It was standing room only Friday morning at the Vista Bank South Dallas Financial Literacy & Banking Center, where community leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials and residents gathered to celebrate Black History Month with one of Texas’ most enduring public servants: Royce West.
Hosted as part of Vista Bank’s quarterly Business, Banking & Breakfast series, this special Black History Month edition featured a fireside chat moderated by Shawn Williams, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Allyn Media. The morning focused on leadership, economic empowerment, civic accountability, and the responsibility of both public officials and citizens to shape the future of South Dallas.
The event was sponsored by the South Dallas Fair Park Innovation Center and the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, with breakfast served by The Breakfast Brothers.
“I Represent the Hell Out of You.”
Sen. West delivered remarks that were both reflective and resolute.
The declaration drew sustained applause from the packed room — a testament to his decades-long advocacy around education funding, criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and economic equity.
West challenged attendees to remain consistently engaged — not only during high-profile elections but in local and state races that directly impact daily life. He encouraged the community to stay informed, participate in every election, hold service leaders accountable, demand measurable outcomes.
His framing was clear: democracy functions properly only when the people remain active participants.
West also reflected on the foundations of his leadership — his work as an attorney and his service through his fraternity and civic institutions. He emphasized that advocacy often begins long before public office.
A lawyer by trade, he spoke about standing up for individuals when it mattered most — particularly those navigating systems not designed with them in mind. Service, he noted, is a discipline and a responsibility. He also didn’t mince his words on his sentiment about DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) funding removed as a foundational resource for Black businesses. Instead, financial institutions and our public servants should be doing the work to ensure capital and funding resources are there through accountability.
Representation, in his view, is not symbolic. It is work.
In a moment that underscored his call to civic action, West openly shared that he has already cast his vote for Jasmine Crockett and Freddie Haynes.
He stated directly that he believes they are best positioned to help secure a stronger future for the communities they serve — reinforcing his broader message about engagement and accountability.
A Black History Moment Inside the Bank
Beyond the fireside conversation, the morning delivered another significant announcement.
Vista Bank revealed that Lubbock Smith will serve as President of the South Dallas Banking Center — a milestone moment that many in attendance recognized as historic.
In a financial industry where Black executive leadership remains underrepresented, the appointment signals both institutional investment and cultural progress within South Dallas. During Black History Month, the announcement carried symbolic and practical weight: representation in financial leadership matters.
It was not simply a ceremonial acknowledgment — it was a strategic commitment to ensuring that decision-making power inside community banking reflects the community itself.
The audience itself reflected the economic significance of the gathering. Affluent business leaders from across Dallas were in attendance, alongside graduate students from the SMU Cox School of Business.
Their presence underscored SMU Cox’s role as a hub where business education, research, ideas, and innovation naturally converge. The intersection of academic leadership, corporate engagement, and community-centered banking illustrated a broader shift: conversations about economic empowerment in South Dallas are not isolated — they are integrated into the region’s business ecosystem.
It was a visible alignment between institutional capital and community capital.
Vista Bank also teased a broader, forward-looking vision for its South Dallas location, reinforcing its commitment to financial literacy, inclusive growth, and long-term economic empowerment.
Friday morning’s gathering was more than a networking event. It was a reminder that Black history is not confined to archives — it is being shaped in real time through policy, leadership, entrepreneurship, and institutional advancement.
As Sen. West made clear, representation requires participation.
And in South Dallas, the room showed up.
