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My Truth
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Sometimes the best laid plans are disrupted. You can plan and mark your calendar, but then guess what? Life happens! That’s right. You map out your life, sometimes in a vacuum and other times, with the help of friends or loved ones. It seems perfect, easy to achieve if you take certain steps.
Angela Robinson and T’Keyah “Crystal” Keymah
It sounds easy and you are confident; that is until life happens.
see MY TRUTH, page 5
A Message from Chief of Police Jeff Bryan I want to speak in the wake of the uncertainty and the unrest that is currently surrounding law enforcement. Several weeks ago, I watched a police officer wearing the same uniform that I wear treat another human being, George Floyd, as if his life did not matter. That has shocked and disgusted me personally. It has shaken every member of this police department. It has shaken our community. That is not what the Garland Police Department stands for. That video does not represent who we are in Garland. We had a large protest in Garland and I had the privilege of participating. I was surprised how therapeutic and how healing it was, and to discover that we all have the same goals. We all want to feel safe and we all want to be treated fairly. And it is my job to make sure everyone in Garland has that feeling of security. There are 18,000 police departments in the United States, and by design, each police department
JULY 1, 2020
JULY 4TH: TAKING OUR CUE FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS
Publisher Cheryl Smith
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VOL IX ISSUE 20
OUR VOICES Benjamin F. Chavis Though the keynote address was delivered 163 years ago in Rochester, N.Y. on the significance of the 4th of July celebration in the United States, the roaring eloquence and penetrating clarity of Frederick Douglass’ speech still rings true today. Slavery and its lingering aftermath in America continues to be the albatross around the neck of our democracy that chokes the quality of life for millions of African Americans and others who cry out freedom, justice, equality and prosperity. History captures both transformative events and the evolution of impactful epochs of the long journey of humankind. Yet, the history of the times and outspoken courage of leaders such as Frederick Douglass challenges all of us not just to remember the past, but to learn from it and be determined to fight for a better future for all who have been denied basic fairness and respect. As our nation prepares for its annual celebration of Independence Day, I re-read Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July should be a reflection of the community it serves. The Garland Police Department is a reflection of the goals and mission of this City Council, of this City Manager and more importantly, of this community. When things go wrong, it’s often because the police departments have stopped listening to what their community is saying. The vast majority of the 800,000 police officers in the United States are good police officers. I can’t fully explain the pain that a good police officer — those who risk their lives in the line of duty every day
Chief Jeff Bryan
— is feeling right now. The trust they built in their communities is being torn down by incidents of bad policing. But I also think that as a police profession we are being disingenuous to blame this problem on just a few bad officers without reflecting on how we can improve a system in which these bad officers operate. I am proud of the Garland Police Department’s high standards and what we’ve accomplished
see JEFF BRYAN, page 6
speech with a specific eye toward what we can learn from it in the wake of the recent tragedies of Charleston and North Charleston, S.C.; Cleveland; New York City; Ferguson, Mo. and Sanford, Fla. Frederick Douglass observed, “Oppression makes a wise man mad. With brave men there is always a remedy for oppression…The freedom gained is yours; and you, therefore, may properly celebrate this anniversary. The 4thof July is the first great fact in your nation’s history – the very ringbolt in the chain of your yet undeveloped destiny…Pride and patriotism, not less than gratitude, prompt you to celebrate and to hold it in perpetual remembrance. “I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ringbolt to the chain of your nation’s destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn…What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all oth-
Frederick Douglass
er days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.” A little more than a week ago we were still mourning. This time, in Charleston, S.C. for the racially motivated murders of Rev. Clementa Pinckney and eight others at Emanuel A.M.E. Church. But our spirit and our determination to be free will not be broken even after centuries of cruelty and oppression. Giving up out of fear or giving in to injustice are not and will not be in our menu of options. The spirits of David Walker, Denmark Vesey, and of Frederick Douglass live on within us. Douglass’ intellectual imperatives are quite appropriate to reject the contemporary tolerance of poverty, injustice and ignorance. We have to move beyond removing the “symbols” of racism and oppression, such as the Confederate flag, to removing the substantive structures
and policies that deny equal opportunity to advance and improve the quality of life of all Americans. The issue today is not what the Confederate flag represents. The real issue should be what does the American flag represent to African Americans and others who yearn for freedom? How are American businesses and institutions of higher learning making a difference for millions of people throughout the country who aspire to prosper and to make our world a better place for all people? An appropriate response to Douglass’ admonitions would be: (1) Education – maximizing high quality equal education for all without discrimination or restriction because of race, color, gender, creed or any other form of social exclusion. (2) Criminal justice reform and overcriminalization – there are simply too many people imprisoned in America, more than 1 million disproportionately African American and Latino American. (3) Principled entrepreneurial development – with a particular emphasis on economic equality and inclusiveness in the global marketplace. In his eulogy of Rev. Pinckney, President Obama set the right tone when talk about removing
see JULY 4th, page 3
Garland ISD board approves new calendar to close learning gaps In order to meet the academic needs of students following the COVID-19 shutdown, the Garland ISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a new 2020-21 academic calendar with a new start date, revised schools hours and inclusion of intersession dates. “Our visionary board’s commitment to fostering success for all students, no matter their background, home language or zip code, is changing lives,” said Superintendent Dr. Ricardo López. “By approving a calendar with innovative, forward-thinking concepts, our Trustees are brazenly marking the path to equity, access and transcendence right here in #GarlandUSA.” Administration developed the recommended calendar after assessing the impact of breaks on learning, soliciting
Superintendent Dr. Ricardo López
feedback from families, staff and community members, participating in numerous community meetings, and considering parent and community questions regarding two calendar proposals. The first day of school is now Monday, Aug. 10, within the same week of the former start date. The newly adopted calendar also adds 10 more minutes of instruction to the school day for PreK-grade 12. The district
will also be the first in the area to debut intersession dates the upcoming school year. This concept embeds additional instructional dates dedicated to student support in the fall, spring and summer. Not all students will be required to attend these small-group sessions, which aim to meet specific intervention, enrichment and acceleration needs. In addition, intersession reduces burnout by including frequent, smaller breaks at the end of grading cycles. GISD looks forward to a successful 2020-21 and cannot wait to welcome back our students and staff in August, whether in-person or virtually. To see a full list of key dates and printable 2020-21 calendars in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, visit garlandisd.net/school calendar
Flowers are beautiful – but do not last I was just
Thinking Norma Adams-Wade Here are some flowers for you.
Please enjoy them right away. They won’t last. That’s the problem with beautiful things. Mostly, the beauty is temporary. It’s like a Happy Birthday party. You get to be the center of attention, sap up adulation
Shingle Mountain is a public health crisis
and gifts, eat cake and have it too. Then the next day comes and it’s back to business as usual. I was just thinking.... why is beauty so fleeting, even the beauty of life? It doesn’t last.
see THINKING, page 3
Inside
From Staff Reports Calling Shingle Mountain a public health crisis, protestors gathered last week outside of what some have designated as one of, if not the most “unsightly images” in the city of Dallas. More than a year ago Texas Metro News’ Vincent Hall wrote about the atrocity that has developed into a huge, “more than almost 100,000-ton pile of hazardous and toxic waste, towering higher than a four-sto-
The Warrior Model Organic and Organized!
page 4
BET’s ALL THE WAY BLACK
page 6
ry building; a definite eyesore in south-east Dallas County of South Central Expressway.
Marsha Jackson, despite her declining health, continues
see SHINGLE, page 6
Shingle Mountain protest and shingle mountain
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Protests Against Racial Injustice
page 3