Nestled in an area surrounded by the Crosstown, Mussett, and Howard streets is Ben Garza Park. It is one of the city's older parks, created in 1938 and dedicated to the memory of civil rights leader, Ben Garza.
The dedication ceremony took place on March 5, 1939.
Bernardo F. "Ben" Garza was born in Brownsville in 1892. He was raised in Rockport, but came to Corpus Christi in 1914, working as a waiter.
In 1920, he and several partners bought the Metropolitan Cafe at 617 N. Chaparral. He became a highly successful businessman and property owner in the city. He also became acutely aware of discrimination and segregation suffered by Hispanic citizens of the city and became deeply involved in efforts to correct it.
As President of Council #4 of the Order of the Sons of America, Ben Garza was the driving force behind the unification of all Hispanic civil rights groups into a united front.
At a convention of several organizations held in Corpus Christi on May 18-19, 1929, the "League of United Latin American Citizens" (LULAC) was born. Ben Garza was elected its first President. Garza worked tirelessly for Hispanic rights.
In the early 1930's, he traveled to Washington, D. C. to testify before Congress against a bill that would have legalized segregating Hispanic students from Anglos in the schools.
Like Martin Luther King, Garza adopted a peaceful approach to achieving equal rights. He believed that education was the key to improving the status of Hispanic Americans in all aspects of life according to Adelaida Garza, Ben Garza's widow. In a 1980 interview. Garza's son, the late Justice of the Peace, Ben Garza, Jr., noted that his father believed in working behind the scenes, making those in power aware of inequalities and negotiating ways to end them.
Ben Garza also served the entire community as a director of the Chamber of Commerce and as a director of the Salvation Army.
Unfortunately, his life was cut short by tuberculosis. He was forced to close his cafe in 1931 and entered a sanitarium for tuberculosis in 1933. He passed away on February 21, 1937, at the age of 44. City Hall and the courthouse were closed and flags were lowered to half-staff in his honor. There were over 100 honorary pallbearers for his burial at Rose Hill Cemetery, and the White House sent a representative to the funeral.
In his short life, Ben Garza had gained the admiration and respect of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities alike.
Robert Parks is a special contributor to KRIS 6 News. Parks was a history teacher at Carroll High School for 19 years and is now retired. His knowledge of Corpus Christi history makes him a unique expert in the subject.
