Dallas Park Board discusses renaming College Park after longtime neighborhood organizer

Park and Recreation Board members on Thursday heard several hours of public testimony in support of a proposal to rename College Park in South Oak Cliff to honor longtime community leader Faheem Minka and signaled they want staff to bring the proposal to the full board for a vote.

Supporters described Minka as a neighborhood organizer, youth mentor and founder of community programs including African American Men Against Narcotics and Southern Skates. Speakers said his work in the 1970s and later decades helped reduce violence, provided youth programming and created jobs; several speakers described him as a rehabilitated leader whose later work outweighed earlier legal troubles.

Board members said the matter is a community-driven request and discussed procedural and policy issues before moving the item toward a vote. Several members, including Park Board member Slaughter, said they supported advancing the request directly to the full board rather than routing it through committee. Staff confirmed the item has followed the board’s naming policy and that petition materials and background were included in the board packet for today’s discussion.

Public comment included eight speakers who described Minka’s community work, his role as a youth coach and organizer, and the persistence of community advocates who have sought the renaming for years. Some board members acknowledged that records include contested items in Minka’s past — including a business default and earlier convictions referenced by speakers — but said the policy allows the board to weigh a person’s whole record and community impact when considering a renaming.

City staff and the city attorney’s office also spoke at the meeting to explain the naming policy and the board’s discretionary authority. Staff noted the naming policy is guidance and that the park board “shall use a collective judgment” in determining whether a renaming serves the city’s best interest.

After discussion, a majority of board members present indicated they favored taking the request to the full board for a final vote at the next available meeting. No formal board vote to rename the park occurred at this meeting; the item was presented as a discussion only under a five-person memo and the board provided direction for next steps.

What happens next: Staff will prepare the item for the full park board agenda for a formal vote. If approved by the board, the naming would follow the department’s standard implementation steps for signage and notification.