I met James White once a few years back when he came to the D offices to talk about how to improve the I-635 corridor in northeast Dallas. My first impression of the former arts and culture committee member and candidate for city council matches what a lot of his friends and colleagues say in this piece over on the Lake Highlands Advocate. He was affable, curious, direct, committed to his causes, and dedicated to his community. White passed away Monday at 64.
One of the most impressive stories in the remembrance published on the Advocate website comes from sitting district 10 council member Adam McGough. In 2015, White lost his race against McGough, but after the election, he reached out to his opponent to see how he could still serve district:
After he ran for city council in 2015 and lost to Adam McGough, he doubled his volunteer efforts in the community, pairing with McGough on numerous projects. He served on McGough’s Collective Impact committee, showing up at quarterly meetings to brainstorm creative solutions with other neighborhood movers-and-shakers.
“The 2015 campaign for council was a tough time for a lot of reasons,” remembers McGough, “but James White turned out to be a highlight. As an opponent, James was strong, passionate and direct. As an ally, James was an up-stander, he was principled, but most of all, James White was a loving friend.”
White received the Blake Anderson Public Service Award for his work in the community in 2019. He was a charter member of the Richardson/RISD NAACP, and he was a leader in the Texas Democratic Party. According to district 10 planning commissioner Christie Myers, he is also responsible for the large bulb in the Lake Highlands Town Center holiday display. A celebration of life is still being planned. Read the whole piece here.
