“Because of segregation, they had to have their own everything here,” David said. Siblings David Evans, Andrea Brooks and Tamara Thomas on Andrea’s porch in the Douglass Community // photo Hunter Lacey Prior to that and even for years following integration, Douglass operated as its own, self-sustaining community. The neighborhood is home to approximately 200 modest houses located near Downtown Plano between Central Expressway and I Avenue.Īndrea, 13 years her brother David’s senior, was a student when Plano started the process of integrating schools in 1964. Today the community is more racially diverse, with Black residents now making up a quarter of its inhabitants, according to the 2019 American Community Survey. The mural, “Tracks of Our Past and Future,” located in the Douglass Community, honors prominent past residents Jewel Roberts, James Thomas and Andy Drake // photo Jennifer Shertzerįor most of its history, Douglass was predominantly African American. Many of Drake’s and Stimpson’s descendants still reside in Douglass today. Together with Mose Stimpson – also an ancestor of the siblings – Drake founded the community in the 1860s, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The siblings’ great-great-great grandfather, Andy Drake, was the first Black man to settle in Plano after receiving his freedom. They grew up surrounded by family and friends who cherished the rich history of their neighborhood. “That and all the kids, and just seeing them so happy.Descendants of Founders of Plano’s Historically Black Neighborhood Recall Fond Memories of Their Front-Porch Communityĭavid Evans, Tamara Thomas, Kimberly Smith and Andrea Brooks are siblings who have called Plano’s Douglass Community home their entire lives. “The fun thing is that you have these people coming in and telling their stories about birthday parties when they were kids and things like that. She and Anthony say they decided to stick with Thunderbird because they truly enjoy it. Sonya says she has also seen an increase in popularity among teens thanks to the show Stranger Things and its roller rink scenes. A group of seniors recently rented out the venue and skated the afternoon away to songs from their era.Īssassination City Roller Derby also returned this year and has been drawing big crowds. Kid birthday parties remain one of the biggest draws, and private events are on the rise. This summer, the crowds have returned to pre-pandemic levels. “They think that skating rinks aren’t that valuable, but to a lot of people, they are,” Anthony says. Many investors figure they can find a more profitable use of the land.
A roller rink requires a large amount of space, not to mention adequate parking for visitors. Then there’s the fact that skyrocketing real estate prices make every square inch valuable. Skates must be inspected and repaired regularly, and the rink must be maintained to provide the optimum experience and ensure safety. Part of that may be that a lot of work goes into operating a rink. From his vantage point, it seems like there aren’t a lot of people from the next generation eager to take over those facilities. Yet at Thunderbird on any given weekend, there is a packed house, with families doing laps around the rink, trying their best to stay upright.Īnthony says many rinks are run by people approaching retirement age. We are going to put some improvements in but keep the same look - just brighter and more colorful, like it was back in the ’80s.”įor years the popularity of roller skating has seemingly been in decline, and there are only a few dedicated roller skating rinks left in the area today. “It’s all about keeping a certain aesthetic,” Sonya says. Still, they want to make sure the facility meets today’s expectations. When longtime residents step into Thunderbird, they are often surprised by how similar it looks to their childhood memories Anthony and Sonya know nostalgia is a major reason many people come to visit.
THUNDERBIRD ROLLER RINK PLANO TIMES UPDATE
Anthony and Sonya also plan to update the video games and food menu, but don’t expect to see too many changes. The carpet that has been in place for nearly 30 years will soon be replaced. “We’re going to continue with improving the lights, adding snack bar options and things like that.” “We went ahead and decided to give it a try,” Anthony says.
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