Sylvia Collins spent many hours outside the Oak Cliff Government Center, urging people to vote during elections.
Now that same building has a room that bears her name.
Dozens of public officials, community activists and Collins’ family members showed up Tuesday morning for the unveiling and dedication of the Sylvia Collins Community Room, located on the first floor. It honors Collins’ “lifelong commitment to civic engagement and service," according to a press release by Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia's office.
Garcia, who led efforts to have the room named after Collins, said she had known her for at least 20 years as a community volunteer.
County commissioners last month approved naming a conference room after Collins at the government center located in the same community where she lived.
“Her main goal was to bring us all together and be sure that we work together to vote,” Garcia said.
“She loved democracy. She loved everything that had to do with community access to services. She was always very involved in being sure that we elected the best candidates for the community — and that was Sylvia Collins. 'Hasta la victoria,’ right?”
Hasta la victoria or “onward to victory” is a catchphrase that friends and colleagues have used often when talking about Collins.
Collins was one of three people killed in the May 28 gas explosion and fire at The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff, located less than a mile from the government center. Marisol Perez and her toddler son Eric were also killed in the fire.
Pedro Felix was Collins’ neighbor at The Clyde apartments for 14 years. He would sometimes run into her at the apartments and would offer to throw out her trash and would help her with small tasks from time to time, Felix told KERA in Spanish.
“I never imagined the magnitude of how strong she was in the community,” Felix said. He said Collins wasn’t boastful about her accomplishments and community involvement, and he simply knew her as his neighbor.
Felix said he felt mixed emotions to witness the unveiling of the room bearing his neighbor’s name.
“I’m happy because they are recognizing her, and sad because of the way she left us,” Felix said. “She didn't deserve it. Neither did the other lady with her baby.”
He said he sometimes wondered what would have happened “in terms of help” had he been there at the time of the fire instead of working in Fort Worth that day.
Felix said the fire not only impacted the families of those who died, but it affected the community. The room dedication brought him a sense of comfort, he said.
Other people at the room dedication shared stories with each other and reflected about how they knew Collins.
Marcos Soto, a commercial litigation attorney and former Justice of the Peace candidate, told KERA that Collins was one of his first supporters when he decided to jump into politics. She would pass out his literature outside the Oak Cliff Government Center, which serves as a polling location.
“She was one of the people that believed in what I was trying to do, and so I'll never forget her,” Soto 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, Somos Tejas, North Texas Dream Team, and various other groups.
Community members and elected officials like Dallas County Constable Michael Orozco, who attended the dedication, hope Collins’ name at the entrance of the room serves as a reminder of the impact she had on the city and county.
“As elected officials change, our names may not be here, but we all know that Sylvia Collins will be here forever,” Orozco said.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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