In remembrance of Kawana Scott Menchaca

Dallas, TX – Kawana Scott Menchaca, a community organizer from Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington, passed away last weekend, having been found in the early hours of Sunday, July 14. She is known to be profoundly sharp, intellectually effusive, driven by a craving for justice, and undeniably brave in fighting for a more just and humane world. She leaves behind her husband, Nicolas Menchaca, her parents Antione and Trenell, her two brothers Anderson and Langston, and a constellation of friends and community members all reeling from this news.

Born in Opelika, Alabama on November 15, 1992, Kawana departed this world before turning 32 this year. She had a passion for public health, and in the truest sense wanted everyone to receive quality healthcare, and for that to be a guaranteed human right. A graduate of Prairie View A&M University, she continued her education at the Baylor School of Public Health and worked for Tarrant County to improve equitable access to medical resources. Even as her own health suffered, she fought for the health of others.

Kawana was rebellious to her core, from her defiant personal aesthetic – an inspiration to everyone who gets it – to being a community leader in the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (NAARPR) as well as Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). She’d held vigils for victims slain by police violence, led marches and delivered speeches, and fought for complete and democratic community control of the police across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “She would come through on a moment’s notice. She always told her friends she loved us,” says Sydney Loving, chair of the Dallas branch of NAARPR, “She was a really great friend, and she was also a great comrade. She put in work when not many others would – when there was no glory to be had.”

There were many sides to Kawana: She was a science fiction nerd, who loved the Lovecraft mythos (embracing the terror Lovecraft felt of people of color), anime, and space travel. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of professional wrestling. She could cook and impress with everything from Indonesian noodles to corned beef and cabbage. She had a deep love of African culture, discernible from her taste in music to the orisha tattoo she wore. Kawana was always overflowing with creativity, with knowledge, and with warmth. Her incredible wit was the kind of humor that could only come from someone as smart as she was and would endear her to anyone she revealed it to.

Organizers and activists around Dallas-Fort Worth are grieving this tremendous loss but cherish all the memories they have of her. Fellow organizer and close friend Daniel Sullivan looks back, “There was no one like Kawana. She was powerful, and a leader, but she was also a caretaker, the kind who brought snacks to every meeting. Everyone loved her, and she was brimming over with love. I had so many hopes for her, and I’m crushed to see her go so young. But now there is nothing more we can do for her but to carry on her work.”

Rest in Power, Comrade.

¡Kawana Scott Menchaca, Presente!

Her memorial will be on Saturday, July 27, 2024 The service starts 11:00 am (Central time) at: First Methodist Mansfield 777 N Walnut Creek Dr, Mansfield, TX 76063

Community organizers in Dallas are also holding a commemoration 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, at: White Rock Lake (Dreyfuss Club Point) 600 East Lawther Drive, Dallas, TX 75218

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