The proposal to change the name of a Fort Worth rec center has been in the works for more than a year and could get voted on by council Tuesday, Jan. 10.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The proposal to change the name of a Fort Worth community center has been in the works for more than a year. But now, people opposed to it are speaking up.
One of them is longtime Fort Worth resident Marcus Graves. He said he strongly supports the family of Atatiana Jefferson but wants the recreation center dear to his heart to stay as is.
“I am 100% against it,” Marcus Graves said. “Hillside Recreation Center saved a lot of us when we were growing up as kids in that community.”
Graves spoke out from his hospital bed. That’s where he has recruited others to speak at the Fort Worth Council meeting, which is scheduled to vote Tuesday night on changing the Hillside Recreation Center name.
Councilman Chris Nettles started working on the name change proposal more than a year ago. Nettles told WFAA he started the work after hearing from people in his district.
“We are proposing that we change the name of Hillside Community Center to Atatiana Carr Jefferson at Hillside Community Center,” said Nettles.
Outside, the rec center has a new playground for parents to take their kids. Inside, there is a full-size gym with basketball hoops, a computer lab for students and activity rooms for special programs. The center offers some programs that are free and others with minimal fees if families can afford to pay.
Nettles is already prepared to hear alternative proposals from the public and his fellow council members when it comes to the Hillside Recreation Center. Since learning of other names people want considered, he is also encouraging residents to reach out to city leaders.
“There is a long list of names that the city of Fort Worth should honor here in the city. I’m respectful of those names that have come up. I’ve just been aware of some of the names and some of them are still living. One of the rules and guidelines is that when you rename a center or anything, city property is normally common for the person to be deceased,” Nettles said.
“I don’t necessarily agree with that, but that’s what the policy and procedures have been in the City of Fort Worth. But there are workarounds that we can do. There are rooms inside of Hillside that we can label and name and honor them on top of the doorway as they go in. And so, this is not the end all, be all,” he continued.
James Smith said, “I’ll be ecstatic if they vote yes to do it.”
Smith is one of the people who strongly supports changing the Hillside name.
In October 2019, it was Smith who called police to do a welfare check at Atatiana’s home. It ended tragically after former officer Aaron Dean fatally shot the 28-year-old college student through a window.
Since then, the city has proclaimed Oct. 12 as Tay Day in Fort Worth, and council members voted and renamed a Fort Worth street after Atatiana Jefferson.
“This didn’t happen overnight. The idea for the motions have been in place more than two years. In fact, it would have been named this past October, but the city wanted to wait until the trial was over before they did that,” said Smith.
Smith signed up for the public speaking portion of the council meeting where council members listen to citizens about their concerns.
“It’s not about a name,” Smith said. “It’s about a remembrance of a tragedy that happened in the city that I personally will not put up under the rug. The city of Fort Worth will not forget Atatiana Jefferson.”
Smith is one of several people who hope to sway one of the first council votes of the new year.