Al Lipscomb facts for kids

Albert Louis "Al" Lipscomb (born June 15, 1925 – died June 18, 2011) was an important leader in Dallas, Texas. He served seven terms on the Dallas City Council and was a strong supporter of civil rights for many years.

In the 1970s, Al Lipscomb led a major lawsuit. This lawsuit successfully changed how Dallas elected its city council members. Before, all council members were elected by the whole city. Lipscomb's lawsuit helped create a system where most council members were elected from smaller areas, called districts. This made it easier for different groups of people to have a voice in city government.

D Magazine once called Lipscomb "the Jackie Robinson of Dallas city government." This is a big compliment, comparing him to a famous athlete who broke barriers. Al Lipscomb was the first African American person to run for mayor in Dallas. Many African American leaders say he helped open doors for them in politics. He won eight city council elections and served for 14 years, making him one of the longest-serving council members in Dallas history.

Growing Up and Fighting for Fairness

Al Lipscomb was born in a neighborhood in southeast Dallas. He grew up in a home built by his family. He shared stories about seeing his grandfather step off the sidewalk when a white person passed by. His grandfather also had to take off his hat as a sign of respect. Al Lipscomb himself often faced unfair treatment and violence from other children because of his race.

These experiences helped shape Lipscomb into a dedicated civil rights leader. His mother, Lucille Jeffrey, also inspired him greatly. She was an organizer for Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty program, which aimed to help people escape poverty.

Lipscomb went to Lincoln High School. While in high school, he worked part-time as a busboy at the Adolphus Hotel. In 1943, during World War II, he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces. He served in California with the military police. After his time in the Army, he returned to Dallas in the early 1950s. He worked as a waiter in different restaurants. He met his future wife, Lovie Lipscomb, when they both worked at the same hotel. Later, he became the headwaiter at the executive dining room of First National Bank. One of the people he served was a wealthy oilman named H.L. Hunt. Hunt would often bring his own lunch and only ask for water and a phone. Lipscomb said Hunt was a good tipper.

Joining the Fight for Change

In 1966, Al Lipscomb became a neighborhood organizer for the Dallas Community Action Agency. This group was a nonprofit that worked as part of the War on Poverty. Before this, he had volunteered with projects that challenged segregation. Segregation was when black and white people were kept separate in public places. He attended protests to open up places like drugstore counters to black people.

He also worked with Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and helped start the Dallas chapter. He also created the South Dallas Information Center, a place where people could get help with community problems. He was known for being a strong voice for his community.

One big issue at the time was stopping developers from buying homes from black homeowners at unfair prices. This was for a planned expansion of the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park. In 1969, Lipscomb, Rev. Peter Johnson from the SCLC, and other community activists organized meetings at Mount Olive Lutheran Church. They were able to talk with the mayor, J. Erik Jonsson, and get better prices for the homes. They achieved this by threatening to hold a large protest during the nationally televised Cotton Bowl Parade.

To get a meeting with the mayor, the group faced serious threats. The police chief even told them it wasn't safe to stay at the church basement where they were planning. Rev. Johnson drew a line on the floor and asked who was brave enough to cross it and continue the protest. "The first person to walk across that line was Albert Lipscomb," Johnson said. Soon after, the mayor agreed to meet with them.

Becoming a City Leader

In 1971, Al Lipscomb became Dallas' first African American person to run for mayor. He finished third out of seven candidates. He ran for city council and other offices several more times. Finally, in 1984, he was elected to the Dallas City Council.

Also in 1971, he became the main person in a lawsuit that challenged how the City Council members were elected. He and others argued that the system, where everyone was elected citywide, made it hard for minority groups to get elected. In 1975, a judge agreed. The judge said the system was unfair because it made it harder for African Americans to elect candidates they wanted. This ruling led to a new system with single-member districts, which helped more diverse voices get on the council.

Lipscomb won several more elections. In 1991, he became mayor pro tem, which is like a vice-mayor. He left the council in 1993 because of a rule about how long members could serve. Two years later, he won another election to the council. He continued to work on important issues for Dallas.

During his time on the council, Lipscomb focused on helping South Dallas grow economically. He also supported a program to prevent crime in communities. He spoke out strongly about police shootings involving minorities and pushed for fair hiring policies for minority groups.

Community Involvement

Al Lipscomb was a dedicated member of St. Mark's Baptist Church in southeast Dallas. He was a deacon and sang in the choir. He was also a leader and board member for many community groups. These included the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Dallas Legal Services, and the Progressive Voters League.

Al and his wife, Lovie, had eight children. Four of them were from Lovie's previous marriage.

Awards and Recognition

In 1980, the Texas Peace Officers Association, a group of black police officers, named Lipscomb "Man of the Year." In 1991, D Magazine included him in a list of "50 People Who Made Dallas." They called him "the Jackie Robinson of Dallas city government." The magazine wrote that Lipscomb was "capable of passionate argument... but few doubt his commitment to social justice."

Lipscomb also received awards from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, and a civil rights center. In 2015, the city of Dallas renamed part of Grand Avenue to Al Lipscomb Way to honor him. The State Fair Classic annual football game was named after him from 1990 to 2000.

His Lasting Impact

Al Lipscomb passed away in 2011 at the age of 86, after dealing with diabetes and other health issues. His longtime friend, Eddie Sewell, called him his hero. Sewell said, "He was my Malcolm X. He was my Nelson Mandela. He was my Martin Luther King." Fellow council member Diane Ragsdale said that he "was one of the strong warriors and soldiers early on, and sometimes he was out there by himself…. You must have people like Al Lipscomb to push people forward."

His wife, Lovie, passed away in 2017. Al Lipscomb's work continues to inspire people in Dallas and beyond.