I Messenger 4-19-24

IMESSENGER RESIDENTS TACKLE HOUSING CRISIS

Sherri Mixon Rev. Billy Lane

The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as

REFLECTIONS ON HEALTH

On Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m. in Dallas County Commissioners Court, Dr. Dayna Bowen Matthew JD, PhD, will offer her professional insights into the state of public health care in America and how it affects Dallas County and the North Texas Region.

Dr. Bowen Matthew who is a Dean and Professor of the George Washington University Law School is a leader in public health and civil rights law, focusing on disparities in health, health care and social determinants of health. She is an author and intellectual who is called upon frequently to comment on law from the lower courts to the United States Supreme Court.

As Chair of Dallas County’s Public Health Committee, Commissioner John Wiley Price is inviting the public and especially practitioners to attend this admission free event. As an advocate of greater access to health care for our indigent and senior population Price

welcomes guests to attend. Additionally, she is the author of bestsellers Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care and the newly released Just Health: Treating Structural Racism to Heal America. This event can be accessed virtually in person at: Dallas County Commissioners Court (500 Elm St. 2nd Floor, Dallas, TX 75202) Free parking validation for the underground parking lot is available.

Dr. Dayna Bowen Matthew JD

UPDATE FROM REP. CROCKETT

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Congressman Marc Veasey were honored to host Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Dallas to celebrate the $80 million Reconnecting Communities grant for new parks and pedestrian walkways in Oak...

WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE SERVANT LEADER

When one of the things you don’t have to do is go out to the office belonging to somebody else, you get a chance to be more observant of what’s going on around the world. One of the things I’ve noticed is the great effort to insult, discourage...

Passion, caring and character are words you hear often when supporters talk about Duncanville mayoral candidate Mark D. Cooks. “He has a passion and an interest for not just the city of Duncanville but for the people,” said Cooks’ longtime neighbor and fellow community...

MY TRUTH

by Cheryl Smith Publisher

Keep on pushing -

Rev. Haynes resigns but is still doing what Rev. Haynes does

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes completed his sermon on Sunday, he asked for prayers because he had a decision to make that he was praying about.

Never one for second-guessing anyone, I first responded with a prayer and then said I would wait to hear the news because Dr. Haynes assured everyone that he would tell the Friendship-West family of his decision first.

Dr. Haynes tendered his resignation, effectively immediately, on Tuesday afternoon, stepping down as president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Less than a year ago, the organization’s Founder and CEO, longtime civil and human rights activist, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, announced his retirement and named Dr. Haynes as his successor. Veteran journalist Roland Martin shared the resignation letter on social media and during his show on Black Star Network. The letter was short and to the point.

In a video, Dr. Haynes explained, “I felt it necessary, in light of the challenges faced by our community, faced by this nation and the world dur-

ing this consequential year.”

Saying he honored the work of Rainbow PUSH and Rev. Jackson, the Senior Pastor of FWBC added, “I will continue the fight for justice. I will continue to be a prophetic witness… I will just do it in another lane.”

And people asked, Why? What happened? What’s going on? OMG!

physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

If he is OK, I am OK.

Dr. Haynes assured me on Tuesday evening that he was good and said he was going to continue “doing the work.“

I didn’t expect anything different.

Immediately following the announcement, my phone started ringing and pinging as calls and text messages came through.

There were several other sentiments that I won’t go into because everyone’s entitled to their position and while some were happy others were not so happy with the news.

Which brings me to my truth.

He is a very resourceful, astute, vibrant, and visionary 63-year-old.

He’s done a lot and like one of the greatest crooners of all time, Barry White sings that he’s, “got so much to give,” I believe so does Dr. Haynes.

While there is or should be a shake-up and possibly some fallout; we must stay focused and not let this become yet another distraction.

We want the best for Rev. Jackson and Rainbow PUSH. Dr. Haynes refers to the Reverend as his “personal hero” and icon.

We have work to do and the blessing is knowing that while he has stepped down from Rainbow PUSH, Dr. Haynes is going to continue to be right on top of things; doing what he does.

For some reason, people thought I knew the “why.”

The news was out.

I don’t care why Dr. Haynes stepped down as President and CEO.

I am more concerned with how he is doing mentally,

He’s not going anywhere, so the question to him might not be “Why did you leave?”

Instead, the question to the person in the mirror could be, “What are you doing?”

join us for Baby Day 2024

a hybrid celebration

April 26-28, 2024

What is Baby Day?

Imagine waking up to a day that celebrated the excitement and opportunity of the tiniest Texans Where families meet for playdates in parks, workplaces provide flexibility and support to new parents, and politicians pledge to support our future by building stronger policies for the leaders of tomorrow the babies of today.

Registration is free and activities will be hosted inperson and online by First3Years and local community organizations In-Person live and on-demand baby and toddlers events will include music, art, yoga, reading, dance caregiver classes & resources AND MORE! All activities are designed to support the healthy development of your infant and toddler's emotional social, and cognitive skills

Baby Day will be held in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and through community events across the state!

check out our resources

our website offers year-round resources to support your child's development: https://babyday.us/resources/

stay connected

follow us on social media: @First3Years

Update from Rep. Crockett

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Congressman Marc Veasey were honored to host Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Dallas to celebrate the $80 million Reconnecting Communities grant for new parks and pedestrian walkways in Oak Cliff, the Cedars, and other neighborhoods in South Dallas. They eagerly anticipate working with the Biden administration to continue investing in our community.

Congresswoman Crockett attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the historic Forest Theater, a South Dallas landmark that holds immense significance for its role serving the Black community and hosting Black performers during segregation and beyond. Her pres-

ence underscores her commitment to preserving our community’s history and ensuring its legacy for future generations.

‘If your vote didn’t matter, why would they be fighting to take it away?’ Congresswoman Crockett posed this question during her conversation with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi, highlighting the concerning assault on voting rights in the South by Republicans, reminiscent of the days of Jim Crow.

Over a thousand constituents tuned into Congresswoman Crockett’s quarterly tele-townhall for updates from DC and North Texas. The event featured special guests from the City of Dallas, Bonton Farms, and the IRS, providing valuable in-

sights and fostering community engagement.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Congressman Dan Goldman recently appeared on MSNBC’s The Last Word to discuss their new bill, the Abortion Care Awareness Act. This legislation aims to combat abortion misinformation and ensure that patients across the US have access to the care they need.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is leading efforts to address technical glitches in the FAFSA application process, which hit students from mixed immigration status households particularly hard. Despite initial efforts, delays in processing and fund disbursement risk depriving thousands of Texas students of vital financial aid.

Supremely Unfunny!

BY VINCENT L. HALL

As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and 60 years since Lyndon Baines Johnson’s Civil Rights Bill, sudden bursts of laughter and liberty still elude us.

While pondering how woefully inept our Supreme Court has become, I revisited the 2014 prevailing opinion in Schuette v. BAMN. Chief Justice John Roberts left us nothing to laugh about and signaled that Affirmative Action, aka DEI, was headed for destruction.

Let me remind you of Richard Pryor’s famous joke about courts: “We go down there looking for justice, and that’s what we find, Just Us.”

A few years before Pryor, Redd Foxx made another disheartening observation about the courts.

As Fred, Lamont, Aunt Esther, Grady, Skillet, and Leroy sat in a Los Angeles traffic court, Fred quickly summed up the court’s demographics. As Fred peppered the officer who gave him the ticket, he shouted out, “Look around this room, man, there’s enough niggers in here to make a Tarzan movie.”

Both performances will make you laugh uncontrollably. But this case wouldn’t invoke any chuckles.

The case was officially styled: “SCHUETTE, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MICHIGAN v. COALITION TO DEFEND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, INTEGRATION AND IMMIGRA-

TION RIGHTS AND FIGHT FOR EQUALITY BY ANY MEANS

NECESSARY (BAMN) ET AL.”

The finding was that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is not violated by an amendment to a state’s Constitution that prohibits sex- and race-based preferential treatment in university admissions.

This decision suggests that Conservatives on the court, including Injustice Clarence Thom-Ass (a proud and “Thank ya lawdy” graduate of Affirma-

woman’s sense of self when she states her hometown and then is pressed, ‘No, where are you really from?’ regardless of how many generations her family has been in the country. Race matters to a young person addressed by a stranger in a foreign language, which he does not understand because only English was spoken at home. Race matters because of the slights, the snickers, the silent judgments that reinforce that most crippling of thoughts: ‘I do not belong here.’”

In my colleagues’ view, ex-

tive Action), were determined to turn back the hands of progress by any means necessary.

Thankfully, Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among the two dissenting votes and was eloquent in her opinion about the issues of law.

“Race matters for reasons that really are only skin deep, that cannot be discussed any other way, and that cannot be wished away. Race matters to a young man’s view of society when he spends his teenage years watching others tense up as he passes, no matter the neighborhood where he grew up. Race matters to a young

amining the racial impact of legislation only perpetuates racial discrimination. This refusal to accept the stark reality that race matters is regrettable.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.

As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality

that exists in our society.”

Sotomayor sounded like President Johnson’s 1967 appointee to the Supreme Court and the prevailing attorney in Brown V. Board of Education, Justice Thurgood Marshall.

A recent article in the U.S. News highlighted a famous quip by Marshall.

“Justice Thurgood Marshall saw a similar sidestep for what it was. In his solo dissent detailing the various and sundry injustices heaped upon African Americans for three centuries, he was brutal. ‘It is because of a legacy of unequal treatment that we now must permit the institutions of this society to give consideration to race in making decisions about who will hold the positions of influence, affluence, and prestige in America.’”

Ten years later, this court, now staffed with a fresh trio of Donald Trump’s hand-picked race and justice handicappers, is no better. I would venture to say that Brown v. Board would have gone the opposite way by a vote of 6-3.

And to add injury, that negroid nincompoop, whose saving grace could only be found in Affirmative Action, would have written the majority opinion.

We loved Richard, and we loved Redd, but ain’t a damn thing lovable or funny about this Supreme Court.

And in TEX-ASS where the governor is rapidly dismantling civil rights protections, the only affirmative action is injustice.

Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, award-winning columnist and a lifelong Drapetomaniac!

Foxx and Pryor

Salem Institutional Baptist Church Alumni Day

LEE STANLEY SMITH, a prominent attorney and South Dallas native, will be the guest speaker at SALEM Institutional Baptist Church’s annual Alumni Day on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 11am. He will share his journey from 1960’s South Dallas to Harvard University and beyond.

Smith initiated his academic journey in South Dallas, attending the historically all-black Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School. He then continued his education at James Madison High School, with the expectation of receiving his diploma from Madison. However, the landmark Brown v Board of Education ruling in 1964 presented Smith with the opportunity to transfer and desegregate the historically all-white St. Mark’s School of Texas.

Each year, SIBC’s Alumni Day showcases men and women whose education began in South Dallas communities like Wheatley Place, Mill City, Queen City and more. SIBC will acknowledges additional Madison and St Mark’s alumni who also broke through the 1964 door of desegregation.

“At Salem, we strongly feel these stories must be told and kept alive as a key part of American history,” shared Lucy Cain, Salem’s Alumni Day chairwoman.

Smith is a South Dallas native who began his formal education at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School, a historically all-black school in South Dallas. Smith continued his education at James Madison High School, with every expectation of completing his diploma there; however, the landmark 1964 Brown v Board of Education ruling came down, before he began his senior year. This decision created the opening for Smith to transfer into and integrate, the then historically allwhite, St Mark’s of Texas.

While at Madison, Smith proved himself a leader and gifted student. He served as NHS President, ROTC Drill member, Alpha Phi Alpha Scholastic Honoree, Trojan Honoree, NASA and US Air Force Award winner, and he was an Eagle Scout with the Order of the Arrow. Smith was the first Black student to desegregate Dallas’ St Mark’s School of Texas. After graduating from St Mark’s in 1965, Smith earned a Baccalaureate degree at Harvard University (1969) and then onto law school at the University of Washington (1974) earning his Juris Doctor law degree.

Smith returned to Texas to become the Chief Regional Civil Rights Attorney for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where he was responsible for enforcement of Federal civil rights laws in Texas and the surrounding states. Smith also led the legal case against UT and Texas A&M to strike down the then Texas Constitutional provision of “separate but equal”. This led to codifying that a share of the multibillion-dollar Permanent University Fund be perpetually al-

located to the historically Black college and university (HBCU) – Prairie View A&M University. Smith also authored several studies on the History of Black Colleges in Texas.

Additional accomplishment highlights: Harvard Yearbook first Black Managing Editor; spearheaded litigation against Washington State Bar Association leading to the number of practicing Black lawyers exponentially increasing in Washington State; Photographer and Special Assistant for the National Urban League in NYC; Attorney at Law in Seattle; Attorney for UT System in Austin; Special Assistant to the Director of the Washington State Department of Wildlife; Associate VP for Business Affairs and Associate VP for Legal Affairs - UT Austin with extensive expertise in IT systems, security and forensics; Business Consultant, Apogee Telecomm in Austin; TravelerSmith cultural photographer at his business and consulting firm.

Smith has recently been honored by St. Marks Preparatory School of Dallas naming him as the first distinguished alumnus – and using his name as the ongoing name of this prestigious award: The “St Mark’s School of Texas Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage and Honor Distinguished Alumni Award.”

This award recognizes members of the St Mark’s community, who demonstrate courage, honor, perseverance and justice in the community, who have made an indelible difference through using their voice and actions to better this world.

Naming this new Alumni Award in his honor, Smith’s contributions will forever be preserved in St Mark’s History. Honoring the legacy of St Mark’s first Black graduate: Lee Stanley Smith.

Lee Stanley Smith

Another Sister Under Attack!

WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE

DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ.

When one of the things you don’t have to do is go out to the office belonging to somebody else, you get a chance to be more observant of what’s going on around the world. One of the things I’ve noticed is the great effort to insult, discourage, even destroy Black women who’ve been most successful among us at doing their jobs! Though I’m not nearly as successful as some of them, I count myself among them; however, this article is not about me because I’m a Dick Gregory disciple. In my life, I’ve fought a lot of battles, some regretfully brought on by our own community, and while those can kill your spirit for a while, we have to continue fighting the most damaging challenges for our people who run into even bigger problems.

If you haven’t noticed, some of our best and brightest are under attack, and some of our own don’t understand what’s happening. There’s an organized effort to tear down so many Black women after the power we have shown so that we don’t just talk about making a difference, we do it!

In the last presidential election, we let it be known that we have power and we used it, making it clear

Black women, with the help of a few others, intended to have a Black woman for our vice president, and through the collective power we have, Kamala Harris is our vice president. We then said — not we want, but we shall have a Black woman on the Supreme Court.

enemy noticed and began figuring out how to put an end to the power we exercised to get so many Black women in the high places they deserved to be. Dr. Claudine Gay became president of Harvard University. No Black woman had ever done that before — but as

Soon thereafter, Supreme Court Judge Katanji Brown Jackson became a member of the Supreme Court. We continued supporting Black women for high-level positions in many places and we got them. It didn’t go unnoticed that when we work together, we make things we want to happen.

Since our successes, the

soon as she arrived there, some folk realized she was BLACK so she had to go! Fulton County, Ga., elected as their District Attorney Fani Willis. That was OK until she was in charge of trying the Orange Man for attempting to collect votes that were not rightly his! In D.C., the Orange Man came up against Judge Tanya

Chutkan and she became the Orange Man’s enemy. Along came New York state Attorney General Letitia James. You know the story. He called her everything but a child of God, but she won the case against him!

Let’s go to a case in Baltimore, regarding former State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Her case involves the great work on her successfully making Baltimore police pay for the death of a young man named Freddie Gray while he was in police custody. I don’t have enough space to give you the full story, so I want to direct you to www.baltimore4homes.org to get the full story of why Marilyn was prosecuted. It was for doing her job too well!

We have an urgent need for you to go to the site, listen to Angela Rye, Tiffany Cross, et al., and sign the petition we need for an immediate pardon. She’s guilty of nothing more than having been a Black woman in a powerful position. The powers that be didn’t want her there. She’s scheduled to be punished with draconian years of imprisonment on May 23, 2024, for what is basically nothing. The Orange Man has over 90 charges, and he’s still walking free for years. Let’s use the power we have to free Marilyn and allow her to go on doing the great work she was doing.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Contact her via www. nationalcongressbw.org.

Marilyn Mosby

Photo: (Edward Kimmel via Wikimedia Commons

THEATRE REVIEW

By Jay Lamar Special to Texas Metro News

When THE BLACK ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS (TBAAL) opened its new play, “THE BITCHES,” last weekend to three packed houses in its Clarence Muse Cafe Theatre, the audiences departed the theatre, visibly excited about the newfound meaning of the word “Bitch.”

Written and performed by three of Dallas’ finest artists, the tightly-knit women’s ensemble, JADA ARNELL, K WOODS and LUCKI AZARIAH, proved that they understand the broad mastery and structure of language in a play that reminds one of Ntozake Shange’s 1976 critically acclaimed Broadway hit play, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf.”

Consisting of a series of poetic monologues, accompanied by dance and music, Ms. Shange coined the word choreopoem to describe her work; which tells stories about seven women who suffered oppression in a racist and sexist society.

“The Bitches” has all the contemporary bells-and-whistles of a new “Colored Girls…”, but the difference is that these women have written their own poetic monologues to dramatize their enormously personal, raw, emotional, and universal, stories without pretense.

They each carefully and consciously selected three poems from familiar poets, in homage to their legacy and voice, to further describe their own journeys as Black women and artists who are constantly in search of their place in a world that’s not always

“Bitches”

packs the house at TBAAL with Ensemble Power, Artistry and more!

too accepting or kind to artists and women or “Black Women“ as they touted throughout the show.

Their monologues are rich and powerful, and the song selection helps to undergird their stories.

Vocally, they are by far some of the best singers in Dallas and probably anywhere! Their voices are distinctively different, but they know how to blend as an En-

masterfully great singer. The way she effortlessly sang “Fairy Tales” with the sliding and bending of her vocal music notes so smooth and majestically was ‘no fairy tale’.

Her mother, Tamara, is also a wonderful singer. So Azariah obviously has music in her DNA. She’s one to be seriously watched!

The show, directed by the

semble, without musically clashing.

Arnell’s rendering of “Famous” would make one feel that she’s already at the top of her game as a singer. Her stunning delivery of the song was simply remarkable. She sang with such imbued passion and hunger that rivals any up-and-coming singers in the music stratosphere.

Woods took us from Gospel to Opera, with grit-and-growl; proving that she’s indisputably one of best budding singers with the kind of diverse vocal chops that’s reminiscent of Fantasia and the iconic Jennifer Holliday.

With no dry eye in the audience, Woods gave the spiritual “Motherless Child” a fresh and entirely new meaning even up to her singing the last note.

Azariah, the daughter of famed blues artist Lucky Peterson, is a

Emmy Award winner Curtis King, demonstrates that King is a masterful and skilled director who knows how to create a refreshing artistic ensemble synergy between actors.

He obviously knew what to do with Arnell, Woods and Azariah because he trained them. He ‘knew them’ and they ‘knew him’ and they, collaboratively, created one of the best evenings, for me, in theatre that I’ve experienced in quite a while.

At one moment, I felt like I was in a Black Baptist church revival. Then the next moment, I felt like I was sitting in a New York theater on 42nd Street. Then I felt like I was watching three beautifully, well carved, and chiseled showgirls in Las Vegas.

If you’ve seen any of King‘s work over the years, then you’ll understand the kind of broad

staging he creates, which is sometimes like watching an epic movie.

The artistic tapestry that he produces with actors is what makes his work memorable. He knows how to handle thematic subject matters and language in shows like “The Bitches” without pandering to stereotypes, pure vulgarity or apologies and shame.

The choreography by Denise Jones, lighting by Milton Tatum and costumes by Lindsay Humphries were all straightforward with pure geometric lines that didn’t get in the way of the show’s premise.

All contributed to the artistic accentuation of the work and the message. Cris Brenham, the capable Music Director, assembled a wonderful cadre of musicians to accompany the musical competence of the trio.

Don’t let the title of “The Bitches” deceive you because these ingenious actors put a positive and refreshing new spin on the word “bitch.”

In the Director’s Commentary, King said “it is a work in progress.”

With some script tweaks, this show has real potential to open a whole different perspective and conversation between an older and newer generation of women, “Black women.”

Supported in part by the BLACK SEED grant, be sure to catch this show if it ever comes to your city.

I’ve heard Curtis King say, “Erykah (Badu) always says that ‘Uncle Curtis doesn’t make stars, he makes artists and they become stars!’”

She should know because she’s one and so are these young women. This is a must experience show to see.

Lucki Azariah, K. Woods, and Jada Arnell

13th Annual Osun Festival & River Ceremony

Presented by NaturallyIsis

On Saturday, April 20th , NaturallyIsis (Isis Brantley) is presenting the 13th Annual Osun Festival & River Ceremony. “Osun” is the spirit of the river and the sweet mother of all humankind. Osun brings forth sweetness, kindness, harmony, balance, eroticism, sensuality, love, artistry, beauty, and culture. Isis says, “We are Springing forth Love, Art, Beauty and Culture!”

RIVER ATTIRE: ALL WHITE PREFERABLE (Bring offerings of fruits and honey for Osun)

EVENING ATTIRE: GROWN FOLK “DO YOUR THING”

LOCATIONS AND TIMES: RIVER CEREMONY

TRINITY PARK, 2500 RIVER DR, FORT WORTH, 76107, 6:30AM – 11:00AM

FESTIVAL (LOVE PARTY) – 5787 S. HAMPTON RD., STE 115, DALLAS, 75232, 8PM – TIL

TICKETS: Eventbrite – search for NATURALYISIS OR INSTAGRAM NATURALLYISIS CLICK EVENTBRITE IN PROFILE

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! April 2024

JD and Kim Douglas 18 years

Renee & Dwight Perkins 45 years

Dee and Jim Snow 6 years

Marc and Allison Clarke 24 years

Vanessa and Mark Pettway 31 years

John and Wendy Moore 33 years

Rick and Venus Thues 39 years

Call issued to Support Black Businesses

Buy Black!

By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, of Friendship-West Baptist Church, announced 100 Days of Buying Black in acknowledging the 100th Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we joined the movement. December 31, 2021 marked 100 days of featuring Black Businesses. and we decided that the struggle continues and we must also. So enjoy reading about more Black-owned businesses and please support.

Dr. Frederick D.Haynes

III

BRIGHT BLACK

At Bright Black, the goal is to pay tribute to Black greatness, one beautifully crafted candle at a time. Discover a world of fragrance with the Diaspora Discovery Set. Six mini candles, each containing 0.5oz of wax, offer a delightful 1-2 hour burn time, perfect for exploring a range of scents at home or away. We believe that handcrafting is a sacred process and we infuse every product with positive intentions.

https://brightblackcandles.com/ email: tiffany@ brightblackcandles.com

KARIANDGO

KariAndGo is a West African lifestyle brand that offers unique and functional handmade unisex fashion and accessories. Enhance your on-the-go style with a handcrafted KariAndGo messenger bag. All products are

handmade in Ghana and produced with the utmost quality and care, upholding principles for fair trade. Made in Ghana using vibrant African fabrics, these bags are the perfect companions for your adventures.

SWEET HEATS CATERING COMPANY

https://kariandgo.com/ email: kariandgo@gmail.com

BLACKTRAVELBOX®

BlackTravelBox®

hair and skincare products are made for life on the go, with small packaging and formulations that make packing, carrying (on), and using them simple and easy. BlackTravelBox is TSAcompliant, with eco-friendly hair and skincare products. The brand is here to help you travel in confidence. They give the products you need to put your best foot forward and rock those selfies. We're there, wherever your travels may take you.

https://theblacktravelbox.com/ email: 411@theblacktravelbox.com

E MARIE

Meet the founder of E Marie. E Marie was born out of a need for warmth and comfort whenever, wherever, and creating something that combined portability, comfort, and style that could easily be used to layer up quickly. The Travel Blanket is designed for life on the go, this versatile piece effortlessly transitions from a blissfully soft scarf to a snuggly blanket in a snap.

https://getemarie.com/

email: social@getemarie.com

Sweet Heats Catering takes the stress and hassle away, from cooking for your dinner party or event, they work hand in hand with you to develop a captivating catering experience for your guests. Their highly experienced and professionally trained staff, led by Chef G, works hard and will exceed your expectations.

https://sweetheatscatering.com/ (214) 903-0567

email: sweetheatscatering@gmail.com

BUMP ON UP PHOTOGRAPHY

Meet Bump On Up Photography and let them help you create memories that will last a lifetime. They are booked as a top fivestar-rated photography business in Dallas! Their availability and full session details can be found on their website. If you’re expecting soon or recently had a baby less than 2 weeks ago. You can book your in-home newborn session today. Now available to Dallas and surrounding areas. Their motto is: “We got you covered from the Bump On Up!”

https://bumponup.com/ (214) 519-9861 email: kaytlin.hamilton@yahoo.com

RHINO’S NATION

This Is The Place For BLACK People! Their Mission is to educate Black people and change the way we interact with one another, to rebuild Black Communities making them better, stronger, safer, and more beautiful. To change the way Black people conduct business with one another, to influence black people in supporting Black Owned Businesses, and to change the way Black Owned Businesses support the Black Community.

https://rhinosnation.com/ Email: mail@rhinosnation. com

Remembering Dr. King, and Adam C. Powell

OUR VOICES

DR. JOHN E. WARREN

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, a day those of us who are old enough will never forget. But April 4th is significant for another reason, because on April 4, 1972, the Rev. Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Congressman from New York, died in a Florida hospital. His death, although not related to Dr. King’s, occurred exactly four years, four months, and four days after the death of Dr. King. Both men represent great losses to humanity and to African Americans in particular.

We know of Dr. King’s achievements and sacrifices but so much of Adam Clayton Powell’s record, which has gone unnoticed. Powell is the member of Congress that President Lyndon Baines Johnson went to in order to pass the Vot-

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. died of cancer. Martin Luther King, Jr. died of an assassin’s bullet. We must never forget either even as we honor others who came before and after them.

ing Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act and the War on Poverty under the Economic Opportunity Act. He is responsible for the Arts and Humanities Endowment Act, Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education Act, the Title VI Public Accommodatons provision of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.

In all he authored more than 60 major pieces of legislation in his six years as Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee on which the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm also served. He

authored the Older Americans Act and the Black Lung Legislation for those suffering from years of working in the nation’s coal mines and he was a voice for all Black Americans in particular, whether or not they lived in New York’s Harlem as his Congressional District.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. died of cancer. Martin Luther King, Jr. died of an assassin’s bullet. We must never forget either even as we honor others who came before and after them.

E.

Dr. John

Warren is publisher of The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint.

SERVANT LEADER

Supporters say Duncanville mayoral candidate Mark D. Cooks is the right choice

By Norma Adams-Wade Texas Metro News

Passion, caring and character are words you hear often when supporters talk about Duncanville mayoral candidate Mark D. Cooks.

“He has a passion and an interest for not just the city of Duncanville but for the people,” said Cooks’ longtime neighbor and fellow community advocate, Alicia Brown Young. “His heart and passion for the community are exceptional.”

“Servant leadership” and “working together as a team” are other descriptive phrases used as cornerstones of Cooks’ history in office and his basic approach to life.

Brown Young is a pharmaceutical sales representative and Duncanville resident who is active in community and social involvements that benefit youth and advance community. She said she frequently sees Cooks helping with community events.

She cited the candidate’s support of prominent The Links organization’s work with youth as an example of his “admirable character and natural desire to improve the lives of others.”

Background

Cooks, a former Duncanville Mayor Pro Tem and former District 4 City Council member, is challenging District 5 Duncanville City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Greg Contreras. They are vying to succeed incumbent Barry L. Gordon, who has served two terms since 2018 and is not seeking reelection.

Cooks previously challenged Gordon for the mayor’s post in 2022 and the two tied, each with 1050 votes before Gordon won in a runoff.

Cooks’s profession is banking, accounting and financial services. The

father of two adult children and four grandchildren has served as senior vice-president with Wells Fargo and Frost banks.

He is a Dallas native and graduate of Lisbon Elementary School (now H. I. Holland Elementary School at Lisbon), Boude Storey Middle School, South Oak Cliff High School, and Marvin E. Robinson School of Business and Management.

Cooks honed his leadership skills in high school where—at the business magnet school -- he received early training as a student intern at Cullen/Frost Bankers, now Frost Bank, which led him into banking and financial services.

He says his family childhood helped shape his leadership. He grew up with three older sisters and parents, Earl and Georgia Mae Cooks, who were faithful members at New Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church in Oak Cliff.

“I taught Sunday School at an early age, filled in sometimes for a grown up. They had me helping count the money, and even was the one who brought water to the preacher after he preached,” Cooks recalled with a smile.

Involvements

Some of his involvements include working with various non-profits, community organizations, and serving on boards, including being a Dallas Black Dance Theatre board vice-president, active member of his neighborhood homeowners’ association, Citizens on Patrol, the Duncanville school district bond committee, Dallas Arboretum fi-

Mark D. Cooks

Photo: Courtesy

Mark D. Cooks (Rt) with attendees at 2017 Dallas Black Chamber dinner. (L-R) LaRhonda LaCour, Donna Brazile, Wells Fargo team member (B) Photo: DBCC

nance committee, Duncanville Board of Adjustment, and former president of the Duncanville Economic Development Board.

A member at Concord Baptist Church in Oak Cliff, he leads the new member orientation ministry.

While on the City Council, Cooks has sought to lower taxes, promote public safety, improve police-community relations, upgrade city services, set strategies to regularly listen to and inform residents, train youth for city leadership, and enhance economic development by attracting retail businesses, restaurants, and entertainment.

Supporters’ comments

Brown Young said no matter what worthy causes she has asked Cooks to support, he has always complied; but sought to do so without fanfare or credit.

“I really admire him for being…a servant leader,” said Brown Young who also is a fellow church member at Concord.

Leon Zeno, a financial planner, bookkeeper and tax accountant, gave Cooks high points as a banker and “community advocate with an innate connection with people.”

Zeno said that asset would be valuable for Cooks as Duncanville mayor.

He complimented Cooks as an expert at “helping the right (average and small-business owners) to get the right kind of financing…to move their businesses forward.”

thing, she said.

“I noticed that he was very actively involved everywhere, even after he came off the council and went into private business,” said Thorn.

She said she liked that Cooks brought new visions and innovations to city and community activities that he worked with. One of his innovative and successful plans that caught her attention was that Cooks created a nonprofit promoting biking that spotlighted health and community togetherness.

embracing new, innovative thinking.”

Municipalities need creative strategies to deal with traditional issues that include fixing roads, upholding public safety, youth education, and attracting new businesses and jobs. He said he believes he can accomplish common goals by ensuring that individuals and entities work as teams.

One of his proud innovative ideas was successfully installing fitness equipment at a Duncanville park and seeing the idea gain popularity, then spread to other parks.

Zeno’s antenna is tuned to how Cooks can help attract businesses that will enhance the economic development of Duncanville.

“He has the connections and contacts,” Zeno says in campaign promotions. “We need enterprise in this city and that’s the approach that I’m supporting him for… and there are a lot of business owners who can appreciate how valuable those kinds of resources are.”

Angela Thorn, a politically-active Duncanville resident, said she did not vote for Cooks when he previously ran for mayor.

He later won her support as she observed his community and political activism. He was not like some traditional politicians who only come to the community when they want some -

He keeps fit with activities that include cycling, hiking, golf. She said it impressed her that he helped causes such as working with women who were promoting breast cancer awareness and a health fair.

“I felt that showed his heart,” Thorn said. “I’m used to seeing an old guard that wants to keep doing things their way… We need a new guard.”

Looking back to move forward

Cooks said he wants to keep the best of old ways, yet not let old ways stymie new, innovative actions.

In campaign promotions, he calls it “honoring lessons of yesterday while

He also successfully championed bike lanes. The benefits are a healthier work-life balance and more unified citizenry, Cooks said, adding that his solid financial background can be a tool for lowering taxes and re-examining funding operations.

Considering the numerous boards, commissions, volunteer and advisory posts he has filled, a key question is why does he want to be mayor?

“For so long, Duncanville leadership has followed what has been done in the past, over and over for years and years,” Cooks said. “My vision is more citizen engagement, not just small pockets of leadership. More youth engagement. When we say bring something new to the table, it may not be new, but it would be new to Duncanville.

“Yes, I’ve served on lots of boards. Yet, it wasn’t enough to sit on boards. I want to be part of making policies for the future. It’s not about me possibly being Duncanville’s first Black mayor. It’s about what qualifications I bring to the table.”

Early voting is April 22-30 and election day is Saturday May 4, 2024. To learn more, visit www.markforduncanville. com.

Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black full-time reporter in 1974. norma_adams_wade@ yahoo.com

Mark D. Cooks, advocating for bike riding.

Photo: Mark D. Cooks

NOTICE OF ELECTION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Dallas, Texas has called a bond election to be held within the City of Dallas, Texas on Saturday, May 4, 2024. FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST FOR AGAINST

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION A

THE ISSUANCE OF $521,200,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR STREET AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $726,415,188.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION B

THE ISSUANCE OF $345,270,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $481,211,813.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION C

THE ISSUANCE OF $52,100,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR FLOOD PROTECTION AND STORM DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $72,606,125.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION D

THE ISSUANCE OF $43,530,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $60,664,313.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION E

THE ISSUANCE OF $75,200,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR CULTURAL AND PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $104,801,750.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION F

THE ISSUANCE OF $90,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $125,429,625.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION G

THE ISSUANCE OF $72,300,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR FUNDING THE CITY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $115,948,538.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION I

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION H

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION I

FOR AGAINST

THE ISSUANCE OF $19,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PERMANENT, SUPPORTIVE AND SHORT-TERM HOUSING FACILITIES FOR THE HOMELESS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $26,481,250. CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION J

THE ISSUANCE OF $26,400,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $42,334,113.

THE ISSUANCE OF $19,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PERMANENT, SUPPORTIVE AND SHORT-TERM HOUSING FACILITIES FOR THE HOMELESS AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $26,481,250.

CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSITION J

FOR

AGAINST

THE ISSUANCE OF $5,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $6,960,875.

Dallas County Early voting and Election Day locations: https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/early-voting/ https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/election-day/

Collin County Early voting and Election Day locations and dates/times:

Elections: Polling Locations (collincountytx.gov)

Elections: Polling Locations (collincountytx.gov)

Denton County Early voting and Election Day locations and dates/times: 0524_EV_Locations.pdf (votedenton.gov) 0524-Election-Day-Locations.pdf (votedenton.gov)

THE ISSUANCE OF $5,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES AND THE LEVYING OF A TAX SUFFICIENT TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST THEREON; THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT, INCLUDING PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS BEING $6,960,875.

EARLY VOTING DATES AND TIMES FOR THE JOINT ELECTION*

April 22-26, 2024 Monday – Friday 8 am to 5 pm

April 27, 2024 Saturday 7 am to 7 pm

April 28, 2024 Sunday 12 pm to 6 pm

April 29-30, 2024 Monday – Tuesday 7 am to 7 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY SECRETARY’S OFFICE: Bilierae Johnson (214) 670-5654 or Miroslava Martinez (214) 670-3809

Dallas County Early voting and Election Day locations: https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/early-voting/ https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/election-day/

Collin County Early voting and Election Day locations and dates/times: Elections: Polling Locations (collincountytx.gov)

Elections: Polling Locations (collincountytx.gov)

Denton County Early voting and Election Day locations and dates/times: 0524_EV_Locations.pdf (votedenton.gov) 0524-Election-Day-Locations.pdf (votedenton.gov)

Ella Baker, a Lifelong Warrior for Equal Justice and Empowerment

OUR VOICES

BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

Until the killing of Black men, Black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son — we who believe in freedom cannot rest until this happens.

— Ella Baker

As Women’s History Month continues, I wanted to highlight again another transforming woman whose name I hope young people will learn: Ella Josephine Baker. Ella Baker said this 60 years ago as she was speaking about the murders of Freedom Summer workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who disappeared together in Mississippi in June 1964. During the nationally publicized weeks-long search for Chaney, who was Black, and Goodman and Schwerner, who were white, FBI investigators also found the bodies of several other murdered Black men whose disappearances had not received the same attention. Ella Baker’s statement was a rallying cry that has never stopped resonating. She was a lifelong warrior against injustice and inequality, a mentor for my generation of civil rights activists, a powerful adviser to colleagues like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and always, always, unwilling to rest.

Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Bernice Johnson Reagon featured those words in the stirring “Ella’s Song” — we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes — and she and I were both among the hundreds of young people Ella Baker mentored. Ella Baker believed in servant leadership and shared leadership rather than charismatic leadership, and always encouraged young people to find and lift their own voices and join them with others.

Ella Baker grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, and graduated as valedictorian of her class at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina,

before moving to Harlem, where her life as an activist took root over several decades. She eventually worked with the NAACP as a field secretary, national director of branches, and director of the New York office, pushing for organizational structure just as she would do when she helped establish both the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

She was the one who sat down with Bayard Rustin and Stanley Levison to discuss how to create a continuing movement out of the Montgomery bus boycott, leading to SCLC’s formation. As the first SCLC staff member, she was the one who tried to put the new organization in operating order so that Dr. King was not just a leader who reacted to and jumped from one event to the next. She worked to give SCLC the capacity to plan and implement action. And Ella Baker was the one who convinced Dr. King to bring me and about 200 other Black college students who had been arrested for engaging in lunch counter sit-ins around the South to a meeting at her alma mater, Shaw University, in April 1960 — the meeting where SNCC was founded. I was a senior at Spelman College, and my first plane ride ever was from Atlanta to Raleigh for that meeting. Ella Baker fought to make sure the students retained our own independent organization rather than simply becoming the youth arm of the SCLC. Julian Bond, Diane Nash, Bob Moses and many other fellow student activists and young activists

were all influenced by her example, counsel and convening, and we all shared a special debt of reverence and gratitude.

Ella Baker was tough and disciplined and demanded the best of the young and older adults around her. She understood that movement building was about more than protests and meetings and speeches — it was hard, daily, persistent and sacrificial behind-the-scenes work. She was an institution builder and stressed the importance of strong institutions that could last over time rather than reliance on a single strong leader. And as a woman, Ella Baker was fully aware of but unintimidated by the men she worked with who devalued the advice of women and sometimes resented her forcefulness, prodding and “mothering.” She made no special effort to be ingratiating.

She labored at SCLC as she had at the NAACP to raise money, conduct voter registration drives, speak to citizen groups (sometimes 10 times a day), and travel to community after community to help people help themselves. She warned against SCLC becoming “a cult of personality” for Dr. King rather than an organized means of empowering others, and she eventually left SCLC after deciding that movement building was more important than the specific organization and personalities involved. At a gathering celebrating Ella Baker’s 75th birthday, Bob Moses called her the “Fundi,” the person in the community who masters a craft with the help of the community and teaches it to other people. “Fundi” became the title of a film on her extraordinary life and work.

Ella Baker remains my civil rights generation’s Fundi. The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute proudly honors her. Sixty years after she taught us that we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes, we can all honor her by keeping her belief in freedom and equality alive until it becomes the reality for every mother’s child.

Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Ella Josephine Baker

North Texans Donated 380 Dresses to the Comerica Bank Prom Dress Drive, benefitting area youth

Six Dallas-area Comerica banking centers collected 380 new or gently used, formal dresses as well as accessories from fellow colleagues, customers, and the community in February, benefiting new partner the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County, Dallas CASA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

Each nonprofit hosted its respective prom shopping events throughout March. Members of the Comerica Bank North Texas Women’s Forum, an employee resource group, helped organize Dallas CASA’s prom boutique (private event) and assisted with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County and Greater Dallas’ setup and prom dress shopping events.

In honor of Comerica’s 175th anniversary, the bank has partnered with Project Beauty to provide one teen from each benefitting nonprofit with a complimentary makeover (full hair and makeup), a $175 value/per teen, on the night of their respective proms.

In the last nine years, Comerica has donated 6,590 dresses to these organizations and other community partners.

Top group shot: Comerica Bank North Texas Women’s Forum (Employee Resource Group) volunteers setting up Dallas CASA boutique. Middle group shot: Comerica Bank North Women’s Forum volunteers at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas Prom Dress Extravaganza and all the girls in the pics with prom dresses are from the Boys & Girls Club - Collin County event in Plano.

Project Beauty Team (new Comerica Bank Prom Dress Drive event partner)

RESIDENTS TACKLE HOUSING CRISIS

Solving affordable housing problem: community and national leaders call for all hands on deck

By Norma Adams-Wade Texas Metro News

Home is where the heart is, right?

But if average citizens can no longer afford a home, where do they lay their heads and hang their hats?

Affordable housing has become a national crisis.

Even U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned this plight in his March 7, 2024 State of the Union address.

“I know the cost of housing is so important to you,” he told the Nation, as

he admonished Congress: “Now pass and build and renovate two million affordable homes and bring those rents down.”

Affordable housing is the complex issue that moderate- to low-income community problem-solvers are

New single-family homes on Scott Street near Hwy 310/ S. M. Wright Fwy and Bonton community.

Photo: Texas Metro News

tackling. Their battleground is chaotic in today’s economic environment of rising prices, political unrest, and national and local leadership instability.

Diane Ragsdale and Sherri Mixon are long-time residents of the South Dallas/Fair Park and Bonton neighborhoods; two low- to moderate-income communities where housing and economic issues are major concerns and the areas have changed and are continuing to rapidly evolve.

Ragsdale is a former Deputy Mayor Pro Tem on the Dallas City Council from 1984-1991. The two neighborhoods were part of her district and she was depended on to be a voice for an area that many considered to be ignored.

She entered the political arena as a community organizer and grew up as an NAACP Youth Council member, mentored by the local and national civil rights and NAACP icon, Juanita Craft.

Ragsdale founded the nonprofit South Dallas/Fair Park Innercity Development Corporation (ICDC) in 1986; while still on the Dallas City Council.

Mixon is executive director of the nonprofit T. R. Hoover Community Development Corporation that her mother, Jacqueline Mixon, founded in 1997.

The two nonprofits illuminate similar community issues; including housing, health, jobs, and senior citizen and youth needs. Ragsdale operates largely in the South Dallas/Fair Park neighborhood, Mixon mainly in the Ideal Neigh -

borhood and surrounding Lincoln Manor and Bonton communities.

Common Battle:

Save Affordable Housing

Maintaining affordable housing is on the common radar of the two community problem-solvers from two different generations.

Ragsdale founded ICDC nearly 40 years ago. Then about a decade later, Jacqueline Mixon, founded Hoover shortly after her daughter graduated from college. When her mother’s health began to decline, Sherri Mixon took on leadership to “help out.”

She soon was sucked into the needs of her neighborhood and community, moved to top leadership, and has never left that role or strayed from her mission..

Both influencers took a recent stroll down memory lane and a look toward the future. That panorama brought both satisfaction looking back, but it was a different story looking forward.

“You have to look at two ways to confront the problem of affordable housing,” Ragsdale, 71, said. “One is to build an institution to confront the problem, and two is to serve as a catalyst, a model for others to follow. You have to set an example.”

Sherri Mixon, 54, says the housing transformation is both positive and negative:

“The explosive change is a transformation in what is being done here today. The studio style, compared to what we built, will attract a young -

How housing prices have spiraled

Across the nation, sociologists and researchers are sounding alarms about spiraling housing costs for both homeowners and renters.

Generally, costs of living hit citizens in the face with one trip to the grocery store and gas station.

Also, according to reports on the Don’t Quit Your Day Job (DQYDJ) finance and investing website, 20 years ago in March 2004, the non-seasonally-adjusted median home price was $176,953.18.

Then the national median household income that year was about $44,000. Now it’s $74,580, according to the most recent 2022 U. S. Census Bureau survey.

Income has risen 45 percent, but the median home price in DFW has more than doubled over the past decade, according to Mitchell Parton, residential real estate reporter for The Dallas Morning News.

Parton quoted National Association of Realtors’ research showing that the median sale price of an existing DFW home was $390.000 in the spring of 2023, which was about $27,000 higher than the Chicago median of about $363,000.

Diane Ragsdale Photo: Courtesy

Jacqueline Mixon Photo: Courtesy

er generation of (business-minded) people vested in being here because of housing opportunities being made,” Mixon said. “What concerns me is that the cost…and taxes will drive some people out. We’re going to lose some good neighbors.”

When Ragsdale retired as executive director from South Dallas/Fair Park ICDC three years ago, she explored various candidates to pick up her mantle.

Leaving the helm of the institution that she conceived was no easy matter.

After some interim administrators, Rev. Billy Lane, 55, has come aboard as ICDC executive director. He and Ragsdale say they work well together with her now as an ex-officio volunteer chair of policy and advocacy and him leading onsite, day-to-day operations.

Rev. Lane’s background is nonprofit administration, theology, and human rights advocacy. He said his skills come into play with the duties of advocating for affordable housing. He assesses the rapid growth of new architectural styles as a “mixed-bag”

--contemporary multi level formations on narrow lots, replacing traditional low-income shotgun and small cottage-style homes.

Before ICDC, empty lots and deserted homes were common in the neighborhood. Ragsdale’s and Lane’s group used the method of in-filling deserted lots with affordable homes, largely for first-time homebuyers.

But private developers now rule the day.

“You cannot ignore that the reason those lots remained vacant and old houses deserted was because of

Tracey Serrell Photo: Courtesy Sherri Mixon Photo: Courtesy

Rev. Billy Lane Photo: ICDC

Older shotgun-style houses with new multi-level, single-family homes being constructed in background. Photo: Texas Metro News

systemic disinvestment. Traditional development ignored the area,” Rev. Lane said. “So finally, now private investment comes in, prices go up, and while it at least looks better, it leads to displacement and gentrification. It’s one thing if I have the choice to move, but this is forcing people to move, and that is bad.”

ICDC Mission, Achievements

Over nearly four decades, ICDC has made noticeable strides toward fulfilling its mission to “create a stable, safe, and vibrant, South Dallas/Fair Park community.”

The group has done so by providing “homeownership opportunities, economic development, community educa-

tion, and advocacy.”

Ronald Reagan was U. S. President in 1986 when the nonprofit ICDC was founded. The public also was consumed with world news of the day: the deaths of astronauts who died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion, and the standoff talks between Pres. Reagan and Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev over their arms control differences.

First Lady Nancy Reagan was telling the nation to “Just Say No” concerning the rising use of cocaine and other illicit drugs.

Former attorney and civil rights activist Thurgood Marshall was still on the U.S. Supreme Court – five years before conservative Republican Clarence Thomas took a seat. American citizens and physicians still were terrified of the relatively new HIV/AIDs epidemic that health agencies officially recognized five years earlier in 1981.

A recent happening in a different part of southern Dallas -- the historic 10th Street Historic District in Dallas’ Oak Cliff area -- seemed like déjà vu for ICDC in South Dallas/Fair Park.

New single-family homes near Bexar Street and Bonton community. Photo: Texas Metro News

Brenda Love Photo: Courtesy Fannon Meador Photo: American National Bank of Texas

Advocates there had been fighting for ways to save and renovate sub-standard low-income homes, particularly as the availability of affordable housing was clearly becoming a crisis.

So, ICDC and South Dallas/Fair Park celebrated along with Oak Cliff when preservation advocates won a victory for the 10th Street area that is one of the nation’s prominent original Freedmen’s Towns.

Ironically during Black History month in February, the Dallas City Council ended a long-standing ordinance that had allowed demolition of historic homes in predominantly low-income, African American and Latino communities, if they were labeled substandard; despite being historic. The ordinance change was a victory for saving affordable housing.

T. R. Hoover CDC Mission, Achievements

When T. R. Hoover CDC opened in 1997, the world was engrossed in news about the sudden car-crash death of Princess Diana of Wales. Entertainer Ellen DeGeneres announced that she was gay. Also, the public would learn about a two-year affair that ended that year between then U. S. President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Founded as a way to combat classic symptoms of poverty in the Ideal neighborhood where she lived, near well-known Bexar Street in South Dallas/Fair Park, Jacqueline Mixon lit her torch after traditional neighborhood problems of poverty and crime began to escalate.

She had inherited her sense of community caring and action from her daughter’s great grandfather, T. R. Hoover. So, the family named the organization in his honor.

Today its services include a popular food bank, after-school and weekend youth activities, and referral to various social services. Fighting for affordable housing is high on Hoover’s priority list.

“Just about every day as I’m driving, I’m looking at the transformation,” Sherri Mixon said. “Today potential residents and renters are being asked to pay about $1,500 a month and the rooms are small like closets. That conversation comes up constantly in our neighborhood residents’ meetings.”

Homeownership is where the heart is

When all is said and done, owning your own home is worth the anxiety, financial grip it holds on you, and the gamble of facing an unknown future about the surrounding community, said new homeowner Brenda Love.

The working mother of three adult offspring and five grandchildren bought a home in the South Dallas/Fair Park community two years ago and shares it with a daughter and two grandchildren.

Love said she moved from North Dallas, where she was close to her job, to South Dallas/Fair Park to be close to family and give her grandchildren a sense of their culture.

She confessed that she misses the available North Dallas amenities, such as choices of grocery stores and 24-hour drug stores.

She wishes her neighborhood had more such choices and other features, such as speed bumps to make streets safer for children and residents. And although never the victim of burglars, she wishes for police presence.

Working with Partners and Coalitions

Ragsdale is quick to say that working with partners and coalitions is key for those seeking to solve problems and bring change.

Over the decades, ICDC has worked with various other nonprofits and institutions that share similar goals. in addition to T. R. Hoover, some of them include the nonprofit SouthFair CDC, State Fair of Texas, the City of Dallas, the Real Estate Council, and The Meadows Foundation.

There also are banks and financial institutions. Fannon Meador is a community development officer with American National Bank of Texas (ANBTX), an independent community bank that has operated since 1875, and now has more than 30 locations throughout North Texas.

Meador said his local community bank is currently focusing on expanding homeownership in Dallas County. South Dallas/ Fair Park is among the institution’s wide swath of target areas in the southern sector, south of downtown Dallas, where they exercise their slogan, “community-first and community-focuses.”

“We want to help and strengthen South Dallas,” Meadow said. “From affordable housing and financial education to volunteerism and economic support, we’re here to help ignite long-term neighborhood revitalization.”

In Southern Dallas County, the community-minded financial institution has implemented the Ignite Home Loan program, EVERFI – a financial literacy program through Dallas and Mesquite public schools, and a Homebuyer Education Series through its Cedar Hill Mortgage Loan Office. There still are more than a dozen other local groups that ANBTX supports. These include Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, Cornerstone Baptist Church, United Way, and Minnie’s Food Pantry operated by Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson.

There was, though, one traumatic incident that led her to add more community youth activities to her wish list.

She awoke one night to a group of teenagers standing in her driveway shooting a gun in the air. A neighbor called the police before she could. The teens ran away, but she began to wish there were nearby positive activities and mentors to replace the youths’ idleness.

All-in-all, she remains grateful for her new abode, although the area housing boom and spiked costs make her uneasy.

“It concerns me,” said Love, a hospitality associate in a downtown Dallas attorney’s office. “If you’re not firmly established and on your feet, the people will not be able to afford the homes they (developers) are building. …They’re beautiful homes. But more-and-more, the people can’t afford them. And the ones already there are being pushed out.”

Property fraud, loss of status woes

Attempts to maintain affordable housing in low- to moderate-income areas does not just include fighting rising costs and preventing break-ins and street violence. There are various other factors.

There is the need for residents to stay ahead of threats that include various forms of property fraud, which occurs when unscrupulous potential buyers somehow change ownership deeds by forging signatures on scammed property deeds.

The crime often is done after an elderly owner dies, their home is left vacant, and relatives are distracted or not paying attention to what’s happening to the property.

Next is the hurdle of a neighborhood losing status and reputation because of either crime and/or unscrupulous residents who move into the area, i.e., drug, gambling or prostitution houses.

That is what has happened to the once high-brow community of South Boulevard/Park Row; one street north of Martin Luther King jr. Blvd.

Local realtor Tracey Serrell, a Dallas native, recently shared disappointing news about a usually respected neighborhood that has lost status.

On her real estate YouTube channel -- @TheDFWLife-cn7yo – Serrell, on December 18, 2023, quoted researchers

who labeled South Boulevard/Park Row as “#1 on the list of worst places to live if you are considering moving to Dallas.”

This conclusion was based on property crime and violence research done by Property Club, an Australian-based national real estate consulting group.

Serrell’s YouTube channel regularly advises individuals seeking guidance on where to buy homes in the DFW metroplex.

“I help people relocate to Dallas-Fort Worth on a fairly regular basis. And one thing I hear very often is: ‘Tracey, is this a good place to live?’ And that is code for is this a safe place to live,” Serrell said in the video. “As a realtor, I can’t steer you in an area or away from an area. I can only provide you with statistics and resources and things for you to do your own research for you to determine what works best for you.”

Serrell further admonished: “Remember, when you buy a home, you’re not just buying that singular address, you’re buying the entire area, the community. I want you to go into every area that you see with your eyes wide open.”

Property Club published its findings in January 2023, with South Boulevard/ Park Row as #1 among the 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in Dallas, with

a crime rate that is “277 percent higher than the Dallas average.”

Some other surprising listings among the 10 include South Dallas/Fair Park, the Dallas Convention Center district downtown, and the Cedar Crest area.

The group’s report strangely noted that South Boulevard/Park Row has a population of 26,359, adding that the violent crime rate is 3,255 and property crime rate is 6,492 per 100,000 people.

Questionable, though, is why the area population is given as 26,459 when South Boulevard and Park Row are only two streets. Clearly the report takes in a much larger area than the two streets.

Reacting to Serrell’s report, one resident responded with her own theory about the high crime statistics. The resident opined that the startling stats largely centered on four seriously rundown, blighted properties near the corner of South Boulevard and Meadow St. where she said “trap houses and drug dealers” function in the open.

At the far opposite end of South Boulevard, the traditional upscale, well-kept turn-of-the-century colonial homes still attract new, younger professional residents who restore the large, attractive properties with wide, expansive porches.

Multi-level, single-family homes near Anderson and Bexar streets and Hwy 175. Photo: Texas Metro News

A don’t-give-up mentality can win seemingly impossible warfare

Despite their age differences, Ragsdale and Mixon grew up in close areas where faith philosophies were common They both say they are familiar with an often-quoted Biblical scripture, Matthew 26:11, which reminds everyone that “the poor you will always have with you.” (NIV)

Yet, even that divine warning has not stopped them from zealously seeking solutions to community problems that would stymie less-hardy souls

Rev. Lane said Ragsdale has left a firm footprint for those who want to be change-makers to follow.

“She’s created a system and culture through ICDC where others can follow and have followed,” Rev Lane said, adding that he and Ragsdale get to share and see ICDC’s impact working with state and national groups that include the Texas Association of Community Development Corporations and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition

Ragsdale’s approach is that of a socially-aware neighborhood youth who rose to high-ranking Dallas city leader-

ship She then used her position to be a change-maker for the downtrodden.

In her youth and young adult years, she was part of civil rights street protests. She challenged the establishment and the neighborhoods have benefitted Her sights now are set on implementing policies that improve lives for renters and homeowners.

“The reality is that 65 percent of our people in South Dallas Bexar Street area are tenants now,” said Ragsdale. “Many are stable, good neighbors who, like homeowners, have a stake in the neighborhood. They deserve attention, too.”

Sherry Mixon agrees. She devotedly crusades from her perch as one who earned, then pocketed her college degree that was preparing her to pursue a medical career

Instead, she now fights to heal problems of the low-income community where she grew up. Mixon has hopes for a new generation of leaders – even new African American real estate developers who will put affordable housing needs of the people above making a dollar

“People do need housing,” Mixon said “But people need sustainable housing.

They do not need an over-priced situation where they live there one month and then are out the door the next because they cannot afford to stay where they are.”

Through the efforts of Community Development Corporations, some communities are growing Still, there is so much more work to do and resources needed The issue of affordable housing has not gone away and the number of homeless citizens in the U.S., according to HUD, is rapidly approaching 700,000.

Thanks to the efforts of Ragsdale, the Mixons and Rev Lane, as well as others who are involved in combating the housing crisis in America, bit by bit progress is being made.

Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black full-time reporter in 1974. norma adams wade@ yahoo.com

SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM: Texas Metro News is about progress, leaving the world in a better place, and lifting as we climb. Team members have participated in listening sessions, worked on several stories dealing with societal ills, and collaborated with others to either find solutions or report on those who are working to make a difference Thanks to the generous support of the Dallas Media Collaborative , Solutions Journalism Network, American Press Institute, Fund for Equity in Local News, Google News Initiative, NNPA, and the Don’t Believe the Hype Foundation; we ’ re sharing what we ’ ve learned

New housing near Anderson Street and Hwy 310/S M Wright Fwy

Photo: Texas Metro News

Where you can find Texas Metro News/Garland Journal

Balch Spring:

• Walmart: Lake June Rd.

Carrollton:

• Texaco: 2680 Old Denton Rd.

• 7-Eleven: 3700 Old Denton Rd. & Trinity Mill Rd.

• Texaco: Old Denton Rd./ Rosemeade Pkwy.

• Josey Ranch Library: 1700 Keller Springs

Coppell:

• North Lake College: 101 S. Royal Lane

Dallas:

• Tom Thumb Supermarket: S. Hampton Rd.

• Valero: West Jefferson St.

• Fiesta Supermarket: West Jefferson St.

• Valero: Marsalis and I-35 Stemmons Fwy.

• Oak Cliff Municipal: East Jefferson St.

• 7-Eleven: Marsalis and 8th St.

• Shell Station: 8th Street & I-35

• Exxon / Sonic: Riverfront Blvd.

• The Black Academy of Arts & Letter: S. Griffin St.

• K&T Smokes & More: Corinth & Morrell

• Shamrock Gas: Corinth & Morrell

• Exxon on Lancaster Rd & Saner

• Convenience Store Marsalis & Saner

• Smokey John’s BBQ: Mockingbird Lane

• Blue Bros. Restaurant: Mockingbird Lane

• IHOP Restaurant: Mockingbird Lane

• 7-Eleven: Gaston Ave. & Haskell St.

• The Volunteer Center: Live Oak & Liberty St.

• Walmart Stores: Retail Road

• Hamilton Baptist Church:

Schroeder Lane

• Tom Thumb: E. Lovers Lane

• 7-Eleven: Skillman Blvd. & Loop 12

• Chevron / McDonalds: N. Central Expressway

• Walmart Stores: N. Central Expressway

• 7-Eleven: N. Central Expressway

• Walmart: Northwest Hwy. @ Skillman

• Wash & Dry: Skillman @ Audelia

Downtown Dallas:

• Hall’s Honey Fried Chicken: Med Dist Dr & I-35

• Marriott: North Stemmons Freeway & I-35

• Happy Mart & McDonald’s: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• DoubleTree Hilton on Market Center Blvd.

• Best Western: Market Center Blvd.

• Courtyard by Marriott: Market Center Blvd.

• Comfort Inn & Suites: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• Home Suites Hilton: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• Embassy Suites: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• Extended Stay: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• Holiday Inn: N. Stemmons Fwy.

• 7-Eleven: N. Stemmons Fwy.

South Dallas/Oak Cliff:

• DJ’s Blackjack Pizza: MLK Blvd.

• 2 Podners Restaurant: R. B. Cullum Blvd.

• Elaine’s Jamaican Restaurant: MLK Blvd.

• Aunt Irene’s Kitchen: Malcolm X Blvd.

• Martin Luther King Center: MLK Blvd.

• SouthSide on Lamar: S. Lamar St.

• Fiesta Supermarket: R. B.

Cullum & MLK Blvd.

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.: MLK Blvd.

• Muhammad Mosque on MLK Blvd.

• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. on MLK Blvd.

• Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. MLK Blvd.

• 7-Eleven: Ledbetter & Bonnie View Rd.

• Valero Gas: Ledbetter & Bonnie View Rd.

• CostPlus/CashSaver: Ledbetter & Lancaster Rd.

• Hall’s Honey Fried Chicken: S. Lancaster Rd.

• Lounas Convenience Store: S. Lancaster Rd.

• Convenience Store: Lea Crest Dr. & S. Lancaster Rd.

• Dunbar US Post office: Kiest Blvd.

• Black and Clark Funeral Home: S. Illinois Ave.

• Texaco Station: S. Illinois Ave.

• EatZone Restaurant: S. Illinois Ave.

• Pan-African Connection: Ann Arbor Rd. Plaza

• Convenience Store: Ann Arbor Rd. Plaza

• 99-cents Convenience: Ann Arbor Rd. Plaza

• Papa Mart: Overton Rd. & Ramona

• Bank of America: S. Lancaster & Overton Rd.

• Fiesta Supermarket: S. Lancaster & Kiest Blvd.

• Family Dollar: S. Lancaster Rd. & Illinois Ave.

• TacoMart: S. Lancaster Rd & Overton Rd.

• Wing Daddy Restaurant: S. Lancaster Rd. & Overton Rd.

• 7-Eleven: S. Lancaster Rd. and Overton Rd.

• Louisiana Catfish: Stuart Simpson & Bonnie View Rd.

• Save U More Supermarket: Stuart Simpson Rd.

• Valero Gas: Stuart Simpson Rd.

• Exxon Convenience: Stuart Simpson Rd.

• Sweet Georgia Brown Restaurant: Ledbetter & Bonnie View Rd.

• Wells Fargo Bank: Hampton Rd.

• Glen’s Kitchen: Camp Wisdom Rd.

• South Dallas Cafe: Camp Wisdom Rd.

• Popeyes Exxon: S. Lancaster Rd.

• Cash Saver/Cost Plus: W. Camp Wisdom Rd.

West Dallas:

• Jerry’s Mart: Westmoreland Rd.

• Circle K: Westmoreland & S. Hampton Rd.

• 7-Eleven: Westmoreland & S. Hampton Rd.

• CostPlus Cash Saver: S.Hampton Rd.

• 7-Eleven: S. Hampton Rd.

DeSoto/Lancaster:

• Walmart on Beltline Rd & I-35

• 7-Eleven: Beltline Rd.

• DeSoto Grocery: Beltline Rd.

• Tom Thumb: Pleasant Run Rd.

• DeSoto Convenience Store: Pleasant Run Rd.

• B&B Tax: Pleasant Run Rd.

Duncanville:

• WinCo Food Stores: I-67

• Hilton Express: I-67

• Louisiana Fried Chicken: W. Wheatland Rd.

• Louisiana Catfish: East

Danieldale Road & I-67

• Shell Gas: I-67 and E. Danieldale Rd.

• Pantera Convenience: I-67 & E. Danieldale Rd. Read

Metro Community Calendar

powered by

APRIL 18

Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability and the Dallas Public Library for this free program to commemorate Earth Month! Register at this link: https:// dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/event/ earth-day-everyday-321504. They are hosting Dr. Earthea Nance, EPA Region 6 Administrator, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

27

60th V. Alyce Foster Trailblazer Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc., at 12 noon, HILTON ANATOLE HOTEL Keynote Speaker at this scholarship benefit will be U. S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Among this year’s honorees is Ella Goode Johnson, who will receive the coveted WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD.

IOTA PHI LAMBDA SORORITY- PSI CHAPTER BUSINESS MONTH EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS LUNCHEON at the Renaissance Dallas North Hotel 1590 LBJ Freeway, at 11am

MAY 4

Kentucky Derby HBCU Jam brought to you by the DFW Alumni Chapters of Kenctucky State, PVAMU Dallas, PVAMU Fort Worth and Alcorn State at Lone Star Parkway in Grand Prairie.

5

Miss Jabberwock Pageant at 6:00 pm at Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N. O’Connor Rd, Irving, TX 75062 presented by the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in partnership with Dodd Education and Support, Inc.

18

19

Crowned Scholars Gala, noon - 3pm, On the Levee, 1108 Quaker St. Dallas, Purchase tickets at www.crowned scholars.org

with Live Nation Urban, is set to make its mark in Dallas at the historic Fair Park. The renowned ONE Musicfest has chosen the vibrant city of Dallas as the perfect canvas for its expansion, introducing TwoGether Land as a sister festival. Presented by ONE Musicfest, TwoGether Land takes place during Memorial Day weekend

HYPE

w/Cheryl Smith

Weekday mornings on FaceBook at 8:45 am

Bringing you hype you can believe!

Brittney Johnson, the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of NBC 5 News at 10 p.m., is the honorary chair of NAMIWalks North Texas 2024 at 9:00 a.m., NAMIWalks North Texas will take place at Riders Field, 7300 Roughriders Trail, Frisco, TX 75034.

Register at Eventbrite and attend services at 10am

25-26

TwoGether Land, the latest addition to the ONE Musicfest (OMF) family in partnership

JUNE 15

Dallas Soul Flower Music Fest. This is one of the country’s most beautiful events kicking off a very special weekend. Treat your soul to an unforgettable experience in downtown Dallas. Soul Flower Music Fest is a one-day music Festival featuring National and Local Soul, R&B, Neo Soul and Hip-Hop Artists. In addition to great music, there will be food, games, shopping, contests and great vibes. A LIMITED AMOUNT of Early Bird Tickets on sale now. Get tickets at www.SoulFlowerDallas.com For Vendor Info Email Soulflowermusicfest@gmail.com

The World According to Drew on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join Andrew Whigham on the call 646-200-0459

SEND CALENDAR ITEMS TO editor@texasmetronews.com or call

214-941-0110

PEARLS OF THE IVY FOUNDATION

LONE STAR PARK AT GRAND PRAIRIE

DURATION: 4 HR

Lifestyle Metro Calendar

APRIL

SIGMA GAMMA RHO SORORITY, INC

ALPHA PI SIGMA CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

16

DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE DANCING BEYOND BORDERS at W.E. Scott Theatre in Fort Worth

18

DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE

DANCING BEYOND BORDERS 7:30pm at Eisemann Center in Richardson

25-26

TwoGether Land, the latest addition to the ONE Musicfest (OMF) family in partnership with Live Nation Urban, is set to make its mark in Dallas at the historic Fair Park.

27

PHILANTHROPARTY 2024 TOGETHER FOR GOOD

The Statler Dallas, 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201 6 - 11pm CDT Social Venture Partners Dallas is looking forward to celebrating its 8th Annual Philanthroparty!

Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage 2024, a transformative experience aimed at supporting HBCU students HBCUs. Departing from Miami, FL, on April 27, the cruise navigates through the Caribbean ports of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, hosting a lively Beach Party at Labadee.

Iota Phi Lambda Sorority’s 50th Anniversary Business Month Education & Scholarship Awards Luncheon, honoring Ernie Williams - Alvernon K. Tripp Hall of Fame Inductee and 2024 Honorees, Renaissance Dallas North Hotel at 1590 LBJ Freeway, Dallas.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Alpha Beta Phi Omega Chapter

The Taste of Black Mansfield FoodTruck Edition

SECURE YOUR FREE SPOT TODAY @ https://docs.google.com/.../ 1FAIpQLScvGeDRnY2Qr.../viewform

8

Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability and the Dallas Public Library for this free program to commemorate Earth Month! Register at this link: https://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/event/ earth-day-everyday-321504, featuring Dr. Earthea Nance, EPA Region 6 Administrator, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

20

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s second annual Young Professionals Experience (YPX), DSO X Troupe Vertigo! This year’s experience will be held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

21

Stock Market Investing & Entrepreneurship, 3-4:30 p.m. for middle-high school students at The DEC @Red Bird, 3560 W. Camp Wisdom. For more Info, call Project Still I Rise at 972-546-0977

23

Join the National Coalition of 100 Black Women - Dallas Metropolitan Chapter‘s annual signature event benefiting their scholarship fund, A Crown & Roses Affair. This event will be held at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, TX. Chapter presentation from 11am - 1pm - Enjoy a derby style day at the races 1pm6pm Get your ticket here- https:// bit.ly/SigEventCrownAndRosesAffair

Reach Media Inc. - Tom Joyner’s Ultimate Party with a Purpose is gearing up to embark on the Tom

MAY 3

Cynthia Mickens Ministries Annual Fundraiser will be held at DHV Artworks, 2835 Irving Blvd in Dallas. info@cynthiamickensministries. org

18

Register on Eventbrite and attend services at 10am

19

Stock Market Investing & Entrepreneurship, 3-4:30 p.m. for middle-high school students at The DEC @Red Bird, 3560 W. Camp Wisdom. For more Info, call Project Still I Rise at 972-546-0977

JUNE 1

Texas Rangers v San Francisco Giants: HBCU Diamond Day @ 3:05pm. Show up and show off your HBCU pride! The Texas Rangers 2nd annual HBCU Diamond Day recognizing current students and alumni from Historically Black Colleges & Universities. Each ticket purchase will include an exclusive Texas Rangers HBCU ballcap.

JULY

12

HE IS A SERIAL RAPIST

He targeted members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. but this is more than about a sorority.

We’re talking about a community.

Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE?

Will it matter when it is your sister, mother, aunt or grandmother or maybe YOU?

Crimestoppers

877-373-8477