Phillis Wheatley mural in South Dallas celebrates poet, abolitionist

DALLAS - A mural of famous African American poet and abolitionist Phillis Wheatley now adorns an exterior wall and staircase at the South Dallas school building that carries her name.

Phillis Wheatley High School, built in 1922 for African American students, is no longer a Dallas ISD building, but still serves as a place of learning.

The building is now home to the Cornerstone Crossroads Academy, a second-chance high school for students from 17 to 25.

"A lot of our students come to us with grit. They've had these hard lives, and now they're ready for a second chance at completing their education, and so we're here providing inspiration and helping them achieve their goals," said Warren Jones, the principal of Cornerstone Crossroads Academy.

The school held a celebration for the unveiling of the mural of Wheatley on Friday.

"She brought her faith together with her ability to write, to really challenge the political and religious leaders about slavery in our country. She was a big part of the abolition of slavery and so her example to us all is just so inspirational," said Kristi Lichentenberg, Executive Director of Cornerstone Crossroads Academy.

The mural, created by artist Christalyn Peach, was commissioned by the City of Dallas Community Arts Division.

"I really wanted to focus on what the school wanted to project out into the community as a whole and I also wanted that to connect with the students and with the community members," Peach said.

Like Phillis Wheatley, the school has a legacy in this space over a hundred years in a neighborhood on a National Historic Register.

"It just means the world to us. We love the mural symbolizing Miss Wheatley looking forward to the future and our students looking back at the past and just to see that bridge between the two is just a beautiful symbol," said Lichentenberg.