A right fist up in the air and the phrase hasta la victoria are two things that friends and colleagues of Sylvia Collins say were her trademark.
The longtime community activist was one of three people killed in the May 28 fire at The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff.
Now, Dallas County is honoring her.
County commissioners this week approved naming a conference room after Collins at the Oak Cliff Government Center – less than a mile from where she lived.
Commissioner Elba Garcia, who proposed the room naming, said Collins “loved democracy.”
“She was always asking people to vote,” Garcia said at the commissioners meeting. “And her precinct was right there in this building. All those people voted and followed Sylvia to vote at the Oak Cliff Government Center.”
Garcia said that while the building is relatively new and the community room is small, it is “where elections happen.”
“Sylvia was always there with all of us, being sure that we exercised our right to vote,” she said.
Collins had served as a Dallas County Democratic Party precinct chair and a volunteer with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Human Rights Dallas, North Texas Dream Team and other groups.
Community organizer Maricela Martinez told KERA that naming a community room for Collins was fitting.
“If there was anything that could happen to honor her legacy, I think that it would be well-deserved,” Martinez said. “She was that kind of person that was committed to this community and to this city, for sure.”
Martinez, a friend and colleague of Collins, would see her when volunteering or run into her at events like the Chorizo and Menudo Breakfast, a monthly community forum in Oak Cliff. Martinez posted a photo commemorating those gatherings on her Facebook when Collins died.
She described Collins as “a tireless volunteer, advocate, activist, and most of all friend.”
“She gave of herself in everything she did for the community,” Martinez said. “The efforts, the initiatives, just wanting to constantly educate and bring forward community in general. It was all about getting people out to vote, getting people engaged, and just sounding the alarm whenever it was needed. She was inspiring.”
Though most Dallas County commissioners showed support for naming the community room for Collins, Commissioner John Wiley Price said the measure sets a “dangerous precedent.”
“What is the criteria? A lot of people have been activists, a lot of have been supportive,” he said during Wednesday’s meeting. “At what point in time do we begin to measure and decide who gets the room named after?”
Martinez told KERA Collins deserves the recognition because she worked for “all communities.”
“It's important that we recognize those stakes,” Martinez said. “It isn't just elected officials. It isn't just celebrities. It's the people down on the ground doing the work at the grassroots level. And that's exactly what Sylvia was.”
The county plans to unveil the Sylvia Collins Community Room during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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