Renaming the John Thomas Scholarship
A press release from Sept. 18, states: Black Tie Dinner officials announced today that the organization has “reimagined” the John Thomas Scholarship Fund as the “Beyond The Tie” Fund and that the Fort Worth-based youth organization LGBTQ SAVES is its 2024 recipient.
Removing a specific hero’s name from an award can be complex and contentious. Various reasons, some practical and some not, often drive it.
Some reasons are because it’s a re-evaluation of the hero’s legacy or maybe a desire for exclusivity. It may be to change the focus of the award’s purpose; it may be due to social progress or issues related to racism, sexism or other forms of discrimination.
It could be because of a public backlash, but that seems unlikely in John’s case, since his name, reputation and life have overt examples all over Dallas — the city and county, the state and the nation.
