Dallas city manager urges remembrance, reckoning and renewed local action for Black History Month

Kimberly Beiser Tolbert, the city manager for Dallas, said Tuesday that Black History Month should prompt the city to remember past contributions, reckon with injustices and renew efforts to make opportunity available to all residents.

Tolbert opened her remarks by saying, “Black History Month is a commitment to remember, to reckon, and to renew,” and called on city officials and residents to translate remembrance into daily government action. She said the history of Black Americans is visible across Dallas—in neighborhoods, small businesses, faith communities, classrooms and the city workforce—and credited generations of Black residents for building the city.

Why it matters: Tolbert framed the observance as more than symbolic recognition. “As city manager, honoring black history means doing the daily work of building a more inclusive Dallas,” she said, outlining priorities that include listening to community voices, investing in safer, stronger neighborhoods and aligning city policies with stated values.

Tolbert urged specific civic measures that focus on equity and opportunity. She emphasized that opportunity should not be defined by “your zip code, your background, or your bank account,” and encouraged support for businesses and institutions that advance inclusion. She also called for teaching a fuller history in schools and standing together against hatred and division.

The remarks were delivered as an official statement from the Office of the City Manager and closed with a call to collective responsibility: Tolbert thanked listeners for their contributions to the city’s vibrancy and said, “together, we will write the next chapter of Dallas' story.”

No motions, votes or formal actions were recorded during the remarks. The address serves as a policy-oriented call to action from the city manager’s office rather than the adoption of a new ordinance or directive.