Free public exhibition runs October 26–30 at the Dallas County Records Building
DALLAS, Texas — On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, in a resolution sponsored by Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court proclaimed the fourth Monday in October as African American Cotton Pickers Day, also known as “Cotton Monday,” and presented the resolution to Professor Clarence Bradford Glover Jr.
In recognition of this history, Judge Jenkins invites the public to attend Professor Glover’s exhibition, Big D Cotton: Without Us, America 250 Years, on display October 26–30 in the lobby at the main entrance of the Dallas County Records Building, 500 Elm St., Dallas, Texas 75202. Admission is free. Parking is available in the underground garage off Elm Street and at nearby metered street spaces.
A public gallery talk and community discussion, led by Professor Glover, will take place Friday, October 30, from noon to 3 p.m. The event will explore the history and contributions of African American cotton pickers in Dallas County.
The exhibition draws on the words of Stephen F. Austin, often called the Father of Texas, who stated in 1824, “The principal product that will elevate us from poverty is cotton, and we cannot do this without the help of slaves.” These words underscore the exhibition’s central theme: “Without Us.”
A highlight of the exhibition will be the life of Mr. Anderson Bonner, who after being released from slavery in 1865 (Juneteenth), became one of the largest landowners in Dallas County by growing cotton, owning over 2,500 acres of land in what is now the Medical City/White Rock area. The County resolution recognizes this historic legacy and the land as Bonner’s Freedmen Town, with Bonner’s great-grandson, Walter Bonner, serving as honorary mayor.
The exhibition will also examine Dallas’ history as the nation’s largest inland cotton exchange and the connection between the cotton industry and the Cotton Bowl Stadium. It highlights how the industry’s growth was made possible by the free and low-wage labor of African American Cotton Pickers (Sankofa Pioneers) during slavery and Jim Crow.
Visitors will see authentic cotton, a 100-pound sack of hand-picked cotton, cotton scales and other tools associated with cotton production. Through these artifacts and historical accounts, the exhibition seeks to illuminate the West African knowledge, skill and labor that helped build the United States into a global economic power through the cotton industry.
Professor Glover previously served as assistant superintendent and executive director of Multicultural Education for the Dallas Independent School District. He also served as director of Intercultural Education and adjunct professor of African American Studies at Southern Methodist University.
Exhibition Information
- Exhibition: Big D Cotton: Without Us, America 250 Years
- Dates: October 26–30, 2026
- Location: Dallas County Records Building, main entrance lobby, 500 Elm St., Dallas, TX
- Admission: Free
- Public gallery talk and community discussion: Friday, October 30, noon–3 p.m.
- Parking: Underground parking off Elm Street and nearby metered street parking
