DALLAS (Nov. 8, 2024) – The Dickerson Center for Civic Responsibility, Inc. will premiere a new documentary film titled “Katie Johnson Warren — Herstory: Life in North Dallas Freedman Town” on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the African American Museum, Dallas (3536 Grand Ave. in historic Fair Park). The event is free and open to the public. The public is asked to RSVP via the QR code on the below flyer or at dickersonciviccenter.org. The film is funded by The Summer Lee Foundation.
Kathleen Sanders, who lives in Dallas and is the granddaughter of Katie Johnson Warren, has taken on the important task of documenting and sharing the story of her paternal grandmother, who passed before she was born. This 20-minute documentary, a labor of love, provides the historical context of her grandmother’s life as a laundress who later became a sought-after clairvoyant. She was also a philanthropist, and her story is a testament to the importance of preserving family history.
After the Emancipation Proclamation freed African Americans from slavery in 1865, many Blacks in Texas moved to Dallas and established Freedman Towns. Katie Johnson came to Dallas in 1891 at age 19.
She settled in Freedman Town, a once-thriving North Dallas community that, from the Civil War to the 1970s, was the largest segregated African American enclave in Dallas – and one of the largest in the country. Black pioneers started the new community during Reconstruction, and it succeeded despite adversity.
Segregation policies in Dallas restricted African Americans from living outside the Black enclaves. Despite these significant challenges, Mrs. Warren achieved control over her life by working as a sought-after clairvoyant.
Mrs. Warren purchased her property in Freedman Town in 1916, and it remains one of the few single-family dwellings owned by a family in what is now Uptown.
Storytellers include Mrs. Warren’s granddaughter, Kathleen Sanders, along with W. Marvin Dulaney, deputy director of the African American Museum and associate professor of history emeritus at The University of Texas at Arlington; historian Donald Payton; Professor Clarence Glover, Jr.; and Dr. Marsha Prior.
Below is a recap of the documentary provided by the filmmakers:
The world was changing. Formerly enslaved citizens could buy land in (North Dallas) Freedman Town early in the 20th century following Reconstruction. Many came there for opportunities including employment, education and more. The railroad brought them from cities across Texas.
According to author Dr. Njoki McElroy in her memoir, 1012 Natchez, she describes Katie Johnson Warren’s home saying: “Patron’s fancy cars were parked out front. She was renowned for her insights into the lives of affluent whites who would visit with her for counsel.”
How this was done is a mystery. Her clairvoyance afforded her a unique opportunity as a business woman and propelled her into unforeseen social circles amongst whites in spite of racial segregation.
Yet Katie Johnson Warren also lived a life rooted in family and community. She aligned herself with groups who sought to empower African Americans as a 47-year member of Bethel A.M.E. church and president of the stewardess board; a patron of Paul Quinn College during its earliest beginnings in Waco, Texas; and as a member of fraternal organizations including the Order of the Eastern Star.
Perhaps we can glean from writer W.E.B. Dubois’ “Souls of Black Folk” and his theory on the duality of the Black experience that Katie Johnson Warren was able to navigate both worlds and thrive. Her popularity amongst Whites did not preclude engagement with Blacks.
Herstory reminds us of the precipice Black people were forced to tread in spite of their achievements and imposed limitations. Freedom meant that their progress became a collective goal including education, ownership and service.
Grandmother Katie understood this. As long as we call her name, her spirit remains.
For more information, go to dickersonciviccenter.org.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Admission to the African American Museum is free, and free parking is available in the surrounding lots.
HOURS. Hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. NOTE: The museum will be open on Monday, Jan. 15 for Dr. King’s birthday. Free self-parking is available in nearby lots.
For more information, go to aamdallas.org or call 214-565-9026. For the latest updates, follow the Museum on Instagram and Facebook.
