I know there are probably people everywhere I go, who ask (behind my back), am I going to ask “Is it Black-owned?”
News flash:
Yes, I am going to keep asking “that question.”
Which brings me to my truth.
Decades ago, an entrepreneur came to Dallas, TX on a promotional tour. He was meeting with primarily the Black Press, and he was spending about three days in the city.
His message was clear: He was a Blackowned business, creating something very few other Black men had
created and Black people needed to support him.
If you didn’t support him and his product, you probably needed to have your Black card revoked, he said in several interviews with media outlets.
Following our interview, he said he was hungry and wanted to go out for dinner.
If you know me, you know I have plenty of Black-owned places so I was ready with my list. Imagine my surprise when he said he wanted to go to Chili’s.
Second news flash (for those who didn’t knownow you know!): Chili’s is not Blackowned.
Third news flash: From my perspec-
Pat Bailey is on a Mission to Help Caregivers Find a New Tomorrow
By Sylvia Powers Correspondent Texas Metro News
On February 21st, the nation will honor the 53 million caregivers who selflessly support their aging or incapacitated loved ones—whether parents, spouses, friends, or neighbors—in recognition of National Caregivers Day. This invaluable group provides essential care, from preparing meals to assisting with daily activities, embodying compassion and dedication. With one in five Americans serving as caregivers, it is crucial to acknowledge their unwavering commitment and sacrifices.
A Calling to Care
“The most important thing I can tell caregivers is that
we were born to do this. You are either going to be a caregiver or you’re going to be cared for,” said Pat Bailey, affectionately known as “The Caregiver’s Coach.”
“I encourage caregivers to lean into their spiritual side and relationship with God. When I cared for my mother, I saw my spiritual gifts come to life in ways that prepared me for this calling.”
Bailey’s caregiving journey began when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Through the challenges, she noticed significant gaps in caregiver education, particularly in underserved communities. Determined to create change, Bailey founded Finding New Tomorrows, an initiative that provides
See
page 14
40-Day Target ‘Fast’ is ON
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
Dr. Jamal Bryant, the influential pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in metro Atlanta, is leading a 40-day fast— or boycott—of Target in response to the retailer’s decision to phase out its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Bryant is calling for 100,000 people to sign a petition and halt their spending at Target as a direct challenge to what he describes as the company’s retreat from its com-
mitments to Black businesses and consumers.
Target, headquartered in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered in 2020, initially pledged $2 billion in
Noble Jurist Takes His Leave
L. Clifford Davis was 100!
By Joseph Green-Bishop Arise Rejoice News Service
One of the most historically significant individuals in the legal and social histories of Texas, Judge L. Clifford Davis, has taken his final leave!
Judge Davis, who passed on Saturday morning, was 100 years of age.
A 1949 graduate of the Howard University Law School, Judge Davis became a member of the Texas Bar in 1952.
Born in Arkansas, he studied law in Washington
because law schools in Arkansas and Texas, would not admit him because of the color of his skin.
Among his most signif-
Cheryl Smith
Hon. L. Clifford Davis
For Pat Bailey, caregiving is more than a duty—it’s a calling. Through Finding New Tomorrows, she ensures that caregivers never have to walk their journey alone.
Pat Bailey, Caregiver Coach; Hedy Williams, sister of Carolyn Williams, Sherilyn Smith Rudolph, Gerald Albright, Gay Billops, Gaye Arbuckle, and Charlotte Ducksworth at Concert and Awards Brunch.
Dr. Jamal Bryant
CAREGIVERS,
DBDT Launches Historic Cultural
DALLAS - Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) recently announced the statewide expansion of its celebrated Cultural Awareness virtual student matinee program, a groundbreaking move that marks the largest arts education initiative of its kind in Texas history.
This unprecedented expansion encompasses more than 8,000 schools in over 1,000 school districts, serving students in all grade levels and subject areas including math, science, history, English language and the arts.
Originally launched in 2022 in partnership with Dallas ISD, DBDT created the concept in the wake of COVID-related shutdowns and offered this virtual programming to all 150,000 students throughout the district.
To date, DBDT’s virtual student matinees have served over 100,000 students at 160 Dallas ISD schools and an additional 30,000 have been served in Arlington, Duncanville, Lancaster, Fort Worth, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Schools ISDs.
Building upon that success, this historic expansion represents a monumental step forward in making arts education accessible to students across the state’s urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Statewide distribution is being supported by the City of Houston’s Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA). What began as a local response to the pandemic, has transformed into a revolu-
DeSoto ISD Bond Election
DeSoto, TX--During DeSoto Independent School District’s Special Called meeting held February 10, 2025, the district’s Board of Trustees sought voter approval for a $199,855,000 bond issue to be placed on the May 2025 local election.
Initiative
tionary state-wide arts education and cultural literacy initiative that will offer nearly 6 million K-12 Texas students access to DBDT’s world-class dance performances during Black History Month.
This initiative aligns with the National Endowment for the Arts’ mission to promote equal access to the arts across America while setting a new standard for largescale arts education delivery. The program demonstrates how digital innovation can democratize access to the arts, potentially serving as a model for other states nationwide.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s virtual matinee program features a carefully curated selection of DBDT’s most impactful works, with pieces featuring music from Frédéric Chopin, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and others, alongside innovative audience participation segments led by DBDT’s Interim Artistic Director, Richard A. Freeman, Jr. Each performance is complemented by TEKS-aligned K-12 educational materials that connect the artistry to historical context and cultural significance. This program is made possible through support from anonymous donors.
Registration and access are available through February 28, 2025. For information on how Texas schools can participate in this historic initiative, please contact the Dallas Black Dance Theatre at ticketsales@dbdt.com or visit dbdt.com.
School Renovation
Ruby Young Talented and Gifted Academy Renovation to STEM Center
Amber Terrace Early Childhood Renovation
The Meadows Elementary School Renovation
This process has been a community effort, enlisting the assistance of a district facility planning committee composed of citizens, city leaders, board members, district employees, teachers, and parents. The committee dedicated several months to data collection, evaluations, and planning to compile this bond package and make a recommendation to the school board on January 22, 2025 during a town hall meeting on the matter. This recommendation was based on DeSoto ISD’s education goals to provide a Triple-A Experience for its students, giving credence to the district’s holistic and well-rounded approach to educating scholars through academics, arts, and athletics and be put before voters on May 3, 2025. The district’s financial advisor has determined that there will be a $0.1554 tax impact to finance this bond. For a home in DeSoto ISD worth $150,000, that would be an impact of $6.48 a month. The district’s 2025 bond package will include three propositions, each voted on separately.
Bond Scope - $199,855,000 Total Tax Rate Impact: $0.1554
Proposition A: $152,655,000
Proposition A Tax Rate Impact: $0.1187
Frank Moates Elementary School Replacement Cockrell Hill Elementary
• Woodridge Elementary School Renovation
• Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy Maintenance
• McCowan Middle School Renovation
• West Middle School Renovation
• Central Administration and Professional Development Renovations
• High School Academic Renovations
Proposition B: $38,635,000 Proposition B Tax Rate Impact: $0.0300
• Student Athlete Success Center
High School Athletics (Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Softball, Basketball, Track, etc.)
Proposition C: $8,565,000 Proposition C: $0.0067
• High School Stadium Renovations
DeSoto ISD residents will have the opportunity to vote on the bond referendum beginning with early voting on April 22 – April 29, 2025, and on Election Day, May 3, 2025.
For more information regarding the DeSoto ISD bond program, please contact DeSoto ISD at info@desotoisd.org or visit desotoisdbond.com
“First Board Members Sworn in for Two New Emergency Services Districts”
Ellis County, TX – On February 6th and 10th, the first-ever board members for Ellis County Emergency Services Districts #11 (Alma) and #10 (Bardwell), respectively, took their oaths of office. These two emergency services districts (ESD’s) were approved by local voters in the November 5th, 2024 General Election and will provide fire & rescue services to area residents.
“Our volunteer firefighters are behind this effort,” explained County Judge Todd Little, who administered the oaths of office for ESD #10. “We’ve all seen the recent fires out in California and how quickly the danger can spread to devastate entire neighborhoods. Organizing into ESD’s will allow our first responders to more effectively procure the equipment they need to keep our citizens safe, and as official government entities, both the ESD’s and the county will benefit from enhanced communications integration.”
Unlike volunteer fire departments, ESD’s levy a local property tax to cover the costs of procuring and maintaining equipment, as well as many administrative needs. Additionally, ESD’s are authorized to connect to official public safety communications infrastructure, thus contributing significantly to a well-coordinated incident response alongside other emergency services.
“When I was Mayor of Red Oak, I remember the first time we bought a ladder truck for our
fire department,” said Little. “All of a sudden, you saw developers looking into multi-story buildings where they hadn’t been able to build them before. Fire-fighting capabilities absolutely shape the way that an area can develop, and as the ‘boots on the ground’ in Alma and Bardwell, our local first responders are laying the necessary foundation to prepare for future growth.”
Leading the effort to organize the new ESD’s were Alma VFD Chief Brian Mundie and Bardwell VFD Treasurer/EMS Captain Robert Gillentine. In the City of Milford, VFD Captain Jaylon Davis circulated the legally-required petition to create an ESD there as well, which the Ellis County Commissioners’ Court accepted in January in order to call a special election on May 3rd for local voters to decide on creating the district.
“This all started about five years ago,” said Gillentine. “[We were] figuring out whether we were going to file bankruptcy, or we were going to dissolve the department…We spent a lot of time with the guys over in Avalon, especially in ESD #6…Those guys have been very beneficial and helped us grow until we got started.”
“The Alma VFD has been proudly serving since the 1970’s,” said Mundie, “but with the growth we’re seeing, it’s certainly not getting any less expensive for us to have the tools we need. This is really going to help us serve the community better.”
A letter from the NAACPMetro DFW President:
Hello
Freedom Fighters,
Things have been a whirlwind since January 20th with the new United States administration. It seems that the Project 2025 playbook is taking shape as a reality. But as Texans, we must also stay vigilant during the 89th Texas Legislative Session. The policies being enacted at the national level are directly impacting our lives, and the legislation being introduced at the Texas Capitol will shape our future as well.
You can stay informed about the current legislative session and track bills by signing up for notifications via the Texas Legislature Online: https://capitol. texas.gov/
As we navigate this legislative session, I want to highlight two invaluable resources to keep you informed and engaged: Texas Legislature Online and the Texas State Law Library’s overview of the 89th Regular Legislative Session. This session began on January 14, 2025, and will continue through June 2, 2025.
The Texas State Law Library offers comprehensive information on the legislative process, including bill tracking, session schedules, and access to key legislative documents. Utilizing these resources will empower you to stay updated, track important legislation, and actively participate in advocacy efforts.
The Texas Legislature Online website provides real-time access to legislative activities, including bill searches, committee hearings, and vote records. This platform allows Texans to follow proposed laws, read bill analyses, and engage in the law-making process by submitting comments and contacting legislators directly.
I have also created a Texas Legislative Take Action Plan graphic, which you will find in this newsletter. Please save, share, and take action to make
a meaningful impact during this legislative session.
Make plans to join us for our upcoming DFW Metro NAACP General Meeting, where we will discuss key bills to monitor.
Senator Royce West recently shared in his February 14, 2025 newsletter that Governor Abbott has declared seven “emergency” items, allowing immediate legislative action on these issues. Typically, the state constitution prohibits the passage of bills within the first 60 days of a regular session unless they are designated as emergencies by the governor. The seven emergency items are:
1. Property Tax Relief
2. Water Infrastructure Investment
3. Teacher Pay Raises
4. Expansion of Career Training
5. School Choice
6. Bail Reform
7. Creation of a Texas Cyber Command
Please make plans to participate in the various legislative advocacy days scheduled for March 16-19. Flyers with details are included in this newsletter.
You can get involved in several ways, and every effort makes a difference. You can:
• Write letters to your representatives.
• Call your legislators and express your stance on key issues.
• Attend hearings and provide testimony.
• Participate in legislative and lobby days, either as an individual or with advocacy groups aligned with your values.
Membership Renewal Reminder:
If your membership expires in January or February, please renew it as soon as possible. Staying united and engaged is critical to continuing our fight for justice, equality, and progress.
This year is packed with opportunities to make an impact. Volunteer with us, join a committee, or attend an upcoming event. Watch your inbox and social media for updates, and don’t hesitate to reach out with your ideas or questions.
Urgent Call to Action:
Our community is facing many pressing needs, and we need your help to meet them. To fulfill the mission of the NAACP and make a lasting impact, we require members, leaders, volunteers, financial support, and other resources. We invite you to dedicate just 1 to 3 hours a week or month to help strengthen our branch and further our cause. Your time, talents, and contributions are essential to our success. Join us for our Volunteer and Get Involved meeting, where you can find out how you can get involved and make a difference.
Together, we can make a lasting impact on the future of our state. Let’s stay informed, engaged, and committed to advocating for policies that benefit our communities.
Peace and Power, Rev. Crystal Bates President, DFW Metro NAACP Vice Chair, Texas State NAACP Environmental Justice Committee
Banning Black History Month Revives ‘Lost Cause’ Lies TO BE EQUAL
“Let’s call this what it really is: resegregation. … Any official, including the president, who chooses to blame everything from plane crashes to wildfires on non-white, non-male people should be asked whether they believe that desegregation is to blame. Whether they believe resegregation is the answer. We need to bring back the language that describes what is actually happening.” — Karen Attiah
Whenever an anti-diversity extremist uses the word “woke” in a disparaging way, we must remember that the extremists themselves define “woke” as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”
Anti-diversity activists don’t want to address systemic injustices that mainly benefit white men. They’d rather distort history to promote a mass delusion that those injustices never existed.
That’s why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who built a national reputation by attacking diversity in the armed forces, has to ban recognition of Black History Month.
The racial justice uprising sparked by the murder of George Floyd nearly five years ago instilled a panic in the defenders of racial inequity, who launched a campaign in what they called “critical race theory” and now call “DEI.” At least 870 measures have been introduced at the federal, state and local level to stifle even the acknowledgement of institutional and systemic racism and discrimination. Even the measures that don’t pass are part of a broad effort to salt the earth against addressing systemic injustices. Since the Supreme
Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions two years ago, Black enrollment at top universities has fallen by 17%. Venture capital funding to Black-owned enterprises fell by 86% from 2021 to 2023. About one in eight companies say they will eliminate or scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion policies in 2025.
Black History Month grew out of “Douglass Day,” the Feb. 14 birthday celebration of the formerly enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass. In 1926, Black historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson built on that celebration, incorporating the birthday of “The Great Emancipator” Abraham Lincoln into Negro History Week. Woodson’s scholarship challenged the then-dominant “Lost Cause” myth that sought to erase the horrors of slavery and justify legal segregation. According to Lost Cause mythology, Black Americans had been content in their enslavement and were overwhelmed by the responsibilities of freedom. Through this lens, abolition and reconstruction had thrown the natural order into chaos, and Jim Crow segregation was a necessary correction.
Rather than promote the lie that Black Americans are content to live under a system of oppression, the modern Lost Cause movement promotes the lie that
Texas Metro News is your premier statewide news source, delivering comprehensive, inclusive, coverage of news, sports, features, opinions, and more. Stay informed with our diverse range of content designed to keep you engaged and informed.
The Texas Metro News’ mission is to inform, educate, enlighten, inspire, entertain, educate and empower, by providing thought-provoking news, photos, stories and commentary.
Texas Metro News, a Texas-based publication is published daily on www.texasmetronews.com with new and breaking news from a respected group of journalists and media professionals, and hits newsstands every Thursday, in addition to being distributed to an extensive list of social media sites, media lists and the Texas Metro News database.
In strategically placed bins, you can purchase copies of Texas Metro News for $1 per copy or you can have delivered to your home for $100 annually.
Additionally there are more than 200 sites across the state: including churches, public buildings, libraries, schools, restaurants and businesses where you can secure copies.
We welcome your submissions but do not guarantee publishing, unless submission includes an executed insertion order. We are not responsible for errors in advertising, however we will work to make good on our errors.
We are local and global, for you!
CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS
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, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
EDITORIAL
Ain’t that a Bitch!
Eggs, bacon, inflation, unemployment, and desperation are all about to rise
Vincent L. Hall
QUIT
PLAYIN’
Ain’t that a bitch, ha, yes, it is Somebody doing something slick, yeah, they are It’s got me wondering which is which
Might as well go out of town and dig a ditch
Ain’t that a bitch!
- Johnny Guitar Watson, 1996
Johnny Guitar Watson, the legendary blues artist and groovy griot of the ghetto, has been my front-seat passenger over the last few weeks. Spotify is my hope-todie ride-along, and it is usually on some rap or a podcast.
But lately, I have had them Johnny Guitar Watson kind-of-blues!
If anyone could gauge and gravitate to my angst at paying close to six dollars for six eggs, Watson
could. Quit Playin’, Johnny Guitar was for real. Johnny in his own words was a “Real Mutha Fa Ya!”
The culturally erudite and gratuitously gritty six-string player was born a few miles down the road in Houston, Texas. Unfortunately, he died a few thousand miles away from home, performing in Yokohama, Japan, in 1996.
At 7:40 on May 17, he collapsed on stage during the first song and first verse of his chart-topping Billboard hit, “Superman Lover!”
The Native Texan was a producer, writer, and player of keyboards, drums, and guitar. He also sang a little and had almost 20 of his own albums by the time of his passing.
Johnny Guitar brought the blues into the disco scene and married a few generations of us at the same party. He was known for his funky soul guitar, oversized sunshades, and raspy tenor voice.
But what you might remember Johnny for most was his 1997 hit,
“Ain’t That a Bitch!” Johnny used the word bitch to describe our circumstances rather than our women. He loved the sistas!
For Black folks, there is nothing better than reducing the equation to its lowest terms. Johnny G knew how to break our plight down so that it was eternally and forever broken!
There are three barometers that indicate how Black folks are feeling about the economy. We may suffer a lot of mess, but finally, we ask one question. How high is poultry, pork, and petro?
If either of them is out of reach, we believe that the whole damn economy has gone awry.
Because for most of us, when chicken, eggs, bacon, or gas gets too high, the time to conserve and contract has arrived. And my friend, the time is now.
If you drive down to your local Piggly Wiggly and stand at the egg cooler, everyone there regardless
of race is singing along with Johnny…“Ain’t that a Bitch!
Music lovers inclined to listen to Johnny Guitar Watson are smart enough to realize that our habits must change when things get tight. Hell, your cholesterol is probably too high anyway.
The bottom line is that we have a brain-dead president in the White House who invited his Billionaire “Broligarchs” to watch the Hen House. So, until we get some relief at the Courthouse, the only way to steer clear of the Outhouse is to pay attention to the finances in your own house.
Until said relief arrives, eggs, bacon, inflation, and desperation are all about to rise, right along with unemployment.
Now ain’t that a Bitch!
A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.
2025: An American Coup
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been silenced. No news is being allowed to come out of that entity even though bird flu is rampant, measles are making a comeback, and Ebola is a threat.
Coup: a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics . . . or [the] alteration of an existing government by a small group.
The president of the United States of America has orchestrated a coup of our American government.
Through myriad executive orders and the appointment of his friend and fellow billionaire, Elon Musk, whom Donald Trump calls a Special Government Employee, to head an entity Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), our government is no longer recognizable.
Starting 20 January, right after Trump’s inauguration, between the president, Musk, and DOGE
USAID has been shuttered, employees told to resign or be fired, their email cut off, the name taken off the building in Washington DC, and American produced aid to the poorest countries in the world stopped without notice.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been taken over by young men working for Elon Musk.
Treasury seems to have been hacked by the DOGE boys and much of Americans’ private information could be made available to who knows whom.
American families that include immigrants are being negatively impacted by implementation of Trump’s mass deportation plans. All diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities have been curtailed
and employees told not to come to work any more.
During his first week in office, Trump signed over 200 executive orders, some of which are patently illegal. People’s heads are spinning.
Is this chaos what Trump/MAGA voters were asking for or expecting when they voted for him? Probably not.
Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of agencies and veteran civil servants who have been told they were fired though only the Congress can fire them.
These civil servants have been locked out of or escorted from their offices and denied access to their email.
Tariffs have been levied and just as abruptly rescinded.
Eggs are costing more than ever so that Waffle House has established a 50-cent surcharge on them.
Will people continue to receive their Social Security checks? No one knows.
On top of it all, Trump said the US will take over the Gaza Strip and make it into the Riviera of the Middle East. No word on what country will accept millions of Palestinians who don’t want to be displaced. Again. Trump volunteered Egypt and Jordan neither of which have jumped at this “opportunity” to absorb millions of refugee migrants. If you don’t like what is going on within our government, call or email the president and your senators and representatives to let them know how you feel and what you want them to do about the coup being carried out by president Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE.
The White House: 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414
The 119th Congress — Senate: 202-224-3121 House: 202-225-3121
Pamela is a freelance writer, cultural commentator, blogger (www.speakingfreely. blog), and educator. A Fisk University alumna, Pamela is also a North Texas Master Naturalist and avid birder.
OUR VOICES
Pamela Ice
Constant Misery of those without food, clothing and shelter
James B. Ewers Jr. Ed. D.
OUR VOICES
Arthur Ashe, the iconic world class tennis player and social justice advocate once said, “Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can.” This time-honored expression rings true for us today.
We in America are living in complex and challenging times. Our day-to-day existence brings on bumps and detours on our road in life. That is the case even if you have a few pennies stashed away.
Tragedies have altered the way of living for many Americans during the first month of this year. I wonder if this is a foretaste of what is to come. It is scary when you think about it. As you ponder our future in
Dr. Julianne Malveaux
THE LAST WORD
For Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday commemoration to be recognized the same day that King’s very antithesis was inaugurated into the presidency brings Frankie Beverly’s song “Joy and Pain” to mind.
We always experience joy at the very thought of King, his brilliance, his courage, his resilience. We are reminded of his self-description as a “drum major for justice,” and his harsh criticism of church hypocrisy in the “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” From his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, dignity, equality and
this country, we must consider the political climate. Even the casual observer sees executive orders pouring out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Will they help us, or will they hinder us?
We find ourselves more than ever before living in a hyper-partisan political world. The early prognosticators are suggesting that doom and gloom await us.
The prices of goods and services are still high. The overall cost of providing is out of line when compared to previous years. Our dollars just don’t go as far. Reports say consumer prices went up 3% from June 2023 to June 2024.
There are some things most Americans take for granted each day. Why? It is because we have had them all our lives. We were born into them.
As we move closer to the month of February, there is a population in our country that continues to be neglected. The
basic needs most Americans have all the time have been out of reach for some of our brothers and sisters. This term has nothing to do with race or ethnicity but has everything to do with us being a part of each other.
The homeless population has increased over time. Waking up hungry and going to sleep hungry are common occurrences for the forgotten among us. They are the silent and the helpless who roam our streets looking for handouts.
We give them money and sometimes clothes. Our inconsistency is their daily consistency. We know where every meal will be served. They don’t. We change clothes every day. They don’t.
Reports say there were 771,480 homeless people in the United States of America last year. That number is staggering and shameful. We live in the
greatest country in the world. It is the home of the brave and the land of the free. It is also the land of the homeless.
An AI overview states, “The homeless population in America is currently experiencing a significant rise, with many experts citing a lack of affordable housing, rising living costs and insufficient government support as major contributing factors.”
There are over 12,000 Community Housing and Homeless Shelters in our country. This represents roughly a 2% increase. This is not enough to adequately care for the men, women and children that find themselves sleeping under bridges at night.
The Salvation Army is one of several organizations leading the initiative to create a better way of life for homeless Americans. Covenant House is the largest privately funded child-
The Last Word: Joy and Pain
freedom for their spirits.” King once described himself, in a letter to his wife, Coretta, as “a socialist” because he cared about economic justice and distribution issues. In one speech, he thundered, “if the world is two-thirds water, why do we pay water bills?”
The current president, in contrast, has surrounded himself with oligarchs and predatory capitalists, industrial titans who already have billions of dollars of government contracts who aspire to get even more. Putting them in leadership is akin to placing the fox as the overseer of the henhouse, then hoping there will be chickens left when you return. The joy of our MLK celebration was dampened by the current state of national politics and by the realized promises of the 47th president.
The 47th president said he would pardon the Jan. 6 disruptors and terrorists, and he did, even excusing those who assaulted police officers, even though he
campaigned with police support. The accounts of Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell, two Capitol Police officers who were attacked and eventually left their jobs, are harrowing. Both are angered by the Republican members of Congress who have kowtowed to the 47th president to the point that they have forgotten that Capitol Police officers saved their lives. About 140 officers were assaulted, beaten, sprayed. Several died from the stress. This seems to be
care agency in the United States providing shelter and service to homeless and runaway youth.
If you are in a club or organization, you can help to create food banks and clothing drives. For example, are you a member of the Divine Nine?
We can’t wait for state and federal governments to lend a hand. Maybe they will and maybe they won’t.
Let’s in our next organization’s meeting develop a yearlong program to help our homeless brothers and sisters. The difference we make will help to stop this homeless epidemic. Amid these tumultuous times, the time to do more is now. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
acceptable to the current Republican administration. Joy and pain. It is amusing or pathetic, whichever you prefer, to hear Republicans attempt to redefine reality. There was no insurrection, says the 47th president, just a protest that happened “out of love.”
Where is the love for a man like Gonell, who served in Afghanistan, says he loves our country, yet experienced two or more surgeries from the Jan. 6 physical attack? The people who attacked him deserve incarceration, not pardons, but to maintain the fiction that there was no violence on Jan. 6, pardons serve to paper over the lie.
In a frenzy of takeover ecstasy, the 47th president issued about 200 executive orders, including the pardons, rollbacks of Biden executive actions and increased border restrictions (declaring the U.S.-Mexico border a “national emergency” even though border crossings are down). One of his
executive orders attacks federal workers, making it easier for them to be fired without cause. Although our Constitution mandates citizenship for anyone born in this country, he is attempting, through executive order, to eliminate that right. He will withdraw our country from the Paris Climate Accord, even as we experience the devastating effects of climate change. And he will withdraw us from the World Health Organization (WHO), which weakens health stability on the planet. COVID-19 was a global, not a national, phenomenon, and we needed WHO-generated data to deal with the virus. All in all, the executive orders are a naked power grab, an attempt to diminish the role of Congress. And while organizations li
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a long-time educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.
THIS WEEK IN AUSTIN
One resident’s gain is another resident’s loss in recent homestead exemption bill
By Rita Cook Correspondent Texas Metro News
AUSTIN, TX - While SB4 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 to increase the Homestead Exemption to $140,000, and $150,000 for seniors passed last week and is now waiting for the final signature, the passing is not necessarily looked upon as a win by at least one ISD School Board President.
Gary Vineyard, Board President, Midlothian ISD said of the exemption, “While this is a win for the taxpayer, this will affect the school districts across Texas that rely on these dollars to fund public education.
“With the continued effort to increase property tax savings for homeowners, the aftermath for school districts will increase an already difficult situation in their budgets. The majority of school districts across Texas are already facing multi-million dollar deficits.”
In fact, Vineyard said the numbers calculate to more than 85% of Texas families who rely on public education for their children.
Last week Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released a statement on the unanimous passing of the bill, which was steered through Texas’ latest legislative session by Texas Sen. Paul Bettencourt, (R-Houston).
Bettancourt said of his victory, “I have been fighting to reduce property taxes long before I was elected to the Texas Senate. I have made increasing the Homestead Exemption my mission because it is the best way to deliver meaningful property tax reductions for homeowners.”
Patrick compared the Homestead Exemption in 2015, when he took the seat as Lt. Governor, at $15,000 to where it is now at $100,000, and $110,000 for seniors.
In 2023, the $100,000 Homestead Exemption was permanently codified into the Texas Constitution when voters passed Proposition 4 with 83% of voters in support.
This latest increase, according to Patrick, will build on last session’s success and once signed into law with voters approving the constitutional amendment proposition in November 2025, the
$140,000 Homestead Exemption will also be codified into the Texas Constitution.
“Based on the unanimous 30-0 vote, it is clear Senators from both sides of the aisle understand that when an increased Homestead Exemption and more compression are combined, homeowners receive maximum tax relief benefits,” Patrick said.
According to a release from Patrick’s office, “Four Hundred Ninety-Two school districts (49% of Texas school districts) have an average home value under $140,000, meaning school M&O property taxes will be eliminated for the average homeowner in those districts.
Estimates show the average Texas homeowner will save $363.44 due to this increase. When combined with the school tax rate compression already included in the budget, the average Texas homeowner will save $496.57.”
In 2023, the Texas Senate delivered a tax cut of $1,266.30 for the average homeowner.
Ellis County Judge Todd Little said of the exemption, “This will assist homestead owners and reduce the impact of increasing appraisals.
“Unfortunately, with all politics there are winners and losers. This will not assist in increasing taxes on commercial or rental properties. So, renters and tenants of buildings can expect to pay more rent in the future.”
Vineyard believes that indeed, the ISD’s do stand to be the losers on this one and mentioned that public education has not received an allotment increase per student since 2019 yet inflation costs for all goods have soared.
“The constant attack on public education from Texas legislation backed by billionaire donors comes at a drastic cost across this great state,” Vineyard added. “There must be a balance to properly fund and educate the children of Texas schools. Right now, that doesn’t exist thanks to Texas legislators who have failed at their elected roles.
“School districts across Texas have been forced to close schools or consolidate due to lack of school funding because legislation has failed the past two legislative sessions. Will they fail for a third time? Time will tell.”
Where Will You Shop?
E. Faye Williams
WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE
Often people shop where it’s convenient without thinking about how their spending may be detrimental to them.
While you are free to do that, we’re currently being asked to examine everything that affects us because many actions by the Trump administration demonstrate they are seeking retribution.
Many concerning changes have already begun.
For instance, Trump and his party have always claimed total support for police regardless of their actions.
Their union endorsed Trump, but now they feel betrayed. Some of their colleagues were killed by the very people he pardoned.
The world knew what happened Jan. 6, so Trump had to know. It didn’t matter to him.
It was part of his retribution plan and led companies to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion — known as DEI.
This is a racist and sexist move. The programs existed only because women and minorities historically were excluded from certain jobs and opportunities available to white men.
I wonder how white women and minorities feel about what’s happened to their future opportunities. Black women have always had to be better than others to access many opportunities others have always had — and we still meet the challenges.
Companies like Target, McDonald’s and Walmart where many women and minorities shop and take their children.
McDonald’s depends on children. Will people continue to take their children there?
Target has rolled back its DEI programs. They sent a memo to employees, announcing the
end of three-year DEI goals and diversity programs — including some they acknowledge aim to make their workforce and merchandise better reflect their customers.
They are halting reports to external groups like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate
relatives of the very members of Congress supporting Trump on benefit cuts. Imagine one of these supporters walking into a home saying “Grandma or Grandpa, we’re supporting Trump cutting your check next month” — the only income some have to get by.
In prior years, Target officials said George Floyd’s murder in their Minneapolis hometown motivated them to strengthen DEI programs.
Equality Index and ending a program focused on carrying more products from Black- or minority-owned businesses.
In prior years, Target officials said George Floyd’s murder in their Minneapolis hometown motivated them to strengthen DEI programs.
Now this.
Most of us haven’t heard of Meta, so I can’t explain why they would roll back their DEI program. I know no one who works there, but research them and other companies that rushed to help Trump succeed with his 2025 threats aimed at women and minorities.
Look at Social Security — a federal program to help elderly people, survivors and people with disabilities.
These recipients have worked — many for years. Many are
This is a cruel decision and we should withdraw support from anyone who backs it.
He has withdrawn U.S. involvement in the World Health Organization and cut scientists’ access to crucial research grants.
These decisions follow Trump’s orders immediately after his inauguration to end government DEI programs and put federal officials overseeing them on leave.
So much for progress. As a Costco shareholder, I will shop at Costco and hope you will too. They didn’t join this insulting group of companies cutting DEI. Wake up and stay woke! Not everyone seeking your business is your friend.
**FILE** A Costco location in Minnesota is seen here.
Credit:Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dr. E. Faye Williams is president of The Dick Gregory Society.
The Black Question
cont. from page 1
tive, I don’t see Chili’s doing a lot of sponsorship in our community. Yes, they have a few folks on their board who look like me, but I don’t see the dollars making sense.
I know people get tired of me asking my question. I know folks are rolling their eyes and sucking their teeth, but I still will keep asking.
You see, years ago I posed a question to readers: What has been the most successful boycott in the history of America?
My answer:
The boycott of Black-owned businesses by Black people!
That’s right, once we were able to shop elsewhere, we did; using every excuse to not spend their money with the only businesses that never denied them services or products.
Now before anyone goes off, this is not about being anti-anything, my position is about being pro-something.
fun for the whole family
HBO’s Eyes on the Prize III Revisits Black America’s Modern Civil Rights Struggles
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
HBO is set to debut Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest (19772015), the latest chapter of the groundbreaking documentary series that has long served as a definitive account of the fight for racial justice in America. The six-part series, executive produced by Dawn Porter, premieres Tuesday, February 25, with two episodes airing backto-back on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max. Building on the foundation of Henry Hampton’s 1987 documentary Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement, this new installment shifts the timeline beyond the traditional civil rights era, highlighting the continued struggle for justice from the late 1970s through 2015. The series captures pivotal moments in Black activism through archival footage and firsthand accounts, from grassroots battles over housing and healthcare to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., who appears in multiple episodes, played a key role in the history explored in the series. As a leader in the fight for racial equity, Dr. Chavis was the principal national organizer of the Million Man March in 1995 and the environmental justice movement in 1982 that challenged corporate and government negligence in Black communities. The series revisits both turning points, featuring voices from the front lines who fought for justice in the face of systemic resistance. The first episode, America, Don’t Look Away (1977-1988), explores community activism in New York’s South Bronx and Philadelphia. Local leaders took on fair housing and healthcare inequities during the final years of the Carter administration and the
onset of Reaganomics. The episode includes former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, public health officials, and activists who fought for Black communities amid the AIDS crisis.
As the series progresses, it turns to the criminal justice system’s impact on Black communities. Trapped (1989-1995) follows public defenders in Washington, D.C., and organizers in South Central Los Angeles who took on policies that disproportionately targeted Black residents. The documentary highlights the work of figures such as Congresswoman Maxine Waters and former U.S. attorney Robert Wilkins. The third episode focuses on one of the most defining moments of modern Black activism—the Million Man March.
The 1995 gathering in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1995, drew over one million Black men to assemble in the daylong gathering in a call for unity, responsibility, and community upliftment. Chavis, who was the National Director and a key organizer of the march, is featured alongside Rev. Al Sharpton, journalist Michael Cottman, and Professor Emerita Angela Davis. The episode details both the controversy and the lasting impact of the historic event.
Environmental justice takes center stage in the fourth installment, which examines the fight against industrial pollution and toxic waste in Black communities. Activists in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida battled corporations and government agencies that failed to protect Black neighborhoods from environmental hazards.
Dr. Chavis, Deputy Executive Director of the Commission for Racial Justice of the United Church of Christ at the time, is featured along with Dr. Robert Bullard, widely regarded as one of the founders of the Environmental Justice Movement (EJM)
along with Chavis, and former Vice President Al Gore. The final two episodes focus on legal and political battles over race in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. One installment looks at affirmative action and the shifting landscape of school desegregation, featuring UCLA law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw and civil rights leader Dr. William J. Barber II. The last episode explores the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement during the Obama years, as police killings of unarmed Black citizens galvanized a new generation of activists. It includes BLM co-founders Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, as well as Rev. Al Sharpton.
The series arrives at a time when the fight for racial justice remains urgent, and the Black Press continues to document these struggles as it has been for nearly two centuries. Founded in 1827 with Freedom’s Journal, the Black Press of America was created to give Black communities a voice when mainstream media ignored or distorted their stories. That mission continues today through the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing over 230 Blackowned newspapers nationwide. Chavis, who leads the NNPA, has also co-authored a new book with NNPA Senior National Correspondent Stacy M. Brown. The
Transatlantic Slave Trade: Overcoming the 500-Year Legacy is a deep examination of the lasting impact of one of history’s greatest atrocities. Covering the period from 1500 to 2024, the book details how the forced removal and brutal exploitation of mil-
lions of Africans laid the foundation for the systemic racism that persists today.
“The transatlantic slave trade isn’t just history—it is the root of the struggles we continue to face,” Chavis said. “To understand the present, we must confront the past.” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D wrote the book’s foreword, recognizing its role in providing historical context for the challenges Black Americans still endure. With the release of Eyes on the Prize III and The Transatlantic Slave Trade, the importance of truth-telling remains clear. “For 198 years, the Black Press has ensured that our history is recorded accurately,” Chavis said. “We must continue to tell our own stories and ensure the truth is never erased.”
HBO’s Original Eyes on the Prize III
EDUCATION
Kamala Harris to receive Chairman’s Award at 56th NAACP Image Awards
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
The NAACP and BET announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will receive the prestigious Chairman’s Award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, airing live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, February 22, at 7:00 pm CT on BET.
The broadcast, an annual celebration of Black excellence, has been extended by 30 minutes to run for 2.5 hours. The Chairman’s Award is presented to individuals who excel in public service and use their platform to drive meaningful change. Past recipients include Amanda Gorman, Samuel L. Jackson, the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Ruby Dee, Danny Glover, Rev. James Lawson,
Tyler Perry, then-Senator Barack Obama, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Vice President Harris made history as the first woman, Black American, and South Asian American U.S. Vice President. Throughout her career, she has been a champion for reproductive rights, gun safety, voting rights, and economic opportunity.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, she played a key role in record job growth and cast tie-breaking votes to lower prescription drug costs and secure historic climate and infrastructure investments. In 2024, she became the first Black and South Asian woman nominated for president by a major political party, garnering over 75 million votes in the shortest general election campaign in modern history.
Before her tenure as vice president, Harris served as a U.S. senator and California attorney general, focusing on housing relief, healthcare access, and criminal justice reform. Inspired by her activist parents, she has remained committed to justice, equality, and uplifting the next generation.
“Vice President Kamala Harris is more than a leader— she is a force of change, driven by an unwavering passion to shape a brighter, more equitable future,” said Leon W. Russell, chair of the NAACP
National Board of Directors.
“Her legacy is built on courage, compassion, and a profound commitment to uplifting those who need it most.”
Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET Media Group, called Harris “deeply deserving” of the award, citing her historic accomplishments and lifelong dedication to justice.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson added, “Vice President Harris embodies the power, grace, and unyielding courage that Black women have long brought to the heart of the United States.”
The 56th NAACP Image Awards will also highlight efforts to support communities impacted by recent wildfires in Southern California. BET Media Group, NAACP, JSSK, and WME have partnered with LA County and local
organizations to launch the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, which aims to protect homeowners from displacement and preserve cultural heritage.
The awards ceremony will announce winners in various categories, with non-televised awards presented virtually on February 18 and 19 via the NAACP Image Awards’ YouTube channel. The Creative Honors ceremony will be held on February 21.
Widely regarded as one of the most distinguished multicultural awards shows, the NAACP Image Awards continue to celebrate the artists, leaders, and activists who advance justice and equity.
The 56th NAACP Image Awards will air live on February 22 at 7:00 pm CT on BET, and also CBS.
She Is… VIP Radio station salutes nominees
By Eva D. Coleman Lifestyle & Culture Editor
Radio One Dallas (97.9 The Beat / Majic 94.5) held a VIP mixer for nominees of its She Is… Awards on Feb. 6, 2025 at 12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse in Dallas, Texas.
The reception featured multiple radio personalities including: Queen Indy Bee, Jazze Radio-Chica, Veda Loca and other station representatives who greeted guests, judges and sponsors during the exclusive precursor to their awards event scheduled for March 16, 2025 at On the Levee.
The mixer provided an opportunity for nominees to meet and show love to one another for being selected as someone who inspires others and makes a difference in the community.
Tickets to the She Is… Awards can be purchased here: sheisawards2025.eventbrite.com
SISTERS NETWORK® INC. relaunches TEENS4PINK® Program with Mobile APP
Sisters Network® Inc. (SNI), the only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization with 25+ survivor-run affiliate chapters is proud to announce the relaunch of the Teens4Pink® program, now featuring an innovative mobile app available nationwide through Apple and Google Play. Originally launched in 2013, Teens4Pink® is designed to educate and empower teens aged 12 to 17 to change the way women in their family think and act about breast health.
With the relaunch of this groundbreaking initiative, the Teens4Pink® mobile app is now available nationwide, providing teens with the information and tools they need to foster open discussions with their moms, grandmothers, and other women they love about breast cancer. The mobile app emphasizes the importance of early detection, regular check-ups, and mammograms, equipping users to drive meaningful change in their communities while learning about their family history and encouraging early detection.
One in eight women in her lifetime will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. In 2024, an estimated 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer were projected to be diagnosed. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among black women. Black women are 42% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Alarmingly, Black women under 35 are diagnosed with breast cancer at twice the rate of white women and die at three times the rate. Teens4Pink® is a unique approach to address breast health disparities by reaching younger generations and encouraging proactive breast health practices in their family.
“The relaunch of Teens4Pink marks an exciting step forward in engaging the next generation to become advocates for themselves and breast health,” said Karen E. Jackson, Founder & CEO of Sisters Network® Inc. “By providing all teens nationwide with this powerful mobile app, Sisters Network Inc. is expanding the breast health conversation, increasing awareness, education and encouraging action that can help save the lives of the most
important women in teens lives.”
“As the founding supporter from the initial 2013 launch, we are honored to continue our support of the Teens4Pink® program as it goes digital for a new generation,” said Teresa Cronin, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Patient Advocacy, Eisai Inc. “As a human health care company, we understand the importance of identifying unmet needs and meeting people where they are to help address disparities in care and outcomes.
“With women being diagnosed at younger ages, programs like Teens4Pink® are critical to encourage teens to become champions of breast health through programming that resonates in the community.”
Teens4Pink mobile app is generously supported by founding supporter, Eisai Inc. The mobile app is available for download on Apple and Google Play mobile app platforms. For more information about Sisters Network® Inc., and the Teens4Pink® program, please visit www.teens4pink.org and www.sistersnetworkinc.org.
Banning Black History Month
the system of oppression doesn’t exist. It promotes the lie that discriminatory practices aren’t to blame for race and gender gaps in wealth, income and civic life. It’s simply that white men are more competent. Darren Beattie, appointed this week to be acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, posted recently on social media, “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.” Beattie was fired from a position in the previous Trump ad-
ministration after CNN reported his connection to well-known white nationalists.
President Trump pointedly excised any mention of “prejudice and hardship” Black Americans face from his Black History Month proclamation.
The outrageous notion that anyone in a position of authority or responsibility who’s not a white man is so ingrained in the current administration that President Trump baselessly blamed diversity, equity
Davis
icant legal achievements was his role assisting former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the monumental Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954.
The legal briefs written by Justice Marshall and Judge Davis led to a ruling by the Supreme Court that declared “separate but equal” academic institutions and educational systems in violation of the American Constitution.
“Judge Davis exemplified the highest standards in the legal profession,” said Ms. Bobbie Edmonds, a North Texas lawyer who considered the judge a personal mentor.
“He was an extremely kind individual who devoted his entire life to the service of others no matter their ethnicity, their faith, their gender, their political beliefs or the languages they spoke.”
The authored of his 2023 biography, “I Want To Be Like Him,” she added. “The legal community and the people of North Texas will miss Judge Davis immensely.”
Judge Davis successfully filed lawsuits that resulted in the integration of public school systems in Mansfield and in Fort Worth.
cont. from page 3
and inclusion policies for the deadly Jan. 29 aviation accident at Reagan National Airport.
In an era when the defense secretary brazenly sports a tattoo of a white nationalist symbol, celebrating Black History Month resegregation is not just a right, but a responsibility. It’s not just about honoring the past but about determining the future.
Hon. Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.
cont. from page 1
A private service will be held for the Hon. Judge L. Clifford Davis on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. His body will lie in state on Monday, February 24, 2025 at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 552 Missouri St. in Fort Worth, TX., 10am-7pm, with family time 4pm - 6pm.
allowed people with substance abuse problems to receive treatment rather than languish in jails or prisons.
“Judge Davis was a true hero who improved the lives of all people,” said U.S. Congressman Marc Veasey.
That sentiment was echoed by the Fort Worth Independent School District which named an elementary school in honor of the judge. In 2024, he was named a “Texas Living Legend” by the State Bar Association.
“ Judge Davis has been a vital member of the community,” said Mrs. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth, who knew the judge for more than a half-century.
Ms. Edmonds referred to the judge as “a courageous legal giant, a scholar, a moralist, and a great humanitarian.”
In 1983 Judge Davis was appointed by Texas Governor Mark White to the Tarrant County District Criminal Court, becoming the second African American jurist in Tarrant County.
At the suggestion of Judge Davis and under his leadership the County implemented its first ‘Drug Diversion Court,’ which
“He has courageously been a leader and an invaluable agent of change in Texas and in our country,” said the woman, who led the effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
“Judge Davis was an extraordinary human being whose legal skills and personal dignity were unmatched,” said Gary Bledsoe, an Austin, Texas-based attorney, who is the president of the Texas State NAACP. “He was a legendary Civil Rights leader and judge whose hard work has helped to greatly improve our society.”
Rachel Proctor grew up in DeSoto.
Now, she seeks to better the city as mayor
Only the third Black mayor in the suburb’s history, city leader has heart for the community, giving back
By Zacharia Washington
The Dallas Morning News is profiling Texans who are making an impact today and inspiring future generations.
Rachel L. Proctor currently serves as the city of DeSoto’s 22nd mayor, and she will go down in the predominantly-African American city’s history books as the second woman — and just the third Black person — to ever hold the position.
DeSoto Mayor Rachel L. Proctor on her career, growth and impact
But Proctor does more than just serve as the city’s mayor. She is also an entrepreneur with three businesses, a two-time published author, a mentor and an ordained elder. But those who work closely with her refer to her as the “ultimate public servant” because her love for the community shines through everything she does.
“I really just want to be remembered as somebody who helped people … whether that’s through [the] city, business or ministry,” Proctor said. “I do
so many things, but I try to be somebody that people can call on.”
Serving through many avenues
Proctor, 44, describes her childhood as the “best of both worlds” having grown up in the church and in her family’s businesses. She said her upbringing taught her “how to serve others,” ultimately fueling her pursuits and overall love for the community.
“The reason why I navigated into ministry and public service is because of growing up in the church and learning how to serve others, learning how to just be a service to all mankind, and learning just how to really help people out that are around you.”
Proctor, having never held a corporate position, said she has only worked in her family’s businesses, one of which is a child care center that has been operating for over 30 years. She, along with her sister, are now the owners of the center — Neighborhood Christian Learning Center of Dallas — located in east Oak Cliff.
Proctor is the founder of nonprofit Emerge Leadership Inc., which assists young girls transitioning from high school to college, equipping them with the tools needed to succeed, such as scholarships. As a first-generation college student who “had no idea” what she was doing at first, Proctor sought to help others navigate the transition.
“One of the reasons why I started [Emerge] was to help other first-generation college students be able to navigate that pathway,” she expressed. “Just being for other people, what I wish I would have had for me during that time, in terms of mentorship, in terms of guidance.”
Proctor also became a Salata Salad Kitchen franchisee last year.
Proctor recognized that southern Dallas and southern Dal-
las County cities were “healthy food desserts” in need of more healthy options to choose from, she said, prompting her to open a Salata location in Midlothian, the first in the area, with more in the pipeline.
A DeSoto native, Proctor began her career in government roughly 15 years ago serving as a council member for the city. She started in her first term as mayor in 2022.
Proctor described the importance of her and the other city council members’ jobs and how they “impact people’s quality of life” with the policies they enforce. She added that it’s a “real responsibility.”
“I think about all the people that live here in our city that I have jurisdiction over — and that’s almost 60,000 people. That’s a lot of people to be re-
sponsible for,” she said. “The decisions we make as a council, as mayor, the residents have to live with [them].”
Lori Mathis, a DeSoto resident of nearly 20 years who is a longtime educator and assistant principal at DeSoto High School, said Proctor spends a lot of her time out in the public, making herself available to the community.
“She goes everywhere,” Mathis said. “Doesn’t matter where — if it’s at school, if it’s at church. I mean, she’s everywhere, and people admire her.”
Although the DeSoto mayor role is part time, Proctor is “always on,” DeSoto Communications & Marketing Manager Liz Ortiz said, and she plays a significant part in shaping the city’s policy and operational goals. Proctor said her ability to jug-
DeSoto Mayor Rachel L. Proctor is just the third Black person to hold the position in the predominantly African American city in southern Dallas County.(Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)
Hickory Manor Seniors Visit with DeSoto Mayor Proctor and Beto O’Rourke
gle her mayoral duties and business affairs — and juggle them well — is because “God has given her the grace” to be able to do everything she’s been called to do.
However, when you’re “multi-passionate,” it’s more about starting with one thing and getting solid in that one thing, she said. “You see me doing the business, and you see me doing this, and you see me being the mayor. But it was
really about starting with one thing, and getting that solid, and then adding on more,” she explained. “You can’t add more to your life without having to take something off your plate. You can only give 100%.”
With all that she’s done and all that she’s involved in, Proctor said she’s proud of the opportunities she’s been given to impact people.
“I’m really grateful that I’ve been trusted to be able
to do all the [these] things,” she said.
Love for the community
Proctor and her family moved from Oak Cliff to DeSoto when she was in the third grade. Her love and passion for DeSoto is a result of how much the city invested into her when she was a child, shaping who she is today, she said.
“DeSoto is a community that has given so much to me as a young person,” she added. “Without the experiences, without the education, without the relationships, without just all the things that DeSoto has given to me, I don’t think I would be the person that I am today.”
Proctor said she’s passionate about giving back to the community that has given so much to her.
A lot of Proctor’s family members still live in DeSoto along with many of her teachers, educators and people she cares about, she said, so she strives to shape the city into what they “all know it can be.”
“Being able to make DeSoto the premier community that we all know it can be and is, is very important to me.”
Proctor is a DeSoto ISD alumni, having attended the district’s schools since third grade and graduating from DeSoto High School in 1999. This fostered in her a love for the young people and students in the district.
Mathis said Proctor is a “strong advocate” for DeSoto’s schools. The mayor said she even considered running for a seat on the district’s board of trustees prior to her joining the City Council over a decade ago.
“I’ve gotten used to having [Proctor] around, supporting the kids,” Mathis said. “If anyone asks her for anything that they’re needing, she’s there [and] the city is there to provide it.”
DeSoto City Manager Majed Al-Ghafry, who has only been in the role eight months, said one of the reasons he came to DeSoto is because of what he heard about Proctor’s reputation. Working with her and seeing it firsthand, he said, he was amazed.
“[Proctor] leads with integrity and true, genuine care of the community,” he said. “She’s very passionate about her community. She creates collaboration — she bridges the gap and really cares about relationships.”
An impact to be remembered
Proctor keeps a box in her office filled with all the ‘thank you’ tokens she has received over the years. She said it keeps her “grounded” and helps to remind her why she’s doing this.
‘Representation matters’
Years ago, when Proctor looked at the DeSoto City Council, she said she didn’t see anyone “who looked like her,” which prompted her to be the change she wanted to see.
“Representation matters,” she said. “I think it’s very important for the Black community to really see people in positions like what we have here — to be able to have those examples for young girls and young boys.”
Over the years, DeSoto has transitioned from being a predominantly white town, with very few minority residents, to one where minority residents are now the majority, data shows.
Because majority-minority communities are often associated with a “negative stigma,” Proctor said she works hard to make sure the term comes with “a sense of pride” for her community.
“When people come to DeSoto, they don’t see the things that oftentimes are associated with minority communities,” she said. “They see a very affluent community, a very engaged community, a very energetic and healthy community.”
“I probably have … thousands of notes and clippings and just little things that help to remind me of the people that my life is impacting,” she said. “Because there are a lot of times when I’m like, ‘why am I doing this.’”
But ultimately, Proctor wants to be remembered as someone who tried to “help things be better,” in whatever capacity she has been afforded to do so, she said.
Proctor has been instrumental in bringing big projects to DeSoto and giving back to the community, Mathis said, and she believes people will always remember Proctor for that. Al-Ghafry shared how he is “a big fan” of Proctor. He added that she’s “not just a politician,” but a “great human being.”
“[Proctor is] going to be remembered for her impact on the community,” he noted. “Impact is about changing the lives of people and changing it for the better. She’s one of those people that … I see as great people with [an] everlasting legacy that extends beyond their service life.”
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
Zacharia Washington is a breaking news reporter with The Dallas Morning News. She previously worked in Austin as a reporter at Community Impact covering local government, transportation and business.
Mayor Rachel L. Proctor declared September 7, 2021, Corey Borner Day in DeSoto, Texas.
Mayor Rachel Proctor and then Director Dr. Tracey Hunter Hayes of DeSoto Public Library
Mayor Rachel Proctor at Remembrance Ceremony Honors Fallen in DeSoto Ceremony Sept. 2021
HEALTH
Caregivers find a new tomorrow
coaching, counseling, and resources for corporations, ministries, families, and individuals.
“I was born a caregiver— just like everyone else,” Bailey reflected. “But I knew as early as six years old that I would one day take care of my mother.”
She recalled a childhood memory that shaped her purpose:
“I was fully dressed and ready to go outside to play when my mother, lying on the couch, asked me, ‘Who is going to take care of me when I get old?’ The weight of her words stayed with me. I knew even then that I would be the one to care for her.”
A Journey of Love and Sacrifice
Lynnette Fletcher became a part-time caregiver in 2012 when her aunt, Thelma Carroll, lost her husband of 45 years.
“My aunt had always been a strong woman, and I was the daughter she never had. She helped raise me, teaching me etiquette, how to dress, and how to care for my hair,” Fletcher said.
Nine years later, Fletcher’s part-time caregiving became a full-time responsibility as her aunt’s health declined due to repeated falls. What started as preparing meals evolved into providing round-the-clock care.
“I still remember the day my aunt moved in with me. Before we drove away from her home in Oak Cliff, we sat in the car, prayed, cried, and held each other. We both said, ‘Thank you, God. Let’s start this new life together.’
All I could think was—she helped raise me, now it’s my turn. Our lives had come full circle.”
Fletcher built a support system that included her son, brother, and close friends to ensure her aunt received the best care possible.
The Financial and Emotional Toll of Caregiving
According to Senior Living, like Fletcher, 53% of family caregivers work full-time jobs, meaning they spend time balancing their caregiving roles and workplace responsibilities. Caregiving is not just an
cont. from page 1
journey. She developed the Finding New Tomorrows Generational Caregiver Guide, which addresses critical but often overlooked topics such as:
• Power of Attorney
• Wills & Trusts
• Financial Planning for Caregivers
In addition to her coaching, Bailey established the National Caregiver Day of Prayer, observed annually on the fourth Sunday of November. This day provides spiritual support to caregivers, acknowledging the emotional and physical sacrifices they make.
A Lifeline for Caregivers
According to AARP’s latest report in the Valuing the Invaluable series, care provided by 3.1 million caregivers in Texas is valued at $41 billion—a $6 billion increase in unpaid contributions since the last report in 2019.
Caregiver Coach Pat Bailey Presents Respite Grants During Concert
and Awards Brunch
DALLAS, TX – Caregivers for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and aging-related illnesses were lauded Sunday with an awards brunch and respite grants and treated to a jazz concert featuring Gerald Albright, Howard Hewett, and Julian Vaughn. The founder of Finding New Tomorrows, Caregiver Coach Pat Bailey, sponsored the event with concert producers at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas.
As an ordained pastor, certified belief therapist, and dementia care practitioner, Bailey took center stage to thank grant recipients and partners who filled the Music Hall.
“I am overjoyed and thankful for the outpouring of love during our inaugural Caregiver Awards,” said Bailey.
Bailey’s Finding New Tomorrows provides yearround support through its virtual Caregivers Circle (https://findingnewtomorrows.com), offering resources to help families navigate caregiving’s financial, emotional, and legal aspects, particularly within underserved communities.
At Bailey’s request, pastors of churches in the Dallas area nominated a caregiver in their congregations who could benefit from a respite grant. Bailey awarded grants to seven caregivers.
emotional commitment—it comes with significant financial and mental health challenges.
According to the American Psychological Association, 32.9% of unpaid caregivers report experiencing mental or behavioral health issues, including anxiety, depression, and substance use—within just 30 days of assuming their role.
Providing Resources and Support
Bailey has made it her mission to equip caregivers with tools to navigate their
As an ordained pastor, certified belief therapist, dementia practitioner, and marketing executive; Bailey shares invaluable lessons learned from caring for her mother. Through her virtual Caregivers Circle at FindingNewTomorrows.com, she offers families guidance on financial, mental, emotional, and legal challenges affecting caregivers.
After serving as a caregiver for more than four years, Fletcher said caregiving is no joke and she offers this advice: “You have to be prepared to give up a lot. But my main advice to other caregivers is this—take care of yourself. Because if you’re not healthy, you can’t take care of them.”
According to The Journal of The Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s & Dementia, more than 11 million Americans currently provide unpaid care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
A caregiver to her mother, Gospel Artist Gaye Arbuckle, said the work can be “overwhelming.” She appreciates supporters, such as Pastor Bryan L. Carter of Concord Church for rallying around her. He nominated her for the Caregiver Award.
“Without him, this would not have happened,” said Arbuckle. “My mother always told me that the seeds she’s sown might not always return to her, but they would return to us, her children.”
Award recipient Gay Billops reflected on caring for her husband.
“Being a caregiver requires constant prayer, strength, and patience,” said Billops. She explained, “I am committed to providing for my husband, from preparing meals at specific times to helping with daily hygiene. While it can feel like constant work, it’s all for the good of God, and I find strength in trusting Him through it all.”
Other grant recipients and honorees included Colin Benson, Lavendar Moore, Sr., Sherilyn Rudolph Smith, Carolyn Williams, and Doris Williams. Bailey plans to expand the awards, grants, and partnerships beyond Texas. Caregivers and prospective partners can find additional information at https://findingnewtomorrows.com
This 2012 photo marks the beginning of Lynette Fletcher’s caregiving journey with her aunt, Thelma Carroll.
Caregiver Awards Organizer Pat Bailey appears on stage to recognize the honorees and caregivers. Credit: Yavante Mitchell, Enhanced Artistry
Sylvia Powers is a journalist, photographer, philanthropist, and founder of the Celebrating Life Foundation.
10 Years of Misdiagnosis: What I Wish I Knew Sooner
Living with a chronic illness like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) presents challenges that often go far beyond the physical symptoms. Cedric’s story of navigating a decade-long journey to an accurate diagnosis highlights not only the resilience required but also the systemic gaps in healthcare that need addressing. As an advocate for both the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, Cedric uses his experience to bring awareness to the importance of inclusive and patient-centered healthcare.
A Decade of Uncertainty
Cedric’s IBD journey began during his first year of college, when he experienced severe gastrointestinal symptoms that led to hospitalization.
“Before college, I had never experienced any severe hospitalizations or major gastrointestinal issues. Yes, I had frequent bathroom visits, but nothing that seemed too alarming,” Cedric tells BlackDoctor.org. “However, during my first year, I got really sick and had to be hospitalized.”
Cedric’s diagnosis process was fraught with assumptions rather than solutions.
“At the time, my symptoms were dismissed as a result of a poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption. I remember being questioned by ER personnel about drug use, as there were a lot of assumptions made about an 18-year-old college student. Unfortunately, these assumptions led to a lack of thorough medical investigation,” Cedric says.
Instead, they stabilized Cedric and discharged him with a basic treatment plan—some dietary recommendations and a short course of steroids. “There was no follow-up or real concern about what had caused my symptoms in the first place,” Cedric adds.
The following year, Cedric experienced a similar episode while studying abroad.
“I was hospitalized again, this
time in London. The same pattern repeated itself—I was given IV fluids to stabilize me and was discharged without a proper diagnosis. This happened again when I was studying in Malta,” Cedric says.
It wasn’t until nearly a decade after his symptoms first appeared, that Cedric was finally provided clarity: Crohn’s disease.
“One of my supervisors, who was a doctor, noticed a pattern and urged me to take my health seriously. She told me, ‘This isn’t normal. You need to figure out what’s wrong.’ When I returned to the U.S. in early 2017, I started searching for doctors using online reviews and patient recommendations. I finally found a doctor in Fairfax County, Virginia, who took my concerns seriously,” Cedric notes.
The Impact of Late Diagnosis
Delayed diagnosis took a toll on Cedric’s physical health, relationships, and mental well-being. Recurrent hospitalizations, misunderstandings, and a lack of proper care left him struggling alone.
“This journey has been incredibly challenging—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. For years, I struggled with relationships, friendships, and my own mental health. It took time to adjust, to find a healthcare team I trusted, and to feel psychologically safe in discussing my condition,” Cedric says.
However, his determination to find answers eventually led him to a multidisciplinary care team that not only treated his condition but also helped him understand how to manage it.
“I was placed on an advanced treatment plan immediately, which I appreciated. Instead of a slow, gradual approach, they started me on the most effective therapy right away,” Cedric shares.
Now in medical remission, Cedric reflects on the importance of self-advocacy in navigating healthcare.
Cedric
“Being diagnosed in 2018 and working in health policy—particularly in the HIV space—has shown me the importance of patient advocacy. As a Black, openly gay man from the South, I’ve realized how critical it is to share my story. Crohn’s disease impacts every aspect of a person’s life, not just their digestive system,” Cedric adds.
Advocacy for Marginalized Communities
Cedric’s experience has shaped his perspective on healthcare disparities. He underscores the importance of culturally competent care and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ patients in rural areas.
“There are significant gaps in healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially in rural areas or less progressive regions. For example, I live in Covington, Georgia, about an hour outside Atlanta. There are very few gastroenterologists here, and even fewer who have LGBTQ+ competency training,” Cedric notes. “Many GI doctors aren’t equipped to understand how Crohn’s disease or other chronic illnesses impact LGBTQ+ patients beyond the medical diagnosis. This includes social, relational, and even sexual health concerns. If a doctor is not comfortable addressing these issues, they should at least have resources or referrals to someone who is.”
In the Black community, Cedric highlights the need for increased
education about IBD and its related conditions.
“For the Black community, particularly in the South, there are cultural barriers and healthcare disparities that make it harder to access quality care. We also need more awareness about the connections between IBD and conditions like colorectal cancer. Preventative screenings, early detection, and patient education need to be prioritized,” he adds.
Advice for Newly Diagnosed Patients
For those newly diagnosed with IBD, Cedric offers practical advice:
Advocate
for Yourself
Don’t hesitate to ask questions or demand clarity from your doctors. If you’re unsure about something, speak up.
“It’s hard because, so often, we don’t question our doctors. I think back to my own journey—these doctors have the privilege of education, knowledge, certifications, and licensure, and at the time, I didn’t think to question them. Back then, at 18, I was taught that you just listen to the doctor. That’s a learned behavior ingrained in us from childhood all the way into adulthood—until a medical issue arises, like in my case. Then you start unlearning that behavior and relearning how to advocate for yourself in a hospital or medical setting,” Cedric says.
Find the Right Doctor
Research and seek out healthcare providers who respect your concerns and prioritize patient-centered care.
Leverage Resources
Many healthcare systems and insurance plans offer patient advocates who can help navigate the complexities of treatment and care.
“I know the internet can be overwhelming, filled with misinformation and fake news. However, there are strong advocacy organizations
that provide reliable information and support. For example, groups like Color of Crohn’s & Chronic Illness (COCCI) and IBD Moms were incredibly helpful to me— even though I’m not a mom, they welcomed me, listened to me, and supported me through my diagnosis,” Cedric adds.
Build a Support System
Connect with communities like the IBD Social Circle and other advocacy groups for guidance and emotional support.
Document Your Symptoms
Another important tip is to document everything. During those early appointments—especially right after diagnosis—you might be overwhelmed with information.
“For newly diagnosed IBD patients, my biggest piece of advice is: document, document, document. Write down the questions you have and compare them to your visit notes. If something doesn’t make sense, bring it up at your next appointment. And if you can’t get answers from your GI doctor directly, speak to the nurse practitioner or nurse—they are often more intuitive with patients and can advocate for you. They will also relay your concerns to the GI doctor on your behalf,” Cedric shares.
The Path Forward
Today, Cedric channels his experience into advocacy, working to bridge gaps in healthcare for marginalized communities. Through storytelling and education, he hopes to inspire systemic changes that prioritize inclusivity and empathy.
“I want to help others understand that IBD doesn’t just affect your stomach—it impacts your entire life,” Cedric says. “By sharing my journey, I hope to empower others to advocate for themselves and push for the healthcare they deserve.”
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
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The Meadows Museum, SMU, will hold a media preview for The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce on Thursday, February 20, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. with the luncheon served from 11:30 a.m. on. The program and tour begins around noon.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Join the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats for a Legislative Summit and hear more about the bills and legislation that will most affect Black communities. At this event, you will have the chance to engage with policymakers, equip yourself with the knowledge needed to fight back, and build community with advocates and changemakers.
Join the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats for a Legislative Summit and hear more about the bills and legislation that will most affect Black communities. At this event, you will have the chance to engage with policymakers, equip yourself with the knowledge needed to fight back, and build community with advocates and changemakers.
The Meadows Museum, SMU, will hold a media preview for The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce on Thursday, February 20, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Check-in begins at 11 a.m. with the luncheon served from 11:30 a.m. on. The program and tour begins around noon.
Dallas Democratic Forum: Desire to Serve, the Autobiogra-
Dallas Democratic Forum: Desire to Serve, the Autobiogra-
phy of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 12 PM, Arts District Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201 RSVP by email to wdgriggs@yahoo.com
phy of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 12 PM, Arts District Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201 RSVP by email to wdgriggs@yahoo.com
Join the Dallas Democratic Forum for a special presentation from UNT Dallas College of Law Professor Cheryl Wattley memorializing the life and career of Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a North Texas visionary leader and pioneering public servant. Professor Wattley will share details from the autobiography she recorded from the time she spent with her long-time friend Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Join the Dallas Democratic Forum for a special presentation from UNT Dallas College of Law Professor Cheryl Wattley memorializing the life and career of Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a North Texas visionary leader and pioneering public servant. Professor Wattley will share details from the autobiography she recorded from the time she spent with her long-time friend Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
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Join us as we celebrate Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew, who will be honored by the League of Women Voters as this year’s “Making Democracy Work” Awardee! at Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum Hotel, 14901 Dallas Parkway
Join us as we celebrate Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew, who will be honored by the League of Women Voters as this year’s “Making Democracy Work” Awardee! at Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum Hotel, 14901 Dallas Parkway
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Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center 5150 Mark Trail Way, Dallas, TX 75232
Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center 5150 Mark Trail Way, Dallas, TX 75232
Senate District 23 Town Hall Meeting, 10 - 11:30 AM White Rock YMCA, 7112 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75214
Don’t miss the Senate District 23 Town Hall Meeting with Senator Royce West as he addresses the key issues impacting you. This is your chance to meet the elected officials representing you in Austin and hear firsthand about the policies shaping the future of our communities.
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Senate District 23 Town Hall Meeting, 10 - 11:30 AM White Rock YMCA, 7112 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75214 Don’t miss the Senate District 23 Town Hall Meeting with Senator Royce West as he addresses the key issues impacting you. This is your chance to meet the elected officials representing you in Austin and hear firsthand about the policies shaping the future of our communities. 23
“The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce” to showcase 60 masterworks of European, American and Puerto Rican art including works by Sir Frederic Leighton, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gustave Courbet, Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and José Campeche y Jordán, among others will be on display at the Meadows from Feb. 23 to June 22, 2025
“The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce” to showcase 60 masterworks of European, American and Puerto Rican art including works by Sir Frederic Leighton, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gustave Courbet, Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and José Campeche y Jordán, among others will be on display at the Meadows from Feb. 23 to June 22, 2025
Pianist Janise White, the cousin of the late Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, will perform “Glory Hallelujah Jazz Variations” by Howlett Smith @7pm with the Mansfield Symphony, Maestro Eldred Marshall, Conductor. FREE ADMISSION: First Methodist Mansfield. 777 N. Walnut Creek Dr. Mansfield, TX 76063
Pianist Janise White, the cousin of the late Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, will perform “Glory Hallelujah Jazz Variations” by Howlett Smith @7pm with the Mansfield Symphony, Maestro Eldred Marshall, Conductor. FREE ADMISSION: First Methodist Mansfield. 777 N. Walnut Creek Dr. Mansfield, TX 76063
Paul Quinn Basketball
Paul Quinn Basketball Louisiana Christian University at 1:00 pm
Louisiana Christian University at 1:00 pm 25
Lake Highland White Rock Democrats - 5:30 PM Rodeo Goat, 1200 N Buckner Blvd, Dallas, TX 75218
Join the Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats for a happy hour at Rodeo Goat! Enjoy bites, drinks, and engaging con-
Lake Highland White Rock Democrats - 5:30 PM Rodeo Goat, 1200 N Buckner Blvd, Dallas, TX 75218 Join the Lake Highlands White Rock Democrats for a happy hour at Rodeo Goat! Enjoy bites, drinks, and engaging con-
versation with fellow Democrats while learning more about LHWR!
versation with fellow Democrats while learning more about LHWR! ***
23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats, 6:30 PM La Calle Doce Restaurant - Oak Cliff, 415 W Twelfth St, Dallas, TX 75208. Join the 23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats for their monthly meeting. This month’s meeting will focus on the Bylaws Committee Report who will report on their recommendations on proposed Bylaw Amendments. All candidates running in the May 2025 Municipal Elections are invited to introduce themselves at the meeting and to learn more about the group’s endorsement process which will take place in March.
23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats, 6:30 PM La Calle Doce Restaurant - Oak Cliff, 415 W Twelfth St, Dallas, TX 75208. Join the 23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats for their monthly meeting. This month’s meeting will focus on the Bylaws Committee Report who will report on their recommendations on proposed Bylaw Amendments. All candidates running in the May 2025 Municipal Elections are invited to introduce themselves at the meeting and to learn more about the group’s endorsement process which will take place in March.
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Join Harrison Blair and the Dallas Black CHAMBER OF COMMERCE for Ignite the Lights—Honoring Legacies, Celebrating Values—an event that bridges the past, present, and future of our community’s leadership and legacy. . Bring your stories. Bring your inspiration. And let’s light up the evening together—one lantern, one legacy, one value at a time at Pan-African Connection .
Join Harrison Blair and the Dallas Black CHAMBER OF COMMERCE for Ignite the Lights—Honoring Legacies, Celebrating Values—an event that bridges the past, present, and future of our community’s leadership and legacy. . Bring your stories. Bring your inspiration. And let’s light up the evening together—one lantern, one legacy, one value at a time at Pan-African Connection .
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TEXAS BLACK SPORTS HALL OF FAME (TBSHOF) WEEKEND at 6:30 p.m. at African American Museum, Dallas (legends reception) Saturday, March 1, at 11:30 a.m. at Renaissance Dallas Hotel, 2222 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas (induction luncheon) Tickets at aamdallas.org
TEXAS BLACK SPORTS HALL OF FAME (TBSHOF) WEEKEND at 6:30 p.m. at African American Museum, Dallas (legends reception) Saturday, March 1, at 11:30 a.m. at Renaissance Dallas Hotel, 2222 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas (induction luncheon) Tickets at aamdallas.org
WANG DANG DOODLE CONCERT featuring Chandra Calloway Owens Fri at 9 pm and Sat at 9 pm in Clarence Muse Cafe Theaatre.
WANG DANG DOODLE CONCERT featuring Chandra Calloway Owens Fri at 9 pm and Sat at 9 pm in Clarence Muse Cafe Theaatre.
MARCH 1
MARCH 1
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) Fort Worth Metropolitan Chapter 2nd Annual Signature Event: Fashioned for Royalty, an evening of elegance and empowerment. This highly anticipated event will be held at The Oaks
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) Fort Worth Metropolitan Chapter 2nd Annual Signature Event: Fashioned for Royalty, an evening of elegance and empowerment. This highly anticipated event will be held at The Oaks
Event Center, 13765 Southern Oaks Dr, Burleson, TX 76028, and promises to captivate attendees with an unforgettable experience of runway fashion, gourmet dining, live entertainment, local vendors.
Event Center, 13765 Southern Oaks Dr, Burleson, TX 76028, and promises to captivate attendees with an unforgettable experience of runway fashion, gourmet dining, live entertainment, local vendors.
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NBA great Julius “Dr. J” Erving will headline the 25th-annual Destiny Award Luncheon, benefiting St. Philip’s School & Community Center at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Anatole.
NBA great Julius “Dr. J” Erving will headline the 25th-annual Destiny Award Luncheon, benefiting St. Philip’s School & Community Center at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Anatole.
Dallas-D/FW Metroplex Alumnae Chapters will host the 2025 DFW Area Joint Founders Day Observance at the Irving Convention Center. This year’s theme is “From the Vision to Victory: Moving Forward with Fortitude.” Tickets are now available! Purchase your tickets here: https://dstndsa.org/ dfwjfd2025/ Keynote Speaker: Jotaka Eaddy, Founder & CEO of Full Circle Strategies, LLC. Tickets are available to the public
Dallas-D/FW Metroplex Alumnae Chapters will host the 2025 DFW Area Joint Founders Day Observance at the Irving Convention Center. This year’s theme is “From the Vision to Victory: Moving Forward with Fortitude.” Tickets are now available! Purchase your tickets here: https://dstndsa.org/ dfwjfd2025/ Keynote Speaker: Jotaka Eaddy, Founder & CEO of Full Circle Strategies, LLC. Tickets are available to the public
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Women of Influence Awards luncheon in Dallas to honor women during Women’s History Month. The event – now in its third year - will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT at the Statler Hotel, 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
Women of Influence Awards luncheon in Dallas to honor women during Women’s History Month. The event – now in its third year - will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT at the Statler Hotel, 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
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Drew Robinson, former Major League Baseball player and current mental health advocate for the San Francisco Giants, will headline Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 16th annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon on Tuesday, March 25, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Joining him as moderator is Eric Nadel, voice of the Texas Rangers and mental health advocate.
Drew Robinson, former Major League Baseball player and current mental health advocate for the San Francisco Giants, will headline Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 16th annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon on Tuesday, March 25, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Joining him as moderator is Eric Nadel, voice of the Texas Rangers and mental health advocate.
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Food and Wine Festival--Savor the best of Dallas at the Dallas Arboretum’s Food & Wine Festival, chaired by the renowned Chef Sharon Van Meter. Enjoy delicious bites from top chefs, paired with exceptional wine and beer, as you stroll through a garden with over 500,000 spring bulbs.
Food and Wine Festival--Savor the best of Dallas at the Dallas Arboretum’s Food & Wine Festival, chaired by the renowned Chef Sharon Van Meter. Enjoy delicious bites from top chefs, paired with exceptional wine and beer, as you stroll through a garden with over 500,000 spring bulbs.
APRIL
SPORTS
Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame to Induct 2025 Class
DALLAS – The incoming enshrinement of the 2025 Class of Inductees of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (TBSHOF), under its mantra, “Celebrating Athletic Brilliance,” will mark an incredible 29 years of honoring and recognizing an iconic and inspiring lineup of star-studded and history-making figures inside the Lone Star State’s sports arena.
This year’s list once again includes a group of groundbreaking high achievers. Presented by The Friends of Sports History of the African American Museum, Dallas and sponsored by the Parrish Charitable Foundation, the 2025 Induction Luncheon will be held Saturday, March 1, at 11 a.m. at the Renaissance
Dallas Hotel, 2222 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX.
The 2025 Class of Inductees include Harvey Armstrong (football), Larry Brown (football), Michelle Carter (Olympics, track and field), Harold Cash (rodeo), Derrick James (boxing, trainer), Larry Johnson (basketball), Gladys Lee (coach, golf), Eugene Lockhart, Jr. (football), Calvin Murray (baseball), Fritz Pollard (coach, football, posthumously), LaDainian Tomlinson (football), Ken Washington (football) and Greg Williams (coach, track and field).
The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame includes legendary Dallas Cowboys stars such as Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, Michael
Irvin, Preston Pearson, Mel Renfro, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Robert Newhouse, Jethro Pugh, Debra Rodman and Everson Walls.
The Hall of Fame also includes heroes and heroines such as Mean Joe Greene, Fergie Jenkins, Eric Dickerson, George Foreman, Abner Haynes, Rolando Blackmon, Earl Campbell, Zina Garrison, five-time Super Bowl champion Charles Haley, 1968 Olympic Gold medalist Jim Hines and teammate Tommie Smith, and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown.
The Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, housed at the African American Museum, Dallas at Fair Park, was established in 1996 to chronicle the sports history contributions made by Afri-
can Americans.
Each year, the ceremony honors coaches and athletes of high character and athletic achievement, who are either Texans by birth or by athletic participation (collegiate or professional), and who have made recognizable contributions to African American culture and/or history.
The general public submits the nominees, and a panel of judges (including sports/media journalists) makes the final selection.
The Parrish Charitable Foundation is the Title Sponsor of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame Luncheon.
Individual tickets are available for $125 at aamdallas.org/ events.
Tennis Champion Coco Gauff Gifts UNCF $100,000 for Scholarships to Support HBCU Students Playing Competitive Tennis
WASHINGTON, DC — UNCF has announced $100,000 gift from tennis champion Coco Gauff to provide scholarships for historically Black college and university (HBCU) students playing competitive tennis.
“We are incredibly grateful to Coco Gauff for her generous $100,000 gift to UNCF, which will significantly impact the lives of HBCU students aspiring to excel in competitive tennis,” said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. “Her commitment not only showcases her dedication to education and athletics but also inspires the next generation of student-athletes to pursue their dreams. This gift reinforces the importance of supporting our young leaders and ensuring they have the resources necessary to succeed both on and off the court.”
The Coco Gauff Scholarship Program will be administered by UNCF and scholarships will be awarded to eligible students who play competitive tennis starting
in May. Details will be forthcoming on UNCF.org/scholarships.
As one of UNCF’s youngest major gift donors, Gauff, who is 20, says she supports HBCUs because she recognizes their value and the role they play in the community. Several members of Gauff’s family have attended or currently attend HBCUs.
“My family has a deep-rooted history with HBCUs, going all the way back to my great, great
grandfather,” she said. “From aunts and uncles to cousins, HBCUs have played a huge role in shaping who we are. Supporting UNCF in creating opportunities for student-athletes in tennis means a lot to me.
“As a young Black athlete, I understand how impactful it is to see people who look like me thriving in both sports and education. I want to help the next generation of student-athletes continue pursuing their passion for tennis while reaching their academic goals. My hope is that this scholarship gives more young Black players the confidence to chase their dreams, knowing they have a strong community behind them and a bright future ahead.”
Coco Gauff has family ties in New Orleans and St. John the Baptist Parish.
In recognition of Gauff’s 2023 U.S. Open victory, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) committed $3 million to refurbishing tennis courts across the country. North Car-
olina Central University was granted $21,000 as a part of this initiative.
Coco Gauff has won nine Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA) - tour level singles titles including the 2023 US Open and the 2024 WTA Finals. She has also won nine doubles titles including the 2024 French Open.
Michelle Carter
Photo: courtesy
SLAM DUNK! ALL-STAR
3X3 TOURNEY BENEFITS
ST. PHILIP’S
DALLAS – Heartbroken by the Luka Doncic trade?
Need some friendly, feel-good basketball to mend the pain? Benefiting St. Philip’s School & Community Center, the inaugural All-Star 3X3 Basketball Tournament for adult players will tip off Sunday, March 2, from 1-7 p.m. at St. Philip’s Snyder Activity Center (1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Dallas, TX 75215).
Team registration and spectator tickets are available at stphilips1600.org/destiny/3x3.cfm.
The event, presented in partnership with SwinCity League, brings together basketball enthusiasts, community supporters and local legends for a day of fun and friendly competition, plus games, giveaways and kids activities like a slam-dunk contest and dance competition.
Got skills? Team registration is now open for teams up to four men or women (ages 18 and above) who will compete for a $2,000 cash prize. Spectator tickets are $8 (if purchased online) or $10 at the door.
Proceeds from the tourney will benefit St. Philip’s 25th-annual Destiny Award Luncheon on Thursday, March 6, at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Anatole (2201 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX 75207).
The event will feature an unforgettable conversation with NBA Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving – the Parrish Family Destiny Award Speaker – moderated by Olympic Gold medalist and track and field Hall of Famer Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Limited tickets remain for the luncheon, which serves as St. Philip’s largest fundraiser of the year ensuring vital resources for the students, families and programs that St. Philip’s serves.
Funds raised from both events directly support St. Philip’s wide range of community programs and services operations, which reach more than 8,000 neighbors annually.
These efforts include senior transportation services, Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry, neighborhood revitalization through commercial real estate and affordable housing initiatives, and youth academic enrichment and athletic programs serving over 1,5000 children.
Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School, St. Philip’s continues to provide exemplary education for children from PreK2 to 8th grade, boasting a 100% high school graduation rate and a 95% college attendance rate amongst alumni. In May 2024, St. Philip’s inaugural 8th-grade class earned over $300,000 in scholarships for their continued education, highlighting the school’s commitment to academic excellence and innovative educational practices.
For more information, go to stphilips1600.org/ destiny.
Dallas Wings To Host Japan’s Toyota Antelopes In Preseason Game
Arlington, TX – The Dallas Wings will host the Toyota Antelopes of the Women’s Japan Basketball League in a preseason game on May 10. Tipoff at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, is slated for 7 p.m. CT.
Admission will be free to Wings Season Ticket Members. Individual game tickets for the 2025 season, including the preseason game against the Antelopes, will go on sale in April.
Announced in the fall, Season Ticket Memberships sold out in record time. A waitlist for Season Ticket Memberships was established, with benefits including presale access to 2025 WNBA Playoff
games and an opportunity to purchase discounted tickets to select 2025 regular-season games where inventory is still available. Those interested in joining the waitlist can click HERE for more information.
The Wings previously agreed to a multi-year partnership with the Toyota Antelopes which included professional development and mentorship opportunities for Japanese team and staff. The Antelopes won the WJBL title in backto-back seasons (2021, 2022) and are coached by Yuko Oga who played in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury in 2008.
Details of an additional preseason
game for the Wings will be announced at a later date.
The Dallas Wings will celebrate their 10th season in North Texas in 2025, and will tip off the regular-season slate on May 16 at home against the Minnesota Lynx. Since the end of the 2024 campaign the Wings have revamped their Front Office, which included the hiring of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Curt Miller and Head Coach Chris Koclanes. Additionally, the Wings won the Draft Lottery back in November and will have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft.
SPORTS
Dr. Jamal Bryant’s 40-Day Target Gains Momentum
investments to Black-owned businesses. However, Bryant condemned the company’s announcement on January 24 that it would end its DEI initiatives and simultaneously abandon that financial commitment.
“After the murder of George Floyd, they made a $2 billion commitment to invest in Black businesses,” Bryant said during an appearance on the Black Press’ Let It Be Known News. “That commitment was due in December 2025.
When they pulled out of the DEI agreement in January, they also canceled that $2 billion commitment.” Bryant said that Target’s role in the Black consumer market makes it the logical first target of this economic protest. “Black people spend $12 million a day at Target,” he said. “Because of how many dollars are spent there and the absence of commitment to our community, we are focusing on Target first.”
Set to coincide with Lent, the fast is designed to leverage Black economic power to hold corporations accountable. Within just one week, 50,000 people had already signed onto the campaign at targetfast.org, which the pastor said highlighted the movement’s momentum.
Bryant’s demands go beyond reinstating DEI. “White women are the number one beneficiaries of DEI,” he said. “What I am asking for is a quarter of a billion dollars to be invested in Black banks so that our Black businesses can scale. Target has 10 distribution centers near HBCUs, and I’m asking them to partner with the business departments of these institutions.” Separate, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing the Black Press of America, has announced a national public education and selective buying campaign in response to the corporate retreat from DEI commitments.
“We are the trusted voice of Black America, and we will not
be silent or nonresponsive to the rapid rise of renewed Jim Crow racist policies in corporate America,” said NNPA Chairman
Bobby R. Henry Sr. NNPA President and CEO
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. reinforced the need for financial realignment. “Black Americans spend $2 trillion annually. We must evaluate and realign to question why we continue to
spend our money with companies that do not respect us. These contradictions will not go unchallenged.”
To offer alternatives, Bryant has partnered with Ron Busby, president and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, providing consumers with a directory of 300,000 Black-owned businesses. “You can’t tell people what not to do without showing
them what to do,” Bryant said. “If you’re not going to Target or Walmart but need essentials like toilet paper, soap, or detergent, we’ll show you where to get them and reinvest in Black businesses.”
The impact of the boycott is already being felt, he insisted. “Since Black people have been boycotting Target, the stock has dropped by $11,” Bryant said.
cont. from page 1
“Stockholders are now suing Target because of the adverse impact this boycott has had on their stock.” “This is just phase one.
“After the 40 days, we’ll figure out who’s next. But we have to go after Target first. Amazon and others come right after. America has shown us time and time again: if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense.”
BUSINESS
House GOP Pushes Forward Extreme Budget Plan as Project 2025 Fears Become Reality
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
As the Trump administration prepares to close out its first full month back in power, the fears many Americans expressed about Project 2025 are rapidly becoming frightening realities. House Republicans unveiled a budget resolution on Wednesday that slashes federal spending by $2 trillion while providing up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts—largely benefiting the wealthy and major corporations.
The budget, introduced by House Budget Committee
Chairman Jodey Arrington, sets the stage for a massive GOP-led legislative push to pass President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. If the committee and the full House approve, Republicans could move forward with a party-line reconciliation bill that would bypass Senate filibuster rules and enact sweeping tax and spending changes. At the heart of the plan is the dramatic redistribution of resources, cutting programs that millions of Americans rely on while extending tax breaks for the richest households and businesses.
The resolution grants $110 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, significantly less than the $175
billion allocated in the Senate’s version. Meanwhile, it raises the debt limit by $4 trillion in anticipation of a looming deadline later this year that could force Congress to act or risk defaulting on the nation’s obligations.
Deep Cuts to Healthcare, Food Assistance, and Education
The budget’s reconciliation instructions call for slashing $2 trillion in mandatory spending—a category that includes Medicare, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other essential safety-net programs.
If lawmakers fail to achieve those cuts, the resolution mandates a proportional reduction in tax cuts. However, House conservatives have already demanded even steeper spending reductions. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities described the proposal as “an extreme giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of families who already have a hard time making ends meet.”
The nonpartisan research group warned that the GOP plan would increase healthcare costs,
Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization
COOKin-DC
If you are an innocent bystander with the knowledge of Pres. Donald Trump’s Executive Order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization you might be wondering what that move was all about.
Look to the word “sovereignty.”
At one point after the COVID pandemic the WHO, heavily influenced by the World Economic Forum and Bill Gates, wanted to commandeer the world’s pandemic decision-making for each of its member countries.
Executive Order 14155 signed on January 20, 2025, and one of Trump’s first orders of business was a big move, but many believe it was a necessary one.
The BBC reported the United States exit from WHO could mean a fifth of the organization’s budget will disappear.
The Executive Order spells out the reasons clearly, “Due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
It was also stated, “In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 percent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 percent less to the WHO [than the US].”
In other words, with the US withdrawal the WHO money train has been halted at the station and won’t be coming in on the backs of the American people.
For readers who do not remember this is the second time Trump ordered the US to disengage with the WHO. When Biden
took office however, he reversed Trump’s first withdrawal.
After Biden reversed the order, the US was once again the largest money funder and in 2023 reportedly contributed almost one-fifth of the WHO budget, which is annually $6.8 billion.
The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected by WHO Member States at the 70th World Health Assembly in May 2017 and he was re-appointed in May 2022. Ghebreyesus has often come under fire for how the WHO handled the COVID pandemic. During that time there were often reports of his being part of the World Economic Forum agenda as well as his involvement with Bill Gates whose Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given the WHO 565 grants and millions of dollars since their partnership began in 1998.
Since the mishandling of the COVID pandemic was the impetus to withdraw, the decision sits uneasy for those who believe COVID was handled properly.
For example, one professor at the Rockefeller College of Public
Affairs & Policy at UAlbany, Ashley Fox told a news station that “Global cooperation is necessary if we want to bring pandemics under control.”
However, the other side of the picture that has often been touted as conspiracy theory, was that the entire pandemic was part of the World Economic Forum’s pandemic plan in cahoots with the WHO and Gates (who has no medical degrees, but somehow became a leading voice in virology when he had no education to speak on the topic).
Another touchy WHO subject was the organization’s ongoing push to encourage member countries to adhere to negotiations on the world’s first agreement to allow the WHO to be the leading voice that would override each member country in the case of a future pandemic and subsequent shutdowns.
For that negation there was a lack of consensus on a number of articles that the WHO proposed, which would seriously undermine a country’s sovereignty and negotiations were extended until May 2025.
There has also been concern since Trump’s executive order to withdraw the US from the WHO that other countries might decide to withdraw as well since the US has now set the stage for an exit.
To that end, Argentina recently announced it will be withdrawing from the WHO as well. Argentina President Javier Milei announced the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization due to what he called “profound differences” with the U.N. agency.
Particularly what was said “WHO guidelines at the time led to the largest shutdown in the history of mankind. Argentina will not allow an international organization to intervene in its sovereignty and much less in our health.”
The Argentinian loss will cost the 76-year-old organization another $8 million.
Rita Cook
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/ editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A
BUSINESS
Fact Sheet: Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China
ADDRESSING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION: The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
• Until the crisis is alleviated, President Donald J. Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff.
• President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.
• The orders make clear that the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States, through illicit distribution networks, has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis. Chinese officials have failed to take the actions necessary to stem the flow of precursor chemicals to known criminal cartels and shut down money laundering by transnational criminal organizations.
• In addition, the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico. The government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of dangerous narcotics, which collectively have led to the overdose deaths of hundreds of thousands of American victims. This alliance endangers the national security of the United States, and we must eradicate the influence of these dangerous cartels.
• There is also a growing presence of Mexican cartels operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs in Canada. A recent study recognized Canada’s
heightened domestic production of fentanyl, and its growing footprint within international narcotics distribution
USING OUR LEVERAGE TO ENSURE AMERICANS’ SAFETY: Previous Administrations failed to fully leverage America’s economic position as a tool to secure our borders against illegal migration and combat the scourge of fentanyl, preferring to let problems fester.
• Access to the American market is a privilege. The United States has one of the most open economies in the world, and the lowest average tariff rates in the world.
• While trade accounts for 67% of Canada’s GDP, 73% of Mexico’s GDP, and 37% of China’s GDP, it accounts for only 24% of U.S. GDP. However, in 2023 the U.S. trade deficit in goods was the world’s largest at over $1 trillion.
• Tariffs are a powerful, proven source of leverage for protecting the national interest. President Trump is using the tools at hand and taking decisive action that puts Americans’ safety and our national security first.
• Though previous Administrations have failed to leverage America’s combination of exceptional strength and its unique role in world trade to advance the security interests of the American people, President Trump has not.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO STOP THE FLOOD OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND DRUGS: When voters overwhelmingly elected Donald J. Trump as President, they gave him a mandate to seal the border. That is exactly what he is doing.
• The Biden Administration’s policies have fueled the worst border crisis in U.S. history.
• More than 10 million illegal aliens attempted to enter the United
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Fact Sheet cont. from
States under Biden’s leadership, including a rising number of Chinese nationals and people on the terror watchlist.
• This problem is not confined to the southern border – encounters at the northern border with Canada are rising as well.
• The sustained influx of illegal aliens has profound consequences on every aspect of our national life –overwhelming our schools, lowering our wages, reducing our housing supply and raising rents, overcrowding our hospitals, draining our welfare system, and causing crime.
• Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illegal drugs and narcotics of all kinds are pouring across our borders and into our communities.
• Last fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at our borders, enough fentanyl to kill more than 4 billion people.
• It is estimated that federal officials are only able to seize a fraction of the fentanyl smuggled across the southern border.
• These drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone.
• More Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses each year than the number of American lives lost in the entirety of the Vietnam War.
BUILDING ON PAST SUC
CESS: President Trump continues to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring U.S. trade policy serves the national interest.
• As President Trump said in the Presidential Memoran-
page 21
dum on American First Trade Policy, trade policy is a critical component in national security.
• President Trump promised in November to “sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders. This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”
• During his first term as President of the United States, President Trump established the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis and declared the Opioid Crisis a public health emergency.
• President Trump also has a long record of putting America first on trade. In his first term, President Trump successfully used threats of tariffs on Mexico to help secure our border.
• When our national security was threatened by a global oversupply of steel and aluminum, President Trump took swift action to protect America’s national security by implementing tariffs on imports of these goods.
• In response to China’s intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, and other unreasonable behavior, President Trump acted with conviction to impose tariffs on imports from China, using that leverage to reach a historic bilateral economic agreement.
• Just last week, President Trump leveraged tariffs to successfully resolve national security concerns with Colombia, swiftly reaching an outcome that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people and the sanctity of our national borders.
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