The celebration of civil rights icon Mr. Sam Tasby was held on Saturday, April 23rd, at Sam Tasby Middle School and broadcast virtually. The annual celebration provides a chance for students to show off their incredible talents while honoring the late civil rights icon.
Since 2007, Sam Tasby Middle School has hosted Sam Tasby Community Appreciation Day to honor the legacy of the man who was the centerpiece of the lawsuit that ended desegregation in Dallas ISD. Every year, the program presents a new and honorable theme showcasing Mr. Tasby’s legacy. This year’s theme was “Honoring the Past and Shaping the Future.”
The program’s keynote speaker, Dallas ISD Trustee Dan Micciche, delivered an inspiring speech connecting the audience of all ages to Mr. Tasby’s notable acts of honor, bravery, and integrity. Additional speakers included current and past principals who served at Sam Tasby Middle School. All remembered Mr. Tasby as one who was committed to the Vickery Meadows community and, most importantly, to the students at Sam Tasby Middle School.
Sam Tasby Community Appreciation Day is a wonderful experience for children, parents and community members. Students recited poetry in their native languages, performed musical selections and gave a soul–stirring Caribbean Dance tribute to the memory of Mr. Tasby. Students also wrote personalized letters to the Tasby family detailing the impact the school’s namesake had on them. Local community volunteers and area businesses paid tribute to the legacy of Mr. Tasby with kind words and contributions to ensure the program was a success.
Mr. Tasby’s great-granddaughter Dr. Calissia T. Tasby, a mental health clinician at David W. Carter High School, said it was a privilege to attend Sam Tasby Appreciation Day.
“I love the rich cultural diversity at Sam Tasby Middle School and the different countries and cultures the students represent. Watching the students showcase their talents on this special day always brings joy and smiles to our family’s faces.”
Keeping Up The Good Trouble: Two of Sam Tasby’s descendants continue his legacy in Dallas ISD
Family member Rashonda Phelps, a Seagoville Middle School teacher, said, “I am thankful for Sam Tasby Community Appreciation Day and will attend for as long as they have it. It is a wonderful tribute and honor to my grandfather. I am overjoyed seeing the love and appreciation the students and staff show regarding my grandfather’s legacy. My family is always blessed to be included.”
Sam Tasby Community Appreciation Day is a well-attended program planned annually by a small, dedicated group of teachers who strategically develop student involvement through programs like BRIDGES! and the Sam Tasby Middle School Dance club. Ms. Collins, Ms. Henderson, Ms. Robinson, Mr. Willis and other campus faculty creatively develop the theme to connect students, the audience and community partners.
This year’s honored guests included the Tasby family; Dallas ISD Deputy Superintendent Susana Cordova; Dr. Anthony Mays, former Sam Tasby Middle School principal and current Austin ISD Chief Officer of Schools; Dallas ISD Executive Director Temesghen Asmerom; Ed Cloutman, civil rights attorney; Sam Tasby Middle School Principal Audrey Delacruz; Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School Principal Sandra Barrios; and Jack Lowe Jr., a businessman and civic leader who formerly served as Dallas ISD trustee and board president.
Also highlighted were past and current Sam Tasby Scholarship recipients. To date, approximately $15,000 has been awarded from the Sam Tasby family and private donors. Each year, two high school seniors who attended Sam Tasby Middle School from sixth to eighth grade are eligible to become scholarship candidates. Past scholarship recipients include valedictorians and honors graduates from Emmett J. Conrad High School and neighboring high schools in North Texas.
