Another thanks to Vice President Harris and Dougie!
With the utmost respect, I send a heartfelt and sincere thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, the man who asked her to be his wife and then in turn willingly and dutifully accepted the role of “Second Gentleman.”
When you visited Dallas on the campaign trail, Dougie, I saw something in you. You really care! And that’s what I needed to see. You saw more in Sen. Harris than others that I won’t say they didn’t see; they just wouldn’t acknowledge.
Rather than cite her intelligence, brilliance, compassion,
Recent years have helped tell world why Jane Elkins’ hanging in Dallas should be remembered
I WAS JUST THINKING...
Sorry to disturb your tranquility. But spirit compels me to pay homage to a woman named Jane. History gave her the name Jane Elkins, though neither she nor any of her unknown family members had the privilege of choosing the last name assigned to her. You may have heard a little about Jane here and there. She was an enslaved African descendant officially executed by hanging in downtown Dallas -- the first female to be legally executed in Texas in the mid1800s. History tells us that hanging is legal execution. It is said to be different from lynching that is not legal and usually is done by a mob of persons bent on revenge or plain evil-doing. I would prefer to simply call her a woman named Jane, because the Elkins name was not her unknown family’s choice. But for the sake of historical record, I will acquiesce and accept the
name Jane Elkins.
And like Breonna Taylor (2020), Atatiana Jefferson (2019), Sandra Bland (2015), and so, so many countless others – female and male – who died unjustly, we must say Jane Elkins’ name and remember that she existed
and deserved a chance at life and freedom.
Because Jane is so littleknown, I was startled to discover the amount of history that does exist about her -- even though what we do know pales compared to what we do NOT
know about her. For instance, we still must wonder who gave her the name “Jane.” But our lack of knowledge is why I am writing today about the woman known as Jane.
See Jane Elkins, pages 10-11
Kimberly Bizor Tolbert Named Dallas City Manager
From Staff Reports
DALLAS - Today, the Dallas City Council adopted a resolution appointing Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, to the position of City Manager. Tolbert is the 19th city manager for the City of Dallas dating back to 1931. The reso-
lution also approved the terms of her employment and authorized the execution of an Agreement of Employment.
This appointment follows a national search for Dallas’ City Manager, led by the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs, with Mayor Pro Tem Tenell At-
kins as its Chair. She was selected as one of three finalists for the role and in addition to interviews, participated in three candidate community engagement events.
Tolbert was appointed Interim City Manager in May 2024. At that time, Tolbert proactively launched a 100-Day
transition plan to address critical areas for process improvement and operational enhancements. Some of her key successes within her first 100 days as Interim City Manager include delivering a balanced biennial FY 2024-25 budget
Kimberly Bizor Tolbert
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff
Norma
Adams-Wade
Ed Gray, who leads Dallas County Justice Initiative, stands in front of the Jane Elkins’ marker at Martyrs Park near downtown Dallas.
Photo credit, The Dallas Morning News
Desoto PD is first agency to introduce first responder drones in Best Southwest, but what about the unidentified drones crowding the US airspace
Rita Cook
OUR VOICES
DESOTO – For months now residents in cities around the United States have been reporting drones in the sky.
It began in New Jersey and has quickly turned into a pandemic of drones around the country including sightings in Texas.
An article at https://www.csis. org/analysis/why-are-there-somany-unexplained-drones-flying-over-united-states from December 2024 ask “Why Are There So Many Unexplained Drones Flying Over the United States.” Even more disturbing is the fact that for some reason the government is ignoring that question as well as ignoring the drones as if it will go away if ignored and the public will stop asking questions.
The article at CSIS.org states that federal and state authorities cannot explain the unidentified drones, but do not believe the sightings “pose a public safety or national security threat.”
How do they know it is not a security threat if they do not even know what these drones are and who is operating them?
Foreign objects in US airspace and residents told to look the other way.
For the last month and as recent as this week residents in Dallas have seen and taken video footage of unknown drones and orbs overhead in a variety of locations, specifically over Lake Ray Hubbard.
In late December, the White Settlement Police Department reported unknown drones near military properties.
I only half-jokingly ask DeSoto PD Police Chief Joe Costa if his new first emergency responder drones were weaponized yet. Costa of course replied “no.”
To me the question is not a matter of “if” but “when” and Costa and I both concurred hopefully not on our watch.
The City of DeSoto Police Department is the first department in the area to introduce first responder drones in the Best Southwest according to Costa.
While DeSoto and other local cities do have drones for police work, the first responder drone from Paladin Drones is the first of its kind in the area.
Lieutenant R. Heath Penwarden, Support Service, Commander SRRG-SRT explained the Paladin Drones are used to “enhance its small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) operations with the DJI 30T. The DJI 30T is a highly capable sUAS, designed to operate in adverse weather conditions such as rain and strong winds. Its thermal imaging capability allows for a range of applications, such as locating missing persons, tracking fleeing suspects, and assisting the Fire Department during structure fires. This technology elevates situational awareness and operational efficiency for public safety.”
DeSoto already has a robust drone program that began in 2017 and funded through sei-
zure funds. The total cost of the sUAS program, which includes hardware, software, extended modules like cellular signal devices, unlimited battery replacements, drone replacement warranties, FAA waiver support, and a week-long training program, is $49,000.
Desoto PD currently has 10 trained sUAS pilots capable of operating the department’s various sUAS, that include one DJI 30T housed in a docking station, one portable DJI 30T for transportable missions, one smaller DJI 3 without thermal imaging, one smaller DJI 3T with thermal imaging and two older DJI Mini sUAS for specific missions.
The most recently first responder drone purchase, the DJI 30T shares some capabilities with the department’s existing sUAS, but Penwarden said “It can respond to emergencies directly from its docking station, significantly reducing response time. Unlike previous models that required manual deployment, this sUAS can be remotely activated and piloted to a scene, offering quicker situational awareness and operational efficiency.”
The DJI 30T also operates under a Beyond Visual Line of Sight
(BVLOS) waiver issued by the FAA. This waiver, secured with assistance from Paladin Drones, allows the sUAS to be piloted remotely without the operator maintaining direct visual contact. Equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, the sUAS integrates with air traffic systems to ensure real-time aircraft surveillance and avoid conflicts in airspace.
The location of the docking station is confidential to ensure the security of the sUAS and prevent tampering or theft.
It is noteworthy to add that Penwarden confirmed “Texas law, specifically outlined in Chapter 423 of the Government Code, governs the use of sUAS to protect privacy. These regulations ensure that law enforcement and private entities cannot misuse drone technology for unauthorized surveillance, offering peace of mind to residents.
So, that leads back to the earlier question who is flying the unidentified drones in the Dallas area and throughout the United States and why is the US government acting like they do not know the answer? While it is legal to fly a drone in most loca-
tions there are rules. Rules that state a person can fly their drone as a recreational flyer or under the FAA’s Small UAS Rule following appropriate provisions.
Several anonymous law enforcement sources I have ask regarding the unidentified drones said they believe the drones are government related.
President Donald Trump said in a recent press conference “I am going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration because I think it is ridiculous that they are not telling you what is going on with the drones.”
An article in Military Embedded Systems has already said too that a company called Palantir along with Shield AI are working together using Hivemind technology “To allow drones and other uncrewed systems to autonomously detect and respond to threats without direct human control, while also allowing operators to oversee missions in real-time and manage multiple vehicles from a single platform.”
Meanwhile, as you are looking up in the Best Southwest if you see a drone, it might possible be DeSoto’s latest drone fleet addition.
“DeSoto PD has consistently been a leader in adopting advanced law enforcement technologies and is the first agency in the area to implement a DFR program,” Penwarden concluded. “The introduction of the DFR program builds on this foundation and represents the next evolution in law enforcement capabilities. By staying proactive and partnering with industry experts, DeSoto PD is setting a benchmark for other departments in the area.”
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/ editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
Rep. Crockett, Sen. Cornyn introduce Bill to rename Dallas VA after Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
WASHINGTON, DC - On January 16, 2025, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) and Senator John Cornyn (TX) introduced legislation to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Dallas after the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
The bill would rename the facility as the “Eddie Bernice Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,” to honor the Congresswoman’s 30 years of service as U.S. Representative for Texas’ 30th Congressional District and 10 years of service within the Texas Legislature.
Additionally, prior to being elected to public office, Congresswoman Johnson dedicated 16 years of service as the first Black American to serve as Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital.
“As I carry on in the footsteps
of my trailblazing predecessor, I see Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s legacy and impact in every corner of the district I represent: from Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station where the regional rail that she helped fund is connecting communities across North Texas, to the Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy in Wilmer, Texas, where students are learning the skills they will need to forge a career in science and technology—sectors boost-
ed by the CHIPS and Science Act that Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson championed,” said Rep. Crockett. “Throughout her 30 years of service to the people of North Texas, Congresswoman Johnson was guided by her service-driven heart and compassion for Texans in need —the same qualities that fueled her work as Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital for nearly two decades.
“Congresswoman Johnson never forgot the servicemen and women she treated there, and fought to increase funding and resources for veteran and mental healthcare from her early days in the Texas Capitol to her last years in Congress, introducing the Department of Energy Veterans’ Health Initiative Act in 2019 and the Strengthening Mental Health Supports for BIPOC Communities Act in 2020.” Crockett added, “I am grateful
to my colleague, Senator John Cornyn, for working with me to honor Congresswoman Johnson’s legacy by leading this bill in the U.S. Senate. I am eager to walk through the doors of the Eddie Bernice Johnson Dallas VA Medical Center alongside Senator Cornyn and the Texas veterans that she cared for so dearly.”
“Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was a trailblazer and longtime advocate for veterans,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation to rename the VA Medical Center in Dallas in Congresswoman Johnson’s honor—nearly 70 years after she was hired as a nurse at this very hospital—would ensure her legacy of service is forever preserved.”
This bill is supported by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the Senate and Representatives Al Green (TX-9), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Veronica Escobar (TX16), and Lance Gooden (TX-5).
It was standing room only at Legacy Toyota as the incomparable Usamah Rodgers was feted for excellent leadership of the DeSoto School District. Dr. Rodgers cares about the students, parents, teachers, administrators, staff and employees; as well as the entire citizenry, and that is why she is so good for DeSoto. And there was plenty of good food, thanks to Big Moe’s Catering. Special thanks to Legacy Toyota for recognizing Dr. Rodgers.
Sen. John Cornym
Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Vincent L. Hall
QUIT PLAYIN’
Your pocketbook is suffering. And whether your piggy bank has a hairline fracture, a gaping hole, or has been gutted, the time to repair it is now.
The latest statistics published by the U.S. Department of Commerce show personal savings as a percentage of disposable income plummeted after the COVID-19 pandemic. That number fell from 5.8% in 2010 to 4.3% in the last quarter of 2024.
That means the average wage-earning American making $500 per week only has about $22 that can be saved.
Yo’ money is funny, and your change is strange, and it ain’t just you! Most of us run out of money long before we run out of month.
You Better Think!
In 2025, my goal is to spend less and save more. I want to get comfortable with saving 10% or more each month.
Donald Trump’s executive orders and tariffs could kill economic trade, and high inflation may see a repeat performance. Your money may decline, but you can bet your bills won’t!
Trump also issued an order to have all qualified Negroes removed from the government payroll. His “anti-DEI” is nothing less than a frontal assault on Black and minority workers.
The federal workforce is 19% Black, while the nation is only 13% Black. Fairness in hiring among government employers has always been our saving grace. From the hiring of postal clerk William Cooper Nell in 1863 until this present hour, the government has given our people a chance at becoming middle class.
need to get ready.
My mom inherited and maintained three pearls of personal wisdom: “Don’t break a dollar to spend a dime, always look for a bargain, and remember that a bargain ain’t a bargain if it ain’t something you can use.”
must carefully consider what you are doing.
spend more than if we paid the bill in cold, hard cash. Convenience cards put us all in a state of financial denial.
See what you can save by cutting down on your bad habits. Cigarettes cost $12 a pack, which is $360 per month. Coffee or energy drinks could cost $250 per household member per month. Booze at home is cheaper than at the bar. We borrow money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.
Then there’s laundry, groceries, tuition, medical bills, prescriptions, and toll roads. The “disposable income” list goes on and on.
Publisher : Cheryl Smith
Editor: editor@myimessenger.com
Address: 320 S.R.L.
Thornton Freeway, Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75203
Site: www.texasmetronews.com
Phone: 214-941-0110
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, fearing 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. TEXAS MetroNews
If opportunities for Blacks and minorities is left to that racist Elon Musk, there would be no Black executives, and there would likely be a sharp increase in our unemployment rates. We
First, make an honest needs assessment before you break a 10, 20, or one of the “big head hundreds.”
Is it worth it? In the words of comedian Chris Rock, anytime you find yourself at the ATM in the morning’s wee hours, you
Smart shoppers realize that bargain shopping is not a hobby; it’s a skill. Learn to decipher ads. For example, “buy one, get one half off” only saves 25 percent. “Buy two, get one free” is 33 percent off and only qualifies as a bargain if you can use three.
Regarding banking, having automatic bill pay or deductions shouldn’t preclude checking your monthly statements. Debit cards are great, but like credit cards, they tend to make us
Save some money and hide some too! Grandma always had some stashed at the house, and it’s time for us to follow suit before Trump issues an executive order outlawing Negroes having money in banks!
In the words of Aretha Franklin, “you better Think!”
Kimberly Bizor Tolbert Named Dallas City Manager
with unanimous City Council Approval, cutting overall new construction commercial permitting median issuance time by 31%, restructuring the organizational chart to foster greater cross-departmental collaboration, consolidated multiple departments to enhance productivity, saving $13 million, and launched recruitment and retention incentives to enhance first responder competitiveness.
As Dallas’ City Manager, City Manager Tolbert will continue to oversee the City’s $5.2 billion budget and 13,000+ City of Dallas team members.
“I want to thank the City Council for their confidence in
me to lead this City as we evolve on the world stage, with a thriving and inclusive community that sets the standard for excellence,” said Tolbert.
“I am certain that we can collectively achieve this through innovation, efficient government, and targeted economic growth. But we cannot do it alone, each of our stakeholders make Dallas extraordinary, and we are committed to continuing to foster trust by delivering on our promise of Service First, with the urgency of Now! Finally, I want to thank our talented City of Dallas team. Their passion and dedication have inspired me during my tenure as Interim City Man-
ager and I am excited to build upon the momentum we have already achieved.”
In a statement following the vote, City of Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said:
“I am proud to support Kimberly Bizor Tolbert as Dallas’ new city manager. As Interim City Manager for the past 10 months, Tolbert has streamlined city operations, improved government efficiency, reduced taxpayer waste, and delivered a budget with the largest single-year property tax rate reduction in Dallas history.”
“With Tolbert now serving in a permanent role, Dallas is
cont. from page1
poised to take full advantage of the opportunities before us as we continue to reduce the tax rate, enhance government efficiency and transparency, and keep the people of Dallas safe. Now, Dallas can take the next steps toward hiring permanent police and fire chiefs to strengthen our standing as the safest major city in America.”
“Lastly, I want to thank Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins for his leadership in guiding the selection process as chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs,” added Mayor Johnson.
The appointment is effective January 22, 2025.
A long-time Texas Metro News columnist, Dallas native Vincent L. Hall is an author, writer, award-winning writer, and a lifelong Drapetomaniac.
Wake Up and Stay Woke: No One Is Above the Law?
E. Faye Williams
WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE
All my life I’ve heard “No one is above the law.” If you’ve heard that and believed it, you’ve probably done all you could to stay out of trouble. Others don’t believe it’s true because they’ve seen too many people who look like them prove that statement wrong and wonder if that law only applies to Black people! When they see many of their friends in prison for minor crimes, they must be confused.
When they hear news about someone they know who has avoided the law repeatedly, they
wonder what the exceptions are when they do something far less harmful yet end up behind bars. What they ultimately determine is that someone is above the law!
That person is never Black!
With good reason, some people actually believe there is someone above the law, and they believe they are the one because they’ve always been able to live above punishment due to their skin color. It’s always been that way, so I urge any Black person to look at the exceptions before thinking about committing a crime. You are not now, and never have been able to use “I am above the law.”
Now look at who has been living above the law all his life. He has been labeled “the most corrupt and dangerous president in history.”
Just look at what this person has repeatedly done to prove he is above the law! Here’s just a sample of what he’s done, and he’s still adding on, confident he’ll never serve time for his recent crimes:
– He unlawfully attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. We heard him on the phone trying to persuade an official to join him in committing a crime.
– He was indicted in New York for falsifying business records to cover up “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels.
– He was indicted for retaining top-secret national security documents at his private residence. He led an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of the 2020 election re-
sults, causing severe injuries and deaths — but Trump’s answer is “Pardon them all!”
What is holding up a pardon by President Joe Biden for former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who was prosecuted for doing her job? She didn’t destroy public property. She didn’t kill or hurt anybody as Trump’s supporters did — supporters he promises to pardon once back in office. More than all those white people, Marilyn Mosby deserves a pardon for being convicted for doing her job.
Biden will be leaving office soon. Please sign the petition for him to pardon Attorney Mosby at justiceformarilynmosby.com. If Trump is above the law after 34 convictions, why should Marilyn be punished for doing her job?
Because he’s gotten away with so much due to his allies on the Supreme Court giving him sweeping immunity, he thinks he’s completely off the hook!
Trump has been convicted of 34 crimes by a unanimous jury. Judge Juan Merchan, presiding judge in Trump’s “hush money” case, has said Trump must report to court Jan. 10 for sentencing but already added he will not receive jail time!
Those of us who aren’t above the law just shake our heads and wonder what this man must do to be properly punished for his convictions and still be president!
Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Contact her via www.nationalcongressbw. org.
Lawmakers protect minors from social media
By Nolan D. McCaskill
The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers vowed Tuesday to hold Big Tech accountable for failing to protect minors from harm on social media, including exposure to pornography and sex trafficking.
“There’s been no significant change to protect minors from the harms we continue to see on social media,” said Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, co-chair of the Joint Committee to Study the Effects of Media on Minors, which met Tuesday at the state Capitol.
“Study after study shows an increase in self-harm, an increase in body dysmorphia in our girls, an increase in porn addiction and aggression in our boys and the steady increase in suicide for all youth,” Patterson said.
Patterson called it “a slap in the face to every Texan” that no social media company made a representative available to testify at the committee’s hearing. Meta, X, TikTok and Snap declined the panel’s invitation to testify.
Patterson filed legislation in the 2023 legislative session to bar children between 13 and 18 from using any social media platforms. His proposal was referred to the Select Committee on Youth
Health and Safety in March but no action was taken.
He filed a similar bill in November to restrict children younger than 18 from using social media.
“I refuse to sit idly by and allow our children to be present on social media platforms when the very same social media companies will not show up for a study committee addressing the concerns expressed by Texans and others across the nation,” Patterson said.
The hearing came a week before Texas’ biennial legislative session begins and weeks after the 118th Congress left Washington without passing a pair of children’s online safety bills that overwhelmingly passed the U.S. Senate in July.
Committee members and witnesses highlighted the dangers Texas youth face from platforms they argued are addictive by design, such as access to porn that later contributes to divorce, single-parent households, emulation of violent acts children think are normal, sexual assaults, erectile dysfunction and unhealthy standards for relationships. They also said such platforms leave children susceptible to peer pressure and bullying and limits their attention spans.
Proposals discussed included teach-
ing students about digital literacy, limiting screen time on school-issued devices, taking students’ phones during instructional time, requiring users to opt in to data collection rather than having to opt out and strengthening Texas Education Association guidelines for school districts to force compliance.
Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, said internet addiction is becoming more harmful to the nation’s youth than smoking, drinking or substance abuse.
“Software engineers now work closely with behavioral engineers to design and optimize online content that keeps young people glued to their computers and mobile devices during all their waking hours,” Epstein said.
Joshua Broome, a former porn actor turned pastor, called himself an “anom-
aly” for getting healthy after overcoming a porn addiction at age 13. He lamented that people “care more about what we have the freedom to watch than the harm that it causes.”
Deasia Wiggins — a youth peer counselor at the Harris Center for Mental Health IDD, an acronym for intellectual development disabilities, who grew up in foster and group homes — told the committee her friends have been “choked, slapped, spanked and raped because that’s what people using pornography think sex is about.”
Wiggins advocated for passage of a Senate bill introduced last session by Sens. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney; Bob Hall, R-Edgewood; and Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston. That proposal would have required manufacturers to automatically enable a filter to prevent minors from accessing, downloading or displaying explicit material.
“Today’s parents weren’t parented through this,” Paxton said. “Parents are really in a tough spot because they’re having to parent their children through very difficult, challenging, confusing, complex issues in a way that they haven’t seen modeled for themselves.”
Lindy McGee, a Houston pediatrician, said social media is “a danger to the fab -
ric of our society.”
“It’s just staying alone in your room and not having friends. We know that social interaction is such a huge part of being human,” she told the committee. “And this isn’t social interaction. The kids think it is, and it’s not. All of us who are old enough to have this experience with healthy relationships know that this isn’t the same thing.”
Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, framed the issue as “a massive public safety crisis” the government needs to figure out.
Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, apologized for her naivete in not fully grasping the pervasiveness of youth online culture. But she argued Texas can be a leader on this issue.
“And Texas is big enough to move the needle and be aggressive,” she added. “So anybody out there lobbying for Big Tech or the search engines or the apps, come ready, OK? Come with a heart full of goodness so we can literally get rid of this scourge that is destroying the lives of our children and future generations.”
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.
City of Duncanville Mourns the Loss of Longtime Employee and Community Leader Robert Byron “Bob” Lee
Duncanville, TX – The City of Duncanville extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and loved ones of Robert Byron “Bob” Lee, who passed away on January 10, 2025. Bob Lee dedicated 39 years of remarkable service to the City of Duncanville, beginning in the Water Department and culminating in his role as Director of Utilities until his retirement in 1991.
Bob’s legacy is etched in Duncanville’s history. Known for his leadership, innovation, and tireless commitment to public works, he was the recipient of numerous accolades, including state and federal commendations and personal recognition from Governor George
W. Bush. His contributions were celebrated locally with the establishment of “Bob Lee Day” in August 1991 and the naming of Bob Lee Boulevard in his honor.
Beyond his professional contributions, Bob was deeply engaged in the Duncanville community. As a longtime member and past president of the Duncanville Noon Lions Club, a volunteer with the Duncanville Chamber of Commerce, and a supporter of Duncanville FFA, he left an enduring impact on countless lives.
Bob was a man of faith, a loving husband to his late wife, Anita Jo Lee, and a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfa-
ther. His steadfast dedication to both his family and his community is a model of integrity and service.
The City of Duncanville mourns his passing and honors his invaluable contributions, which continue to inspire pride
and unity within our community. Bob will be laid to rest at Little Bethel Cemetery.
Bob Lee
Trump Poised to Attack National Urban League Ready to Fight
Marc Morial
TO BE EQUAL
“Every nation’s history includes unsettling truths that many would prefer to forget or deny. But true patriotism demands confronting the truths of our history—no matter how embarrassing or dishonorable—and undertaking the difficult work of learning from the lessons of our past in order to move forward. For the United States, that work requires reckoning with our shameful legacy of racial subjugation of Black people in this country—from slavery and Jim Crow to mass incarceration and police violence—as well as our long history of express discrimination against other people of color, women, and LGBTQ persons.
Without uninhibited discussion and examination of that legacy, we are illequipped as a nation to address its ongoing manifestations in present-day forms of discrimination and bias.” — National Urban League v. Trump.
At the current rate of progress, it will take between 100 and 300 years for Black Americans to achieve parity with white Americans.
First annually and now biannually, the National Urban League publishes the Equality Index, a calculation of the social and economic status of African Americans relative to whites. Rooted in the Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787, which counted enslaved African Americans as “three-fifths” of a person, the Index would be 100% under full equality. Currently 75.7%, the Index has moved less than 3% in 20 years, indicating a 180 year
wait to achieve parity.
That squares with the findings of a McKinsey study showing it will take between 110 and 320 years at for “Black Americans to reach a level of economic prosperity and quality of life that’s on par with that of their White neighbors.”President-elect
Donald Trump and his allies are determined to make sure that it takes even longer. At the end of his first term, Trump issued an executive order banning policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients. The National Urban League immedi-
ately filed a lawsuit; Trump lost reelection and President Biden overturned it immediately upon taking office.
This time around, Trump isn’t waiting to start stamping out racial justice initiatives. He’s vowed to rescind President Biden’s Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity, issued on his first day in office.
Seizing on the widely-accepted myth that increasing diversity is synonymous with “anti-white discrimination,” the Trump administration plans to use civil rights laws to reinforce white privilege in every facet of society, public and private. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary has promoted the racist fallacythat the long-overdue elevation of Black officers to senior leadership positions compromises military readiness.
In fact, Trump’s proposed
cabinet includes only one Black member, a former NFL player whose only qualification to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development is his history of opposingaffordable housing, protection for poor tenants, and aid for the homeless.
Trump will eliminate federal funding for any school that promotes racial equity or confronts the reality of racism in the nation’s history. He has even vowed to direct the Department of Justice to pursue federal “civil rights cases” against them.
He plans to resurrect the failed 1776 Commission, which historians reviled as a plot to “elevate ignorance about the past to a civic virtue.
Hoping to avoid attacks from the incoming administration and its most fanatical defenders. many private corporations are retreating from their commitment to
DEI. The board of Costco, in contrast, recently rejected an anti-DEI shareholder proposal. While post-election surveys show that Trumps’ election was largely a misguided reaction to the cost of groceries, Trump and his allies have taken it as an endorsement of their every vicious and bigoted policies. Americans overwhelmingly support corporate diversity policies. President Biden’s administration — like most diverse institutions, was more innovative, adaptable, resilient, and able to solve problems more quickly because of its diversity. If the incoming administration doesn’t realize the benefits of DEI early on, the National Urban League and our civil rights allies are on hand to hold it to account.
Highway shutdown after chase ends in officer-involved shooting in Red Oak
By Rita Cook Correspondent
Texas Metro News
RED OAK – Three local law enforcement agencies involved and a major highway shutdown south of Dallas in Red Oak was Thursday’s big story in Best Southwest.
The cause was a police chase that began in Dallas and resulted in an officer involved shooting that included a seven-hour plus highway shutdown on I-35 southbound.
The police chase ended in Red Oak at Red Oak Road when the suspect crashed into another vehicle leaving one person dead and another severely injured.
The initial report Thursday morning came from Red
Oak PD on social media stating there were delays on I-35 southbound.
At one point traffic in the southbound lane of -I35 was stopped for over seven miles.
William Lockridge, Sergeant, Safety Education, Media and Communications, Texas Department of Public Safety originally reported, “The Dallas Police Department was involved in an officer-involved shooting that occurred on the IH35 southbound service road at the Red Oak Road overpass in Red Oak. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Ranger Division is investigating the incident.”
At that time, it was noted, “One suspect, who was involved in a traffic crash
before the shooting, was transported to a Dallas area hospital. The suspect’s vehicle struck an occupied vehicle, resulting in the occupants being injured. The occupants of the second vehicle were transported to area hospitals.”
Later Lockridge also told reporters the incident had happened just before 11 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2025, and that the preliminary information also indicated, “The Dallas Police Department located a Capital Murder suspect in Dallas County and attempt-
ed to stop the vehicle they were in. The suspect immediately refused to comply or surrender and began fleeing in a vehicle.
“Dallas Police Officers pursued the suspect until he entered Red Oak (Ellis County, Texas) on IH-35, where he crashed with another vehicle. One person in the other vehicle was killed, and another was severely injured.
“The suspect then exited his disabled vehicle with a firearm in his hand and moved away from the pursuing officers. Dallas Police Officers discharged their weapons, striking the murder suspect. Dallas Police Officers provided life-saving medical care to the suspect, and he was transported to
an area hospital for treatment.”
While the incident happened in Red Oak, Garland Wolf, Red Oak’s Police Chief explained they were not working the officer-involved shooting, but instead the Texas Rangers were doing that job.
“We were requested to work the accident because it’s in our jurisdiction and on our roadway,” Wolf said.
“Dallas asked who we used to work officer-involved shootings, we advised the Texas Rangers. So, Dallas followed what we do in the city and had Texas Rangers work the shooting.”
I-35 Southbound and the service road was finally opened at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night.
Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.
Public Notice
24 Hour Wrecker Serv
The following vehicles will be sold at public auction on Monday 1/27/2025 if not released to register owners. Any announcements made the day of sale supercede any advertised announcments. The auction will be held at On line at www.jdnewell.com. If you have any questions,please call 972-227-5188.
Year/make,
VIN, Tag. ALL VEHICLES ARE SOLD AS IS.
Vehicle
1994 Chevrolet Astro
VIN
1998 Infiniti Q45
1998 Mercury Grand Marquis
Ed Bell Construction Company An Equal Opportunity Employer
Ed Bell Construction Company
An Equal Opportunity Employer
January 1, 2025
January 1, 2025
Ed Bell Construction is a Dallas based heavy highway contractor doing business in the North Texas market since 1963. With clients such as TxDOT, Dallas County Public Works, and the Cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Richardson, and Mansfield (plus many others), we have a strong backlog of work in the highway market locally.
Ed Bell Construction is a Dallas based heavy highway contractor doing business in the North Texas market since 1963. With clients such as TxDOT, Dallas County Public Works, and the Cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Richardson, and Mansfield (plus many others), we have a strong backlog of work in the highway market locally.
We are currently hiring for the following positions:
We are currently hiring for the following positions:
• Laborer (Earthwork)
• CDL Drivers (Water Truck)
• Laborer (Earthwork)
• Dozer Operator (Earthwork)
• CDL Drivers (Water Truck)
• Loader Operator (Earthwork)
• Dozer Operator (Earthwork)
• Excavator Operator (Earthwork)
• Loader Operator (Earthwork)
• Motor Grader Operator (Earthwork)
• Excavator Operator (Earthwork)
• Fuel Service Truck Driver (CDL Hazmat)
• Motor Grader Operator (Earthwork)
• Fuel Service Truck Driver (CDL Hazmat)
Available: multiple openings
Rate: Negotiable
Must have own transportation.
Years of Experience required will vary, from 6 months to 2 years (depending on position)
Physical and Drug Screen Required
Must have a Clear Background
Must be at least 18 years old (CDL Driver, 21 yrs.)
Must APPLY IN PERSON at 10605 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75220 from 7am-11am Mon-Fri. Please visit our website: www.edbellconstruction.com/careers Or email your resume to: careers@edbellconstruction.com
Please visit our website: www.edbellconstruction.com/careers Or email your resume to: careers@edbellconstruction.com
Big Mama had a way of delivering wisdom so sharp and clear, it cut through the noise like a whistle on a still evening. One of her most poignant lessons came from her “Back Porch Playbook,” where she often reminded us: “Every grin ain’t a friend.”
This wasn’t just a warning for her children and grandchildren to be cautious. It was a call to action to look beyond surface smiles and dig deep into the true intentions of those who claim to be in our corner.
Today, Big Mama’s
Big Mama Said: Every Grin Ain’t a Friend
words resonate louder than ever as we watch the shuffle of new appointments and decisions in Washington, D.C. It’s a season of fresh faces, friendly handshakes, and promises. But we’d be
wise to heed Big Mama’s advice: trust but verify. Take, for instance, the ongoing debates around artificial intelligence and technology regulation.
On the surface, big tech companies grin and assure us they’re working in our best interest. Yet, as whistleblowers and reports reveal, some of these same corporations prioritize profits over privacy, leaving everyday folks vulnerable to exploitation. Every friendly pledge to “protect user data” isn’t always backed by action.
Consider also the resurgence of public health conversations. Politicians and leaders are smiling on podiums, assuring communities that new health initiatives will bridge disparities. Yet, when you scratch the surface, funding often fails to reach the neighborhoods most in need, leaving promises unfulfilled and communities disillusioned.
Then there’s the ongoing push for economic equity. While some grin and pledge support for small businesses, the numbers tell a different story. Minority-owned enterprises often face systemic barri-
ers to federal funding despite assurances of inclusivity. Big Mama would say, “That smile might look sweet, but where’s the sugar in the cup?”
Big Mama wasn’t a cynic; she was a realist. She
taught us to believe in the good of people but also to pay attention to their actions. Another ally of mine,Ester Davis repeated what Big Mama also said, “A true friend—or leader—is someone whose deeds match their words.” So, as we watch the decisions unfold in D.C. and beyond, let’s apply Big Mama’s timeless wisdom.
Please email me at Terryallenpr@gmail.com and share your experience in this topic. Look deeper. Ask questions. Verify intentions. Because as she always said, “Every grin ain’t a friend.”
Allen is an NABJ awardwinning Journalist, DEI expert, PR professional, and founder of the charity – Vice President at FocusPR, Founder of City Men Cook, and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS. org
Black Division I Athletes must submit claims for proposed
$2.8B NIL Settlement by 1/31/25
Black athletes have been essential in building Division I basketball and football into a multi-billion-dollar industry. The NCAA is on the brink of settling two cases for approximately $2.8 billion in connection with certain antitrust claims involving name, image, and likeness. Due to limited advertising specifically to Black audiences, the settlement threatens to leave some deserving Black athletes with nothing. The estimated average payment for each football and men’s basketball player is $91,000, up to $280,000.
If you are, or know, a Black college athlete who played Division I sports, including basketball or football between 2016 and 2024, the athlete must register their claim either online or by mail by
Jan. 31, 2025, to help ensure the correct recovery.
Football and basketball athletes from Power 5 schools and Notre Dame on full scholarship will only need to update their contact information on the website and select their method of payment.
They only need to file a claim form if they believe some of their information is inaccurate and to select their method of payment.
All other Division I athletes must complete a claim form by Jan. 31, 2025, in order to receive a payment.
You can register your claims for both cases online at www. collegeathletecompensation. com.
And this claims website contains a detailed description of
the proposed settlements, including copies of certain court orders and submissions by the parties to the case. The opt-out date is also Jan. 31, 2025.
According to the claims website the following tasks are needed. Please login with your Claim ID and PIN. As an alternative, you can also login using your NCAA Eligibility Center ID.
If for any reason you are unable to login with your NCAA Eligibility ID number or your Claim ID and PIN, then select “No” when asked “Do you have a Claim ID and PIN, or a NCAA Eligibility Center ID?” and submit your claim form by typing “Unknown” in the NCAA Eligibility Center ID box.
Or you can contact admin@ collegeathletecompensation.
com to request your Claim ID and PIN, or your NCAA Eligibility Center ID. However, if you do not have the time, consider completing your claim form by answering “No” and submitting your claim form by Jan. 31, 2025. (Without a Claim ID and PIN or NCAA Eligibility ID number the website will not give you an estimate of your payment. You may still want to complete the claim forms so as to preserve your right to any correct or eligible payment. Including by selecting a method of payment.)
You can also submit claim forms by printing them and mailing them to the Settlement Administrator (address below) with a postmark of no later than Jan. 31, 2025. You can access printable versions at
ncco_poc_web_house_250115. pdf and ncco_poc_web_hubbard_250115.pdf.
Answers to frequently asked questions are located at https:// collegeathletecompensation.com/house-frequently-asked-questions.aspx.
If you have any questions about the claims process, please contact the claims administrator, but your claim form must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2025. College Athlete Compensation Settlement
Settlement Administrator P.O. Box 301134
Los Angeles, CA 90030-1134
Phone: 1 (877) 514-1777
Email: admin@collegeathletecompensation.com
Terry
Terry Allen with Dr. Ester Davis
Big Mama
Terry Allen
Why Jane Elkins’ hanging in Dallas should be remembered
cont. from page 1
I was surprised to discover how many other curious writers and researchers wanted to know more about Jane than the usual Dallas County records description: “the first woman to be legally hanged in Texas.” But I was just thinking... who was Jane – really? What were her thoughts and dreams, her hopes and goals? Did she ever laugh or dance or joke or sit around a campfire with friends and family?
Who was Jane Elkins?
Jane Elkins was an enslaved African American female hanged at the early Dallas County Courthouse in downtown Dallas, now known as the old Red Courthouse. The date was May 27, 1853 – a decade before U. S. Pres. Abe Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 declaring the end of slavery, even though the Civil War continued two additional years.
The March 17, 1844 Bill of Sale for her enslavement refers to her as “a negro woman named Jane.” (I personally found the description “negro” interesting for that period of time in the mid-1800s.) Historians gave her the last name Elkins from the Caucasian family that owned her as their property when she was hanged.
Jane was purchased for $400. Her age and place of birth were unknown, but historians speculate that she was maybe in her 40s at the time. Along with her name, the bill of sale added that she was sold at the same time as a “child about 20 years.” The record does not specify whether said “child” was related to Jane and does not mention that “child” again.
Historians cite the following details about the circumstances of Jane’s death: A jury of all-
white males—with no defense attorney -- found Jane guilty of murdering widower Andrew C. Wisdom, who the Elkins family assigned Jane to as a caretaker for Wisdom’s two small children. Jane allegedly murdered Wisdom by fatally slamming an axe in his head while he was sleeping. The murder occurred allegedly after Wisdom raped her, but there was no proof.
Jane remained silent throughout her one-day May 16, 1853 trial, her sentencing the next day, and her hanging 10 days later. Hundreds of people from scattered places gathered in the courtyard to witness the hanging from a constructed gallows. Historians say Jane was buried in a shallow grave and her body later exhumed and used for medical research.
Dallas playwright/ poet helped shine the spotlight
Dallas playwright and poet Anyika McMillan-Herod appears likely to be the most recent person to resurrect Elkins’ memory and tell her story. Many of you likely know that McMillan-Herod is a member of one of Dallas’ prominent and revered African American families. The McMillans carved places in local Black history for their activism, bravery, and dedication to the fight for equal rights, privileges, and respect for Dallas and national descendants of motherland Africa.
McMillan-Herod’s iconic maternal grandmother was Eva Partee McMillan. That matriarch never turned away from a civil or human rights battle during her 100 years and four months on earth from May 7, 1921 to Sept. 23, 2021. The playwright and poet’s uncle is Ernest McMillan, Eva’s son and a human rights rebel, Black Power activist, and change agent. He picked up his mother’s mantle as a defiant
youth who would not drink the South’s segregation Kool-Aid.
After all this timepublic discussions and action
My interest in the enslaved woman called Jane is that she remained virtually a non-person
for well over a half-century. My head expanded to learn that more has been written and discussed over the last decade than I would ever imagine. Here is a summary of those writings about Jane:
1) October 28, 2014. People’s World. Discussed the play The Ballad of Jane Elkins.
2) January 22, 2016. A review of the book by Terry Baker, Hanging and Lynching in Dallas County, Texas:1853 to 1920 that mentions Jane Elkins.
3) [No date given]. For the group Human Rights Dallas, writer Donna Gosbee discusses the 1853 Jane Elkins hanging in downtown Dallas. [This same article also is published in the Find A Grave website.]
4) June 5, 2016. Gene Lantz, a labor activist and Dallas KNON radio labor show co-host, writes about an operetta he wrote chronicling the injustice of the Jane Elkins hanging in Dallas.
5) Jan. 24, 2017. Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, University of California, Santa Barbara ,history professor and dean, writes about Jane Elkins in the prize-winning book The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation.
6) August 6, 2018. Malanna Wheat, a 2018 writer with the
Martyrs Park marker with Shadow Lines sculpture in background that honors victims of racial violence. Photo credit, The Dallas Morning News
Community activist Olinka Green as Jane in the play The Trial of Jane Elkins that was performed free on June 15, 2024 at Pan African Connection bookstore. Presented by the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans. Photo credit, Facebook
Why Jane Elkins’ hanging in Dallas should be remembered
SMU newspaper The Daily Campus, mentions Jane Elkins in the article, “The History of Hangings and Lynchings in Dallas County.”
7) September 28, 2018. The Dallas Morning News special contributor Robert Wilonsky mentions Jane Elkins in his 2018 article about an unmarked burial ground, believed to be a seemingly forgotten Freedman’s Cemetery. It is next to the small Garvin Memorial Cemetery for Confederate soldiers near Bachman Lake. Wilonsky mentions that his visit to the cemetery aroused memories of the 1977 book Dallas Yesterday in which writer Sam Acheson discusses the Jane Elkins trial and hanging.
8) November 23, 2020. CBSDFW.com news outlet interviewed playwright/poet Anyika McMillan-Herod about what motivated her to write her 2014 play The Ballad of Jane Elkins that increasingly has been performed at various sites around Dallas since then. The news outlet cites an August 1880 Galveston Daily News article written about the Elkins trial and hanging. ...McMillanHerod also wrote a personal blog about the play repeating some of her comments made in new interviews about the drama.
9) March 7, 2022. Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation is a national network of groups organized to combat racism. The Dallas chapter wrote in 2022 about Jane Elkins and the inequities of her life and trial by an all-white male jury in 1853.
10) October 14, 2022. The YouTube video, Death Row, included a segment about Jane Elkins.
11) March 19, 2024. Sharon Grigsby writes in The Dallas Morning News about the thenupcoming March 26, 2024 dedication of the sculpture “Shadow Lines” at Martyrs Park near the grassy knoll and Triple Underpass in downtown
Dallas. The public artwork, by artists Shane Allbritton and Norman Lee, commemorates Dallas-area victims of lynching and racial violence. Jane Elkins’ name is among the names carved into the sculpture.
12) June 22, 2024. The Dallas Morning News staff writers Aria Jones and Pavan Acharya report on the unveiling of two Texas Historical Commission markers. One memorializes Janes Elkins, the other paying homage to three enslaved Black men –
Patrick Jennings, Cato Miller, and Rev. Samuel Smith -- who 1860 were lynched by a mob that accused them, without a trial, of attempting a slave revolt and setting the destructive fire that burned much of downtown Dallas that year. Organizers said the purpose of the markers is to raise awareness of unjust racial violence in Dallas history.
13) July 31, 2024. A social media report about the Sunday, July 28, 2024 presentation of the play The Trial of Jane Elkins at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff. The play was presented by a women’s group, Chebe, in collaboration with individuals including labor organizer Gene Lantz, and community activist Olinka Green.
14) October 17, 2024. Renee Raven, a writer with FMX Radio 94.5, wrote the research piece “Notorious: The Life and Crimes of Every Woman Executed in Texas,” and included information about the 1853 Jane Elkins’ hanging.
Kudos to historians of Dallas African American history
Passing the torch and picking up the baton are important -certainly where resurrecting and preserving Dallas Black history are concerned. The late Dr. George Keaton Jr. in 2015 founded and led the respected
non profit Remembering Black Dallas (RBD). That group descended from Black Dallas Remembered founded in 1983 by the late beloved educator and historian Dr. Mamie McKnight who died Jan. 1, 2018 at age 88. Dallas has had significant historians of Black Dallas including Don Payton, Clarence Glover Jr., Dr. H. Rhett James,
and others. Ed Gray, a close associate with Dr. Keaton Jr., picked up the Black history torch by heading the Dallas County Justice Initiative, an affiliate of the national Equal Justice Initiative. Gray still works closely with RBD president Deborah Hopes who picked up Dr. Keaton Jr’s baton after he died Dec. 7, 2022 at age 66. We know
of individuals like Jane Elkins and other martyrs because of these past and present torch bearers. The flame still burns because of their dedication.
Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. norma_adams_wade@yahoo.com.
It was cold outside but that didn’t stop a steady flow from entering the African American Museum in Dallas to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo.
Despite temperatures that remained in the low 30s, City of Dallas Cultural Arts Program artist Reuben Lael was a crowd pleaser as he led sing-a-longs featuring
Expo fit for a KING!
Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo 2025
popular hits. There were health screenings were conducted by Parkland, Beauty, Mental Health, Healthy Eating, and more. Vendors sold books, jewelry, clothing, information, eyewear, health drinks and auto insurance. Sponsored by Comerica, Cre8ive Concepts, SAADIA, City Men Cook, Multiplex, Heroe’s House, and Celebrating Life Foundation; the event continues to grow annually.
The Last Voice of Remembrance Frisco non-profit closes out annual contest for good
By Eva D. Coleman Lifestyle & Culture Editor Texas Metro News
For 15 years, the voices of many teens have graced the oratorical stage in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during an annual event hosted by non-profit organization Linking Cultures of Frisco. On Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, Milan McKnight became the last voice celebrated as first place winner at their MLK Oration Competition & Gala at Verona Villa in Frisco, Texas.
Organizer Angelia Pelham shared this would be the last year of the contest that has awarded over $100,000 in scholarships to “empower young leaders and foster community engagement.”
Mission accomplished. There was no better way to close out the final event than by having Martin Luther King, III serve as the keynote speaker.
Congratulations to all Frisco High School students who competed last night and over the past 15 years.
Klay Thompson
Kyrie Irving and Brandon Williams
Kyrie Irving
Photos: Dorothy J. Gentry
By Rita Cook Correspondent
Texas
Metro News
AUSTIN, TX. – The Texas 89th legislative session officially began last week on Jan. 14.
Sessions are held biennially and unless special sessions are called, the regular legislative session covers a five-month period at which time new bills are filed and passed.
explained about his incentive to file a bill to cut these dollars.
He is also about making Texas a powerhouse for education. To him that means empowering all Texas families, “with school choice, force ISDs to prioritize teachers, stop ISD electioneering, and end taxpayer funded obscenity and liberal indoctrination in K-12 and public universities.”
tients; ensuring non-citizens do not vote in US elections; ending hostile governments from purchasing Texas farmland; and protecting the grid while reforming the energy market.
89th Texas Legislative session is in AUSTIN ROUND-UP
Already there have been more than 2,400 bills filed, which reportedly is the highest number in state history.
While there are many lawmakers hoping their bills cross the governor’s desk, only one bill; HB 1 is required to be passed during session.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced his 2025 Texas Senate Committee appointments last week with Dallas Sen. Royce West named as Vice-Chair on the Senate Committee on Transportation, as well as being appointed to the Senate Committee on Education K-16, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Senate Committee on Local Government.
Ellis County Sen. Brian Birdwell was named Chair of the Senate Committee on Border Security, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and he was appointed to the Senate Committee on Nominations, the Senate Committee on State Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs.
Patrick said, “Texas has the population and economic strength of a separate nation. With the 8th largest economy in the world, we would be the 39th largest nation in geo-
graphic size, and the 50th largest in population if we were a country.
“When it comes to legislative bodies, the Texas Senate is clearly the best in the world.”
Sen. West filed several bills to track during this session
In 2023 there was a bill passed for a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. Another bill passed too (HB 1521, SB 689), further enhancing the DEI bill, and expanding Texas governmental entities.
This year Sen. West has filed bills to create new exclusions to last year’s ban (SB 579-581) relating to “an exemption from certain requirements regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain charitable funds at public institutions of higher education.”
West also filed Senate Bill 210 regarding municipal permitting requirements for certain development projects supported with low income housing tax credit allocations.
Rep. Brian Harrison looks toward removing property tax and “protecting civil liberties”
State Rep. Brian Harrison who represents Ellis County said he is about a Texas First Liberty Agenda during the 89th Session.
Harrison said he worked with President Trump during his first administration and explained “Texas is known for leading in freedom and liberty, but for too long we have been simply coasting on our “small government” reputation.”
Rep. Harrison said he wants to put taxpayers first and eliminate property tax.
“Texans are being taxed out of their homes, and the Texas government has been abusing property owners and taxpayers for too long,” Harrison explained. “What is clear is that Texans, and my colleagues’ constituents, are ready to finally abolish property taxes and be able to own their own homes.”
He also wants to cut the state budget by at least 15%, placing spending caps on local governments, capping bureaucrat salaries, requiring zero based budgeting, and ending corporate welfare and crony corporatism.
“The Texas Legislature is forcing taxpayers to fund liberal Hollywood, crony capitalism, corporate welfare, transgender ideology in public universities, and is letting woke, multinational corporations pay less in property taxes than local small businesses and homeowners,” Harrison
His other priorities include securing the border and working toward a permanent solution to the Border Protection Unit Act; defeating the regulatory state and occupational licenses; increasing oversight of executive agencies, term limiting bureaucrats and reducing their power, while ending Chevron Deference.
Harrison said another plan is to wean Texas off federal dollars that bring destructive regulations while also stopping state agencies from deferring to federal agencies.
Ending taxpayer’s funding of lobbying is high on his list during this session as well as limiting executive “Emergency Powers” of the Governor; defending medical freedom and free market healthcare by keeping decisions between doctors and pa-
He also added he will promote Texas exceptionalism.
“Taxpayer-funded racism has no place in the great state of Texas,” Harrison said. “As Justice Thomas rightfully stated in his concurrence in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, race-based employment and admission policies that are predicated on a fallacious linking of race with individual outcomes ‘is an insult to individual achievement and cancerous to young minds seeking to push through barriers, rather than consign themselves to permanent victimhood.’
Texas should not tolerate these racist policies but instead should make Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of living in a state
and nation where people will “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character’ a reality.”
Reform Bills filed for the 89th session
Other key reform bills that were filed include protecting Texans from the remote kill switch mandate. Sen. Mayes Middleton filed SB 381 to ban manufacturers and car dealers from making or selling vehicles with remote kill switches in Texas. Rep. Nate Schatzline, District 93 filed bill HB 1074 called the “Right to Drive Act” to forbid registration of vehicles with kill switches in them, allowing for drivers to decide and to protect the right to drive gas-powered vehicle.
A reform bill to de-criminalize unpaid toll bills was filed by Sen. Middleton who is leading the charge with SB 756 to de-criminalize unpaid toll bills and remove the ability of the government to block vehicle registration over unpaid toll bills.
Sen. Bob Hall and Harrison also filed bills on toll reform, with fine/fee caps and to de-criminalize unpaid toll bills, and prevent the government from blocking vehicle registration, impounding vehicles, etc. over unpaid toll bills.”
Sen. Brian Birdwell
Sen. Royce West
Dallas Alumnae Deltas celebrate 50 and 25-year Members
50 Year Honorees
Gayla Burton
Denise Clements Foxx
Mythe Kirven Debra Chachere
Sylvia Hamilton Valencia Lewis
Antonette Mitchell Morgan
Donna Taylor
Mary Delores White Evelyn Reed
JoAnna Warren Lewis
Dallas Alumnae Deltas celebrate 50 and 25-year Members
year
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority honors
service and Sisterhood
The Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will pay tribute to several 50 and 25-year members at the organization’s annual Founders Day Luncheon.
As members celebrate the founding of Delta Sigma Theta, they will receive a message from one of their founder’s granddaughters. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the sorority’s International Chaplain and granddaughter of Founder Vashi Turley Murphyl Karla McGary is president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter.
Tanja Barrett
Bashie Howard
25
Honoree
Kaliska Comoneci Dominick Majaliwa Bass
Beverly Rice
Hearing Aids May Reduce High-Risk Falls Among Seniors
It’s well-known that hearing loss is a common manifestation of aging. In fact, up to onethird of all older adults have already been diagnosed with hearing loss.
At the same time, because a longer lifespan increases your risk of accidents, diseases, and exposure to loud noises, the chances of developing hearing loss increase with age.
Unfortunately, hearing loss among seniors has been credited with causing other serious health concerns. This includes a more rapid cognitive decline and higher rates of depressive ideation.
That said, studies have found that hearing loss may pose an even more dangerous and immediate health and safety risk for older adults in the form of heightened vulnerability to falling. In light of this, the role of hearing aids as interventions is becoming even more critical.
The connection between hearing loss and fall risks
On average, about one in three Americans aged 65 and older falls annually. Similarly, the same number of adults between 65 and 74 have hearing loss. According to health experts, these identical statistics are evidence of
a link between the two.
Specifically, UT Southwestern’s Otolaryngology Clinic notes that less common inner ear diseases can also impact balance. Research has even found mild hearing loss increases a person’s chances of falling threefold. On top of this, poor sensory abilities impair spatial awareness.
As such, people with hearing loss may be more prone to tripping over their surroundings. Should hearing loss already be to such a degree that cognition is affected, that can further increase the chances of a fall as reflexes may be slower.
For older adults, falls can cause considerable injuries, such as fractures, dislocations, and lacerations.
In worst-case scenarios, nasty falls can even be fatal. Since many seniors are also diagnosed with at least one chronic condition that requires consistent medication, health complications from falls can also occur.
For instance, if a senior with hypertension falls over, their blood thinners can result in excessive bleeding internally and externally. With this information, health practitioners have, thus, surmised that hearing aids can drastically help in fall prevention among older adults.
How hearing aids can help and what seniors need
In a nutshell, hearing aids are medical devices that amplify sound, improving how and what a wearer hears. With this, they are often widely prescribed to those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Despite this, hearing aids are not as common among older adults as expected. A National Health and Aging Trends Study in 2021 determined that only 29% of seniors with hearing loss regularly wore their aids.
This is due to cost, appearance, and usability. Generally, hearing aids can cost a person thousands of dollars because most insurers don’t cover them. Because hearing aids are
often associated with elderly people, some older adults prefer to avoid them for fear of experiencing ageism.
Finally, most hearing aid designs today are smaller and more complex, which can be hard to navigate for seniors.
With this in mind, seniors must be introduced to more accessible hearing aids. Considering that vision impairments are also a normal part of aging, using advanced hearing solutions is a viable option. Nuance’s hearing aid glasses are much easier to manage and keep track of.
Unlike traditional hearing aids that are easy to lose or hard to handle for those with joint problems, these have integrated an over-the-counter hearing aid into the frames. Users can use an intuitively designed app to calibrate the glasses to their desired settings.
This means there is less need to make complicated adjustments regularly. Since they also look and work like regular prescription glasses, they won’t stand out, empowering seniors to see and hear more clearly while feeling more confident.
Another solution that may help seniors with hearing loss is accessories for those around them, like clip-on microphones. Available from manufacturers like GN ReSound,
which also creates remote controls for hearing aids, these microphones can be programmed to feed sound directly into a person’s assistive device.
Using this, an older adult won’t feel too pressured to constantly fiddle with their aids to hear what those around them say.
Crisper and more direct sounds also help them get their bearings, which can further stimulate the brain to prevent falling.
Lastly, older adults may wish to consider self-coiling cochlear implants. Developed by UT Southwestern, these innovative implants feature a microphone and sound processor behind the ear to pick up sounds, with a receiver implanted under the skin, converting the sound signals into electrical components.
The electrodes implanted in the inner ear then coil 360 degrees around the cochlea, customizing the fit perfectly to the patient and avoiding structural trauma, scarring, and signal issues associated with the rodlike electrodes found in regular cochlear implants.
Even if an older adult doesn’t have severe hearing loss, these self-coiling cochlear implants can significantly improve how much they understand what people are saying.
NEW LOCATIONS FOR TEXAS METRO NEWS
Pick up your copy of Texas Metro News at more than 40 NEW news stands In Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Glenn Heights, Hutchins, Lancaster, Midlothian, Ovilla, Red Oak, and Waxahachie.
We have taken over the stands previously owned by Focus Daily News, which printed its last newspaper in 2024. The cost at stands is $1 per issue (please take only one per dollar).
Red Oak: 75154
Cancun Restaurant - Ovilla Rd (Closed) Rest. Next Cancun - Ovilla Rd. US Post Office - Ovilla Rd. Shell Gas - Ovilla Rd
Cedar Hill Toba & Smoke - 150 N Clark Chamber of CommerceCity Hall -
Hutchins: 75141 City Hall
For more locations, log on to www. texasmetronews.com or call 214-9410110 and your paper can be delivered to your home, business, or anyplace in the world.
My Truth: Another Thanks cont. from
and methodically passionate pursuit of all things noble; folks let their biases and insecurities surround their ignorance, thus we were deluged with inappropriate, unconscionable acts and actions.
I know the last four years have not been a cakewalk for you.
Surely there have been times when you wanted to step out and open a few cans.
You wouldn’t be you, you wouldn’t be for real if you didn’t take issue with many of the illwilled attacks on your “woman.”
Thanks for being a true gentleman and weathering the many
storms. If you and your family didn’t have an idea of how some folks treat other folks in this country, you sure know now!
Equipped with that knowledge, maybe the future will be brighter as those who have been enlightened will join together to shine a light that will make this world a better place.
Vice President Should Be President
There are no words that can adequately express my
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heartfelt appreciation for Vice President Kamala Harris’ journey.
It was one, that while standing on the shoulders of great people who came before her, carried a torch for those unborn.
Her journey will be celebrated by those who never got to see her. They will hear and read the stories - good and bad; true and totally false.
Realizing they were on the wrong side of history, there will be those who lie and say they voted for her and that
they wanted her to win. You know? Like the ones who said they marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or they supported the Little Rock Nine or spoke out against social injustice!
I would love to hear our Vice President reciting “Ego-Tripping,” by the late, great Nikki Giovanni. She has gone where no other woman in this country has gone and she has led with grace and love. She has stepped out on faith, wearing that face that Smokey Robinson and the Miracles sang about in “Tears of A Clown!”
Next Chapter
I don’t even care what Vice President Harris does next. If she wants to pursue another office, even the presidency, that is her prerogative. If she wants to write a book, teach, or be a stayat-home wife, she deserves to decide.
After all, look at what she has done in her short life. Look at the impact she has had and how so many, without knowing it, have benefitted from her being in the room, at the table, in the seat!
Vice President Kamala Harris, thanks for your service.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JANUARY 23
Join Kellie Fischer, CFO of the Texas Rangers, Odessa Jenkins, Founder of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC), Monica Paul, Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission, and Pauline MacDonald, Head Coach of Dallas Trinity FC as they share their unique experiences and insights on navigating a male-dominated field. 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm Cotton Bowl (200 Level), 3809 Grand Ave., Dallas, Texas 75210 Guests: $50
Paul Quinn Basketball
Texas A&M San Texarkana 5:30 pm
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Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s District Swearing-In, 6 - 7:30pm CST at The Hall of State in Fair Park. RSVP required — no exceptions! Questions, call Dallas office at 214-9228885
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One of the greatest classic Westerns of the last century – Shane – finds new life as it makes its Texas debut Jan. 31 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater (3636 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, 75204). Presented by Dallas Theater Center, the western drama – which runs through Feb. 16 – tells the story of Shane, a mysterious ex-gunfighter with a dangerous past who finds kinship with a family and helps protect their farm in 1889 Wyoming.
FEB 1
Paul Quinn Basketball Texas College at 1:00 pm
Mark your calendar and come join Ruby Faye Woolridge at The Dock Book Store 6637 Meadowbrook Drive Ft. Worth, TX 76112 as she launches her first book, “Bent…but… Unbroken, at 3:00 pm
Pianist Janise White, the cousin of the late Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congresswoman will perform “Glory Hallelujah Jazz Variations” by Howlett Smith on Sunday, February 23, 2025 @7pm with the Mansfield Symphony, Maestro Eldred Marshall, Conductor. FREE ADMISSION: First Methodist Mansfield. 777 N. Walnut Creek Dr. Mansfield, TX 76063
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Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Frederica Chase Dodd Founders Day Public Luncheon, at 11:30 am, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 Olive St, Dallas, TX 75201+ Celebrate 100 years of Sisterhood, Scholarship, Service, and Social Action with the Dallas Alumnae Chapter and speaker, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie
2nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Impact Brunch - 11:00am – 12:00pm at The Bedford Center YMCA, 2801 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford, TX 76021. The North Central Texas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. honors and reflects upon the inspiring life, legacy and social impact of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Paul Quinn Basketball
Jarvis Christian University 1:00 pm
With a mission to help young people find success in a variety of ways – and not only in sports – the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center will host an Open Model and Talent Call on Saturday, Jan. 25, for models, actors, singers and dancers ages 16 and up. While the event is free and open to the public, pre-registration is required at eventbrite. com. Check-in opens at 9:30 a.m. with live auditions from 10 a.m.-noon.
International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis will play in the Dallas Open’s annual Women’s Tennis Classic presented by Baker Tilly to kick off the fourth year of the Dallas Open. The two players will play a three-set singles match at 8:00 p.m. CT.
HBCU College Panel and FairJoin Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Omega Alpha Omega Chapter for annual HBCU College Panel & Fair. 9:00 am until 12:00 pm, Little Elm ISD Admin Building, 400 Lobo Lane, Little Elm, TX 75068
The 2025 Dallas Open, set for February 1-9, 2025, will move to the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, the headquarters and training facility of the Dallas Cowboys.
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The African American Education Archives and History Program (AAEAHP) will observe Founders Day Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the African American Museum, 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas. Distinguished educator Dr. Juanita Cleaver Simmons will be the guest speaker. To learn more about AAEAHP, go to www.aaeahp.org.
Downtown Dallas at 7pm 13
Paul Quinn Basketball Xavier at 5:30 pm 14
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - GARLAND UNIT, 24th Annual Winter Ball, Celebrating EROS LOVE on Valentine’s” Hyatt Place Garland, 5101 N. George Bush Highway, Garland, Texas 7:00 pm
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Paul Quinn Basketball Louisiana Christian University at 1:00 pm
MARCH
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.
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UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is proud to announce Lael and Peter Brodsky as co-chairs of the ninth annual North Texas Mayors’ Masked Ball, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. The evening will be hosted by media personality Lady Jade and features student testimonials, along with silent and live auctions. Guests will dance to Professor D. 23
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/
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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.
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Pleasing to a King Soul food cook off during expo crowns winners
By Eva D. Coleman Lifestyle & Culture Editor
The celebrity judges in attendance did not take their jobs lightly. They possibly packed on a pound or two! The Collard Greens and Cornbread Cook Off during the Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 20, 2025 at the African American Museum in Dallas had tastebuds dancing with praise.
Founded by Cheryl Smith, publisher of I Messenger Media LLC, which includes the publications I Messenger, Texas Metro News and the Garland Journal, the Healthy Living Expo brings the community together to take charge of our health and well being. In its ninth year, many flooded the museum to take part in the vendor showcase, health screenings and fun. Each expo includes a cookoff of some of Dr. King’s favorites. Inside the solarium, serious business was being handled.
Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Harrison Blair, Fox 4 News reporter Steven Dial, WFAA News 8 reporter Scoop Jefferson, Retired Dallas Municipal Judge Victor Lander and Silky Smoove, the alter ego of At Ease products owner Ozell Graham all served as celebrity judges for the
cookoff. Seven variations each of collard greens and cornbread were entered. The judges took their time, giving attention to each entry in the categories of: look, taste, texture, smell and overall.
Congratulations to Jackie Williams whose Collard Greens with Smoked Neck Bones came out on top! Cheron Sneed’s cornbread won first place in its category. See winners list:
COLLARD GREENS
• 1st Place *WINNER - Jackie Williams - Collard Greens with Smoked Neck Bones
• 2nd Place - Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes) - African Greens (Vegan)
• 3rd Place - Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes) - Collard Green Dip with Smoked Ox Tails
HONORABLE MENTION
• Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes) - Collard Greens with Double Smoked Turkey Neck
• Janel Tanner - Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Wings
• Gwendolyn Hardy - Collard Greens with Ham Hocks
• Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
CORNBREAD
• 1st Place *WINNER - Cheron Sneed - Cornbread
• 2nd Place - Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes) - Honey Butter Cornbread
• 3rd Place - Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes)
- Cajun Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
HONORABLE MENTION
• Jackie Williams - Honey Buttermilk Cornbread
• Janel Turner - Cornbread with Diced Jalapenos
• Chef Fe (Felicia Guimont, OMG Cakes) - Hot Water Cornbread (Vegan)
