By Cheryl Smith
I minored in history at Florida A&M University.
It seemed a logical choice because the work journalists do is history in the making. Accuracy is important and when you have a chance to correct a wrong, well that’s great as opposed to letting the untruth remain the narrative or worse, revisiting to attempt to alter the truth; which is what we are doing today, unfortunately.
It took almost three decades but everything is Wright, right, and alright on S.M. Wright Free-way in Sunny South Dallas; thanks to lawmakers, community servants, members of the clergy, and the Wright family.
For those who don’t know who Rev. Dr. S.M. Wright was, some had to believe that he was something special because the S. M. Wright Freeway is the first Texas Freeway to bear the name of an African American individual.
Here’s just a snippet about the man who is still held in high esteem today. A Dallas native, born in 1927, Sylvester M. Wright, Sr. graduated from Lincoln High School in Dallas and briefly attended Butler College in Tyler, Texas before serving a two-year term in the United States Army.
At the age of 20, he returned home to Bishop College in Marshall, Tex.
Graduating with a degree in social science, young Sylvester became a preacher, then earned a masters degree in education, also from Bishop College.
In 1957 he became the pastor of People’s Missionary Baptist Church, where he served for 37 years until his death from cancer, in 1994.
In 1964 he was named President of the Inter-denominational Ministerial Alliance and you must believe his presence was felt not only in Dallas. He served in several leadership positions including being elected president of the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America.
Recognized for being a spiritual, civil rights, and community leader, Dr. Wright was a member and/or officer of numerous civic, religious, and professional organizations, and so the history books will show that he was deserving of the designation he received.
In a special meeting Wednesday, August 14, 2024, the S.M. Wright Freeway was on the agenda and the Dallas City Council voted to complete policy procedures and vote to approve the street renaming of a 3-mile portion of S. Central Expressway, located in southern Dallas. Now the state of Texas renamed S. Central Expressway to S.M. Wright Freeway on June 13, 1995, and the bill was Texas Senate bill number 1129, signed by Gov. George Bush, which made the name change effective immediately. Bill author, Senator Royce West, and State Representatives Yvonne Davis, Helen Giddings, Sam Hudson, and Jesse Jones, felt Dr. Wright was more than worthy of being honored.
When officials and family were alerted that policy procedures were never completed in 1995 by the Dallas City Council to formally rename the area, it was clear there was a problem.
It was a huge oversight without the completion of the necessary information provided to the Dallas Street Grid Information System (GIS).
The GIS was never updated to show the renaming of the three-mile stretch so still today according to the GIS records, S. Central Expressway is the name of the entire freeway.
Now this is not just for history’s sake to right the wrong.
The GIS is used by police and emergency services for traffic directions so imagine the chaos when someone is hurt or in need of aid along that stretch of highway and folks only know what they have known for decades!
Now when they say “S.M. Wright Freeway,” it’s official.
The entire City Council voted in favor of the name change much to the pleasure of those in attendance, including members of the clergy from across the country who came for a “Reunion Luncheon Tribute” on Tuesday and attended the Wednesday meeting.
The activities, culminating with the vote, were a real celebration as presentations were made to several organizations in which Rev. Wright held leadership positions, including the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance of Dallas, the African American, Pastors Coalition of Dallas, the Fellowship Missionary Baptist District Association, the Dallas Baptist Minister Union, Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas.
The Wright family, wife, Deborah D. Wright, and sons, Rev. S.M. Wright II and Rev. Calvin W.M. Wright, also shared the many ways the S.M. Wright Foundation, with events like the 26th Annual Christmas in the Park, scheduled for Dec. 14, in the Automobile Building at Fair Park, when thousands of families will be served.
This history lesson is ready and right for the books.
