U.S. Rep. John Lewis undergoing cancer treatment.
VOL IX ISSUE 10 January 1, 2020
MY TRUTH Cheryl Smith Publisher
Time of Year Another year has come to a close and I can’t help but to recap the past year and look forward with anticipation. 2019 was a very exciting year for me because there were so many exciting memories and milestones. I said hello to my newest grandchild, D-Square (actually his name is Davion); my girl (aka Surrogate) Amanda Fitzpatrick and hubby Yusuf welcomed Naomi; and I said farewell to some very special people including 100 year-old legend Garth Reeves; classmates; Sorors Michelle Raglon and Olivia Frazier Kerr; longtime friends Carolyn Davis and fellow Rattler Juanita Benson; as well as the loved ones of many I love. There have been some disappointments and many causes for celebration over the past year. Everyone can’t handle the emotional roller-coaster. Sometimes help is needed. Which brings me to my truth. December has always been challenging for me since 1969. I remember opening gifts that Christmas morning and hearing the phone ring. Next thing I knew the joy had gone out of the day because the news from the phone call was that my 93-year-old grandfather, Remer Smith, had died. Christmas Day was never the same. Then over the years, I’ve suffered other losses that have sent me into deep thought; like the death of my father on December 8, 2004, and my Godmother, Liz on December 22, 2008. Most who really Realizing the know me know of my fondness for Healthy Living Expo the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. You see, growing up Mr. Brown was there for me in times when I really felt alone. He could put a smile on my face and a song in my heart. And that in itself is very telling. As a 10-year-old; I remember going to a concert with relatives in Florida. After the concert, we were escorted backstage and given the choice of meeting five nappy-headed, smelly boys, or the Godfather and the songbird, Lyn Collins. I chose the Godfather. After we met and said a few words, he kissed me on my cheek. I was overjoyed! In fact, I said then I would never wash my cheek again, but I forgot which one it was. I also met Ms. Collins and I was told that I met the boys also, but if I did I don’t recall the boys. Can you guess who those boys were? Well anyway, decades later, I had a phone interview with Mr. Brown. It was wonderful. I told him about that meeting and we talked about family and life.
DREAM
See MY TRUTH, page 4
A Way Somehow... The older and more sophisticated I become, the more I realize the genius that resided in our mothers, fathers, and grandparents. When I was eight at Goodwill Baptist Church, listening to Reverend J. C. Huey preach and the choirs sing, I didn’t always understand. Now I do. There was a woman at the
piano named Miss Dorothy, and I never could quite make out what she was saying. She could invigorate them ivories, and she used the ball of her foot against a hollow wooden floor for percussion. I love having drums as we do in most churches now. However, Miss Dorothy’s
Comerica Bank surprised local high school students from the Project Still I Rise Urban Scholars Program with technology packs at their holiday community service project on Thursday evening. The students decorated Buckeye Commons Head Start, and later were presented with personal laptops and the
accompanying accessories (bag and mouse) and service plans as a reward for their hard work and dedication in the classroom and community. Research shows nearly one in five teens have trouble finishing their homework because of a digital divide–often referred to as the “homework gap ”– for teens who lack access to digital technologies (consistent access to a computer and/or internet
Current Councilmembers
QUIT PLAYIN’ By Vincent L. Hall homemade metronome on that thinly varnished wood floor, was priceless! Now that I am older and
District One David Gibbons
District Two Deborah Morris
District Four Jim Bookhout
District Five Rich Aubin
See QUIT, page 5
Teens receive “Gift of Tech” from Comerica Bank
From Staff Reports
Council Election May 2: Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5
connection) at home. Teens from lower-income households, are especially likely to face school-related challenges as a result. [Source: Pew Research Center] “For the past decade, Comerica Bank has partnered with Project Still I Rise to help empower today’s youth for tomorrow’s opportunties See COMERICA, page 2
The City of Garland will hold a general election Saturday, May 2, to elect council members for Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5. Wednesday, Jan. 1, is the first day a voter may submit an application for a ballot by mail. Friday, April 17, is the last day to receive an application in person for a ballot to be voted by mail. Filing an application for a place on the ballot can be done Wednesday, Jan. 15, through Friday, Feb. 14. Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be the last day for a write-in candidate to declare candidacy in the General Election. Friday, Feb. 21, will be the last day to withdraw as a candidate and be omitted from the ballot. There will be a new candidate orientation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, to provide assistance in navigating the application process. Candidates will be required to make an appointment with the City Secretary before delivering an application for a place on the ballot. Beginning Friday, Jan. 10, a candidate packet will be available on the City Secretary’s webpage under “Elections.” Early voting by personal appearance begins Monday, April 20, and ends Tuesday, April 28. Visit the website GarlandTX.gov/Elections for more info. Garland residents now have the convenience of county-wide voting and may vote 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at any polling location in Dallas County on May 2.
Make Your Life a Classroom “Let me tell you a story.” Dallas public relations and marketing juggernaut Terry Allen said he remembers those words as a familiar line from his mentor -Dr. Harry Robinson Jr., founding director, president and chief executive officer of the African American Museum in Fair Park. Allen shared this anecdote about his mentor while he himself was being honored for achievements in business at the 34th A. Maceo Smith Community Service Awards Brunch on December 14. The African American Museum sponsors the
awards. Allen was one of seven local achievers who received the award in different categories. A recurring theme in remarks from each recipient was the need to inspire and prepare someone to follow your footsteps or later fill your seat; to not climb to the top alone. “Go find someone and bring them along with you,” Allen said, making the point that he had mentors who helped him along the way. “I (personally) am grateful to
I WAS JUST THINKING... By Norma Adams-Wade Dr. Robinson...I can’t thank (him) enough. He helped me to feel like a superstar.” Robinson Jr.’s expertise mainly is in library science and research. But Allen said Robinson Jr., 78, was a reliable fount of general wisdom whenever he (Allen) needed
a jumpstart during some business snag or a lift when he felt downcast during some task. I was just thinking how Robinson’s Jr.’s impact with the museum in Dallas is strong enough that earlier this year some supporters tried to launch an effort to name the museum in his honor while he is alive. They cited the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, renamed in 1998 for its founder, physician Dr. Charles H. See THINKING, page 5
Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Enjoy the Dr. Martin Luther King parade then come join us!
EXPO
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