I Messenger

VOL X NO 14, DECEMBER 18, 2020

I MESSENGER e d i r P of Country Music

Carnac I’m Not

IMessenger An IMM LLC Publication MAILING ADDRESS 320 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway Suite 220 Dallas, TX 75203 WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM 214-941-0110 Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER - EDITOR news@texasmetronews.com S. Curet GENERAL MANAGER stewartcuret@myimessenger.com Jessica Hayden STAFFWRITER Marva Sneed EDITORIAL ASSISTANT EDITORIAL TEAM Andrew Whigham III Anthony Council Ashley M. Moss Chelle Wilson Cierra Mayes Dareia Tolbert Dr. Felicia N. Shepherd Dorothy J. Gentry Eva Coleman Jirah Nicole Mickle Monique P. Stone L. Diane Evans Lajuana Barton Rebecca Aguilar Vincent Hall MARKETING TEAM Carlton McConnell Terry Allen PR DESIGN/LAYOUT FzanStudio

Free - Take One WEB/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Alana King

.EWSSTANDS IN

Rowlett AT .EWSSTANDS IN esquite d,Rowlett ardson Mesquite chardson .Dallas

Free - Take One CIRCULATION/DISTRIBUTION

MB Distribution

Editorial submissions

editor@texasmetronews.com

& E.Dallas

450-13971 Year 1IMessenger Year Subscription $45.00 3)(903) 450-1397 Subscription $45.00

Established 2011 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.

December 18, 2020

WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ.

More chronologically advanced late-night television viewers are familiar with Johnny Carson and his character, “Carnac the Magnificent.�

Carnac’s claim to fame was his ability to prognosticate and “predict the future.�

Voting is the ultimate exercise of mimicking Carnac and his predictive abilities — we may not know, with accuracy, what the future holds, but we understand what we want and who/what we feel will serve our best interests. YES! I have expectations for what I would like to happen and who I would like to see “deliver the goods.�

Although some consider the Constitution as an imperfect document and history has shown many of its more glaring faults, as a source of law and guidance, it is greatly preferable to the whims and mood swings of a would be dictator (#45).

In its origins, it was written to protect the interests of “white men,� but, with the aging of the nation and the resulting cultural evolution, the application of hypocrisies in the law have become increasingly intolerable. “To establish a more perfect union� is testament to the founders’ understanding that im-

I MESSENGER

2

provements could be made (I’m sure that most of them would be rolling in their graves with the changes thus far realized) and that responsibility for improvement was left to the inspired judgment of elected officials.

For most of the current federal leadership (executive, legislative and judicial), I see financial self-interest and partisanship informing the socalled inspired judgment.

I don’t predict but hope that the 2020 election has provided us with electees who more closely adhere to the principles of true democracy.

COVID-19 has given us reason to believe the empirical data provided by the scientific community.

The more than a quarter-million U.S. deaths (so far) informs us that a politically motivated response to a disease is never a substitute for scientific research and study.

I don’t predict but hope that the 2020 election provides us with electees who have genuine concern for the health and welfare of ALL citizens.

The history of humankind is replete with the lessons of truth vs. lies in national leadership.

Fact-checkers estimate that as of July 9, #45 has told about 25,000 lies.

Forbes magazine estimates his lie output at 23.5 per day. Lies from leadership have never been predictors of successful government. Our own three-plus years’ experience suggests the

same.

I don’t predict but hope that the 2020 election provides us with electees who will be truthful, at least more truthful than #45.

One of my greatest hopes is that the 2020 election has provided a president who rejects the politics of hate and who is dedicated to the goal of national unification.

That goal is considered by many as impractical. Our original sin of racism and our intolerance of gender, gender identity, religion and ethnicity are deeply woven into the fabric of our culture — some believe too deeply to overcome. I don’t predict but hope that the 2020 election provides us with a president-elect who will lead us away from past efforts to exploit differences and toward the realization that we have more in common.

While “character� is a nebulous description, the 2020 election postscript I most desire is the election of leaders with character.

Character has been described as “what you do when you think no one is looking.� I reject a leader who has questionable loyalties and indebtedness to unknown sources. His decisions cannot be trusted.

I don’t predict but pray and believe that my 2020 vote served to support these hopes!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women and Host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke� on WPFW-FM 89.3.

myimessenger.com

INSIDE

Quit Playin’

I Was Just Thinking

The Last Word

My grandmother Figures, rest her soul, was saintly in her attempts to bathe us in wisdom. She said, “Never speak ill of the dead.” So while we both still live, let me posit my truest sentiments regarding Rush Limbaugh. Grandmother was reciting an idiom that originated among Greek philosophers.

Politics is a dirty game states a familiar expression. That expression surely must be racing through public minds as we watch aghast such blatant showmanship from Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. The latest foray into political fantasy is the lawsuit our state’s top legal adviser filed December 7.

Voters between 18 and 29 made history in the 2020 election. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, or CIRCLE (https://circle.tufts.edu/2020-election-center), at least 52 percent of them, and perhaps as many as 55 percent voted.

p7

myimessenger.com

p11

3

p30

December 18, 2020

MY TRUTH

by Cheryl Smith, Publisher

How To Be A Good

Parent I can still remember cozying up to my mother and feeling her smooth arm pressed against my cheek.

I didn’t have a care in the world because Superwoman, Catwoman, the mean ole lady down the street who acted like she hated children, nor anybody else had anything on Earline. Even my Daddy, Joseph, knew how to walk away to save the day.

Which brings me to my truth.

For the most part, I was clueless about the devastation caused by the riots right around the corner on the streets of Newark, NJ and the havoc that was wreaked by the walkout of thousands of teachers; both in the late 1960s.

There were times I did see tears flowing, however, and learned those tears were tied to the deaths of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (November 22, 1963) at 46; El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) (February 21, 1965) at 39; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., (April 4, 1968) at 39; and Sen. Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy

December 18, 2020

(June 6, 1968) at 42.

Even today I recall the photos that not only appeared on the walls of our home, but also my friends.

Also I remember still going to Chancellor Avenue School but instead of Ms. Constantinople— wonder what happened to her — can’t locate her because she got married and I have been unable to find a Mrs. Instanbul (inside joke!), or Ms. Meisel (who constantly let us know she was from the Show Me State); we had students from Weequahic High School next door, who kept our minds occupied throughout the day.

While there are different definitions for a parent, according to Ron Taffel, Ph.D., therapist and author of The Second Family: How Adolescent Power Is Challenging the American Family, parents have to “strike a balance between offering our children support and empathy -- and simultaneously providing structure through clear expectations of how we would like them to behave. It is the con-

I MESSENGER

4

stant, natural back and forth between love and limits that is the mark of a great parent.”

Talk about an awesome responsibility!

If there is ever a time when parenting is called for, it is now. Sadly many are not equipped or up for the challenges that are associated with parenting.

For me, adults must be protectors — not just from evil people, or physical harm.

They must also protect children from “grown folks business.”

The interesting thing about “grown folks business” is that there should always be some things that should never be shared with children; no matter how old they get.

I was safe at home. I didn’t know, if there were any, that there were issues with paying bills, if the teachers were threatening to never ever return to school, or if the riots/ uprisings would arrive on my doorstep.

Today we are facing COVID-19 and we have to share information with our children so that they can be safe.

It’s our responsibility and no one gets a pass.

We must protect those who can’t protect themselves, and at times we must protect them from themselves!

Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “save the children.”

But first, we must begin with the person in the mirror as we adjust our face masks!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Credit: Nobel Foundation

Malcolm X.

Credit: Library of Congress

President John F. Kennedy

Sen. Bobby Kennedy

myimessenger.com

myimessenger.com

5

December 18, 2020

Pruning 101 FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

BY DR. FROSWA BOOKER-DREW

I go through a pruning process ever so often. I think many of us find ourselves feeling as if God is taking things away from us. I have felt like that about people.

There have been individuals in my life that at the time, seemed as if we would be together as friends forever.

I would have never thought that our relationship would have changed or even ended. Just as flowers go through pruning, we, too, have moments in our lives when God is changing our landscape. It isn’t always that people are even bad for you. It’s just that they can’t go where you are going.

Just as this removal can be painful, it is necessary for growth. Pruning involves “the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. The practice entails targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted tissue from crop and landscape plants.”

(Wikipedia) People are in your life for a reason or a season is a catch phrase that most of us have heard at some point in our lives. There is validity to this. There are some things in our lives that no longer serve the purpose that it initially did. For many of us, we see when God removes people or December 18, 2020

situation. In removing the plant to a new environment, I am sure there was initial shock from the familiar. Yet, I know that any more time that my plant spent in that pot, it would have stopped growing and possibly died.

There are many tools used for pruning. Pruning shears are handheld to cut branches and twigs. As we go through pruning, we are held in God’s hands closely. He is so close, like a gardener, paying attention to every detail to make sure that the task is being done with care and intention. The gardener knows what must go and so does God. Pruning is not fun and it shocking to our systems when we are moved or something important to us is removed from our lives. Yet, it is in these moments that we must trust God to know that we are being prepared for something greater. You can not allow yourself to

situations away from our lives as a punishment. I know I did. It was not until later that I fully understood this concept of gardening was relevant in my life. “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2) As you move into 2021, do not be surprised that as you are growing, God is moving you away from those things that may have mattered a lot to you. It served a purpose at the time, but it no longer does and if you keep it, it will impede your growth or even destroy you. My daughter is home from college, and I asked her to repot some of my plants. My Ivy plant was growing into a vine with beautiful leaves. Little did we know that the roots had wrapped around themselves because there was no more space to expand. They were limited because of their

I MESSENGER

6

get crammed into a space because it is familiar and comfortable.

Allow the Master to work within you to take off those things that may serve as stumbling blocks to your destiny. Do not lose your focus in this moment because it is so easy to grow disillusioned, fearful, and even angry because it doesn’t make sense. Just rest in knowing that God has something greater for you even when it is not clear and doesn’t feel good. You are preparing to blossom into something magnificent and beautiful. Trust the process!

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the Founder and CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, specializing as a Partnership Broker and Leadership Expert for companies and organizations to thrive with measurable and meaningful impact. She also is the VP of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances for the State Fair of Texas.

myimessenger.com

From Rush to Trump!

QUIT PLAYIN’ VINCENT L. HALL My grandmother Figures, rest her soul, was saintly in her attempts to bathe us in wisdom. She said, “Never speak ill of the dead.” So while we both still live, let me posit my truest sentiments regarding Rush Limbaugh.

Grandmother was reciting an idiom that originated among Greek philosophers.

“De mortius nihil nisi bonum” is Latin for, “for the dead say nothing but good.”

Dead or alive, I have very little good to say about Rush.

The advent of Christ was foretold “by a voice crying in the wilderness.” The Old and New Testaments speak of John the Baptist as the forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus and his triumphant campaign. For me, Rush is John the Baptist Jr. If you scan history, you could conclude that Rush did for Donald John Trump what John the Baptist did for Jesus.

Both were trailblazers for leaders who would split families disrupt the status quo.

For years, part of my job at AT&T included day trips to a small town in Texas. From as far back as 1992, I can remember being stuck listening to the Rush Limbaugh show for hours. These were the days when AM radio was sun-up to sundown and ruled small markets. FM radio stations were sparse, and we never imagined paying myimessenger.com

monthly for satellite radio.

Although he was nothing more than bluster to me, it became apparent that “El Rushbo, on assignment from God,” was creating an army of his own. Limbaugh enticed millions of urban Republicans and “ornery rurals” into his echo chamber.

Rush waged war against the “Deep State” and resented the “Coastal elites.”

The “Maha Rushie” came

Snerdly defended himself in a way that fully exposes Limbaugh’s tactics. Bo is a self-described “AfricanAmerican-in-good-standi ng - a n d - c e r t i f i e d - b l a ckenough-to-criticize-Obama guy.” Code for a spineless, shuffling, “Stepin Fetchit!”

John, the Baptist Jr., is also the master of marshaling the troops against undeclared enemies. Like Trump, he continually riffs on cultural

Trump for the touchdown.

In reality, Trump is Pinocchio, the dummy. Rush is the woodcarver “Geppetto” who created him. Trump speaks, but Rush is the ventriloquist and voice behind the podium!

However, Rush’s real genius shows as he converts this ignorance and xenophobia into cold hard cash. Rush convinces his listeners that their “Whiteness” is sacred

John, the Baptist Jr., is also the master of marshaling the troops against undeclared enemies. Like Trump, he continually riffs on cultural ruses to infuriate and enlist the audience. The fearmongering is incessant.

“They want to take away your guns or make “Merry Christmas” illegal! to prominence by calling out Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and other Black leaders in the news. He branded them “poverty pimps” and accused them of playing the “race or victimization card” as a means of beating up on poor working-class honkies.

For good measure, “America’s Anchorman”showcases a Negro producer, “Bo Snerdly.” Bo is from the “Moteesa tribe.” You know, “Mo Tea Suh?” (Google the movie Posse!) Bo Snerdly is akin to the Negroes in Trump’s carnival. Pseudo-Black caricatures like Dr. Ben Carson or the cast of “Sambos” featured on Fox News.

ruses to infuriate and enlist the audience. The fearmongering is incessant. “They want to take away your guns or make “Merry Christmas” illegal!

Their banner lines, though, are a vile mixture of stereotypes and tribalism. They use “Patriots” to infer White purity and “Un-American” to exclude all others. They decry “Liberals” as a means to denigrate White people who disagree with their racism, American Exceptionalism, and the advancement of White Privilege.

Rush took the “Obama Birther movement” to the goal line and handed it to

7

in his space. Then he sells his acolytes products and services that they neither need, want, nor trust.

Trump’s not far behind, though.

At last count, he has milked this same indoctrinated cult to the tune of $300,000,000.

They send their last to help him win an election that he lost in the popular vote and the Electoral College.

Long live Rush Limbaugh.

However, there is little good to say about him.

Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, and award-winning columnist.

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

8

myimessenger.com

myimessenger.com

9

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

10

myimessenger.com

By the time you read this...what?

Ken Paxton’s magic act or a return to sanity?

I WAS JUST THINKING...

NORMA ADAMS-WADE

Politics is a dirty game states a familiar expression.

That expression surely must be racing through public minds as we watch aghast such blatant showmanship from Texas attorney general Ken Paxton.

The latest foray into political fantasy is the lawsuit our state’s top legal adviser filed December 7. Paxton’s suit asks the U. S. Supreme Court to overturn the election results in four battleground states where voters picked Democrat Joe Biden as the nation’s President-Elect. If granted, the ruling would throw out 10 million votes in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Several days will have passed by the time you read this report and the rapidly-changing political maneuvers likely will be very different from this startling moment. But I was just thinking..., right now, it’s stunning to watch how powerplayers pull rabbits out of hats and grapple, connive and scheme to stay in power.

Then low-and-behold more shock. The stakes were raised December 9 when 17 other Republican-led states –and President Donald Trump -asked to join Paxton’s suit, a bid to get their man Trump back in office for another four years.

All this was posturing to myimessenger.com

block proceedings of the Electoral College scheduled, under the U. S. Constitution, to meet December 14 to certify election results. Law requires a winning presidential candidate to receive a minimum of 270 electoral votes.

Biden received 306 to Trump’s 232, a Biden lead of 74 electoral votes. In popular votes, Biden amassed 81,282,896 to Trump’s 74,222,484 – a Biden lead of more than 7 million popular Ken Paxton and President Donald Trump.

Magicians with rabbit in hat.

Photo Credit: pinterest.com

votes. The two contenders received the first and second highest vote counts of any candidates in U. S. history.

The vote results shenanigans of Paxton, Trump and their loyalist followers certainly boosters Frederick Douglass’ memorable statement that “Power concedes nothing without a demand...The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” So, if 10 million voters in four battleground states stand quietly by and allow their Constitutional voting rights to be trampled under-foot, the world truly is upside down.

The political ramifications of the Paxton delusion are plentiful and include his own heavy legal problems. For five years he has been under a state securities fraud indictment that has not come to trial.

The FBI also is investigating allegations that Paxton abused his power in office to benefit a top campaign donor.

Many political analysts surmise that by filing his suit, the Texas attorney general is seeking favor from President Trump. The president possibly could pardon Paxton as he leaves the Oval Office. Analysts say Paxton apparently knows he must act fast before the lame duck commander-inchief is forced to make way for the new Biden administration that includes vice-president Kamala Harris -- the nation’s first female and first Black second-in-command.

All the legal hysterics to preserve the Trump presidency, including Paxton’s suit filed with the U. S. Supreme Court, is reminiscent of the 2000 election between

11

Photo Credit: The Dallas Morning News

Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore.

Dispute centered around the vote count in Florida. The U. S. Supreme Court had to declare a winner by technicality in that long-drawn-out contest because the twists and turns and back-and-forth arguments threatened to push the process past the legal deadline for a final decision. Gore won the popular vote but Bush was declared the winner.

Bush is one of five presidents who lost the popular vote but became president: John Adams (1824), Rutherford Hayes (1876), Benjamin Harrison (1888), George W. Bush (2000), and Donald Trump (2016).

Politics indeed is a dirty game.

Norma Adams-Wade is a veteran, award-winning journalist, Graduate of UT- Austin and Dallas native.

One of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), she was inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame

December 18, 2020

Briefs

Judge Monica Purdy makes history with election to 95th State Civil District Court When Dallas County Associate Judge Monica Purdy was elected to the 95th State Civil District Court, the veteran judge, who was unanimously appointed in 2013 to her current position by the 13 then-presiding civil judges; overwhelmingly won the bench she was seeking with 64 percent of the vote.

Judge Purdy is the first African American elected to the 95th Civil District Court (the state’s highest trial court) in the court’s 100-year history.

“I am humbled and honored that Dallas County voters put their trust in me to serve as the presiding judge of the 95th State Civil District Court,” said Judge Purdy. “I look forward to meting out justice with fairness and integrity in every case that comes before the court, and with 28 years of practicing law, including 18 years in civil litigation and the latter 10 years as a judge, I am ready to

Judge Monica Purdy

serve on day one.”

Election officials certified the 2020 General Election results on November 13, 2020 and the lifelong Democrat and native of Tampa, FL will

be sworn in as the presiding judge, beginning her first term in office on January 1, 2021.

She’s a graduate of two historically Black colleges

and universities — Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as a global leader in the education of women of African descent, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, TX, where she earned a law degree.

While at Thurgood Marshall, she was a member of Law Review and began her legal career at the Houston office of a national law firm collecting various governmental receivables.

Judge Purdy is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a distinction she shares with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

For more information about Judge Purdy, visit www. judgemonicapurdy.com

Lincoln alum named Teacher of the Year Benjamin Younger V, a teacher at Twin Creeks Middle School, in the Spring Independent School District, a suburb of Houston, TX, was recently awarded “TEACHER OF THE YEAR” by the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce.

The “Double Tiger,” who graduated from Lincoln Humanities and Communications Magnet High School in 1993 and December 18, 2020

Grambling State University in 2000, teaches Theater Arts.

Younger is married to Erreshea Younger, also a teacher in the Spring Independent School District, and they are the proud parents of four children and three grandchildren. Mr. Younger is a football and basketball coach, who also produces an annual theater performance by his students.

I MESSENGER

12

myimessenger.com

Coleman on SHSU Alumni Association Board

Briefs

Eva D. Coleman

Eva D. Coleman has been appointed to the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Alumni Association Board of Directors for a three-year term that starts January 1, 2021!

A May 1994 graduate of SHSU, which is located in Huntsville,TX; Coleman received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Radio-TV-Film.

Coleman is a lifetime member of the SHSU Alumni Association and says she looks forward to serving. “It’s also the campus of which I was initiated into the Theta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., said Coleman, who is the current Vice President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists and will also assume that presidency in January 2021. “The SHSU motto is, ‘The measure of a Life is its Service,’ and I hope to keep on living and keep on serving!”

A native of Fort Worth, Coleman is the lifestyle and culture editor for Texas Metro News. She teaches broadcast TV at Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, where she launched the district’s first cable TV program. She was named the National Association of Black Journalists Educator of the Year in 2019 and the 2012-2013 Student Television Network Teacher of the Year. myimessenger.com

13

December 18, 2020

Country Music great, Charley Pride remembered

By JIRAH MICKLE Staffwriter Talented designer, author and entertainer IMAJ was among the many who shared their thoughts upon hearing of the passing of Country and Western music icon Charley Pride.

For the young singer, Pride was someone who had an impact on her career and gave her support and encouragement as she ventured into a field where Blacks were scarcely represented.

December 18, 2020

Born Charley Frank Pride, March 18, 1934, in Sledge, MS; he went on to lead a distinguished career in a number of arenas, as an entertainer, entrepreneur and professional baseball player. He was home in Dallas, TX at the time of his death.

Interestingly Pride entered into two arenas that were predominantly all-white; namely Country and Western Music and major league baseball; even becoming a partial owner of the Texas Rangers.

One of 11 children born to

I MESSENGER

sharecroppers; Pride was one of the eight boys who also took to the fields picking cotton, long before he used those same fingers to pick a guitar.

Pride has been married to Rozene Cohran Pride since 1956. On December 28, 2020; the two would have celebrated their 64th anniversary.

This loss, yet another one to COVID-19, hit IMAJ hard.

She, like Pride, has graced many a stage singing country and western hits and usually before largely all-white audiences.

14

Pride, the first Black inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, spent time with IMAJ, encouraging her as she pursued the music she desperately loved.

“He walked so people like myself could run,” said IMAJ. “He was an authentic human being, a beautiful person. He took the time to sit with me and pass on his wisdom.

“I’m grateful to him. He told me to ‘not let anyone change who you are, stay true to your heart and your spirit.’” see CHARLEY on page 15

myimessenger.com

Mr. Pride, from page 14...

During his last performance at Nashville’s Music City Center, at the CMA awards show in November, he sang a duet with another young, rising African American star, Jimmie Allen, thrilling the audience of millions with one of his No. 1 hits, “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin.”

Although that song is high on IMAJ’s list she said her favorite song from Pride is actually his cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Kawliga.’

“Nobody sang that song like Charley Pride,” she said.

With Herdercine Nash and Clarice Tinsley

IMAJ

Pride, who rose to fame in the late 1960s, was known for several hits, including “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” with 27 other singles reaching No.1 on the U.S. country singles chart.

For 20 years, from 1967 to 1987, Pride dominated country music becoming RCA Record’s top selling country music artist, scoring 52 Top 10 country hits, chartering 67 singles, as well as earning CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971. In 2000, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1993.

His groundbreaking career would also earn him three Grammy awards, Male Vocalist of the year in 1973 and

1974, and a Lifetime Achievement award. With more than 70 million albums sold including 31 gold and four platinum albums, Pride has sold more records than anyone for RCA since the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley.

A trailblazer in country music, Pride was known for his rich baritone voice and classic blues style.

Pride leaves behind his wife, Rozene, three children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Several others weighed in on social media about Pride’s passing: CMA great Dolly Parton, who earlier this year pledged $1 million to coronavirus vaccine research, wrote on social media: “I’m so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It’s even worse to know that he passed away from Covid-19. What a horrible, horrible virus. Charley, we will always love you. Rest In Peace. My love and thoughts go out to his family and all of his fans.

Billy Ray Cyrus shared his

At the African American Museum

myimessenger.com

15

Rhonda Grimes and Mr. Pride

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson

expressions also. “The last time I spoke to my good friend and legend Charley Pride. We met in ‘92 playing shows together in Australia. His beloved sweetheart Rosie by his side.

A gentleman... legend and true trail blazer. With much respect #RIP” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson wrote, “Charley Pride’s death is another blow in an unrelenting year. He was an icon who excelled in many fields — and a kind man. He once even let Nikki wear some of his jewelry.

We’re feeling this one today.

May he Rest In Peace.”

And frustration over the lack of social distancing and other precautions last month at the CMA awards didn’t sit well with many.

Singer Maren Morris wrote, “I don’t want to jump to conclusions because no family statement has been made, but if this was a result of the CMAs being indoors, we should all be see CHARLEY on page 16

December 18, 2020

The Prides At the White House with the Obamas

Mr. Pride, from page 15... outraged. Rest in power, Charley.”

The CMA released a statement on Saturday: “Everyone affiliated with the CMA Awards followed strict testing protocols outlined by the city health department and unions. Charley was tested prior to traveling to Nashville. He was tested upon landing in Nashville, and again on show day, with all tests coming back negative. After returning to Texas following the CMA Awards, Charley again tested negative multiple times. All of us in the Country Music community are heartbroken by Charley’s passing.

Out of respect for his family during their grieving period, we will not be commenting on this further.”

In lieu of flowers, Pride’s family is asking for fans to donate to the Pride Scholarship at Jesuit College Preparatory School, St. Philip’s School and Community Center, the North Texas Food Bank, or other charities of your choice.

Pride Scholarship at Jesuit College Preparatory School https://www.jesuitdallas.org/make-a-gift St. Philip’s School & Community Center https://www.stphilips1600.org/get-involved/donate.cfmTexas Metro News Publisher-editor Cheryl Smith contributed to this report.

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

Enjoying the arts

16

myimessenger.com

myimessenger.com

17

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

18

myimessenger.com

Help fight COVID. Join the study today.

• FREE COVID-19 test • Get a $20 gift card when you sign up • Register at utswmed.org/covidstudy,

833-947-2577 or scan this code:

Sign up now and get tested today!

#DFWAnswerTheCall

myimessenger.com

19

December 18, 2020

Nena’s Finds Boutique A Uniquely Stylish, Fashionable Boutique for women of all Sizes!

Ranging from Pretti and Petite to Pretti and Plus!

Nena likes to be a bit edgy, blingy ...

But she keeps it Chic with Sophisticated Style!

Nena’s Finds is your one stop shop for an Eccentric flare!

214.623.7314

nenafinds17@gmail.com Schedule your Sip n Shop, Trunk Show, Girls Nite Out or Wardrobe Revamp with Nena’s Finds today!

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

20

myimessenger.com

The Most Important Factor in Your Family’s Education is

YOU Give your family the best chance for success by supporting their education at home and at school.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, sticking to a schedule, partnering with teachers and administrators, utilizing culturally sensitive best practices, and tapping into local resources are just a few of the ways that you can support distance learning at home and keep your family on track for educational success.

LEARN MORE AT WWW.NNPA.ORG/EDUCATION © 2020 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

myimessenger.com

21

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

22

myimessenger.com

Dallas COVID-19 Resources

MO’ BETTAH WINGS

COVID-19 Call the hotline The bestHotline way to 24-7 protect yourself and others is to 214-670-INFO (4636) to get information regarding: stay at home.

•Current COVID-19 Regulations & Testing Locations •Employment Assistance •Federal Relief Payment Information •Volunteer/Assistance Opportunities •Rental/Mortgage, and Eviction Assistance •Small Business Assistance •Social Services (food pantry, childcare assistance, senior assistance, unsheltered resident assistance and mental health resources) •Utility Payment Assistance

Slow the spread of COVID-19 The best way to protect yourself and others is to stay at home.

Safer at home

2860 E. LEDBETTER DR. (Inside Valero) DALLAS, Tx.75216 myimessenger.com

11am-10pm Monday-Saturday 12-8 Sunday

Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer.

Keep your mouth and nose covered while out in public.

Visit dallascityhall.com/COVID19 for a list of resources and up-to-date information about COVID-19.

23

December 18, 2020

214-421-5387

Two Podners Bar-B-Que & Seafood 1441 Robert B Cullum Blvd.

Dallas, Texas 75210 December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

24

myimessenger.com

“We are open for carryout. We care about our customers and our community and we thank you for your business during this difficult time.�

Hours of business: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am-9:00 pm.

Friday 11:30 am-10:00 pm.

Saturday 12:00 pm-10:00 pm.

(469) 899-7927

140 S Clark Rd Cedar Hill, TX 75104

3309 S Malcolm X Blvd

Call orders in (214)-859-3472

Dallas, TX 75215

myimessenger.com

We run specials Monday-Thursday

25

December 18, 2020

EAT ZONE Best Food in Town The Hidden Secret of OakCliff 2 Burgers for $5 2 Pc Grilled/Fried Ăžsh

3917 W. Camp Wisdom Rd. Suite 103 Dallas Texas 75237.

469-399-0096

Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-8p.

3003 E. Illinois Ave,75216

214-376-9663

During this pandemic we are still open for call-in and pick up orders. We have specials Tuesdays $5 burger baskets with fries and Wednesdays $5 chicken strip baskets with fries. Our menu is filled with so many delicious items. We have Bar-B-Q plates, Crab boils and so much more. We would love to serve you.

6090 Bonnie View Rd Dallas, TX 75241 Hours of services may differ

Phone: (214) 372-6321

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

26

myimessenger.com

Dr. Amerson adapts to Temporary Business Closure Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, has adapted to the temporary closure of LA's Hair and Scalp Clinic. We continue to offer our award-winning products to consumers. Our exclusive products are manufactured by a facility in Garland, TX. Premium quality natural ingredients are used to assist with dry, oily, itchy, flaky, inflammed scalps, as well as hair breakage, hair thinning and regrowth.

Everyone may order from our website, and we will ship your product order to you. http://www.hairandscalpessentials.com We need your support.

In addition, we offer Video Consultations globally! We will schedule an appointment, give a diagnosis, them make a recommendation. We are available to serve you in the comfort of your home. Call us today - 817.265.8854 http://www.hairandscalpessentials.com We need your support.

myimessenger.com

27

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

28

myimessenger.com

myimessenger.com

29

December 18, 2020

Young voters showed up and showed out THE LAST WORD BY DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX

Voters between 18 and 29 made history in the 2020 election. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, or CIRCLE (https:// circle.tufts.edu/2020-election-center), at least 52 percent of them, and perhaps as many as 55 percent voted. That turnout is at least 10 percentage points higher than in 2016, and the highest voting level among that age group since the 26th Amendment granted those over 18 were granted the right to vote in 1971. Not only did young people vote in unprecedented numbers, but they also voted heavily in swing states like Georgia and Michigan.

Arguably, young people are responsible for the Biden victory. Virtually every population subgroup can claim part of the credit for the Biden victory. Black women voted for him by higher margins than any other group. Latinx voters in Arizona put him over the top in that state. Among young people, every group, except white men, voted for former Vice President Joe Biden.

The CIRCLE study of young voters offers lessons for upcoming elections. Young voters made up their minds about their electoral choice later than other votes. Three-quarDecember 18, 2020

ters of those over 29 had their minds made up from the beginning. CIRCLE also suggests that information about early voting, mail-in ballots, and other procedures was not as available as it might have been.

Despite a massive attempt to get out the vote by African American activists, fewer African American youth voted in person, partly because

ted more than they ever had, and they had more significant barriers than older voters did.

And for those of us who lean left, we must acknowledge that this summer’s Black Lives Matter protest may have pulled young people to the polls. According to the CIRCLE studies, young people are concerned about COVID, climate change, racism, and the economy.

many did not get enough information about voting mechanics. Some of this is due to voter suppression, and some may be due to insufficient outreach. Also, many who are students may have faced barriers in voting.

Those of us who are elders have often lamented that young folks don’t vote, but the CIRCLE study suggests we need to hold our powder.

Young voters did not vote as much as the rest of us (total voter participation hovers at 70 percent), but they vo-

If federal, state, and local governments manage these issues and offer young people the opportunity for engagement, the 2020 coalition may stick together.

The 2020 youth coalition is, in some ways, our hope for the future. Young people mostly voted for Biden along race and gender lines, but the young white male holdout suggests that some of today’s race challenges may persist into the future.

Meanwhile, within the Democratic-leaning 2020 youth

I MESSENGER

30

coalition, there are apparent tensions and differences around how we prioritize these concerns and how we emphasize the intersectionality of these concerns.

It’s not either/or with the economy, COVID, climate change, and racism; it’s all of the above. The Biden team will have to walk a tightrope to balance everyone’s needs and concerns.

I am excited about the 2020 youth coalition and look forward to how they may continue to come together for better health care, a more inclusive economy, planet-saving policies to slow climate change, and the dismantling of systemic racism. I’d be even more excited if young Trump supporters dared to stand up to the man who lives in his own delusional world to tell him to concede this election.

Our nation, and the world, have been treated to the obscene image of a grotesque toddler throwing a tantrum on the international stage. If Republican elders don’t step up to stop the madness, perhaps young people, especially those who voted for 45, can talk some sense into him.

After all, when we say that young people will inherit this world, we don’t divide them by party.

Young people showed up and showed out in 2020. For the sake of our future, they need to keep it up.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist, and social commentator.

myimessenger.com

We’re open and ready to serve you!

You can enjoy the holidays and still be safe!

Elaine’s

Jamaican Kitchen

(214) 565-1008 2717 Martin L. King Jr Blvd, Dallas, TX 75215

Wear the masks, wash your hands and show love! myimessenger.com

31

December 18, 2020

Briefs

Two selected to strengthen Dallas College’s commitment to diversity Dallas College has selected Marisol Romany as its inaugural Chief Social Responsibility Officer and Dr. Kenneth Chapman, Jr. as Senior Director of Equity and Inclusion. These new positions reflect the College’s longstanding commitment to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees and students.

As a leading provider of higher education in Dallas County, Dallas College recognizes its responsibility to attract, develop and retain high-quality talent that reflects the communities it serves.

Early during its transition to a unified structure, Dallas College identified the need to expand awareness and appreciation for the cultural, ethnic and social aspects that make its community unique. Recent events across our country have revealed an increased need for the inclusion of all voices and perspectives.

Furthermore, Dallas College is uniquely positioned to provide access to opportunities for lifelong learning – teaching our students the concepts of sustainability as a pillar of social justice.

Chief Social Responsibility Officer

in leadership and education from Framingham State University in Massachusetts.

Dr. Kenneth Chapman, Jr.

Marisol Romany

As Chief Social Responsibility Officer, Romany will develop Dallas College’s social responsibility strategy with goals and targets that directly align with the College’s overall vision for equity, the economy and the environment.

She will lead the development of social responsibility training programs for employees and advocate for parity and economic inclusion within minority and underserved communities.

Prior to assuming the role of Chief Social Responsibility Officer, Romany served as director of diversity and minority business at Orlando Health.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Florida International University and dual master’s degrees

Senior Director of Equity and Inclusion Serving on Romany’s team as Senior Director of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Chapman will build and sustain an equitable organization roadmap that embraces each unique student, employee and stakeholder. He will also develop and oversee programs, services and initiatives to enhance the recruitment and retention of Dallas College faculty, staff and students from diverse and under-represented population groups.

Dr. Chapman previously served as executive dean of liberal arts at Dallas College - North Lake Campus. Prior to that, he was founding director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Chapman holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and mass communications from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master’s degree in education and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma.

UT Southwestern Medical Center COVID-19 Study to Expand Participation for the DFW COVID-19 Prevalence Study is set to expand after a surge in COVID cases in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

The study, conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health, shows how wide COVID has spread and why some communities are hit harder than others.

“Our study seeks critical answers we still don’t have- how many in the community have been infected with COVID and why some communities December 18, 2020

are being harder hit,” said Amit Singal, M.D., professor of internal medicine and population and data sciences who is principal investigator for the study.

“The large data set from 30,000 community volunteers will allow us to improve the strategies for countering its spread as we continue to restore business and school operations.”

Now open to anyone who lives in the Dallas or Tarrant county who would like to participate, participants will be asked to answer surveys online or via

I MESSENGER

32

phone and may be selected for additional tests to determine whether they have or have ever had COVID. Since launching the study, we’ve had ongoing requests beyond those directly invited to participate, so we’ve expanded the parameters to provide an avenue for anyone living in Dallas and Tarrant counties to participate,” Singal said.

Volunteers can register online and learn more at: https://utswmed.org/covidstudy myimessenger.com

DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE SPRING PERFORMANCES Transfer the Canvas of the Stage To Outdoor Locations Across Dallas

Dallas, TX – December 18, 2020 - Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is completing its 44th season with all virtual performances. In January 2021, the company will continue to capture the dance and choreography on video in natural outdoor environments across Dallas in many instances. Additionally, the dance company has decided to make virtual performances a part of its offering, even after it goes back to performing live in venues. Through its virtual performances, Dallas Black Dance Theatre has reached new audiences across the country and worldwide, including Australia, England, and Norway.

“During the summer of 2020, Dallas Black Dance Theatre became the first professional dance company nationally and internationally to consistently present paid virtual performances as a new business model after the closing of live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DBDT Executive Director Zenetta S. Drew. “This new model has resulted in extending the organization’s reach beyond the theatre, allowing audiences in areas the company has never traveled to physically to enjoy performances.”

The DBDT Spring Season launches in January 2021 with Legacy performances of audience favorites. The artistic team has adapted the choreography of some dances from the stage, bringing the dances to life at locations across the Dallas landscape.

DBDT: Encore! | The Choreographer Experience: Established & Emerging Saturday, January 9, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 EST Virtual Performance

+ DANCEMAKER’S DISCUSSION Saturday, January 23, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST Virtual Performance

SPRING CELEBRATION Saturday, May 22, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST Virtual Performance

If you just want a good laugh, you don’t want to miss Monologues choreographed

by DBDT veteran dancer Sean J. Smith. The work showcases a series of satirical sketches featuring characters dealing with anxieties, like Ken and Barbie, nerdy spelling-bee contestants, the wife of an alcoholic, and a lottery winner. The audience can talk to the choreographer and dancers in a Dancemaker’s Discussion that follows the performance.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre takes you on an emotional journey through the process of forgiveness and unconditional love in A Tender Pardon. DBDT veteran dancer Claude Alexander III choreographed the work.

For virtual ticket prices and more details about the performances, visit www.DBDT. com.

DBDT: Encore! Reminisce Saturday, February 6, 2021, 7:00 CST/8:00 EST Virtual Performance The DBDT: Encore! February 6th performance of Reminisce reflects on the Civil Rights Era, paying tribute through the music of Andra Day, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight & The Pips with the empowering words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This work was a collaborative effort by DBDT: Encore! Artistic Director Nycole Ray, DBDT: Encore! Artistic Assistant Richard A. Freeman, Jr., Encore! dancer Terrell Rogers and the entire Encore! Company.

CULTURAL AWARENESS Saturday, February 20, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 EST Virtual Performance

Unsettled Thoughts by Richard A. Freeman, Jr., features an excerpt of the work that explores the roles of the heart and mind. Some Moan for Love, by the late Darryl B. Sneed, is a solo that expresses the sentiment of love in hopes of reciprocation. COLD, a duet choreographed by Floyd McLean, Jr., is filled with searing strength and colossal control.

Weighted by Shauna Davis is a thought-provoking work that explores pushing past physical boundaries.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre produces a dramatic perspective on Civil Rights activism through movement, set to the musical genius of Odetta Holmes in ODETTA. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing choreographed this work to pay tribute to Odetta’s musical range of folk, gospel, and blues music. The Mourner’s Bench exemplifies the choreographic brilliance of Talley Beatty.

He created the solo in 1947, which portrays an emotional, spiritual struggle with social inequity in the rural South during the Civil War.

DBDT | LEGACY PERFORMANCE SERIES

DBDT: Encore! DANCING BEYOND

ODETTA choreographed by Matthew Rushing.

Credits: Amitava Sarkar

BORDERS Saturday, March 13, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 EST Virtual Performance Dr. Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris’ choreographic genius shines in Hate 2 Luv U, an intriguing blend of street-dance styles with house music based on current social themes. Tidal Intersections is a high-powered contemporary modern work for the full company

by Polish-born choreographer Katarzyna Skarpetowska. Nycole Ray choreographed Opaque, a full company work that embodies movements that manifest a mysterious and majestic atmosphere.

DBDT: Encore! RISING EXCELLENCE Saturday, April 17, 2021, 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST Virtual Performance A first for Dallas Black Dance Theatre, a dance/choreographic duo consisting of Derion Loman and Madison Olandt based in Los Angeles. Together they have created The Long Wait for DBDT: Encore! The dance takes the audience on a desert experience of the human spirit, refusing to give up even when it can’t see the finish line. Nineteenth vividly captures the triumphant struggle waged by women for equality in the suffrage movement. Choreographer Nycole Ray creates a unique new work that explores the personal struggles of women as they balance families, work, and other commitments with their pursuit of equality.

2020-2021 | DBDT Season Sponsors Legacy Sponsor: Simmons Sisters Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation Season Sponsors: Office of Arts and Culture – City of Dallas, Texas Instruments, NBC 5, Texas Metro News, The Dallas Morning News, NorthPark Center, TACA, American Airlines, The Shubert Foundation Inc., DART, and The Dallas Weekly.

2020 – 2021 | DBDT Season Supporters Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Lexus, Elite News, FYI-50+, The Dallas Examiner, The Dallas Post Tribune, Oversee My IT, Trendy Africa, and Arts+Culture.

2020-2021 | DBDT COVID Resilience Sponsors Anonymous, LKS Foundation, Mid-America Arts Alliance United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, Office of Arts and Culture – City of Dallas Coronavirus Relief Fund, National Endowment for the Arts CARES Act, Oversee My IT, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Board of Directors, Henry C. Beck, Jr. Donor Advised Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation, Kate Wilson Davis Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, PNC, Wells Fargo, Anonymous, Communities Foundation of Texas/North Texas Giving Day, Chase, Deedie Rose, TACA Emergency Arts Relief Fund, Sally Pian & Ira Silverman, Lucy and Henry Billingsley Fund at Texas Women’s Foundation, Ford Reynolds Fund of the Southwest Community Foundation, Keron Wright.

ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE:

Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) is an internationally recognized professional dance company that engages the cross-cultural community through contemporary modern dance presented from the African-American experience. The National Endowment for the Arts designated the 44-year-old company as an American Masterpiece Touring Artist in 2008. The company also received the Texas Medal of Arts Award for Arts Education in 2017. As Dallas’ oldest and largest professional dance company, DBDT ranks as the 10th largest minority arts organization in America and the fourth largest black dance company in the nation.

myimessenger.com

33

December 18, 2020

dON MIGUEL RUIZ THAT CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

BY VALDER BEEBE

I was introduced to Mr. Ruiz through his bestselling book The Four Agreements.

The questions from the book have stayed a part of my life from The Four Agreements: 1. Be impeccable with your word.

2. Don’t take anything personally.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

5. Be impeccable with your word.

6. Speak with integrity.

7. Say only what you mean.

I invited New York Times bestselling author for over a December 18, 2020

decade don Miguel Ruiz into the Valder Beebe Show Studios as he reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. don Miguel Ruiz, is a Mexican author of Toltec spiritualist and neoshamanistic texts. Ruiz is listed as one of the Watkins 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People in 2018.

“If you are interested in mastering the art of life, remember three important lessons: • You are acting all the time.

• You believe the roles you play. • You believe the roles that others play.” Dramatic Art represents the first course in a series of Mystery School books by don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys.

Using a classroom setting, this fascinating course explores human behavior from the point of view of the ar-

I MESSENGER

tist. Artists reflect life. Artists mirror the human condition, and they share their vision with the world. There are many kinds of artists, but this course is about acting and actors. Acting is our first learned skill even before language, and even before we stand up to walk. We begin our lives as mimics. We watch, we listen, and we imitate. We are natural performers, and we spend our lives perfecting the craft. Dramatic Art explores the human drama as well as the role each of us plays in it. Performance art is a way of life for each of us, and it has shaped our common dream. We choose the roles we play in different situations and for

different people. We can also step away from those roles.

We can reclaim our authenticity.- Mr. Ruiz’ publicist provided text in conjunction with the Valder Beebe Show VBS: Let’s highlight Day 4, The Actor.

DMR: Life is teaching every single moment. We all are actors, life is giving to us every single mystery, even if you do not know you are acting.

VBS: You quote for Day 4, Shakespeare “All the world is a stage, and all the men and women are merely player.”

DMR: Yes that is true, and one of the biggest fears of the Actor is the critic. We are acting to be what everyone wants us to be. The most important critic is………

Don Miguel Ruiz complete interview…… SoundCloud.com/valderbeebeshow: Broadcasting to a national & global audience: ValdeBeebeShow.com; YouTube. com/valderbeebeshow; KKVI FM Radio, KRER FM, Streaming TV, Social Media, Print Publications I MESSENGER, Texas Metro News, and Garland Journal News.

34

myimessenger.com

16

Virtual and liVe Community Calendar

Human Rights Month December 17 D.O.B. of Deborah Sampson Gannett, who fought in the Revolutionary War as a man.

Reimagining A Safer Glendale Meeting #2. Host Changa Masomakali. Online Event: us02web.zoom.us 6 -7:30 pm CST. Register: https://bit.ly/3oDsDTc. A Night of Elegance A charitable event will support Toys for Tots. Host Next Generation Action Network. 111 Oak Lawn Ave. Dallas. 6 pm CST. Tickets are $15: https://bit.ly/2VV7HLu. Center Table Food Giveaway Mark Cuban Basketball Center; 1800 Bonnie View 9am – 12 pm. Free.

Sponsors: Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, Heroes Foundation. Register: https://bit.ly/3qIHFJo Regional Black Contractors Annual Toy Drive RCBA, 2627 MLK, Jr. Blvd 9am–4pm; The RCBA will be collecting toys on the 17th to be distributed to Vogel Alcove. Newborn-17. Toys only. Contact: Brenea, 214-565-8946.

Dec. 18-20 Klyde Warren Park Tree Lighting Celebration presented by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.

Individual Tree Lighting. A holiday tradition in a safe and socially distanced way. Free. Time: 18-19 at 6 pm. 20th , 7:30 am. and 4 pm.

December 18 In 1989 Robert Robinson Savannah City Alderman was killed by a mail bomb in his office.

Dallas Zoo Lights Presented by Reliant Hosted by Dallas Zoo. Dallas Zoo 650 S. R.L. Thornton Fwy. 6:30-9:30 pm. Tickets: zoolights.dallaszoo.com/guests.

The Bear Creek Food Distribution, Mon, Wed, & Fri. 11 am-3 pm. 2700 Finley Rd. Irving. Drive-Thru.

Valder Beebe Show KKVIDFW.COM FM 89.9. 12 pm.

28th ANNUAL CHRISTMAS / KWANZAA CONCERT. Host The Black Academy of Arts & Letter Inc. Bruton Theater, 650 S. Griffith St. 10 am. Tickets via: Ticketmaster. com. .December 19

D.O.B. of Carter G. Woodson in 1875

myimessenger.com

Christmas Jazz Concert Feat: Tom Braxton & Tatiana Mayfield. Host Jim Austin Online, at The Warehouse 1125 E. Berry St. Fort Worth. 8 pm.

Tickets: Eventbrite.com.

Kimbell Art Museum Presents: Queen Nefertari’s Egypt.

The One for Whom the Sun Shines. Beautiful Companion. First Royal Spouse. Virtual Tour Tickets: https://www.kimbellart. org/content/tickets.

Empowering The Masses Disaste Relief Drive Through Food Pantry at 3314 Detonte St. Dallas. 10 am-12 pm. www.empoweringthemasses.org.

Mountain View Church of Christ Distribute Free Groceries, 7979 E. R.L. Thornton Fwy. 9 am-12 pm. Drive-Thru Only.

National Association of Black Journalists 45th Anniversary Celebration Feat: Jennifer Holiday via Zoom. Moderator: Kay Angrum. Honoring Founder, Dewayne Wickham Founders’ Appreciation Award Recipient. Free Tickets RSVP: https://bit.ly/3qqBWrJ Pre-event Reception 6:30 pm CST. Show starts at 7 pm. Post-event after party 9-10 pm. with DJ Andre Mack.

Candy Cane Lane Drive-Thru Holiday Lights. American Airlines Center 2500 Victory Ave. 6 –9 pm. CST. Tickets: candycanelanedfw.com Parkland Free flu shots drive-thru flu and COVID-19 testing Monday – Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 South Polk St., Dallas.

Andrew’s World with host Andrew Whigham III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary.

Join the call 646-200-0459. on In The Middle with Ashley Moss.

“Talking about topics that Matter” Join in on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio. com at 11 am-1 pm. CST. Mondays.

Join the conversation call 646-2000459.

December 23 D.O.B. of Madam C.J. Walker first Black millionaire in 1869

Daybreaker Live: ‘Tis the Season to Dance Presented by AARP Featuring Dionne Warwick & The O’Jays 10 am-12 pm CST. Free you must Reg: https://bit.ly/3oH0uLk St. Philip’s Annual Christmas Store Drive-Thru St Philip’s School, 1600 Pennsylvania, They are accepting gifts, donations, and signing-up volunteers you must register. To donate or volunteer, contact: LaSheryl Walker, 214-421-5221 x140.

Reg: https://bit.ly/3gCdVsZ The Hawkins Boys Christmas Giveaway Enter to win a Free Bike. Register to win a bike at: https://bit.ly/HawkinsBoys. Antioch Fellowship Church, 7550 S Hampton Rd, 10 am-12 pm.

Paul Quinn College COVID-19 Testing every Saturday 3837 Simpson Stuart Rd. Dallas 10 am-4 pm. If you have any questions contact: Ms. Lola Esmieu at pesmieu@pqc.edu.

Michael “Hollywood” Hernandez Live Podcast on Facebook @HollywoodHernandez, at 2 pm. Guests Walk-In Wednesdays Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care health centers offer flu vaccines from 9 am-12 pm and from 1 - 4 pm. Wednesday’s throughout the winter months. Locations, visit www.parklandhospital.com/locations Ask Dr. Amerson Show at 11am CST Alopecia Awareness. Dr. Linda discusses healthy hair and scalp talk, and alopecia talk, on FB Live and DfwiRadio. com.

Prairie Lights Drive-Thru Holiday Light Experience.

Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy, Grand Prairie 6-10 pm. Tickets; www.prairielights.org.

December 21

December 24

In 1959 Berry Gordy, Jr. establishes Motown Records

In 1989 New Orleans, Louisiana’s 1st Black Mayor Ernest Nathan “Dutch” Morial dies

Marvelous Marriage Mondays at Friendship-West Baptist Church Register for Virtual event, online at friendshipwest. zoom.us/.../upcpcOmhqz4rqNU 7-8 pm.

Dallas Zoo Lights Presented by Reliant Hosted by Dallas Zoo. Dallas Zoo 650 S. R.L. Thornton Fwy. 6:30-9:30 pm. Tickets: zoolights.dallaszoo.com/guests.

Safe Santa! Hosted by Hillside Village Hillside Village, 305 W. FM 1382, Cedar Hill. 10 am-9 pm. Tickets: https://www. shophillsidevillage.com Info: 214-548-0610.

Vitruvian Lights Hosted by Vitruvian Park. Vitruvian Park 3966 Vitruvian Way, Addison. 5-11 pm. FREE PARKING & ENTRY

Prairie Lights Drive-Thru Holiday Light Experience. Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy, Grand Prairie 6-10 pm. Tickets; https://prairielights.org/tickets/

DFW News & Tings with Jirah Nicole. From 11 am-1 pm. CST Tuesday’s on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio. com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Doc Shep Speaks Show! A fresh perspective, but still entertaining!

Welcome to The Doc Shep Speaks Show!!!. Tuesdays at 11 am. CST Live on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews, @ fnsconsulting, and YouTube Live @ docshepspeaks.

I Was Just Thinking with Norma Adams-Wade “History Class is in Session” Join in on Facebook/@ TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 am -1 pm. CST. Wednesdays. Join the conversation call 646-200-0459.

From Marva with Love with Marva Sneed from11 am -1 pm. CST, Fridays on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-2000459.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Safe Santa! Hosted by Hillside Village Hillside Village, 305 W. FM 1382, Cedar Hill. 10 am-9 pm. Tickets: www.shophillsidevillage.com.

Reliant Lights Your Holidays Hosted by AT&T Performing Arts Center. AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora St. 5:30-10 pm.

Tickets: bit.ly/32lP017.

December 22 D.O.B. of Arthur Mitchell First Black elected to Congress

35

December 18, 2020

Boseman, Davis Take Turns Shining in

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

By DOROTHY J. GENTRY Contributing Writer Upon his surprising and untimely death in 2008, Heath Ledger was nominated for and won many posthumous awards including a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Night.

The late Chadwick Boseman should be no different.

The beloved actor, who died in August at age 43 after a private, four-year battle with colon cancer, should be nominated for and win an Oscar for his performance of Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the new Netflix film adapted from August Wilson’s play and produced by Denzel Washington.

In the film - which begins streaming on Netflix Friday, Dec. 18th - Boseman’s elecDecember 18, 2020

trifies as Levee - a talented, over-confident musician haunted by a secret childhood trauma, in love with a good pair of shoes and determined to make his mark in the music world.

Boseman’s portrayal of Levee is a show-stopping scene stealer and, sadly, his last onscreen performance. He still looks like his most famous role “The Black Panther” and spends much of the movie jumping and sliding and hopping and moving all over the screen as he plays his horn and dreams of starting his own band.

The story, set in 1927 in Chicago, centers around Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis) - known as the Mother of the Blues - and her band as they gather in a recording studio for

I MESSENGER

a session. Except for the first 3 or 4 minutes, the entire film takes place in this one setting in this one day. Tensions rise, tempers flare and truths are told during the session which ends in a brutal, shocking and sad way.

Boseman’s performance the entire film is mesmerizing, shows his range and helps you understand why his movies are loved by millions and why his death hurt fans so deeply. His 3-minute tirade at God near the end of the film is bone-chilling. He dug deep for that performance.

As the title character affectionately called “Ma,” Davis is brilliant as the always sweating, always in need of a cold Coca-Cola blues legend. She gives a gritty, raw, uncut and masterful performance. Her

36

portrayal of the blues legend will leave you speechless.

Like Boseman, Davis should be a heavy favorite come award season for a must-watch performance that shows the depth of her acting.

Ma Rainey also stars legendary actor Glynn Turman as the older, bandmate who waxes philosophically and wonders aloud throughout the movie why “colored folk always looking for a good time” instead of working toward a better life.

His character of pianist Toledo meets a surprising fate but his words embodying the struggle of Blacks for respect and being seen as human, rings as true in 2020 as it did back then.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a movie you will easily watch again and again. It’s worth your time. myimessenger.com

myimessenger.com

37

December 18, 2020

Mavs Host Final Preseason Game With No Fans at AAC

By DOROTHY J. GENTRY Sports Editor Professional basketball returned to the American Airlines Thursday night.

But no one was there to see.

The Mavs lost its final preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves 127129 in a mostly empty AAC as the team decided earlier this month – stating the safety of its fans, players and employees as its top priority - to start the 2020-21 preseason without fans.

That meant only the players of both teams, a handful of media and a few coaching and training staff and AAC personnel watched the Mavs play their only home preseason game. The Mavs’ first two December 18, 2020

preseason games were on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We are optimistic that we will be able to welcome fans back to AAC this season but want to make sure we do so in the safest way possible,” said Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall. “Unfortunately, having looked closely at the current data, trends and historical spikes, we cannot risk our fans’ safety, which is in the best interest of our commu-

I MESSENGER

nity.”

Mavs officials say they made the decision only after careful consideration and in collaboration with the NBA, American Airlines Center, and Dallas County public health officials. They have not set a definitive timetable for fans returning to the arena for the regular season which begins next week, Dec. 23rd, stating they will continue to work with Dallas County leadership and public health

38

officials to determine the best possible scenario before the season begins.

The Mavs will tip off the 2020-21 regular season on the road against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and FSSW. Following their opener against the Suns, the Mavericks will travel to Los Angeles for a Christmas matchup with the defending NBA champion L.A. Lakers at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. myimessenger.com

Selecting A NEW CHIEF

Efforts are underway to select a new Dallas police chief after Dallas’ first Black female police chief U. Renee Hall resigned earlier this year. Shown are the seven finalists: San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia; Albert Martinez, director of security at the Dallas Catholic Diocese; Irving Police Chief Jeff Spivey; Assistant Police Chief Avery Moore; Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney; Dallas Police Maj. Malik Aziz; and Deputy Chief Reuben Ramirez.

myimessenger.com

39

December 18, 2020

32

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

I Messenger

Do you know this man?

POLICE have not apprehended “Pookie” the serial rapist.

We know he has attacked members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and there is a $5,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers.

HE IS A SERIAL RAPIST

He targeted members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. but this is more than about a sorority. We’re talking about a community.

Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE? Will it matter when it is your sister, mother, aunt or grandmother or maybe YOU?

877-373-8477 December 18, 2020

I MESSENGER

40

myimessenger.com