Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved a modified version of a plan aimed at correcting vast racial and economic inequities experienced by Black and Hispanic residents, many of whom live in the southern and western areas that have been historically segregated by city policy.
While community groups and council members acknowledged the city’s first racial equity plan as a step forward to make Dallas a more fair place for all, critics say the plan lacks specific steps for achieving outcomes, is unclear on funding sources and has inconsistent community input processes.
“What got approved today was the aspiration. We want to aspire to have these five major things we want to address as a city,” said Raul Reyes Jr., president of the community group West Dallas 1. “But at the end of the day, it’s the work component that is the part that brings about equity.”
The 14-1 vote sends the plan to the city departments and will serve as guidelines to create detailed goals seeking to address racial and economic disparities in housing, wealth, jobs, development, environmental justice, infrastructure, public safety and wellness.
Among hundreds of progress measures, the plan targets “equity priority areas” or historically disadvantaged communities with goals to:
- Increase air quality in city buildings
- Double the number of teams monitoring illegal dumping sites
- Increase outreach to get feedback on the city budget
- Decrease arrests for low-level offenses
- Increase by 30% the number of bilingual supervisors in the 311 service department by the end of 2026.
Ahead of the vote, District 8 councilmember Tennell Atkins lamented Dallas’ “tale of two cities” and the vastly different experiences of people who live in the northern and southern areas.
“If we’re going to be one Dallas, we need to share the wealth,” he said, calling this plan a necessary step toward fixing inequities.
District 11 council member Jaynie Schultz called on the council to unanimously approve the plan with a modification that departmental measures be reviewed annually by community stakeholders and city council committees.
The lone vote of opposition was from District 12 councilmember Cara Mendelsohn, who called the plan “bad policy” because it fails to address persistent racial segregation.
“The goals in the plan are very laudable, but things like eliminating the wealth gap are beyond city government,” Mendelsohn said. “The pinnacle goal that’s discussed in the plan of becoming the most equitable city I think is wrongheaded. I don’t think that’s the goal for a city council. I think our goal is to be the most livable city, the best livable city.”
Spanish-language version
Several speakers at the meeting asked the council to delay the vote so Spanish-speaking residents had access and time to review the Spanish-language version of the plan, which they say the city didn’t post online until Monday.
“We ask that you take every possible measure to ensure that communities that have experienced racial inequities over the past many decades have the most opportunity to provide feedback in the language that they prefer,” Esther Villareal said.
Reyes said he and his neighbors support the racial equity plan but they wanted more time to review the plan and provide input.
“All we can do now is see how it’s going to get delivered,” Reyes said. “And hopefully, city council and operational staff are intentional and say ‘you know what, let’s continue to work with the community to get this right.’”
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Omar Narvaez asked city staff if there will be an opportunity to involve community input if this plan was to be approved.
Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira answered that’s a part of the plan’s strategic framework.
“The way I’ve read it is that this is a living, breathing document that can adjust and change over time,” Narveaz said.
Cedillo-Pereira said the city will host two town halls in English and Spanish in early September.
Hispanic residents make up 42% of Dallas’ 1.3 million population; white residents are 28%; Black residents, around 23%; Asians, 4%; and Pacific Islanders are among other racial groups that make up less than 1% each.
Environmental justice
While many speakers said they supported the city’s pursuit of racial equity goals, some groups say the plan lacks specifics to address what they say are urgent environmental justice concerns.
Evelyn Mayo, chair of the clean air group Downwinders at Risk, said she is concerned with the lack of funding to ensure the plan’s implementation, inconsistent community engagement and lacking details in the environmental justice section.
“This has now become yet another plan that makes mention of this massive equity issue, that is land use zoning and environmental justice, but does nothing to offer a solution towards addressing it,” Mayo said.
Downwinders is part of the coalition that last week filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing of Urban Development against the city of Dallas alleging the city’s industrial zoning practices have a discriminatory impact on Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
- The plan identifies “equity priority areas” that have the greatest needs based on federal data. The plan outlines several “Big Audacious Goals” to transform five areas where Black and Hispanic residents experience the most inequities:
- Economic, workforce and community development
- Environmental justice
- Housing
- Infrastructure
- Public safety and wellness
Each “BAG” includes action targets and departmental measures to create a baseline and set 3-to-5 year goals.
The racial equity plan is a response to a 2019 equity report that showed Black and Hispanic residents in the city have less access to safe, affordable housing, quality schools and health care, among other things.
District 13 councilmember Gay Donnell Willis says she supports the plan but wants sharper focus such as using census tracts instead of ZIP codes when targeting inequities.
Before the vote, District 7 councilmember Adam Bazaldua compared the city’s racial equity resolution with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream speech.”
“We want the same dream,” he said. “And now we’re going to implement policy to allow for all of the next generation of Dallasites to accomplish that.”
