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One of the big things that Ronell Smith, city council Place 4 who was elected in 2019, is focused on is bringing attention to Bob Jones and the nature preserve that bears his name.
“I wrote a note to myself that if I won [the election], I wanted to be involved in shining a light on that,” Smith says about the preserve. “It’s a tremendous resource and an asset to the community that most people don’t know is even there.”
In line with that goal, Smith is preparing to portray Bob Jones in the 2019 Ghosts of Southlake Past Cemetery Tour on Nov. 2.
Bob Jones, who was born a slave, grew up to be a landowner in the Roanoke-Southlake area, according to the Southlake Historical Society. Walnut Grove Elementary School is named after the school he built for his grandchildren, who couldn’t attend white schools. The Bob Jones Nature Center, Bob Jones Park and Bob Jones Road are also named after him.
Smith became involved in this year’s tour after reaching out to the Southlake Historical Society, letting them know he was interested in being involved in whatever capacity they needed.
“To me, I want to be involved in any and every avenue of bringing attention to that,” Smith says.
Smith says he isn’t nervous for his portrayal, preparing by learning as much as he can about Bob Jones.
“I’m a habitual procrastinator, so I think I work well under pressure,” Smith says. “So the way I try to do it is learn a little bit at a time and then really, really focus in as it gets closer.”
Smith says he “will do all that I can to accurately portray him and in the way that I hope make the family proud.
“[My expectations are] that it shines a positive light on not only that family, that family’s role in the overall community, but on Southlake as well,” Smith says. “Because it is a unique part of Southlake.”
Smith already has plans in the future for how he’d like to continue to honor Bob Jones’ legacy. He says he has talked with the city about having plaques at every school to honor who the school is named for.
“What I want to do now is to not only talk about his role in the community but go back and talk to some of the family members and really learn about what it was like and how all this came to be,” Smith says. “And get their perspective on that their land is a part of one of the most vibrant, successful, progressive communities in the nation.”
Smith says he wants to tell a “full and rich story” about Bob Jones.
“I would love for people to see my portrayal...and be proud that we have this in our community,” Smith says. “Be proud to learn about it, be more interested to share and tell and retell those stories. That’s what I would love.”
Smith says his overarching goal is that Southlake becomes a destination long term.
“That people come here and are like ‘I’m gonna go shopping, I’m going to see my family and friends, I’m gonna get some barbeque…’ That’s my long term goal,” Smith says. “And a large part of that is the sense of pride people can have whether you’re white, black, whatever — the sense of pride you can have, even if you’re not a Southlaker, that you have this unique, rich history that one of the largest landholders in this region at one time was descended from a slave.”
Smith says the story of Bob Jones is great and we shouldn’t be afraid to tell it.
“We can’t say ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a negative narrative,’” Smith says. “Everything was different, 50, 30, 20 years ago. Much less 100 years ago. I feel like I’m — I hate to say uniquely qualified — but I have the courage to tell that story in a way without making people feel uncomfortable, without being embarrassed and [so] that it becomes a sense of pride that we have this in our community.”
Smith says people should come to the cemetery tour to come learn about Southlake’s past.
“I think it’s important that we learn from whence we came,” he says. “And Southlake’s a very young city, but we have such a rich and storied history. We have such a rich and storied tradition. Come learn about it. Come learn about the fullness of it.”
The 2019 Ghosts of Southlake Past Tour will take place on Nov. 2 at Medlin Cemetery. Tickets are required and can be purchased here.