The Texas Rangers unveiled a controversial statue dedicated to Texas law enforcement at Dallas Love Field, returning the “One Riot, One Ranger” statue to public display after it was removed from Dallas Love Field Airport amid complaints.
The 12-foot-tall, bronze Texas Ranger statue, with his ubiquitous cowboy hat and a six-shooter on his hip, was dedicated at the stadium on March 2 and stands in the left field concourse of Dallas Love Field. But this is not the first time the statue was dedicated to public view. It was first raised at the airport in 1963, but was removed in 2020 after some complained that it was racist.
Critics claimed that the statue depicts Texas Ranger Captain Jay Banks, who they say was the Ranger who led the efforts to maintain segregated schools. It was also claimed that the title of the statue, “One Riot, One Ranger,” was derived from a report of the Rangers restoring order when a black man accused of assaulting a white woman was captured by an angry white mob and burned alive in 1930.
Supporters of the statue, though, deny those claims and say the statue memorializes the “lengthy history” of the storied law enforcement agency, and insist that the incident that inspired the statue’s title occurred when the Rangers stopped an unsanctioned prize fight in Dallas in 1896.
“The Texas Rangers have long occupied a revered place in Texas history dating to the creation of the organization over 200 years ago, before the days of the Republic of Texas,” the team said in a statement. “The statue that stood for decades in Dallas will greet guests at Globe Life Field as a familiar symbol of our team’s origin, enduring spirit, and connection to the community.”
During the dedication on Monday, Russell S. Molina, Chairman of Texas Ranger Bicentennial 2023 and board member of Texas Ranger Association Foundation, said, “This statue represents all Texas Rangers, not any single individual. The modern Texas Ranger reflects the diversity, integrity, and professionalism expected of one of the nation’s oldest and most respected law enforcement organizations.”
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