Santos Rodriguez Memorial Endowed Scholarship

SMU is set to announce the next recipient of the Santos Rodriguez Memorial Endowed Scholarship, a scholarship established in partnership with SMU's human rights program, the Latino Center for Leadership Development, and Rodriguez's family. 

The scholarship, established in 1973, has already been awarded to Karly Zrake, Anna Ramirez, and Tyne Dickson who now works in Houston with the nonprofit Restoring Justice. Dr. Rick Halperin, the director of SMU's human rights program, was horrified to learn that the family had not received an apology for the shooting. He contacted community activist Hadi Jawad in 2013 and began pressuring the city to do more. Former Mayor Mike Rawlings apologized to Santos' family in 2018, and Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia apologized to Santos' mother in 2021. Halperin said they pushed forward to have something in public, and they worked with former Dallas parks board member Jesse Moreno to install a memorial statue in Pike Park last year.

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