On March 2, the Texas Rangers baseball team revealed the permanent installation of the One Riot, One Ranger statue at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. This 12-foot bronze statue, originally displayed at Dallas Love Field Airport since 1963, was removed by the City of Dallas in 2020 due to controversy surrounding the figure it portrays. The statue now stands inside the left field concourse of the Rangers’ home stadium, symbolizing the team’s historical connections and community ties.
Origins and Historical Background of the Statue
The statue is believed to represent Jay Banks, a Texas Rangers law enforcement captain linked to efforts resisting racial integration in Texas schools during the mid-20th century. Journalist Doug J. Swanson, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and author, detailed Banks’s role in his 2020 book Cult of Glory. According to Swanson, Banks led Rangers during missions aimed at preventing Black students from enrolling at high schools in Mansfield and Texarkana.
The phrase One Riot, One Ranger reportedly originated from an agency report about an incident at the Grayson County Courthouse in 1930, where a Black man faced a white mob’s brutal violence. Swanson’s findings highlight Banks as the face of the Rangers’ efforts to maintain segregation during turbulent times.
Baseball Team’s Perspective and Official Statements
Despite Swanson’s account, the Texas Rangers’ organization frames the statue’s history differently. A press release announcing the unveiling praised the longstanding presence of the statue in Dallas-Fort Worth but instead attributed the statue’s title to the Rangers’ role in halting an unauthorized prize fight in 1896. The statements emphasize the Rangers’ long-standing heritage as a law enforcement body predating the Republic of Texas.
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 release stated.
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.
Responses from Key Community and Team Figures
At the unveiling, officials sought to clarify the statue’s symbolic meaning beyond a single individual. Russell S. Molina, Chairman of Texas Ranger Bicentennial 2023 and a board member of the Texas Ranger Association Foundation, remarked,
This statue represents all Texas Rangers, not any single individual,
and added,
The modern Texas Ranger reflects the diversity, integrity and professionalism expected of one of the nation’s oldest and most respected law enforcement organizations.
Ray Davis, Managing Partner and Majority Owner of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club, expressed pride in the team’s connection to the Ranger name:
We have worn the Rangers name since 1972 with pride.
Placement and Context Among Other Monuments
The newly installed statue is the seventh monument displayed at Globe Life Field or the team’s previous venue, Choctaw Stadium. It joins those commemorating standout players Nolan Ryan, Ivan Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre, former Arlington mayor Tom Vandergriff, the Rangers’ first World Series appearance in 2010, and the team’s fans. The addition marks an ongoing tradition of honoring Texas Rangers history through public sculpture at the team’s facilities.
Ongoing Debate and Community Reaction
The statue’s return to public view has stirred unease and frustration due to its associations with racial segregation and historical injustice, aspects highlighted by Swanson and others. While the baseball team did not provide immediate comment on the controversy surrounding the statue’s 2020 removal from Dallas Love Field, the mixed reactions demonstrate the tensions surrounding symbols linked to complex and painful histories in Texas law enforcement and community relations.
As the statue becomes part of the Rangers’ fan experience, its presence raises questions about how public monuments reflect the multifaceted histories they represent and how communities reconcile pride with difficult pasts.
New addition to the concourse ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/j2OT4CrQzW
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) March 2, 2026
