A historic Dallas memorial honoring formerly enslaved Black Americans has been vandalized, leaving community members heartbroken and demanding greater protection for the sacred site.
According to Dallas Police, multiple people were seen at Freedman’s Cemetery Memorial removing plaques at about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 1.
The bronze plaques, which included 10 poems written by local students, celebrated the perseverance and legacy of Black Americans in Dallas.
Clarence Glover, a former professor of African American Studies at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Dallas County Pioneer Association, said the theft feels deeply personal.
“It’s a tragedy, of course. It’s a travesty because it reflects our history both as African Americans and as a city,” Glover said.
He pointed to the residue left on the marble where the plaques once hung, describing it as a painful reminder of the loss.
“There had to be some effort to get them off,” Glover said.
NBC 5 News
NBC 5 News
A missing plaque at the Dallas Freedman’s Cemetery Memorial.
Though the bronze statues by artist David Newton remain intact, Glover said the stolen plaques held unique cultural and emotional significance.
“They’re personal,” Glover said. “One of them was from David to his mother, so they have a personal meaning to the community and reflective poems.”
Dallas resident Bubba Chenault said he first noticed missing plaques weeks before the theft was reported.
On Sept. 12, he shared photos on X, tagging Dallas Parks and Recreation to alert them to the issue.
“It bothers me that the city, first of all, doesn’t take care of historical places like this,” Chenault said.
Chenault’s September photos still showed two of the poems on the far left side of the memorial, but by October, they were also gone.
He said the city’s recent installation of surveillance cameras and reduced park hours felt like an afterthought.
“Yeah, it is a bad look,” Chenault said.
The Dallas Parks and Recreation Department told NBC 5 in a statement that it is unclear exactly when the plaques were removed.
“Dallas Park and Recreation is aware of the community’s concerns about the memorial plaques removed from Freedman’s Cemetery. It is unclear when the plaques were removed, and Dallas Police is conducting its investigation into possible vandalism,” the department’s Deputy Director M. Renee Johnson said in a statement. “Freedman’s is a historic and cultural site of great importance to our park system and to our city. The Department is working with City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture to replace the plaques. We also are collaborating with local historians and historical and preservation groups that have generational and deep-rooted ties to Freedman’s Cemetery. We appreciate the public’s support as Dallas Park and Recreation works to restore this respected space.”
A surveillance camera tower now overlooks the site, and a new sign and chain lock have been added to help prevent future vandalism.
The site now has reduced opening hours at 8 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m.