I Messenger 1-20-23

AlwaysaBlessing

QUIT PLAYIN’

This week represents the 10th anniversary of my paying admission to see my favorite movie for the 10th time. Django Unchained opened on Christmas Day 2012, but I was hooked. I loved the film, and I bet you think you know why.

BIG MAMA SAID FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

When Lucille “Big Mama” Allen was” in session’ on the front stoop of the home she and her husband built with their own hands, she was in her comfort zone and she knew that she commanded the voice of her ancestors and those who came before us.

This week, a friend informed me that she was following the ambulance to the hospital with her husband. Her husband was going through a major health crisis. She wasn’t the only one who reached out—a friend’s mother had unexplained pain and another friend contacted...

Prayers for the Year Ahead

OUR VOICES

BY MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

We pray and stand for children who need our voice.

We pray and stand for children blessed by parents who care and for children without a parent or anyone who cares at all.

We pray and stand for children filled with joy and for children whose days and nights are joyless.

We pray and stand for children with hope and for children without hope whose spirits have been dimmed and dashed.

We pray and stand for children high on play and study and laughter and for children high on opioids and cocaine.

We pray and stand for children for whom we pray every day and for children who have

no one to pray them along life’s way.

We pray and stand for children who love to read and for children who can’t read at all, for children who learn with excitement and for children told by adults they cannot achieve.

We pray and stand for children who we expect and help to do well and for children whom no one believes in or helps succeed.

We pray for parents, grandparents, teachers, preachers, and political and community leaders that we will be a help and not a hindrance for children we call our own and for all the children God created who are part of our family too.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where small babies die of cold quite legally.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where small children suffer from hunger quite legally.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where toddlers and schoolchildren die from guns sold quite legally.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation that lets children be the poorest group of citizens quite legally.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation that lets the rich continue to get more at the expense of the poor, quite legally.

O God, forgive and transform our rich and powerful nation which thinks security rests in missiles and bombs rather than in mothers and in babies.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation for not giving You sufficient thanks by giving to others their daily bread.

O God, help us never to confuse what is quite legal with what is just and right in Your sight.

Help us to stand together to

make America just and right for all Your children.

O God, help us recover our hope for our children’s sake.

Help us recover our courage for our children’s sake.

Help us to recover our discipline for our children’s sake.

Help us to recover our ability to work together for our children’s sake.

Help us to recover our values for our children’s sake.

Help us to recover a spirit of sacrifice for our children’s sake.

Help us to recover our faith in Thee for our children’s sake.

Dear God, thank you for the gift of a new year to serve You help me to talk right help me to walk right help me to see right help me to feel right help me to do right in Your sight.

Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

by Cheryl Smith Publisher

Always a Blessing

Sometimes we see what others are going through. Sometimes we don’t.

When Candace Wicks retired from Dallas Independent School District, I stopped by to celebrate with her.

Shortly after I heard devastating news about her health. While I won’t repeat the diagnosis or the many declarations: I will say that prayers were needed because there were some challenging times ahead.

We’re talking about during pandemic times; however Candace was

not diagnosed with the COVID 19 virus.

Still, protocols in place made it impossible to see her and discern the extent of her illness/injuries or pain/ suffering.

Then someone said, “go to Facebook.”

And thanks to that social media platform information was shared and when she was able Candace would show up to share her testimony.

I was devastated. It was hard to

watch because here was this vibrant, active, engaging and always loving woman who appeared near death.

It was too much.

When you take into consideration the constant challenges of living through the pandemic, life becomes even harder to deal with.

It didn’t help that Candace was more than a casual acquaintance who I could scroll past with the flick of a thumb, giving a passing thought or maybe clicking the “like” icon.

Candace Wicks - then

Candace Wicks - now

In addition to being my sorority sister, Candace’s life has taken some of the same paths as mine. She’s HBCU taught, an educator and a community servant. She is committed, loyal and dependable while also being quite candid!

Candace was full of life and so to see her bedridden made me reevaluate steps I was taking on this journey called “life.”

Fast forward to today. After several operations and amputations; you no longer see Candace from a hospital bed.

Which brings me to my truth!

That woman is phenomenal!

Candace is up and taking care of business.

While she could still be bedridden or wallowing in self-pity sitting home waiting for those who visit the sick and shut-in; that is not Candace.

Because of her health, she faced many challenges.

Because of her faith, she has overcome many and is continuing to be a blessing to others!

Sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I wonder why.

Candace is an example of all things considered.

She wears a smile and carries herself with such grace, I am amazed.

As I face obstacles in life, I think of some of the dynamic women who have come into my life. I think of the

woman who inhaled as I exhaled and whose blood flowed from her to me; my mother. And then I also think of all the women who came before me, enduring so much.

Candace is a living example of possibilities.

Thinking of Candace brings a smile to my face and joy in my heart. Now don’t get me wrong. Full transparency - Candace can also be a D. W. A. - Straight Outta Dallas, but she is authentic and brings receipts!

She makes me proud as she continues to serve her church, sorority, community and several organizations she holds membership in. She holds leadership positions and it is easy to forget that her journey through life has changed and is more challenging than expected.

She is a shining example and we need more like her.

Flowers BeFore Dying

I WAS JUST THINKING...

By Norma Adams-Wade

Are New Year’s resolutions still in order? Mine is a request and suggestion.

Could we, please, celebrate each other while we live? I’m weary of attending funerals of persons I thought I knew well. But after the praise comments begin, I learn more than I could ever have imagined about how great they were.

My request and suggestion: Let’s use our birthdays, literally, as our day of celebration – real celebration …like a Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony. You may have watched the December 4, 2022 CBS broadcast.

BIRTHDAY OR OBIT HONORS?

As it does each year, the Washington D. C. center presented a star-studded celebration applauding artistic achievers. This year, five artists -- actor George Clooney, singer-songwriter Amy Grant, singer Gladys Knight, composer/conductor/educator Tania León, and the four-member rock band U2. Various other televised awards programs have variations of similar ideas – the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and even White House Presidential honors including the Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal.

A Center press release quoted Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter as saying that many past honorees describe the Center honors as “ the pinnacle of awards because it recognizes…an artist’s cumulative body of work and influence over many decades.” I was just thinking… That pretty much describes the rebooted obitturned-Birthday Flower Cere-

mony I envision for each person beginning this year.

Even the nonprofit The HistoryMakers[cq digital oral history archives has set a similar mold. Harvard-educated lawyer Julieanna Richardson of Chicago can be lauded for founding the archive 23 years ago as a tool by which researchers and students may learn about unheralded African-American achievers who have climbed heights, out of the spotlight, in their various careers.

There is a classic gospel song “Give Me My Flowers” sung by James Cleveland and others.

LEGACIES LEFT IN 2022

As a reminder, here is a sampling of some the hundreds of noted individuals who left us in 2022, likely adorned with many flowers: Queen Elizabeth of great Britain; actors Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget and Angela Lansbury; American Indian Movement founder Clyde Bellecourt; songstresses Loretta Lynn, Olivia Newton-John, and Naomi Judd; Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, Stat Trek’s Nichelle Nichols; sports stars Pelé and Bill Russell; Autherine Lucy Foster who was the first Black student at Alabama University, Pope Benedict XVI; trailblazing broadcasters Barbara Walters and Gloria Rojas; pastor of historian Abyssinian Baptist Church, Rev. Calvin O. Butts III; Dr. Donald Pinkel who developed a childhood leukemia cure, and Brent Renaud, an American journalist killed while reporting in Ukraine.

finally orchestrated a deal and lesser charge. He was released in 2016 and died in August 2022 at age 75.

Under a Birthday Honor/obit reboot, what tributes do we give Woodfox? His distinction is surviving over more than four decades in solitary, while uselessly claiming inhumane treatment. No easy answers there.

FLOWER CEREMONY SCRIPT

Still, the Birthday Flower Ceremony script – pretty much the same as a funeral program -- remains for the New Year. There’s an opening scripture, pray -- if your faith allows it -- and song. Then the tributes begin. The difference is that the person that you are lauding is sitting there very much alive in front of you, proudly grinning at the speaker instead of lying cold and unknowing in a casket.

Unfortunately, the lyrics author could not be substantiated; a message in itself about not valuing someone’s contribution that ultimately is lost in time. But here is the lyric’s poignant yet clearcut message.

Give me my flowers while I yet live so that I can see the beauty that they bring.

Speak kind words to me while I can hear them.

So that I can hear the comfort that they bring.

Friends and loved ones may give me flowers when I’m sick or on my sick bed.

But I’d rather have just one tulip right now than a blanket full of roses when I’m dead.

Then there are persons like the controversial Albert Woodfox. He was part of the threeman group Angola 3 and died this year of COVID-19 complications. He made his life memorable by doggedly surviving nearly 44 years in solitary confinement -- said to be the longest solitary in U. S. history – at the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA. Prosecutors said he was a former Black Panther and convicted of the 1972 murder of corrections officer Brent Miller.

Woodfox reportedly made positive changes while in prison, properly counseled other prisoners during 1-hour daily release from his confined cell, and always maintained his innocence. Amnesty International investigated his many claims of inhumane treatment and

The only tears are tears of gratitude and joy. After their comments, each speaking presents a beautiful bouquet, flower arrangement, or single rose to the birthday person. When all comments are done, the honoree gives remarks. Either a dinner or reception will follow with a photographer capturing the revelry.

So, that’s it. Let’s begin our New Year in this new way. Flowers BEFORE dying. Not “a blanket full of roses when I dead.”

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 and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black fulltime reporter in 1974. norma_ adams_wade@yahoo.com

Photo: Pinterest

Photo: Pinterest

Happy 10th Djangoversary!

QUIT PLAYIN’

BY VINCENT L. HALL

This week represents the 10th anniversary of my paying admission to see my favorite movie for the 10th time.

Django Unchained opened on Christmas Day 2012, but I was hooked.

I loved the film, and I bet you think you know why.

Django Unchained is a miserable scene in the cruelest form of slavery, chattel or otherwise, in the world.

Django operated during America’s unique, horrific and inhumane brand of slavery. If you don’t believe me, study how cruel it was.

Some historians have written that when slave masters had valuable but unruly “Bucks,” they would send them to Jamaica to be sodomized. They were sent to be “domesticated” in much the same manner as you would “train” a pit bull.

A 2007 article in the Pink News publication explains how slavery in this nation still creates hatred and venom for homosexuality in Jamaica.

“It is alleged that if and when a white enslaver suspected that enslaved Black men were showing any sign of resistance to their enslavement, the cruelest and brutal treatment would be meted out to them.

“The Black slaves and most of their descendants developed this hatred for homosexual activities because of the painful experiences that

their forefathers endured during slavery.”

Black women were forced to sexually satisfy and breed children for their masters. To add insult to injury, these women faced the scorching scorn of the wives of those who violated them.

Django Unchained didn’t dwell on these atrocities but gave us a snapshot of what enslaved Africans endured.

From the brutal Mandingo fights to shackles and brass faceguards, this movie makes the blockbuster series “Roots” like a musical about Black people who were having a hard time adjusting to “corporate relocations.”

Django Unchained had movements that played beneath the violence like a well-chorded descant. For the simpleminded, it was blood and guts. For the sophist, it was a treasure

have escaped slavery or a holocaust who do not teach our children about the revolution.

bloodbath concluded, the means seemed to justify the proverbial end.

And while many Whites prefer to believe that Django found favor with Black men because he was able to get paid for killing his white oppressors, that was not my moment of joy.

Instead, my joy came within three minutes of the end when Django locked eyes with Stephen, the penultimate house negro, and Uncle Tom.

African Americans today rarely tread or trace the waters that we claim to have gotten over. Django pricked the curiosity of another generation who had no real idea about their history.

Imagine a Jewish Child who doesn’t understand the ritual of “breaking the glass” at a wedding. Meanwhile, Negroes are still arguing whether a betrothed couple should “jump the broom.”

And worse, others have no idea that their ancestors were legally barred from marriage.

Django chided Stephen before shooting him in the kneecaps.

“Seventy-six years, Stephen. How many niggers do you think you seen come and go? Seven thousand? Eight thousand? Nine thousand? Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine? Every single word that came out of Calvin Candie’s mouth was nothing but horsesh!t, but he was right about one thing: I am that one nigger in 10,000.”

trove of perplexing plots and nerve-wracking novellas.

Dr. Jeremiah Wright, the Pastor and Theologian, is also an avid writer and African American history buff. He is known to say that Black folks are the only people who

Django, like so many other slaves, was viciously severed from the woman he loved and would do anything to get her back. This separation was typical. Unfortunately, that pursuit leads him to deceive, maim and kill anyone in his way.

This film was rich in menacing metaphors and alarming allegories. Moviegoers were tethered to Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of a formerly enslaved person on the rampage, but by the time the

Two minutes later, Candyland was decimated by dynamite, death, and destruction. That was pivotal because when we fight against evil, quelling the institution cannot be second to personal vendettas. It’s about the system, STUPID!

The real moral of Django’s saga was the celebration of that one in 10,000 men or women who won’t be deterred or detracted from their dreams.

Django Unchained modeled that for me!

Happy 10th Djangoversary!

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

Jamie Foxx as Django

Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen

Time to show your heart some love

February is Heart Month. And heart disease is the leading cause of death in our community and across the country. So, let’s do something about it, together. Every week during Heart Month we’ll be sharing heart healthy tips, from early warning signs to recipes and exercise ideas. Caring for the heart health of our friends and neighbors. That’s community and why so many people Trust Methodist.

Sign up for Heart Month emails with tips, recipes, exercise ideas, info on events, and more at: MethodistHealthSystem.org/HeartMonth

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical sta are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System. Methodist Health System compiles with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

From the Dallas Mayor

One of the mantras of this administration, as you know, is that the work is never finished, and that it’s vital to be relentless in the pursuit of perfection.

There are many issues where more progress is needed from your city government, including sanitation.

But it’s also important to show some appreciation for everything that is going well. So today, here are a few recent things for which I am grateful:

• Violent crime was down for the second-straight year in Dallas thanks to both community-based solutions and data-driven policing strategies. While there is still work to do, I recently sent a video to the men and women of the Dallas Police Department thanking them for their part in this achievement. You can watch the video and read the transcript here.

• Dallas has a terrific parks system that is, as Park Board President Arun Agarwal recently wrote in The Dallas Morning News, “a sea of tranquility in an ocean of daily commotion.” And more exciting parks and trails are on the way.

• Former United States Ambassador Ron Kirk, who served as Dallas mayor from

1995-2002, has joined the Mayor’s International Advisory Council, which is helping take this city’s international efforts to the next level.

• That “Big Dallas Energy” you’ve heard so much about is still going strong — and this city is working to bring some major projects and important policies to fruition. You will hear more in the months ahead.

• The Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night — and therefore helped win this city’s first-responders and youth some cookies courtesy of Tiff’s Treats!

Read more about the “Tiff’s Treats Throwdown” wager here.

• Dallas just wrapped up a week of wonderful events honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That included the annual parade Monday morning on MLK Boulevard in Sunny South Dallas. It was great to see so many people out

there for the first time since January 2020!

Which brings this email to a final note: What I am most grateful for is the people of Dallas. As someone recently told me during a meeting at City Hall, the best thing about living in Dallas isn’t all the great amenities or restaurants or entertainment options or city government or anything else that seems to define other cities. It’s the people of this city who make Dallas a great place to live.

For everything that gets done inside and outside of Dallas City Hall, it always comes back to the people.

These last threeand-a-half years in office have been filled with challenges, heartache, and headaches. But the people of Dallas have been a constant source of inspiration and strength, and because of this, Dallas is back and well-positioned for the future.

Here’s to the years ahead together.

More updates next week. But now, it’s time to get back to work.

Mayor Eric Johnson

CHOICE IS A DIVINE TEACHER

BIG MAMA

SAID

BY TERRY ALLEN

When Lucille “Big Mama” Allen was” in session’ on the front stoop of the home she and her husband built with their own hands, she was in her comfort zone and she knew that she commanded the voice of her ancestors and those who came before us.

Big Mama’s greatest joy was giving her descendants a lesson that would serve two intended purposes. She was certain of her God-blessed gift and her God-driven assignment.

She spoke her truth so many times and we are all better off because of it. This latest Big Mama-ism is the lesson that actually came from her mother, Mama Mary.

Lucille “Big Mama” Allen lessons were intentional and unapologetically spiritual. Big Mama’s lessons were given to us under her gifts that God gave her. Lucille “Big Mama” Allen told her children what they needed to know as she had deep concern about us based on her life, her journey and her experiences.

Her first purpose, she wanted us to have as much information as possible she wanted us to know what we faced when we became adults while she was reassured that when she commanded her time with us she healed her pain at the same time she ‘gifted’ us with her storytelling knowledge and prepared us for “Mr. Charlie and the Okie-Doke”

Her second purpose is she want-

ed us to have all the information possible because she knew the deck was stacked against us tenfold! She knew this because she had lived in a time when there was so much violence and physical harm levied against Black women.

This particular Big Mama-ism came from Mama Mary, her mother. It was, “choice is a divine teacher, for when we choose we have more options to move forward and

traveled throughout the south.

So in that Green Book, I then understood what she meant by supporting our own. I know why she had the services and what she offered in her business network.

I also knew why Mr. Henry lived in our home. I saw a financial and economic ecosystem of business revenue between those who supported each other. I think we call it Buy Black.

ALLOW YOUR LESSONS TO BE FILLED WITH GREEN BOOK GOOD TROUBLE IN 2023

every step in our path has a reason. Big Mama’s lessons told us that one upon a time when we were colored we were also self-sufficient and we supported our own because we had no other option.

She introduced me to the Edmund Pettis Bridge and John Lewis. She never let me forget to know that I had the same choices as Congressman Lewis. She said I have to get into what Congressman Lewis called Good Trouble. “You have choices but they better be good choices or else, “ she said.

When Big Mama died, two weeks later I stumbled upon an amazing document in her Cedar Chest. I found the Green Book. Wow what a discovery!

The Green Book was more than a notion; it was a geographical roadmap of Black owned and/or Black patronage – friendly business that Black people could utilize as they

Texas Metro news is a sample of Green Book Good Trouble with its Buy Black campaign and our Superb Women Series and more.

So this week after the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend, I see what Big Mama means. I see while it is great to celebrate the Dream and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is infinitely wiser that we pick up the dream where he left off and then we will enrich and honor his legacy.

Can you make the choice to pick up where he left off and get into some “good trouble?”

Are you ready for some Green Book Good trouble? Let me know today! Email me at terryallenpr@ gmail.com

Terry Allen is an award-winning media professional, journalist, and entrepreneur. He is also the founder of City Men Cook and 1016 Media. Reach him at terryallenpr@gmail.com

DeSoto's Brown-Patrick Resigns Seat

In a statement released Wednesday, DeSoto City Manager told City employees that Council Member Kay Brown-Patrick had resigned.

“Please be aware that Council Member Kay Brown-Patrick resigned her seat on the City Council at last night’s meeting. The City Council is intending to appoint someone to fill the remaining term for Place 2, which is up for election in May,” the statement read.

Councilmembers met Tuesday to address a whistleblower’s claims that Councilwoman Brown-Patrick no longer resides in the district in which she was elected to serve and during the meeting she tendered her resignation.

When the Council came out of executive session, Councilmember Brown-Patrick addressed the Council:

“In considering the executive session that we came out of I wanted to let the public know I am choosing to resign my seat from Place 2 for the sake of my council members and public trust. I do want to state clearly that I still currently do reside in Place 2. I have submitted documentation and statements.”

She further stated that the perception and scrutiny of a “recent purchase” figured in her decision and she added support for her fellow councilmembers who she did not want the situation to have a negative impact on.

A source close to City govern -

ment said that officials first heard that the Brown-Patrick had relocated after receiving a phone call from a person who said that they knew about and had information about the location of the move, which was not in the council member’s district.

ed seat would be addressed.

Brown-Patrick was elected to DeSoto City Council November 2018 in a special election to serve an unexpired term for Place 2 and she was re-elected in November 2020.

Prior to being elected, she served as a Board member on Keep DeSoto Beautiful and also worked with the Code Enforcement Department in their Eyes and Ears Program.

According to her website, she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from The University of North Texas. She is also a graduate of the Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute, a prestigious program that is required in order to obtain a Certified Economic Developer Certification, the leading designation in the industry.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the Council considered the situation in executive session; therefore, the public did not have access either in person or by logging on the Desototexas.gov website or the Government Access Channel 16 on Time Warner and Channel 99 on AT&T Uverse.

However the vote to accept Brown-Patrick’s resignation was approved unanimously.

Mayor Rachel Proctor thanked Brown-Patrick for her service and informed everyone that the vacat-

Brown-Patrick received the Certified Municipal Officer designation from the Texas Municipal League. This designation, held by less than 100 other Texas elected officials, is awarded to officials who have displayed a commitment to expanding their knowledge about their governance roles and city government through a variety of educational opportunities.

An active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., which recently served its 110th anniversary, Brown-Patrick is the Founder and Executive Director of We the Village, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports children with incarcerated parents and their caregivers.

Hon. Kay Brown-Patrick DeSoto City Council

From Texas Metro News Staff

Prayer is Your Power

FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

BY DR. FROSWA BOOKER-DREW

This week, a friend informed me that she was following the ambulance to the hospital with her husband. Her husband was going through a major health crisis. She wasn’t the only one who reached out—a friend’s mother had unexplained pain and another friend contacted me about her friend’s son who was hospitalized with pneumonia. Each of them asked that I pray for them.

I consider it an honor to pray for others. Pray is powerful and I love that I have a group of friends who I can turn to that I call the “prayer warriors” that when I send a text to lift up the concerns and issues of others before God, they go into battle mode. Prayer is a weapon and I think many of us don’t understand it’s power until we need it. For many of us, it’s a routine, something that’s more about religion than it is about relationship.

We have gotten prayer twisted as some exchange solely for stuff. God is not a celestial Santa Claus dropping off gifts. Prayer is an opportunity to go before to God sincerely in relationship. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they

have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5–8)

Prayer is about faith. It is believing that God hears us. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) I realize that my prayers are even more powerful when I am in relationship with others seeking God: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).

It’s dangerous when we see prayer as a way to manipulate God into doing what we want. There is nothing wrong with bringing your requests before God but it’s important to check our motivation and intention. It’s also important to know that just because God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way that we want does not mean that God doesn’t love us. It doesn’t mean that God does not hear us. It does not negate the omnipotence or goodness of God, either. We must believe that God is able. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

It’s easy to blame God when things don’t go the way we want them to— ”the rain falls on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Terrible things happen to good people often. We live in an unjust world with people making decisions that are informed more by profit than people. We cannot take those principles into our relationship with God. We must believe that “… all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) …. God is concerned with our hearts, with people and cares for us even when things don’t go the way we’d like.

I can report that all of the individuals we prayed for had excellent results. God is good! Yet, I realize that this isn’t always the case. Prayer is powerful. God wants us to have this daily form of communication. 1 John 5:14, tells us: “And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us.” Don’t use prayer just when you need something. Just as all relationships require consistent communication for growth and results, the same is even more important in our relationship with God. Prayer is a powerful partnership with God that can move mountains when we believe!

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.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! January

Shenya and Stacy Brown

Darryl and Dr. Nicole Roberts Jones 16 years

Demarcus and Hannah Cole 2 years Quali Metra and Duane Champman 19 years

Dr. Donald R. and Deborah Parish 51 years

Antonio and Ashley Kornegay 6 years

What Teaching in a Pandemic Taught Me

By Dorothy Gentry

We could see it looming on the horizon.

After weeks of anticipation and marking off days on the calendar; it was finally around the corner. The proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Spring Break!

Teachers at my schoolLady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving ISD, where I taught 6th grade math – me included, were hurriedly finishing grading and front-loading lesson plans so we wouldn’t have to work over the break, and making plans to rest, relax and recharge.

Students were sharing their Spring Break plans excitedly in the halls – family trips, sleeping all day, playing video games and watching movies all night long and most of all – no school for a week.

Like every other district in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, staff, students and administrators left for Spring Break 2020.

And we never came back.

The COVID-19 Pandemic hit in full force while we were all on Spring Break – literally shutting down the world.

It was the last time we saw our students – and our colleagues – in person again for literally months. A worldwide health challenge had gripped the nation, and no one was immune.

Teachers who studied Math, English, Science, So-

cial Studies and more in college, had to become technology, IT, computer experts overnight. We had to shift and shift quick – as we “returned” from Spring Break – feet away from our couches and televisions to a table with a computer. We had to set up engaging lesson plans online, hold classes on Zoom, hold staff meetings on Zoom, communicate with everyone and everything via technology.

It was our “new normal.” We still woke up at the same time, but our commute was seconds instead of minutes or hours.

It was challenging for sure. We couldn’t make the kids get on Zoom; sure, we took attendance, but who could fault kids for not getting on a Zoom session at 8 a.m. in the morning, during a world-wide pandemic while their parents were at work or worse, at home having lost their job due to the pandemic.

It was challenging and stretched me as an educator in ways I never imagined. I, too, was dealing with the effects of the pandemic, worried about family, friends, myself, and wondering what this COVID-19 was and where did it come from.

All the while learning to “teach” 70 kids in a day via an app. Some had Internet, some didn’t.

There were those who didn’t want their cameras on; some who did. There was all kind of background noise in various homes; some kids logged into the Zoom still in pajamas and in the bed.

But I had to press on: “What are prime numbers? Give me examples of… Johnny please turn your camera on…what is the opposite of a prime nu… Maria please mute yourself, we can hear your television sweetie...”

At times there were just too many obstacles to overcome ranging from no Internet at home; spotty Internet at home; trauma from the pandemic and more. And grading -ha, that was near impossible.

But there were also some positive eye-openers for me while teaching in the midst of a pandemic.

The quiet student in the classroom suddenly found her voice at home on a Zoom camera. Students had to be-

come instantly responsible for their own learning in a way – since there was no teacher to stand over them and demand they get the work done - and many thrived on the new-found freedom.

This experience stretched me as a teacher and a person. It taught me empathy and compassion for my students in a different way than being in a classroom ever could because I could now effectively see what they were dealing with at home, away from school.

It taught me that I didn’t often give my students the freedom to own their learning; to try and make mistakes.

I was always quick to correct, did too much of the thinking for them and guided them way too much when, sometimes, they needed –and wanted - to learn to guide themselves.

Perhaps the longest lasting lesson I learned as a teacher is that we– students, principals, teachers, coaches, parents - we are all doing the very, very best we can on any day with the circumstances handed to each of us.

A little grace, patience, mercy, compassion, understanding, love and forgiveness goes a long way.

And for many, a worldwide pandemic was just what it took to learn those valuable lessons.

Dorothy J. Gentry is a 20-year educator and 30-year journalist. She teaches 7th Grade English/Language Arts/Reading in Irving ISD and is sports editor for IMessenger Media/Texas Metro News.

Dorothy Gentry

This story is from the special edition powered by the National Association of Black Journalists and the Chan Zuckerberg Institute.

Metro Community Calendar powered

JANUARY

19

MLK Week’s Good Conversations & Membership Reception

Mingle with other Black Professionals & find out what’s happening socially and professionally in DFW Thu, 6:30 pm HALL Arts Hotel, Curio Collection Hilton 1717 Leonard Street Dallas, TX 75201

20

Pop at The Muse

Fri, 9 pm The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, 650 S Griffin St Dallas, TX 21

22

Black Excellence Night 2023

Join us Sun. Doors open at 9:00 am Join us on to celebrate Black Excellence in the DFW. For tickets or event information, visit https://blackexcellenceinc.org/tickets.

American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave Dallas, TX 75219

FEBRUARY 3

***

by

African American Museum of Dallas

Join us for our NEW history of soul food bus tour! in addition to local history and food Sat, 4th, 10 am 3536 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX

5

Black Cowboys: An American Story Shining light on the rich history of Black Cowboys and mpact on Texas history Sat. 6 PM African American Museum Dallas, 3536 Grand Ave. Dallas, TX ***

Black Girl Fest Conference a global brand building projects with purpose to help create a better future for our communty Sat. 12 pm https://www.blackgirlfest.com

Crafty Kids Celebrate Black History Month

Fri, 5:30 pm Arcadia Park Branch Library, 1302 N Justin Ave Dallas, TX 4

Black Fathers of Soul Music Concert

The Black Academy of Arts & Letters Sat, 8 pm 650 S Griffin St. Dallas, TX

11

17

Zion Chapel Economic Development Learn about how genes differ in relation to nutrition for the African American community. Sat, Feb 11th, 10 am 1004 N Jefferson St, Lancaster, TX

12

The Dallas Black Dance Theatre present “Cultural Awareness” in honor of Black History Month 7:30 pm Fri 17th & Sat 18th Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre 2400 Flora St, Dallas, TX 20

Black History Tour

In order to honor the park’s commitment to emphasizing Black History every month, our Black History Tour is now offered every Sun, starting Feb 12th, 5 pm 1515 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX

Event by Young Professionals Division Want to find out about what’s happening in DFW; want to tell us what’s happening in DFW; looking to get more involved; looking for more social or business connections 6:30 pm1601 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75201

25

Middle Grade Makers

Celebrate Black History Sat, 2:30 pm Walnut Creek Branch Library 3319 Edgewood Dr. Garland, TX

Parkway Drive

Byron Bay Band, consisting of frontman Winston McCall, guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, drummer Ben Gordon & bassist Jia O’Connor. Sun, 7:30 pm House of Blues 2200 N Lamar St. Dallas, TX

Lifestyle Metro Calendar powered by

JANUARY

21

Bridging The Gap for Generations 3 pm The Dock Bookshop. 6637 Meadowbrook Dr., Ft. Worth

Ressurection Body of Christ presents Vision Board Party Sat. 11am 2349 Cedar Crest Blvd. Dallas, 75249

22

Vision Board Experience!!! Sun. 2:30 pm DeSoto Civic Center- Pecan Room III 211 East Pleasant Run Rd. DeSoto, TX 75115 www. drtlyoung.com/prepare2023 27

CHESTER GREGORY: TRIBUTE TO JACKIE WILSON & FRIENDS, by Greenville Ent. Series show: 7:30 pm Greenville Municipal Auditorium 28

Juneteenth Faith and Freedom FreeCommunity Screening Sun, 3 pm Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Denton, 3220 Town Center Tr. Denton, TX

4

TBAAL ROUNDTABLE BREAKFAST Sat,10 am 650 S Griffin St Dallas, TX 1309 Canton St. Dallas

Carrollton Public Library

THIZZ PRESENTS

Independent Artist’s Showtime Friday, 7 pm Christian Lounge 306 S. Bowen Rd. Arlington, TX. 76017 Tickets at door $10

Returning to Our Roots Free Community Movie Screening Sat, 2:20 pm Campus Theatre, 214 W Hickory St Denton, TX

An African American Requiem- first to honor African Americans who have lost their lives due to racial violence. Sat, 6 pm Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, 2900 W Lowden St. Fort Worth, TX

A NIGHT OF SOUL Cover Group & Band Gray Skool out of Ft. Worth preforming hits from groups like Ojays, Commodores, & Temptations Sun, 6 pm Plaza Theater 521 W State St. Garland, TX 31

A Taste of Jazz Erika has been invited to perform in Dallas, Sat. 4th at A Taste of Jazz. If you are looking for an evening of nice Jazz music, purchase your tickets here. Link for tickets: https:// www.eventbrite.com/ taste-of-jazz-experience 12

All are welcome to hear excerpts from stories, poems, and songs written by African American authors. 5 pm Josey Ranch Lake 1700 Keller Springs Rd, Carrollton, TX

18

Celebrate your favorite black superheroes with us! We’ll be sharing about black characters in movies, TV, and comics with clips from Static Shock playing on our projector. Oak Lawn Sat. 18th 2 PM 4100 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas, TX

Fort Worth’s Inaugral Black Men In White Coats... UNTHSC Medical Education & Training, Sun,12th 10 am 1000 Montgomery St.Fort Worth, TX

24

Annual Festival Of Black Dance

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Fri, 8 pm 650 S Griffin St. Dallas,TX

POETRY SLAM Sign Up

Denton Black Film Festival Sat, 8 pm

Greater Denton Arts Council, 400 E Hickory St. Denton, TX

GloRilla-Anyways, Life’s Great Tour-nominated for “Best Rap Performance” at 65th Annual GrammysTue, 7 pm House of Blues 2200 N Lamar St. Dallas

FEBRUARY 1-28

High Tea & Fashion Show Benefiting Ranch Hands Rescue & First Refuge Sun, 12th, 10 am Ministries www.cbmai.net

Call issued to Support Black Businesses

Buy Black!

By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, of Friendship-West Baptist Church, announced 100 Days of Buying Black in acknowledging the 100th Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we joined the movement. December 31, 2021 marked 100 days of featuring Black Businesses. and we decided that the struggle continues and we must also. So enjoy reading about more Black-owned businesses and please support.

COGNAC LIFE DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Cognac Life is the digital lifestyle magazine that celebrates the Artistry of Urban Living. They celebrate their brand’s development as the only digital lifestyle platform dedicated to urban food, wine, spirits, and travel. Cognac Life is a tradition rooted in the history of African American soldiers stationed in France during World Wars I and II. Want to know more? Check them out. https://www.cognaclifestyle.com/about-themagazine or email: info@cognaclifestyle.com

ICEDUP PHOTOGRAPHY

The IcedUp Experience was created by Owner/ Photographer Michael Lee , after learning what the industry was missing, and that’s a great experience! Helping talents from all over the world elevate to the

next level of their lives. The have helped over 1,000 talents land paid jobs , magazine publishing’s , blog publishing and so much more.

Visit the website: https://www. icedupstudios.net/ icedupphotographty@gmail.com or 817.919.2031

EUDAIMONIA WELLNESS & BEAUTY

Eudaimonia Wellness & Beauty LLC’s Founder and Registered Nurse Janeisha Mays’ mission is to promote the community’s health and wellness delivering high-quality comprehensive preventive care with an alternative approach to optimize, renew and revive your health. Janeisha say’s “Don’t QUIT and don’t COMPARE yourself to OTHERS.”

Location: 539 W. Commerce St. #2336 Dallas, TX 75208.

https://eudaimoniawellnessandbeauty.com/

THE COLOR PURPLE CAFÉ

Delectable, Soul Food, Delivered. The Color Purple Café where they make home cooked meals with you in mind! They’re a small locally owned restaurant and catering business bringing delicious, soulful home-cooked meals straight from our their commercial kitchen to yours. They take orders in advance each week Monday-Thursday and prepare those meals to be picked up or delivered FridaySunday.

Call to order at (469) 476-4432 or you can order online: https://colorpurplecafe.com/ or email: eat@ colorpurplecafe.com

NOLA’S PERFECT PRALINES LLC

Owner Will Lewis

Nola’s Perfect Pralines is a Home Based Sweet Shop Giving Your Sweet Tooth A Real Sweet Treat! They hand

make Signature Gourmet

Praline Pecan Candy & each batch takes 1-2 hours to make! They are Originally from New Orleans, LA and now based in Fort Worth TX. Delivering Gourmet Pralines to homes all over the World!

Visit the website: http://bit.ly/3ZB89xZ or call Will Lewis at: 817-875-1513

COOKIE SOCIETY

Owners Marissa and Jeff Allen

The Cookie Society was established in 2018 by Marissa and Jeff Allen. Their special recipes for Chocolate Chip cookie was first, then came the famous Banana Pudding cookie and from there the flavors expanded to over 70. The Cookie Society also specializes in unique flavors inspired by childhood staples, elevated classics, and other flavors typically reserved for cakes and pies. https://cookiesociety.com To order. Email info@cookiesociety.com

ROUND HOUSE PAPER

Owner, Nicole Lightbourne

Making her daughters’ bookshelf and playroom more reflective of their own images motivated the founder, Nicole Lightbourne, to form Round House Paper. She created stickers, stationery and stories they enjoyed and grew with and wanted to share those more broadly. The mission of Round House Paper’s is to decrease reading level disparities for little readers in the Black community with the help of adults and educators around them. A portion of all proceeds proudly benefit the Round House Paper Annual Texas Teacher Grant. www.roundhousepaper.com or email: hi@roundhousepaper.com

Dr. Frederick D.Haynes III

Garland NAACP celebrates KING

Citizens of Garland, and across Dallas County enjoyed a beautiful day of sunny skies and excited participants at the Garland NAACP’s annual Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and a number of other activities over the weekend. It was a celebration and a time to commemorate the life of Dr. King and to address the concerns he raised decades ago; while also recognizing the great talent in the community.

Photos: Simmons Event Photography

Grand Marshals - Garland Mayors Scott LeMay (current) and Ronald Jones (former)

Realizing the Dream

Healthy Living Expo 2023 Dallas

Photos: Eva D.Coleman

Dallas Parade

Battle of the Bands Pays Off for High School Students

By Sylvia Dunnavant Hines Texas Metro News Correspondent

The roaring sounds of trombone and drum beating could be heard from miles around as10 high schools from Texas and Louisiana converged on Global Life Field for the 2nd Annual Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands.

This Martin Luther King Weekend, thousands of high school students and Historical Black College and University (HBCUs) came together as bands showcased their skilled performances in pursuit of the $50,000 prize being awarded by the Parrish Charitable Foundation.

“One of the things that I like to do is to create opportunities for the youth,” said Dallas philanthropist and entrepreneur, Roland Parrish, adding that the idea for the Battle of the Bands came to him after he

attended a football game between Skyline and Duncanville High Schools. “When I saw the bands play, I wanted to make a contribution to the bands.”

Parrish is known for making a difference by empowering young people in the community. After pulling his team together to develop a fun way to contribute to local high school bands, they came up with the concept of having a battle of the bands.

Even though this was a competition, prior to the event Par-

rish sent $5,000 cashier checks to all 10 participating schools that were involved in his inaugural Roland Parrish Band Competition.

“What was surprising last year after we were summarizing what happened at the event, we realized that the band directors also offered some of the students’ scholarships,” he said. “The number of scholarships offered was around $400,000. This had a significant impact in our community. This year we have a few more band directors coming from HBCUs. would like to get to the point that we have an opportunity to give out $500,000 in scholarships.”

He asked, “Can you imagine what would happen if we got to a million dollars in scholarships being offered to youth primarily, in Texas?”

Dr. Nikole Roebuck, chair of the department of music

and has the distinct honor of being the first female director of bands for Grambling State University, is one of this year’s competition judges.

Roebuck, who was a member of the World-Famed Grambling Band said she was honored to participate

“I look forward to the showmanship. I also look forward to coming back and recruiting from some of these students,” said Dr. Roebuck.

Parrish, who has earned a reputation of giving back to the community, is also using this event to challenge other Black business owners to follow in his footsteps.

“There will be businesses in the community assisting these schools as well. I believe if you do business in the community, you are not just supposed to take money out of the community. You are supposed to put money back in the community,” said Parrish, who currently owns 24 McDonald locations.

This event, sponsored by the Parrish Foundation, also paid special tribute to the Southern sector’s three championship coaches, Desoto Coach Clade Mathis, Duncanville Coach Reginald Samples and South

GSU’s Dr. Nikole Roebuck

Businessman Roland Parrish

Football coaches from Dallas-area schools were recognized for their state championship wins at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. (From left: Johnny King, DeSoto High School head coach Claude Mathis, Mitchell Ward, South Oak Cliff head coach Jason Todd, Hiawatha Williams, Duncanville High head football coach Reginald Samples and Roland Parrish)

Oak Cliff Coach Jason Todd.

“My motto is creating opportunities and celebrating success, that is why there is also an educational component to the battle of the bands. Recently I was talking to a single mom who was excited about our college fair because it gave her eighth grader an opportunity to start looking at college at an early age,” said Parrish.

Dozens of colleges showcased information about their schools and passed out literature at the college expo.

“The reason that the combination of the battle of the bands and the college fair are critical is because young people are coming because they are interested in the bands, but they also need to be curious about what higher education looks like. The earlier we get them engaged the better they are in the future. They don’t need to wait until they are high school juniors and seniors to have to make a decision about college. The earlier they make a college option it makes it more accessible and affordable as they decide exactly what they want to do,” said Maurice West, Dean of Men/External Affairs at Paul Quinn College.

Parrish looks forward to his vision becoming a dream for youth throughout North Texas as he expands and adds other HBCUs to his platform. It is his goal to make college attainable for any young person that has higher education aspirations.

Sylvia Dunnavant Hines

is a News Correspondent for Texas Metro News and the founder of the Celebrating Life Foundation, focusing on Breast Cancer Awareness.

Prince Wade (left) looks up at the big screen before performing with the Carter High School marching band alongside Sakari Hastings (right) at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Sunset High School marching band members perform at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Photos: Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer

Townview Big “D” Band performs at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Members of Skyline High School’s marching band prepare to perform at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

A young Lancaster ISD student looks to a drum major of the Lancaster High School marching band for the next move of their performance at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Members of Wilmer-Hutchins High School marching band perform at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Townview Big “D” Band performs at the Roland Parrish Battle of the Bands at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

More Than a Big Mac!

In March 2020 of my junior year of high school, everything went to a shutdown.

Not only did my siblings and I stop going to school, but my dad also stopped going to work and all of us remained in the house together.

SCHOOL PROVIDED LAPTOPS

At my school, they prepared students that needed a laptop by assigning each student one. I was one of those students that received the laptop of course by signing a paper. If anything were to happen, then I would be held responsible for paying $200 for the damages or losing it.

Obviously I made sure to take care of it.

Also, the school created their own website in which we students needed to stay connected with everything when it comes to news, class codes, and resources.

At first, I thought COVID 19 would not be so important and that the spread would not reach the U.S borders, but no! I was wrong about the outcome.

I did feel scared about the pandemic as the news was updating about the large numbers

of people getting affected, people passing away by COVID, people calling it a hoax, any doctor's recommendation of how to safely deal with the situation.

I felt safe being in my home and not being exposed to people who had it.

Normally school would continue, but it was online. At my home we did not have Wi-Fi of our own. You may be wondering how I did my assignments and attended classes by Zoom?

To answer your question, I used McDonald's Wi-Fi behind my backyard. I was surprised about it as well and utilized it to my advantage until school was over.

However, I probably was not

the only one since the McDonalds Wi-Fi is free, so sometimes it was slow. I’m so glad McDonald’s was here when I needed it!

ON LOCKDOWN

During lockdown I liked it that I did not have to wake up too early to get ready and then go to school. Also, for me as an introvert it was great to not go to school because I would dread socializing.

DEPRESSION

Since I was dealing with depression due to my mom passing away in the summer of 2019, the Fall of 2019 I was not doing so well and did not want to be surrounded by people.

When teachers or students would casually talk about death it would trigger me to the point of crying. I am aware that some people do not like being isolated or feeling caged in their own home.

I, on the other hand, felt I needed to isolate myself from people and try to find myself, even though I live with my siblings and my dad.

The challenging part for me during the pandemic was en-

suring my younger siblings were attending Zoom meetings and doing their assignments; while also helping them out in areas they needed help on.

SENIOR YEAR

In my senior year I continued the online classes since my dad felt like it still was not safe for me and my siblings to go to school. Finally we got Wi-Fi of our own.

I would say for graduation they only wanted us to make sure we all passed the STAAR exams, apply to at least the college of our choice, and pass all our classes to be able to purchase the cap and gown.

We did the ceremony in person, but they gave each student a limited number of tickets, eight per student, which is okay for me.

But the ceremony was weird because it has been like ages that I have seen my fellow classmates since the pandemic.

Overall, I am grateful to still be alive, have achieved my high school diploma and to be currently attending the college of my choice.

Jesus M. Garcia attends Dallas College and she hopes to eventually become a Dental Hygienist. Currently living with her siblings and dad, she enjoys creating art.

By Jesus Maria Garcia

Jesus Maria Garcia

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POINT/COUNTER POINT

Teenagers Should Get Vaccinated Just Say No to the VACCINE

By Jennifer Igbonoba

Vaccines and kids.

Two words that when mixed together can cause mass hysteria.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, it is time to turn our attention to the younger citizens of our society. It is time to explain to teenagers why they should take the vaccine.

The first, and by far most obvious reason for taking the vaccine, is to slow the spread of the virus.

Before vaccines were widely available to the American public, masks were used as a way to slow the spread due to COVID-19 being an airborne virus.

Now, with mask requirements being more lenient in Texas, vaccines serve as the tool to slow the spread of the virus and its more contagious variants; the most common one right now being the B.1.617.2 (Delta).

Historically speaking, the widespread use of vaccinations for a particular disease can significantly lower its transmission and, in the case of smallpox, eradicate it, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The second reason teens should get vaccinated is to protect those who are unvaccinated. At this stage in the pandemic and vaccine layout, it is easy to dismiss those who are unvacci-

nated as anti-vaxxing conspiracy theorists.

However, that is not always the case.

Currently in Texas, children under the age of 12 are not authorized to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which places them more at risk to contract the Delta variant.

Also, while not unauthorized to get the vaccine, people with less common underlying conditions like those allergic to certain ingredients in the mRNA vaccines may not be able to take the vaccine because the side effects could worsen their condition.

In order to protect those who are medically not able to get vaccinated, widespread vaccination among those who can is important.

Finally, you must protect yourself.

When I talk to my peers, most tell me that because they have a lower chance of dying from the virus, they should not worry about or get the vaccine.

By Camarion Johnson

Lives were changed during the year 2020 when COVID-19 officially started being a concern in the United States.

My life was changed on March 13, 2020; little did I know that that day would be my last day as a regular student.

I had never experienced a pandemic. I was still in middle school when the country had to go through being quarantined, and it was towards the middle of my eighthgrade year.

That year I changed a lot because I became more confident in myself and a sort of social butterfly, but everything changed after COVID.

Pre-pandemic I was doing really well with my grades and I was not afraid to speak in front of other people or to be who I was.

I was so social to the point where I would help a lot of people around my school when volunteers were needed and I was proud to talk and I was not shy at all.

When online learning began no one I knew had any idea how to navigate through it and that made learning really difficult.

There was also lots of awkwardness because it was the first time everyone saw each

other through technology.

There were endless problems with the technology, the internet, and the means of communication; so in the end the pandemic took away my last months of being a middle schooler before transitioning to high school.

I personally, to this day really hate the way things went because my eighth grade year was supposed to be a great one and the way things were going I also believed I would have been really happy with my academic life.

The few months that I did spend doing online classes for my eighth grade year were nothing compared to how overwhelming the next months would be due to the fact that I had to figure out what school I would be attending for high school all through phone calls and emails that would usually not be answered.

The virus and pandemic

Despite that belief having a factual basis according to reports from the CDC, it does not put into context the long term effects of the virus.

While young teens are less likely to die from the virus compared to older adults, they are also just as likely to be asymptomatic and unaware they have the viral particles in their immune system.

The strain the virus puts on the immune system distracts it from defending the body against other minor illnesses which can cause those small illnesses to have a greater effect on the body than they usually do.

Throughout this pandemic, we have all missed out on typical American milestone events; like proms, graduations, birthday parties, and all the events we’ve been looking

forward to pre-pandemic.

Now, we finally have a chance to return to a somewhat normal life by being safe and protecting those around us.

Together, we can all slowly limit the spread and potentially eradicate the virus, by simply getting vaccinated.

Jennifer Igbonoba wrote this essay when she was a graduating senior at Rockwall High School in Rockwall, Texas and a Scripps Howard Foundation Emerging Journalists Intern with Texas Metro News through the University of North Texas.

both also took quite a negative toll on my mental health because I was not used to staying at home with my four siblings. I felt as if I had no room to breath at times and felt trapped.

I also began to overthink a lot and began to make myself panic by making my mind believe that I was isolated and that I would never be able to live a normal life again or the life I did before everything happened.

Even though there were a lot of negatives to the pandemic, some of the good things that came out of it were that I learned how to use technology better and learned that some relationships that I had were actually just acquaintances and nothing more.

In the end, I believe that COVID is something that affected every individual in one way or another.

We as a nation learned to slowly overcome it and now we should do anything and everything possible to not be in that position again,.

But if we were to go back, this time we would not be as lost as we were during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nathaly Vazquez is a 16-year-old junior enrolled at Lassiter Early College. The oldest of five she has a goal to be successful and help her mom out in the future.

How COVID impacted my life and education as a student

By Nathaly Vazquez

Lives were changed during the year 2020 when COVID-19 officially started being a concern in the United States.

My life was changed on March 13, 2020; little did I know that that day would be my last day as a regular student.

I had never experienced a pandemic. I was still in middle school when the country had to go through being quarantined, and it was towards the middle of my eighth-grade year.

That year I changed a lot because I became more confident in myself and a sort of social butterfly, but everything changed after COVID.

Pre-pandemic I was doing really well with my grades and I was not afraid to speak in front of other people or to be who I was.

I was so social to the point where I would help a lot of people around my school when volunteers were needed and I was proud to talk and I was not shy at all.

When online learning began no one I knew had any idea how to navigate through it and that made learning really difficult.

There was also lots of awkwardness because it was the first time everyone saw each other through technology.

There were endless problems with the technology, the internet, and the means of communication; so in the end the pandemic took away my last months of being a middle schooler before transitioning to high school.

I personally, to this day really hate the way things went because my eighth grade year was supposed to be a great one and the way things were going I also believed I

would have been really happy with my academic life.

The few months that I did spend doing online classes for my eighth grade year were nothing compared to how overwhelming the next months would be due to the fact that I had to figure out what school I would be attending for high school all through phone calls and emails that would usually not be answered.

The virus and pandemic both also took quite a negative toll on my mental health because I was not used to staying at home with my four siblings. I felt as if I had no room to breath at times and felt trapped.

I also began to overthink a lot and began to make myself panic by making my mind believe that I was isolated and that I would never be able to live a normal life again or the life I did before

everything happened.

Even though there were a lot of negatives to the pandemic, some of the good things that came out of it were that I learned how to use technology better and learned that some relationships that I had were actually just acquaintances and nothing more.

In the end, I believe that COVID is something that affected every individual in one way or another.

We as a nation learned to slowly overcome it and now we should do anything and everything possible to not be in that position again,.

But if we were to go back, this time we would not be as lost as we were during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nathaly Vazquez is a 16-yearold junior enrolled at Lassiter Early College. The oldest of five she has a goal to be successful and help her mom out in the future.

COVID-19 Provided Many Challenges for Seventh Grader

By Vanessa De La Paz

COVID-19 has impacted many lives and made everyone go through tough and struggling times.

When we were all living through the pandemic it was a very scary and panicking time which made our lives difficult.

In the beginning when we got sent home due to COVID, I was in 7th grade, and classmates including myself were looking forward to it because we all thought “yay! No more school,” but after a while of being stuck at home it was becoming very depressing because I would be around the same people and relive the same day doing nothing.

Also, not being able to see my family was another thing that affected my School days during COVID were troubling times because learning online was difficult to get used to, hard to nav-

Some people like me were not strong visual learners and needed to be in person which was a setback for students

Once we had the option to be at home

DEPRESSING

...

or in person it made it a bit easier, but the masks were another challenge to get used to during this time because to wear a mask for about 7-8 hours every week was not easy and certainly hard to breath and talk through; but it was all for our safety.

The pandemic was a life changing event. This pandemic was certainly not an easy thing to get through.

During the pandemic I tried to make the most out of it and make it fun because the pandemic allowed us to have so much free time that gave me time to focus on myself, come to realizations, and spend quality time with family.

These things, especially family, helped me get through the pandemic because I was not alone in this and had people to be isolated with instead of being on my own.

In conclusion, COVID and the pandemic had a significant impact on my personal life.

As a student it most certainly affected my educational life but I learned a lot and am still learning from the experience.

Vanessa De La Paz is a student at Wright Lassiter Academy where she is a dual credit student who will graduate with her high school diploma and her Associates Degree from Dallas College.

In the beginning when we got sent home due to COVID, I was in 7th grade, and classmates including myself were looking forward to it because we all thought “yay! No more school,” but after a while of being stuck at home it was becoming very

Prom Season, Sports, Graduations Affected

By Dr. Linda Amerson

What does our skin do for us?

Top 5 Must See Black Christmas Movies to Enjoy during the Holidays

The skin protects us from microbes and the elements, help regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, cold and pain. It is the largest organ of the body.

that your MUA is using clean tools when offering services. Your facial skin reflects how well you take care of it. Crystal can be reached at: Crystal Scott Artistry, www.crystalscottartistry.com cscottartistry@gmail.com, 817.938.3112

Gayle Washington

Having trouble finding the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your family? Look further, here are five perfect Black Christmas movies to enjoy.

laugh for the holiday season.

The scalp tissue can also feel the soothing touch of a good shampoo, heat when a flat iron, pressing comb or curling iron touches it, coldness of the winter season and pain of any trauma to the scalp. Put simply, your scalp tissue has a tolerance level, just like your skin.

Almost Christmas:

The Perfect Holiday:

Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, 817 265 8854 and her award-winning products may be purchased at Hairandscalpessentials.com #ScalpDoctor #39yrVeteran

Remember that.

It is the first Christmas the Walker’s are spending without their mother and her home cooked meal. They are trying celebrate their mother, but challenges arises as they are overcoming their personal issues with each other.

A divorced mother of three Nancy begins to feel lonely during the holiday season, her daughter finds the perfect match for her at the mall!

Tips for healthier skin: cleanse at least twice daily…morning and at night.

This Christmas:

Moisturize daily to protect your skin from environmental dryness.

Wear a sunscreen during the summer season…sun damage can be painful, as well as darken/damage your skin cells.

Pamper your skin with a facial every week to two weeks time line. Excessive sugar in your diet affects your facial skin. Eat fruits, vegetables and hydrate by drinking water…half your body weight.

A Madea Christmas:

Madea visits her niece Lacey down in Alabama. She discovers secret about Lacey and they all trying to figure out how to tell her mother. This is the perfect

The family is celebrating Christmas for the first time with all of them together in years. Ma’Dere is happy to see her children, but it seems that they cannot get along with each other.

I am thankful for MUAs! Crystal Scott has assisted me with five Magazine Cover Girl glam looks! The pandemic has impacted her makeup service business and she shares about her survival.

Best Man Holiday:

College friends are all back together after 15 years to celebrate the holiday, learning that one of them is ill.

According to Crystal, who is the owner of Crystal Scott Artistry, she has been a make-up artist for seven years. She tells of challenges during the pandemic, “At the beginning, COVID-19 caused a decrease in business during prom season. But, with the influx of high school seniors wanting senior pictures and the opening of business amid wedding season, business has now increased.

“I haven’t had to incorporate many changes. As an MUA, sanitation and cleanliness are very important. I have always used disposable wands and refrain from double dipping in tubes products. I sanitize my tools after every client.  I now use gloves with clients and wear a mask as the major change.”

Crystal is also in the classroom.

“I have not received much feedback at this time, regarding questions from customers or new customers about my services, I am also an Elementary School Teacher,” she said. “We adapted to teaching our students on-line after spring break.”

Two tips she shares with her customers: “Always wash and sanitize your tools after you purchase them and make sure

Kendall

Graphic by Maya Palavali

Make-up artist Crystal Scott

Photo: CScott

Fit for the prom from head to toe Photo: facebook