“South Dallas is back, baby!”
I wish I could take credit for that quote, but they are the words of South Dallas resident Donald Payton. He was speaking about the restoration of the Forest Theater on the brilliant video produced for the non-profit, Forest Forward. His excitement is contagious.
There is nothing more impressive than the revitalization of a neighborhood. It’s even more exhilarating when you have a historic building as an anchor.
This Saturday, Preservation Dallas is hosting one of their InTown Outings to see the theater and understand what’s happening in the community. There was so much interest that they had to close registration, but Executive Director David Preziosi gave me some insights on this iconic building that will once again be central to the life of Dallas.
The Forest Theater was on Preservation Dallas’ Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2015 as it was threatened with demolition for a gas station. At that time, the theater was not protected, and luckily that deal fell through. After that threat, the Landmark Designation process was started for the Forest and will hopefully be completed this year.
The Forest Theater is one of the few remaining historic suburban theaters left in Dallas and very important to the African American history of Dallas. It was designed by Pettigrew-Morley and Company, the same architects as the Lakewood Theater, and opened in 1949. The 1400 seat venue served the prominently Jewish clientele of that area of South Dallas. As the population changed and became predominantly African American, the theater reopened in 1956 as a venue exclusively for African Americans. It was the largest of its type in the South at the time.
The grand reopening in 1956 was quite the event with community leaders making speeches and performances by the Booker T. Washington band and the Lincoln High School choir. It was truly a center for the community, offering films and festivals, musical performances, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies. Remember, this was the era of segregation, so the Forest Theater became a focal point for community activity. In the 1960s, it was an essential stop for performers from Gladys Knight and the Pips to Ike and Tina Turner.
As the economic divide grew, the historic theater fell into a state of neglect.
“Over time, the impact of the highway, redlining, and economic disadvantages towards the neighborhood crippled the longevity of the theater’s success,” Forest Forward President and CEO Elizabeth Wattley said.
Wattley has a special connection to this theater. She grew up in the Cedar Crest neighborhood, and all of her childhood activities were centered in South Dallas.
“Everyone in this community has a pre-existing relationship with this building,” Wattley said. “We all want to see it come back to life.”
Wattley was the Executive Director at City Square, the largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing in the City of Dallas, when they heard about the opportunity to purchase the Forest Theater. “Forest Forward was incubated at City Square in 2017, and we have been on our own since 2020,” Wattley said. The vision is to use the restoration and expansion of the historic theater to create a renaissance in South Dallas.
Forest Forward is a nonprofit organization that partners with the community to drive equitable development economic mobility and improve outcomes for children, residents, and families of the South Dallas community. The transformational infusion of $75.215 million into the heart of zip code 75215 will ignite healthy neighborhood revitalization and create a new vibrant core for the City of Dallas.
The theater will be connected with the newly formed DISD Martin Luther King Arts Academy.
“Our partnership with the school district creates sustainability,” Wattley said. “It now serves from Pre-K to 8th grade. We can bring resources to children all the way through middle school, and then they can apply to Booker T. It’s a design pathway to make students competitive. The number of students at Booker T. from our zip code is less than two percent right now.”
Of course, the age-old question of gentrification is top-of-mind for everyone, but Forest Forward is doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to preserve affordability.
“We can get this right if everyone understands the mission of keeping the residents as a priority,” Wattley said. “There is a rich history at the Forest Theater and a lot to be told. We need an establishment like this to come back to life for all of Dallas. “
The goal is for the marquee to be illuminated for the first time in over 50 years at the 75th anniversary of the Forest Theater in 2024.
“It will be a key symbol of rejuvenation, restoration, and excitement,” Wattley said.
Mr. Payton, you nailed it. South Dallas is back, baby!
