South Dallas notched a long-awaited win this week with the formal dedication of the John Lewis Social Justice Academy at Oliver Wendell Holmes in Oak Cliff—an $80 million campus built to put civic learning, student leadership, and social-justice work at the heart of middle school.
The neighborhood turned out Tuesday night, November 13, for tours of the gleaming new building, remarks from elected leaders, and a mass-choir performance of the school song “Every Praise.” On hand: U.S. Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Hakeem Jeffries, State Senator Royce West, State Representative Toni Rose, Dallas City Councilmember Maxie Johnson, and Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, as reported by Dallas Weekly.
“Freedom isn’t a state, it’s an act. And each generation must do its part,” Congresswoman Nikema Williams told the crowd, urging students to treat the academy as a living movement. Byron Sanders, the Dallas ISD trustee for District 5, said it mattered that “the spirit of John Lewis was present” and that young people learn the stories of civic struggle, according to Dallas Weekly.
Built for civic learning and leadership
Dallas ISD designed the two-story replacement campus to honor the original façade while adding modern spaces built to amplify student voice. Inside: a central, open “living room” library, maker spaces, specialty classrooms, an auditorium, a competitive gym, and a dedicated chamber for civic literacy and public speaking. The district outlines these features as part of the campus rollout and says the project was built to support classroom advocacy and leadership, per the Dallas ISD…