03/06/2024
Today we eulogized a dear friend and fierce advocate for education, housing affordability, environmental justice, and his hood — West Dallas. It’s been a week since his passing, but the words to memorialize Raúl Reyes Jr. have not come easy.
He was the first neighbor I met in 2017 when I started leading community outreach and engagement for a nonprofit based in West Dallas. He was known as the “go-to” guy and immediately pulled me in. When he easily could’ve been a gatekeeper he was a connector who mentored and supported me. Raúl showed me what building community is truly about and how we must find common ground, even in the most unexpected people and institutions, to uncover equitable solutions that empower people to live their best lives. Without his guidance and encouragement Ethos Equity would not be what it is today.
No matter if we were strategizing partnerships, discussing business over breakfast, sharing song lyrics and memes, reviewing each others work, recapping meetings, planning our professional pivots, or simply catching up on each others lives — we communicated daily. He loving referred to my son as “nephew” and looked out for me like a big brother.
Raúl became family, but more than that he was a visionary. He shined bright, dreamt big, and worked tirelessly to preserve the place that helped mold him into an invaluable leader whose legacy will live on. To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement but I know Raúl would tell me to toughen up and get to work so that’s what I’ll do. Thanks for showing me what it means to be .