44 November 2021 | prestonhollowpeople.com
Society
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DALLAS WOMEN AT WORK
Leaders reflect on century of service, increasingly diverse future
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: Junior League of Dallas Centennial Committee co-chairs Margo Goodwin and Andrea Cheek, JLD president Elizabeth Dacus, Centennial Project chair Sarah Jackson, and city of Dallas director of the Office of Arts and Culture Jennifer Scripps at the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House. Members of Junior League of Dallas have found many ways to serve the community through the decades while training up women leaders. (PHOTOS: COURTESY JUNIOR LEAGUE DALLAS, PEOPLE NEWSPAPERS ARCHIVES)
By Emilea McCutchan
improving the Dallas community, providing over 130,000 service hours and about $1 million in funding each year. s Junior League of Dallas celebrates Brown-Sanford has been an active its Centennial, president Christa member with JLD for 14 years, balancing Brown-S anford and former service on multiple committees like the represident Karen Shuford anticipate search and development team with her cachanges even as JLD stays focused on its reer as an attorney. central mission. “Every year as I’m volunteering, I “At Junior League, we train future wom- think, ‘Oh, this is my favorite one,’” said en leaders in Dallas, period,” Brown-San- Brown-Sanford. “I think I have learned ford said. “I think when you just look at something about myself, how I work with that, there is an impact on the community others, and how I lead that has helped me that is so important because of the work to create this skillset that is so important in that we’re doing with women.” every other aspect of my life.” Established in 1922, the Junior League In celebration of 100 years of service of Dallas started with 40 members deter- dedicated to the Dallas community, JLD mined to make a difference in their com- exhibited historical documents, memoramunity and has grown to almost 5,000 bilia, and photos at the Hall of State during members PCP_Nov2021_Banner_Draft1.pdf today. the State Fair of Texas and is rehabilitating 1 10/5/2021 1:32:59 PM One of the largest and oldest Junior the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House as Leagues, the organization dedicates itself to a Centennial Project. JLD has raised about
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$1.4 million for the project so far. “Having been a member for 46 years, I’ve seen over and over again that when a community need or an issue arises, the Junior League members step up to the plate,” Shuford said.
At Junior League, we train future women leaders in Dallas, period. Christa Brown-Sanford When abused children had to retell their story to authorities, Junior League women stepped forward and established the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Shuford said. Brown-Sanford said members helped fundraise money in the 1970s to create the Dallas Museum of Art with the city and
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later the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Looking towards the future, both Brown-Sanford and Shuford hope to increase diversity within the organization. “In 100 years, I think that the league will continue to grow to be more reflective of the community that we serve and really expand upon our diversity of membership from a racial and ethnic standpoint, from a geographic standpoint, and from a socio-economic standpoint,” Brown-Sanford said. Shuford hopes future members visit the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and become inspired by the “remarkable lady who [believed] that people from all backgrounds can come together and make a difference. She said, “[We want] to ensure that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income, are treated with dignity and equality, and have access to things like healthcare, housing, employment, and safety.”
