What if I told you there is a hidden gem south of Dallas, a place that feels suspended in time? A forgotten place, full of history and nostalgia. This area sits in stark contrast to the sleek skyscrapers that rise just 7 miles to the north. Here you’ll find charming streets lined with weathered homes, their stories etched in every cracked facade. A slower pace of life that invites you to pause and reflect.
Motorists driving along Interstate 45 speed by these sacred grounds without realizing a freedmen’s town sits just beyond a thick veil of concrete and a tangle of train tracks. This community was established before Dallas was even granted a town charter by the Texas Legislature. This is the town of Joppa.
Joppa is one of North Texas’ few remaining freedmen’s towns. These historically significant neighborhoods can be found in various cities across the U.S. where formerly enslaved Blacks settled after the Civil War. These neighborhoods often emerged as vibrant communities with distinct cultural characteristics. Trendy and bustling Uptown was once a large, formerly enslaved community, and now only a freedmen cemetery remains…