Voices of Justice & Liberation

The tradition of Calaveras Literarias is steeped in dark humor. It

is a staple of Día de los Muertos. Originally it was a form of

political commentary, writing calaveras literarias to mock living

politicians. A way to express political criticism in the press.

Today, calaveras literarias are often written about famous

people or politicians, and even family members or friends. The

catch is they must be alive, not dead. My Calavera Literaria is

about a neighborhood.

Oak Cliff passed away in 1963 or so. The buildings of Jefferson

lost it’s flesh little by little. It was always dry, but even more so

as business and it’s people left to the burbs. Soon, every organ

was dead by the late 70’s and early eighties. Constituents

leaving it for dead.

By a miracle, there was a small faint heart beat that the rumble

of moving trucks drowned out. The buzz of better

neighborhoods was just too loud. Some say it did die. Others

say it came back to life. Migrants became not only the

backbone of Oak Cliff but the muscle too. The buildings were

skeletos, pura Calaveras! Yet the skeleton like buildings did not

scare las familias away.

Migrant business owners like El Ranchito, Jerry’s, Lizcano

Bridal Shop, Homerun Pizza and Carmen’s put the heartbeat

back in to Oak Cliff. Arturo’s Upholstery who was once on the

corner of Davis St. and Hartsdale finally opened a second

location on Jefferson by the 90’s Jefferson Blvd. What we know

as LA JEFFERSON is rich and alive with cultura and a good

mix of diversity that is like no other place in Dallas!

Recently Oak Cliff is dying again! Soon we will be mourning the

Oak Cliff that Oak Cliff once was! Even though the once dead

Barrio was re-born. It is now suffering a very slow death due to

Gentrification. Unfortunately, the very people that we have put

in office to protect Oak Cliff are the very one’s letting the

disease sweep over Oak Cliff. Is out of control!

We are losing Oak Cliff to something that has no cure,

Gentrification! There is remedies to ease the growing pains.

Yet the policies, city codes and requirements only seem to feed

the disease vs provide relief.

The Oak Cliff as we know is changing. It is mutating and

becoming a cancer we cannot cure. Ask the shops along

Clarendon, Hampton, Davis Street and Beckley. They are very

near the end and is with great sadness that we not only bid

farewell to these shops and small businesses but it’s owners

and many other businesses that neighbors cannot visit.

If Oak Cliff had a eulogy it would read. The once dead Oak Cliff

came back alive only to die again! We have to resort to

remembering the Oak Cliff we once knew through old pictures

and city maps, CO’s, permits, compliant or non on city records.