The Fort Worth City Council approved $232,377 to help build a memorial honoring Mr. Fred Rouse, the only documented Black man lynched in the city.
The memorial will stand at 1000 N.E. 12th St., marking a dark chapter in Fort Worth’s history. The project represents a rare public acknowledgment of racial violence in the city’s past. Rouse was killed by a white mob in 1921 at Northeast 28th Street and Samuels Avenue.
“This is an important partnership with the Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice and the City of Fort Worth to acknowledge and reflect on our painful history,” said District 9 Councilmember Elizabeth Beck, per a City news release. “This is vital to creating a healthy and inclusionary place to call home.”
Local organizations have already secured 85% of construction costs. The Rainwater Foundation, Episcopal Diocese, and Mellon Foundation lead the donor list. The city’s contribution comes from its Community Partnerships Program. The program requires matching funds and long-term maintenance plans for approved projects.
The Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice will oversee the memorial. The organization plans to merge with nonprofit Transform 1012 in early 2026.
The site will open to the public as a place for remembrance and reflection.
DesignJones LLC, the firm that has been tapped to design the memorial, described the vision behind the project:
“The design of the memorial will provide visitors a spatial temporal experience as they travel through the rain garden and the tree panels. This journey takes the traveler towards the large concrete memorial wall that stands before the hackberry tree symbolizing the heroism of Mr. Fred Rouse.”
“The garden path and plaza area allow for contemplation, and a timeline wall within the plaza provides additional information on the experience of Mr. Fred Rouse, including his legacy and what it means for us today.”
A completion date has not been announced.