First Black Woman to Lead Junior League of Dallas in Organization's 100-year History

A Dallas woman is celebrating a feat that took more than 100-years to come to fruition.

“It was November 2019 when I got the call that this was going to happen,” Christa Sanford said. “I remember standing by myself and just cried. I knew that this was going to be impactful and really change the narrative of the Junior League and change the narrative of Dallas and who people think that we are.”

In 2021, Christa Sanford became the first Black president of the Junior League of Dallas in the service organization’s 100-year history. D Magazine even featured the trailblazer on the cover.

The Junior League has prided itself on being a volunteer organization that equips women to make a positive impact in their communities. She was a member of the Junior League for 13 years before she decided to throw her name in the mix for president.

“The year that I was president, we had the most racially diverse board in the history of the board and that’s something I was proud of. We wanted to elevate that conversation and make sure that we were doing what we could to diversify in and around us, with well qualified people,” Sanford said.

She said her work didn’t end there. While she was the first, she wants to keep the door open, so she isn’t the last.

“One of the things that we did was talk to those agencies [around Dallas] about the diversity on their boards. You know the Junior League of Dallas is asking that sends a message. glad to see that even though I’m still not president, that those things are still happening. Even next year, we are going to have our second Black president during our 102^nd year. That was one thing that I was really focused on is it’s not just about this year. It’s about the future of the League and where we are going.” Sanford said.

Sanford is like so many women, consistently educating and influencing others, while still holding a full-time career as a patent attorney. She said she hopes her story is more than a time in the organization’s history, but rather a lasting inspiration.

“I didn’t think I could do this, but thankfully, I had enough people around me saying ‘I think you can do this, and you should do this’,” Sanford said.

She said it’s not just about the women she works with, but also the next generation.

“I want them to see someone who looks like them and know that you can be anything you want to be. Regardless of where you are from or what you may have been doing. There is an opportunity for you to do something more than you could have ever imagined,” Sanford said.

The Junior League of Dallas now has about 4,000 members, 1,600 of them are active in the day-to-day mission to positively influence the community around them.