08/30/2026
The roots of OCVP’s 10th Street Community Garden go deeper than the soil. OCVP President Nelson explains why.
After emancipation, Black Americans across the country built Freedmen’s Towns: neighborhoods where newly freed people created homes, businesses, churches, and support systems together while navigating the discrimination that remained. Dallas’ historic Tenth Street neighborhood was one of those communities.
Over time, structural disinvestment reshaped the neighborhood. Major infrastructure projects disrupted the community, and grocery stores eventually closed or relocated. As access to fresh food became more limited, the neighborhood became soon classified as a food desert.
Today, the 10th Street Community Garden is part of a different kind of investment. OCVP is helping community members grow fresh food, learn how to grow it themselves, and create spaces where neighbors can participate in building a healthier, more self-reliant community.
The work happening at 10th Street is more than gardening. It’s continuing a legacy of community members coming together to build what their community needs.