1962
What happened to the post-Civil War black community in Dallas known as Little Egypt? Richland College students, led by history professor Clive Siegle and anthropology professor Tim Sullivan, have been studying the 80-year-old settlement near Northlake Shopping Center, and they’ll share their findings at a presentation at the African American Museum of Dallas in Fair Park Saturday, Feb. 9.
Siegle, a Lake Highlands resident, noticed the pavement at Shoreview Road and Thurgood Lane was clearly from two different decades. He learned from neighbors that the surrounding area sat on the site of a black community whose residents and homes disappeared almost overnight in the 1960s. Founded by a former slave, Little Egypt thrived on 30 acres of land – even without running water, sewage services or paved streets.
Siegle spoke to Advocate’s Christina Hughes Babb in 2015 before he knew what the project would discover.
“Everyone calls Little Egypt a Freedmen’s Town,” Siegle told her then, “but do we even know that for sure? We are going to find out.”
“We are excited to share our findings and the history of Little Egypt with the Dallas community,” announced Siegle this week. “Preserving history is critical, and we want people to learn more about African American communities like Little Egypt. It’s particularly fitting that we are sharing our work at the African American Museum during Black History Month. With our students’ help and the support of family members who lived in Little Egypt, the project will continue to expand as we document the history of that community.”
The Feb. 9th presentation begins at 1 p.m. at the museum’s AT&T auditorium, 3536 Grand Avenue. The talk is free and open to the public.
2015 Richland College professors Tim Sullivan and Clive Siegle at Shoreview Road and Thurgood Lane. Photo by Rasy Ran
The pavement differences at Thurgood Lane and Shoreview Road indicate the location of Little Egypt. Photo by Rasy Ran.
