Johnny Lewis saw Fort Worth officials and business developers turn away from the Historic Southside for decades as the neighborhood endured economic disinvestment and social decline.
Still, the longtime resident never stopped believing in the historically Black neighborhood’s potential. His advocacy, along with that of other community leaders, paved the way for the upcoming construction of the long-awaited $63 million Evans and Rosedale mixed-use urban village.
Lewis won’t be around to see that effort come to fruition.
The community leader died at 78 on July 12, a family spokesperson confirmed to the Fort Worth Report. Additional information was not immediately available.
Lewis’ advocacy ranged from serving as vice president in the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association to assisting his wife, Shirley, in drafting a redevelopment plan for the community that didn’t move forward.
He served as an adviser to several public art projects, including the East Rosedale Monument Project and an upcoming mural illustrating the community’s historic landmarks under Interstate 35 West on Rosedale Street.
Lewis was honored with a special recognition from council member Chris Nettles in late April.
Kristina Banta, current neighborhood association president, said no one spoke more passionately or fought more tirelessly for the community than Lewis.
“His unwavering dedication, tenacity and deep-rooted love for the Historic Southside and its residents made a lasting impact on our community,” she said. “His voice, leadership and commitment will be greatly missed.”
Lewis was born Dec. 18, 1947. He lived in the Historic Southside for more than 50 years.
From 1979 to 2006, Lewis worked as a probation officer with Tarrant County.
In the early 2000s, Shirley Lewis partnered with the city to create an extensive redevelopment plan for the Historic Southside, which outlined a public health center, cultural park and retail shops. However, the plan never gained traction with city officials and developers.
Engraved plaques dedicated to community movers and shakers sit along the red brick sidewalks at Evans Avenue Plaza. The plaques are one of many visions resident Johnny Lewis and his wife, Shirley Lewis, had for the area. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) The Lewises nevertheless carried on with their advocacy. The couple was involved in the creation of the Evans Avenue Plaza in 2004 and its plaques spotlighting local Black leaders.
Shirley Lewis died in 2018 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS.
When master developer Royal Capital stepped in to spearhead the Evans and Rosedale project in 2024, Lewis viewed it as a big win for his neighborhood.
“They came in to listen to the community,” Lewis said that December. “That doesn’t always happen in areas with a lot of Black and brown residents. I’m hopeful because they’ll listen to us.”
Longtime friend Wallace Bridges, a former Fort Worth ISD trustee for Historic Southside, praised Lewis for always seeing the neighborhood’s potential even when gang violence reached a peak in the 1990s.
“Johnny was on the front line,” he said. “We still got some rough edges that we’re working on, but his love and his commitment has always been there.”
Memorial service details are pending.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
