CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As high-profile officials gathered on Saturday to cut the ribbon on the new $1.3 billion Harbor Bridge, some of Corpus Christi’s prominent Black community leaders were left wondering why they weren’t invited.
Representatives from local organizations, including the NAACP Corpus Christi Branch, the Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Hillcrest Residents Association, said their absence from the ceremony is a painful reminder of how their community continues to be disregarded.
“Not to have any representation from this community is a slap in the face,” said Curtis Clark, President of the Black Chamber of Commerce.
Leaders like Clark said they weren’t surprised by the exclusion, but that doesn’t lessen the sting.
“I shouldn’t have to go and knock on their doors and let them know that they left out the most important people here in the city and this community,” Clark added. “They already know this. It’s no secret.”
The Harbor Bridge project sits largely over Corpus Christi’s North Side, historically home to Black neighborhoods like Hillcrest and Washington-Coles. Community members said the bridge’s construction disrupted their lives, displaced neighbors, and changed the fabric of their community, all without meaningful input or acknowledgment.
“It seems like every time there is some kind of growth, there’s always a problem with inviting leaders of the African-American community,” said Deanna King, Vice President of the local NAACP Corpus Christi Branch.
Attorney and community advocate Matt Manning said the issue goes far beyond a missing invitation. It speaks to the deeper wounds left behind by the project.
“It was a failing of their moral responsibility," Manning said. "I think when you have bridge that goes through a neighborhood when it doesn’t have to go through a neighborhood, and then you have all the attendant circumstances that have been true here in Hillcrest, I think it’s a travesty that you do not take the time to recognize the people who’ve born the sacrifice.”
KRIS 6 News reached out to Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Flatiron Dragados, the two leading entities behind the Harbor Bridge project to get answers about the guest list. Flatiron Dragados, the primary contractor, did not respond to our request.
However, TxDOT issued the following statement:
The initial Harbor Bridge ribbon cutting scheduled for May 10 was planned as a public event. After it was delayed, progress on the project allowed the June 28 event to be held on top of the bridge, which is an appropriate location for a project of this significance. Space limitations dictated a restricted guest list.
“They built this in the Black neighborhood,” King said. “We’re included when they want to include us.”
Despite the frustration, community members said they plan to stay vocal and involved. Advocates tell KRIS 6 News they are committed to pushing for equity, recognition, and respect throughout every stage of development that affects their neighborhoods.
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