I have adopted the world." These are the words of Juanita Craft. Born in Round Rock, Texas, February 9, 1902, Juanita Jewel Shanks was the granddaughter of slave Amy Black Shanks and the daughter of David and Eliza Shanks. After attending Prairie View College and Samuel Houston College in Austin, Texas, she taught kindergarten and worked as a drugstore clerk in Galveston, Texas from 1922 to 1925. She moved to Dallas in March 1925. From that day forward until her death on August 6, 1985, Dallas was gifted by her strength, tenacity, generosity, and love for mankind.
Public service is often used as a term to describe volunteer work or civic duties performed by those who are financially able to help or to lead. However, there are many public servants who give of themselves even when their own existence is not a wealthy one. This applies to Juanita Craft, a seemingly tireless woman who fought for civil rights and a colorblind society through volunteering her time, knowledge and will. Her achievements through peaceful protest, N.A.A.C.P. membership, youth leadership, Democratic Party activities and Dallas city government helped to shape Dallas.
Her first job in Dallas was as a bell maid at the Adolphus Hotel from 1925-1934. In 1977, fifty-two years later, she would return to the hotel for a reception to announce her intentions to run for re-election as city council representative place 6. Dallas had seen many changes in those 52 years in which Juanita Craft had been involved.
In 1935, by joining the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.), Juanita Craft's life-long fight for equality, better living conditions, and desegregation began. Throughout her years of service to the N.A.A.C.P. she held many posts: Dallas membership chairperson (1942), Texas N.A.A.C.P Field Organizer and Dallas N.A.A.C.P. Youth Advisor (1946), and received many honors including N.A.A.C.P Golden Heritage Life Membership Award (1972). Her activities were never restricted to one group or organization. Although the N.A.A.C.P was a major interest, Mrs. Craft also held the elected position of Democratic Precinct Chairman for 23 years beginning in 1952, served on the Dallas Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board (1971-1975), a member of the Community Council of Churches, League of Women Voters, Girl Scouts, and YM-WCAs.
Many civil rights campaigns in Dallas were either sponsored by Juanita Craft, or at least had her name as participant. One important activity was the desegregation of the State Fair of Texas in 1955. Previously a "Negro Day" was designated during the run of the annual fair. In 1955, a boycott and picket by Mrs. Craft and others forced the issue to allow Blacks to come on all fair days. The opening of lunch counters and restaurants to Blacks was another issue. Mrs. Craft and others again through boycott or other forms of protest (non-violent) forced service for Blacks.
Her civic commitment was not only through social organizations but also committees and conferences appointed by government officials. She served on the Goals for Dallas Committee, Governor's Human Relations Committee and White House Conference on Youth and Children. Her interests included not only rights for Blacks, but all minorities, the poor, the sick, and the young and elderly.
Mrs. Craft, a widow since 1950, did not closet herself in her home in South Dallas, Her efforts from Youth Clean-Up Campaigns to Voters' Registration Drives was not unrecognized. She was the recipient of many awards: Sojourner Truth Award, Mayor's Award, Woman of the Year, the first black to receive the Linz Award, are only a few. Her efforts were to fight for opportunity, not welfare. She accepted these awards not for personal glory but as an acceptance of her goals.
After many years of community service an opportunity to run for city council became uni-gnorable. George Allen resigned in order to accept a justice of the peace position. The decision to run was based on Mrs. Craft's view that a lack of choice for true representation from her district existed. At age 73 Juanita Craft ran and won the place 6 seat against six others. When asked if her age was of concern her comments were always, " Don't criticize me because God blessed me with years." She has the energy no matter what the numbers said. According to an October 30, 1975 Dallas Morning News article, her main concerns for the district included the clean-up of deteriorating houses, vacant lots, weeds, and the revitalization of downtown. After completing this special election term, Juanita won a second term in 1977. In keeping with her broad scope, Mrs. Craft refused to vote only for "special interests" groups; whatever was good for the city of Dallas, was the whole basis for her decisions.
Major city issues during the 2 terms from 1975-1979 included housing, neighborhood preservation, animal control laws, sign ordinances, and traffic, including the ever-present North Central Expressway problems.
In all of these, Mrs. Craft tried to be fair. She was criticized by her opponents for not voting "for blacks" on a number of items. Her answer to this accusation was she tried to do what was best for everyone, not just one group.
Mrs. Juanita Craft, civil rights worker, women's rights advocate on some points, believer in education and the freedom to pursue opportunities, after retiring from the council continued to remain active. As a leader in the N.A.A.C.P. she attended conferences and continued voters' registration drives, stay-in-school campaigns, drug abuse clinics and other community services. On August 6, 1985, Dallas lost one of its most unusual and true public servants and leaders. In her own words: "I am not afraid of death. I have not been afraid of life."
From the guide to the Juanita Craft Collection MA81-5., 1940-1985, (Texas/Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library)
