I Messenger 6-24-22

I MESSENGER CELEBRATING THE BLACK PRESS!

VOL XI NO 42 June 24, 2022

See www.myimessenger.com for more coverage

I Messenger 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 editor@myimessenger.com www.myimessenger.com S. Curet GENERAL MANAGER stewartcuret@myimessenger.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Marva Sneed EDITORIAL TEAM Anthony Council Chelle Wilson Dareia Tolbert Dr. Felicia N. Shepherd Dorothy J. Gentry Eva Coleman Monique P. Stone Lajuana Barton Rebecca Aguilar Vincent Hall DESIGN/LAYOUT FzanStudio

District 4 - What’s in a name?

OUR VOICES

BY CAROLYN KING ARNOLD

To name a street, building or park after a person is a way of publicly honoring that person’s achievements. Seeing those names ignites interest within us to find out more about that person, talk about where we’ve been, and helps us determine if we’re heading in the right direction.

Arthello Beck Jr. (1941-2004) artist and native oak cliff resident was the first Black person to open a gallery in Dallas Texas. Beck’s paintings spoke loudly through his use of bright colors on social, political and religious matters, they demonstrated his diversity in artworks that captured the daily lives of Black

people. Twin Falls Park, located, on the corner of South Polk and West Red Bird Lane in Dallas Texas will be the new home an Arthello Beck Jr. sculpture.

Hiawatha Williams, founder of Williams Chicken has dedicated his life to improving the lives of others in the community and giving them an opportunity to succeed. For 18 years Mr. Williams worked for the Church’s Chicken enterprise, thirty years ago believing in himself, a dream and his abilities started The Williams Chicken Enterprise. The Cummings Recreation Center located at 2976 Cummings St, Dallas, TX has been re-named the Hiawatha Williams Recreation Community Center.

Together we will transformer today’s District 4 into a thriving district where jobs, community pride, respectable affordable housing and the essentials of quality of life are common place for all residents.

WEB/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

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The Cummings Recreation Center

Hiawatha Williams

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.

Twin Falls Park

June 24, 2022

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Arthello Beck Jr

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INSIDE

QUIT PLAYIN’ Your Great Grandmother would whip your ass! And if she didn’t, somebody else’s grandma might do it in her absence. Comedian and Oscar award winner Monique, has a niche for grabbing the spotlight. She speaks boldly, and in some cases, out of order...

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THE BLACK CARD

TO BE EQUAL

When I pull any Lucille “Big Mama” Allen rules out of her vast faith driven Playbook, I stand to change a life just by absorbing and passing on wisdom from Big Mama on the back porch or front porch. Lucille “Big Mama” Allen would always speak her truth in the powerful Black woman position...

Governance of the KCPD is an atavistic vestige of slavery and Jim Crow that does not foster public confidence and trust. The stakeholders whose tax dollars fund the department lack the power to redress the KCPD’s incompetence and deficiencies.

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Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms joins White House

By Erika DuBose

Black Wall Street Times

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has a new role in the White House. Lance Bottoms was recently selected as senior adviser to the President on public engagement.

Lance Bottoms now oversees the White House Office of Public Engagement. President Joe Biden appointed her, along with a handful of other advisory personnel.

According to the President, Lance Bottoms “understands that democracy is about making government work for working families, for the people who are the backbone of this country.

She led the city of Atlanta with strength through the pandemic, through a summer of protests and pain, and through the mass shooting that left Atlanta’s Asian American community in fear.”

From ATL to the White House Lance Bottoms replaces former Congressman Cedric Richmond, who was the first Senior Advisor in the Office of Public myimessenger.com

FILE - Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms arrives to speak during a drive-in rally for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden at Cellairis Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Oct. 27, 2020. Bottoms is joining the Biden administration, replacing Cedric Richmond as head of the office of public engagement.

Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File

experiences within the White House. I am looking forward to helping continue the impactful work that is being done on behalf of the American people.”

Engagement. Former Congressman Richmond is still a close advisor of President Biden.

The White House Office of Public Engagement provides a link between the public and the Biden administration. Lance Bottoms will ensure that the administration receives input from diverse constituencies across the country.

In a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Lance Bottoms said, “As we continue to navigate historic global challenges, it remains important to have a diversity of thought and

Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?

She served as Mayor of Atlanta from 2018 until 2021, and was a city councilwoman prior to that.

Lance Bottoms is an attorney by profession, and served as a prosecutor and a magistrate judge before her tenure as mayor. She was born and raised in Atlanta, which she calls a “welcoming city,” and said that Atlanta “will

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remain open and welcoming to all” when twice-impeached former White House occupant Donald Trump pushed to expel undocumented people in Georgia.

A graduate of Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication graduate, Lance Bottoms is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Links, Inc. Lance Bottoms is also an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, and created the city’s first LGBTQ advisory board in 2018.

She also pushed for Covid restrictions to remain in place when the virus was surging in Georgia.

Lance Bottoms has received accolades for her work in public service, including choice words from President Biden. “Keisha is bright, honorable, tough and has the integrity required to represent our Administration to the American public,” President Biden stated, noting that he and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden “have known Keisha for a long time and look forward to working with her more closely.”

June 24, 2022

MY TRUTH by Cheryl Smith Publisher

Holler if You Hear Me!

There are about 39,000 people in the city of Duncanville, TX. In this suburban city that is part of the ‘Great Southwest” which includes the cities of DeSoto, Cedar Hill and Lancaster, an election was a held to determine who would be the mayor for the next four years.

According to unofficial records, approximately 2342 citizens cast ballots and incumbent mayor Barry L. Gordon was victorious over challenger, City councilman Mark Cooks, by a slim market of less than 200.

There are a number of reasons for the low voter turnout. Some say apathy and restrictive voter laws are just a few of the issues confronting voters.

Some say these issues are taking a toll on voters and making it difficult to prepare for future elections; which the next one is right around the corner — the oh so important but often overlooked midterm elections in November.

Then there’s the rising costs of gasoline, food, medicine and of course, housing. The question some ask is, “would it have been better to have received the stimulus monies and food stamps at the same time as price gouging began at the pumps, and it became cheaper to eat out than to prepare a healthy meal at home?”

After all, who wants to hear about corporate executives receiving huge salaries or more corporations touting record profits, when more and more people across this country are finding themselves waiting in anticipation of June 24, 2022

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I wonder what thoughts are going through the head of basketball great, Houston’s shining star Brittney Griner, as she sits in that cell in Russia. What are they doing and saying to her? Are they torturing her or trying to mess with her head by making her think that people here don’t care about her? the eviction notice that they know is on the way or “halving” their medication doses so they will last longer?

And you have to wonder if there is such a crisis, if inflation’s literally killing us; how do people have the money to afford guns and ammunition to go on shooting sprees or commit random acts of violence?

I wonder what thoughts are going through the head of basketball great, Houston’s shining star Brittney Griner, as she sits in that cell in Russia. What are they doing and saying to her? Are they torturing her or trying to mess with her head by making her think that people here don’t care about her?

Just thinking about her incarceration is stressful.

I applaud those who are working to bring her home and I shake my head at those who don’t even find a minute

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in a day to think about, say a prayer, right a letter or mention the name, Brittney Griner, to anyone they talk to.

Which brings me to my truth.

I’ve always been told that a hit dog will holler.

Well, I am calling on those who aren’t being hit!

You need to start speaking up and not just when you are feeling the pain!

You need to get up and vote, and not just when your friend is on the ballot.

You need to reach out and talk to legislators. elected officials, corporate executives, community leaders and everyone, and not just when you are hungry or about to lose something.

You need to care about someone else because one day you or someone you love will need the same!

You may have not been hit, but it is the right time to holler! myimessenger.com

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June 24, 2022

If She was Still Alive…

QUIT PLAYIN’

BY VINCENT L. HALL

Editor's Note: We are pleased to inform our loyal readers that we have heard you. Although Vincent had announced his retirement, just like Magic Johnson, Randall Cunningham, Michael Jordan, Tina Turner, Deion Sanders, Brett Favre, Justine Henin, Lauryn Hill, Tom Brady, Cher and yes, the GOAT - Muhammad Ali, he is coming back! After a lengthy and grueling but amicable process we were able to reach terms and you can continue reading his insightful, thought-provoking, informative and liberating thoughts on these pages!!! Reprint by popular demand, for Black Music Month

Your Great Grandmother would whip your ass! And if she didn’t, somebody else’s grandma might do it in her absence.

Comedian and Oscar award winner Monique, has a niche for grabbing the spotlight. She speaks boldly, and in some cases, out of order, but her citations are anything but ambivalent. This latest caveat set Black Twitter afire.

Monique was forthright with her admonishment of Black women who sport bonnets, headscarves, pajamas, and slippers in airports and other public places.

“When did we stop having pride in ourselves,” she asked. “When did we stop asking if we were presentable?”

The controversial celebrity admitted that being fully “made up” in heels was not an expectation. Black Twitter had very little sympathy. Most of those were vociferous in their opposition. However, all of the comments were generational.

When police shootings began to go viral on social media, America learned about “The Talk.” Although discussing interactions with the police as a Black man or woman is paramount, it is just one of the “talks” most of us got.

Another part of “The Talk” prior to the Millennials and Gen Z, was that we have to be twice as good as White folks at everything just to get even, much less ahead.

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Monique’s critique is a throwback to that era, and it has some merit.

Whenever we mentor young Black men, the subject of “presentation” comes up. Everyone has the freedom to choose. You just gotta be ready for the consequences.

The truth is that what White folks call wardrobes are more akin to costumes to Black people. We still can’t escape 400 years of racist misnomers and misrepresentations.

A Black man in a suit is a preacher. That same Black man in a tracksuit and tennis shoes is either a “star athlete” or a “jive-ass thug.” It depends on the quality of the outfit.

Monique was not alone in decrying some of the latest trends. The Wall Street Journal released a report two years ago that is parallel.

“While attending Mass at the University of Notre Dame last fall, Maryann White saw something that horrified her: leggings.

A group of young women, all clad in clingy Spandex and short tops, were sitting directly in front of her and her family.

“I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn’t help but see their behinds,” the self-described Catholic mother of four sons wrote in a letter to the editor that was published by the Observer,

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Notre Dame’s student newspaper, on Monday.

“My sons know better than to ogle a woman’s body — certainly when I’m around (and hopefully, also when I’m not).

They didn’t stare, and they didn’t comment afterward. But you couldn’t help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn’t want to see them — but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them.”

Maryann White and Monique are as far apart as they are close. Their call for a “standard” sounds archaic to Millennials, but it’s a Godsend to Baby Boomers. The “standard” in dress and demeanor is now in the cold war stage, but it could be warming up.

A local restaurant has some warnings on its website for potential patrons.

“ON OUR DRESS CODE: We consider hats, tank tops, flip flops, and team athletic attire too casual for our restaurant. If you’d like to wear a hat in our bar, we ask that it be worn traditionally.”

Their website adds a few more guidelines, and this was one item that caught my eye.

“To minimize distractions to other guests, please take cell phone conversations out of seated areas, set devices to silent, and limit the use of laptops or tablets.”

Their warnings are wildly successful. It keeps out the people they want out and draws in the types of people they want. And frankly, Scarlett, I’m tired of hearing your bullshit phone conversations while I try to drown the day’s pain with a Margarita!

My daughters discussed this issue with me, and we agreed to disagree. It was a respectful dialogue. My argument is that Black America is 12% of the total population and dwindling. Given our history of oppression and a permanent minority status, we may need to talk.

Quit Playin’, if Grandmother saw you in that airport, she would “pick a switch” just right for your derriere!

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

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Seven Decades After First Black Reporter Covered White House, the Black Press Receives Coveted Credentials

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Seventy-two years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited Harry S. McAlpin Jr. of the National Negro Publishers Association to cover an Oval Office news conference, and 82-years after the founding of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the Black Press can freely cover the White House.

The NNPA has received a hard pass, allowing near-unfettered access to the White House.

Called the ultimate White House credential, the hard pass allows on-demand access to the famed Pennsylvania Avenue complex.

“The National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Senior National Correspondent, Stacy Brown, has once again enabled our national trade association representing the Black Press of America, to make another historic yet contemporary step forward with the official acquisition of the White House hard-pass,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “The hard pass gives the NNPA daily access to the White House,” Chavis remarked.

As a correspondent for myimessenger.com

The hard pass gives the NNPA daily access to the White House.

the NNPA member newspaper, the Atlanta Daily World, McAlpin covered his first White House press conference in 1944.

However, the White House Correspondents Association vehemently objected to the African American journalist and routinely blocked him from covering the White House.

President Roosevelt intervened after a group of Black leaders expressed

their frustration.

Still, the Association pushed back.

“The president could break the color line for his press conferences, but he could not rewrite the WHCA’s membership policies,” George Condon, the author of a forthcoming work on the history of the Association, told NPR. “They blackballed [McAlpin] from ever joining the Correspondents’

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Association or attending the group’s annual dinner.”

In 2014 the Association finally paid tribute to McAlpin, who died in 1985, with the first Harry S. McAlpin Jr. Scholarship awarded to a college student.

Earlier this year, the Association honored Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington.

However, while honoring the trailblazers, the Association failed to acknowledge Chavis and the NNPA, which purchased a table for 10 at the dinner only to be issued two tickets and seated in the very back of the crowded ballroom.

Perhaps, with the coveted White House hard-pass acquisition, the Association and the rest of the press corps that covers the administration will show more deference to the NNPA and the Black Press of America, which celebrates its 195th anniversary in 2022.

“At this pivotal era in American history, having daily access for the NNPA to the news and issues at the White House that impact the quality of life of Black America and other communities of color are so important and timely,” Chavis concluded.

June 24, 2022

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June 24, 2022

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June 24, 2022

Dallas Mayor, City Manager agree on path forward, together Mayor Eric Johnson and City Manager T.C. Broadnax on Tuesday announced that they have reached an agreement for moving forward together.

“A little over a week ago, I said that it was time for a change at the top of our city government,” Mayor Johnson said. “I still believe we need change. But after some serious and frank discussions with our city manager, I believe he is ready to make the necessary changes to address issues that are critically important to our residents.

“The time for rhetoric is over. It is now time for a reset.

It is now time to heal. And it is now time for real results and accountability.”

Broadnax said he recognizes that he hasn’t handled some issues in a way that is “up to my own standards.”

“I know my team and I can be better. I understand that I am fully accountable to my 15 bosses. So today, I want to say to the mayor, to the members of the City Council, and to all the residents of this dynamic city: I accept the challenge,” Broadnax said. “I take full responsibility for addressing the issues that are critical to the long-term success of the City. I recognize that our problems are not just about what the media reports, but how we perform. I own that.”

He continued, “But today isn’t about looking back. It’s the beginning of a new era — one that I’m very excited about,” he said. “I’ve committed to the mayor that we June 24, 2022

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will reset moving forward and that we will take a fresh approach to the challenges that we still need to address together. And he has committed to me that he will be a collaborative partner in these efforts.”

Major areas of agreement between the mayor and the city manager: • Permitting: The city manager will develop a clear action plan for fixing the

fer negotiations with police and firefighters. The mayor and the city manager will also collaborate on improving community-based public safety initiatives such as violence interruption services, blight remediation, and lighting improvements in high-crime areas.

• 911 call center: The city manager will continue to make improvements to the 911 call center to en-

City Manager T.C. Broadnax

Mayor Eric Johnson

city’s development services backlogs and delays on an expedited timeline.

The plan will incorporate feedback from builders and developers and focus on improving the customer experience. It will also focus on both short-term triage and systemic change that will ensure smoother operations in the future.

• Public safety: The city manager and the mayor are committing to working together to make Dallas the safest major city in the United States. The city manager is committing to active and timely meet-and-con-

sure reliable, efficient, and high-quality service and public safety for residents.

• Focus on high-priority issues: The city manager and mayor will work collaboratively to address top citywide issues, such as enhancing the city’s international stature, continuing to develop an Economic Development Corporation that puts the City of Dallas’ economic interests first, and passing and implementing the mayor’s policy priorities for City Council’s committees.

• Communication: The city manager will enhan-

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ce communication about progress on top priority issues. The city manager will also develop a protocol for surfacing problems for City Council discussions. The mayor and city manager will begin meeting on a biweekly basis to discuss major issues, priorities, and progress. The city manager is also committing to promoting citywide initiatives such as the mayor’s “Summer of Safety” campaign.

In addition, the mayor and city manager have discussed the need to address other crucial issues, such as the city’s technological infrastructure, the concerns of Dallas firefighters, and the city government’s need to attract and retain top talent.

To provide greater detail and accountability on those efforts and other issues, Broadnax is developing what he is calling his R.E.A.L. Impact Plan. R.E.A.L. is an acronym for Responsible, Equitable, Accountable, and Legitimate.

With the mayor now in isolation due to COVID-19, he plans to cancel Thursday’s special-called meeting for a performance review of the city manager and city auditor. Instead, the City Council can conduct performance reviews of all four of their direct reports in August following the July recess.

The city manager hopes to discuss his plan, as well as additional concerns and issues with City Councilmembers in the days ahead. myimessenger.com

FULL STATEMENT FROM CITY MANAGER T.C. BROADNAX I have dedicated my life to serving the needs of others and to making life better for the communities I serve. It is my passion. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. And it’s what motivates me to weather any storm.

This is a great city. I first began spending time in Dallas when I was earning my Master’s degree from the University of North Texas. I still remember the awe I felt walking into Dallas City Hall for the first time in search of an internship. That day, I saw a potential future in Dallas. And I dreamt that one day I would be the city manager here.

My dream came true more than two decades later. I was thrilled to accept this job and to make a new home for my family in Dallas. We love it here. We’re part of the fabric of this community now. I would not have it any other way.

I have spent the last five and a half years focused on improving services, building relationships, and dismantling the many inequities that have divided this City for many years. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together during that time.

I’ve hired a new police chief who has implemented a violent crime reduction plan that is making our communities safer.

We’ve made improvements to public safety through non-police interventions, many of which came from the Mayor’s Task Force on Safe Communities.

We’ve resolved the 911 call center challenges through an aggressive staffing plan.

We’ve worked with the mayor and the City Council to develop and implement plans to address longstanding systemic inequities and environmental problems. And there is more work planned and needed.

We’re addressing homelessness on an unprecedented scale and pace, with a collaborative model, through our Dallas Real-Time Rapid Rehousing Program.

And I’m proud of all the 13,000 city emmyimessenger.com

ployees who dedicate themselves to public service every single day.

But just because I’m proud of our work doesn’t mean I’m satisfied. As the mayor has said, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels.

What recent days have shown me is that we have some healing and hard work ahead of us. Some members of the City Council have expressed, publicly and privately, their frustrations with the pace of necessary changes, with the prioritization of issues that are important to their constituents, and with my responsiveness at times.

I admit, I haven’t handled some of these issues up to my own standards. I know my team and I can be better. I understand that I am fully accountable to my 15 bosses.

I want to say to the mayor, to the members of the City Council, and to all the residents of this dynamic city: I accept the challenge.

I take full responsibility for addressing the issues that are critical to the long-term success of the City. I recognize that our problems are not just about what the media reports, but how we perform. I own that.

But today isn’t about looking back. It’s the beginning of a new era — one that I’m very excited about. I’ve committed to the mayor that we will reset moving forward and that we will take a fresh approach to the challenges that we still need to address together.

And he has committed to me that he will be a collaborative partner in these efforts.

One thing that the mayor and I have always been on the same page about is the desire for clear plans and evidence-based strategies to improve our city government.

It’s become clear to me that’s exactly what we need now to be able to move forward as a City.

That is why today, I am announcing that in the days ahead, I will begin releasing details of the R.E.A.L Impact Plan.

Through this plan, we will commit to focusing on greater accountability, partner-

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ships, and transparency. And we will work to provide all city services with increased effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness.

This 100 Day Plan will help us move forward over the summer to tackle many of the high-priority focus areas of the City Council.

We will raise the bar on efforts to streamline the permitting process, continue efforts to keep our residents safe, reduce homelessness, improve our technology, and increase communications and community engagement.

I look forward to sharing the Plan with the full City Council and receiving their feedback.

Over the next several months, we will make sure that these areas have ongoing attention in the biennial budget that we present to the Dallas City Council in August.

I look forward to sharing the R.E.A.L. Impact we will make to improve the lives of Dallas residents in ways that are responsible, equitable, accountable and legitimate.

I am looking forward to sitting down with the City Councilmembers in the days ahead.

I am hopeful to discuss my performance and work closely with the City Council on a reset. I understand that it is critical for me to demonstrate progress and ensure transparency and accountability for our residents, taxpayers, and stakeholders. I’m confident we can and we will do so.

As I have come to learn, no matter how long you’re in public service, you understand that the work is immense, the expectations are great, surprises are commonplace, and the window to make real change is short.

But I also know that my job isn’t done here. I remain committed to excellence and to working with the mayor and City Council to create “One Dallas.” I will work with Mayor Johnson and the Dallas City Council to make sure that the City’s future is brighter than its past.

June 24, 2022

FULL STATEMENT FROM MAYOR ERIC JOHNSON As the mayor of Dallas, my job, as defined by our City Charter, is to serve as the chairman of our city government’s board of directors, which is the Dallas City Council. Together, we hire a city manager, who acts as the CEO for the city government and serves at the direction and at the pleasure of the City Council.

My job is unique in that I am the only person in this city who is elected to represent the interests of all 1.4 million residents of Dallas.

That means I am accountable to every one of them. I take that job very seriously. I was born and raised in Dallas, and I have called this city home for my entire life. My wife and I are raising three children here. And I feel forever indebted to the communities who raised me.

Dallas, to me, is a beacon of hope and opportunity — a place that gives people a chance to improve their own lives and the lives of their families. And I have been entrusted with the awesome responsibility of making sure our city government does everything it can to keep it that way.

But lately, on too many issues that affect our residents’ lives, I believe we have needed to see a real sense of urgency and measurable progress. That is why, a little over a week ago, I said that it was time for a change at the top of our city government.

Today, I want to say that I have not really changed my mind about that. We do need change.

But after some serious and frank discussions with our city manager, T.C. Broadnax, I believe he is ready to make the necessary changes to address issues that are critically important to our residents. I am confident now that he fully grasps the gravity of the challenges we face and that he understands the importance of our shared priorities. And I am ready to work closely with him in these efforts.

In other words, the city manager and I have agreed on a clear path forward. The time for rhetoric is over. It is now time for a reset. It is now time to heal. And it is now time for real results and accountability.

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But as we get beyond all the noise around us, I believe it is important for me to acknowledge a few things. First, I understand that the city manager has an incredibly difficult job.

Overseeing the work of 13,000 employees is not easy. People are going to make mistakes, and while that is not the CEO’s fault, it is ultimately his responsibility to manage through it and to hold people accountable. That is a tough spot for anyone to be in.

And there is no doubt that doing a job like that for five-and-a-half years can take a tremendous toll on any person, especially amid all the unprecedented challenges that have come our way.

But the stakes are high, and we cannot afford to make excuses. Dallas residents deserve the very best. There can be no participation trophies in this competitive environment.

We must demand excellence at Dallas City Hall from ourselves and from each other. And ultimately, we cannot accept or be satisfied with anything less than success.

That means that we must break through the inertia of city government. We must be relentless about building a better future. We must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances, shift strategies when necessary, and seek and welcome help. And when problems arise, we must act quickly.

I believe T.C. is smart enough, savvy enough, and experienced enough to get the job done. That was never in doubt for me.

I also know that he is capable of getting things done. For example, I have appreciated the way that he has embraced our kitchen-sink approach to public safety and hired an experienced and thoughtful police chief who leads those efforts.

And as someone who grew up in West Dallas and Oak Cliff, I also appreciate the way he has dedicated himself to addressing long-standing inequities in our city’s overlooked and underserved communities.

We have certainly disagreed about some issues. I also realize that conflict is not pretty. But it comes with the territory in jobs like

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these. Being a mayor or a city manager is not for the faint of heart. And, frankly, sometimes you need conflict out in the open to reach new levels of understanding. That is what has happened here.

I believe the city manager understands — more clearly than ever before — that I am never going to stop fighting for my city and its people. And he knows that I am willing to pull every lever I have available to me as mayor to advocate for what I believe is right for Dallas.

In turn, I recognize that he is a fighter, too.

I know he believes strongly that he is the right person for this job, and I believe he is willing to prove it by finding new solutions and approaches to get real results for our residents.

I respect that.

We are going to need that tenacity and a real commitment to excellence to finally fix our permitting issues; to meet our goal of making Dallas the safest major city in the United States; to develop a fiscally responsible budget that invests in people, neighborhoods, and infrastructure; to continue to address homelessness; to improve our city’s technology; to make our vital city services more customer-focused; to grow our city’s economy and remain the engine that drives the fastest-growing region in the United States; to increase accountability and transparency; and to attract and retain the best people in our police department, our fire department, and in other critical city departments who we appreciate so greatly.

That is what it will take to move our city forward. But I want there to be no doubt in our city now: your chairman and your CEO are on the same side and on the same page.

Of course, we still have more work to do, and more conversations need to occur. But what I can say for certain is that if we all move forward with a zeal for accountability and problem-solving, a commitment to excellence, and a communicative spirit, then there is nothing that we cannot accomplish together on behalf of our city and its amazing people. myimessenger.com

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Failure of Government Owned Networks Provide a Warning For Dallas OUR VOICES

BY DR. ROY E. ALSTON, PHD

There’s no denying that our lives have changed dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic. About 45 percent of Americans are working remotely either some or all of the time, telehealth usage is 38 times higher than it was at the beginning of 2020, and students have become increasingly reliant on learning outside of the classroom.

These trends all point to one clear reality: the internet has become even more important in today’s hyper-connected world.

I’m grateful that the Dallas City Council acknowledges that internet access is a need for Dallas residents trying to keep up in this digital age, and that they are evaluating the best path forward to get our city’s unconnected residents online.

However, it is concerning that Dallas policymakers are considering an option that would not solve the problem.

A proposal for the City to create a new, government-owned “middle mile” network will do nothing to address broadband adoption.

These government-owned networks rarely go as planned - there are countless examples of networks failing and ultimately squandering taxpayer dollars.

In the last few months alone, we have seen severmyimessenger.com

al other large cities consider (and in some instances fund) such plans only to find out later that they made a big mistake.

One example is Tucson, Arizona, where the City Council approved spending millions on a government-run “middle mile” and wireless network – the same model Dallas is considering.

Tucson’s network has connected only 995 homes, has cost nearly $7 million, and

ply wasn’t feasible and that there were more cost-effective, superior options available.

The good news is that if we look to the root causes of the digital divide – the affordability and adoption gaps – we can make real progress, especially among our most vulnerable populations.

The affordability gap refers to people who aren’t online because they can’t afford the cost of a broadband subscrip-

program by announcing that 20 internet service providers have committed to either increasing speeds or reducing costs for the services they provide under the program, which ensures that all ACP-eligible families will essentially have access to high-speed internet subscriptions for free.

To address the adoption gap, Dallas should also leverage the Federal Infrastructure Law’s $2.75 billion allocation in digital literacy grant pro-

To address the adoption gap, Dallas should also leverage the Federal Infrastructure Law’s $2.75 billion allocation in digital literacy grant programs, which train vulnerable communities about the skills they need to navigate the web, as well as the subscription options that exist and how to enroll. will continue to cost taxpayers $300,000 each year to maintain.

What has resulted from this monumental mistake is the head of Tucson IT department’s resignation, as well as Tucson City Council members who voted for the network now calling it an “embarrassment.”

The City of Toronto recently nixed plans to create the largest municipal broadband network in North America after seeing the writing on the wall.

At first wide-eyed about the prospect of creating a government-run network in Toronto, as details emerged about what the process would cost and entail, city lawmakers realized that the proposal sim-

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tion, while the adoption gap is made up of folks who aren’t online because they lack the necessary language skills, digital literacy, or do not see the relevance of the internet.

There are recently created, federally-funded resources that we can utilize to address the affordability gap and adoption gap head-on.

The first is a program that about half of the city (48 percent) is eligible for, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a new initiative created under the bipartisan Infrastructure Law that provides a $30 monthly voucher on internet subscriptions for those at 200% or below the federal poverty line.

In May, the White House dramatically bolstered the

grams, which train vulnerable communities about the skills they need to navigate the web, as well as the subscription options that exist and how to enroll.

I hope that our lawmakers here in Dallas will focus on real solutions to address the affordability and adoption challenges we face with broadband internet. A government-run network would be a costly mistake, especially when we already have the resources we need to address the city’s digital divide for vulnerable residents.

Roy E. Alston, PhD has more than 30 years of progressive experience in leadership and strategy including time in the military, law enforcement and the healthcare industry.

June 24, 2022

Why the Black Press remains vital after 195 years

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of the 230-plus Black-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America, is poised to observe the 195th anniversary of the birth of Freedom’s Journal and the Black Press.

An informative and entertaining convention kicks off at the Hilton Riverside Hotel on June 22 in New Orleans with the theme, “195 Years of the Black Press: Amplifying our Voices for Freedom, Justice, Equality, and Equity.”

NNPA Newswire has embarked on four-part series featuring some of its most dedicated consumers .

Already during the series, readers and other consumers have shared why the Black Press remains vital after 195 years.

In Part II, they’ve asserted what they’d like to see from the Black Press today

June 24, 2022

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and in the years and decades ahead.

“I would like to see the Black Press continue moving and growing forward,” said Joni King, who has championed NNPA’s live morning show, Let It Be Known, since its inception in January 2021.

apps, media companies, and marketing solutions to guarantee visibility that challenges the outdated mainstream’s long standing narratives that are sometimes stereotypical when concerning black culture,” Jelks stated.

Michelle Madison, who

“From now on, I would like to see the Black Press continue to grow. This could be in the form of owning television stations, podcasts, digital apps, media companies, and marketing solutions to guarantee visibility that challenges the outdated mainstream’s long standing narratives that are sometimes stereotypical when concerning black culture,” Jelks stated.

Artist Jacoby Jelks, who once appeared on an NNPA livestream, wants the Black Press to expand to other mediums.

“From now on, I would like to see the Black Press continue to grow. This could be in the form of owning television stations, podcasts, digital

subscribes to BlackPressUSA.com, said the onslaught of social media has made it challenging in many ways, “with more and more people receiving much of their news via the internet.”

However, Madison offered her belief in a “twofold method.”

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“First, there needs to be a contrived effort to attract people to purchasing, subscribing, and reading actual newspapers,” Madison insisted.

“Second, there needs to be a focus on addressing those that rely mainly on social media for their news. Based on my own informal research, many baby boomers and millennials seldom purchase newspapers.”

Madison continued: “Typically, these groups are more inclined to subscribe to an online news service. However, I know of people in the age range of 50 and older who purchase newspapers and support Black media.

“However, that group is waning. The Black Press must make a concerted effort to attract them. Also, the readers should feel that their voice is being heard. I believe that this could be achieved by proactively incorporating millennials and generation X into the editorial content and staff of Black newspapers.”

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June 24, 2022

Nowhere tops lakay for some who stay through Haiti’s turmoil The Haitian Times www.haitiantimes.com

By Onz Chery CAP-HAITIEN — Activist Tristan ‘Mahfoud’ Matiado is certain “they’re” out to kill him, he said. While hiding with his girlfriend and son, a struggling Matiado relies on money from friends overseas. On top of that, Matiado is disgusted by the trashfilled streets, corrupt politicians, alleged embezzlement schemes and so much more.

In May, when Matiado traveled to the Dominican Republic he was ready to move there permanently.

“Everything is set in stone for me to hate Haiti,” Matiado, 27, said. “But I find it crazy not to love Haiti. I won’t choose to go to another country.”

With a kidnapping crisis and gang war in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, the high cost of living and lack of jobs, life in Haiti is often difficult and downright dangerous. Consequently, Haitians leave the country, legally or illegally, or attempt to migrate.

As of 2020, there were 1.7 million Haitians living in the top 10 countries that drew the highest numbers, according to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI).

Despite the often excruciating pain that comes with living in Haiti at times, some residents like Matiado choose to stay in Haiti.

Some who left the country have even returned.

“Haiti, itself, isn’t the problem, but the dogs leading it, the dogs living in it are the problems,” Matiado said. “So no matter how Haiti is, I will love it.”

Christina Jean-Louis, a consultant in international development, is among those who naturally feel attached to Haiti too because they were born or grew up there. Born in Chicago, Jean-Louis was raised in Port-auPrince from elementary school June 24, 2022

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International development consultant Christina Jean-Louis, one of the people who choose to live in Haiti despite the different crises, posing for a picture at Hôtel Villa Thérèse in Portau-Prince in January 2022.

Credit: Christina Jean-Louis

to high school. She returned to Port-au-Prince for the third time in 2019.

To live adequately, Jean-Louis has had to buy a solar panel due to the lack of electricity. She cannot travel around Port-au-Prince or to the South, where her parents live, because of ongoing violence. And her car is often in the shop for repairs because of the bad roads.

Nevertheless, Jean-Louis does not want to live anywhere else.

“I’ve done quite a bit of traveling in my short life but there is nowhere else I’ve been in this world when I step on the ground I feel at home,” Jean-Louis said.

“The love I have for this place doesn’t really make sense.”

Haitian history, culture to die for Jean-Louis is also moved by Haiti’s history, which is also one of the main reasons for her love for the country like many others.

“Yes of course, Haiti is plagued with crises,” Jean-Louis said. “But Haiti has a history no one else has. How can you not fall in love with the country?”

Historian Eddy Lubin chooses to “struggle to survive in Haiti,” as he puts it, so he can indulge in the country’s rich culture first-hand.

“This country makes me sick sometimes,” Lubin said. “This society is sick. It’s a rotten hole. But

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it has one of the best cultures. I’m staying here. I will die here because I love the culture, I love the history.”

Lubin has vowed to never apply for permanent residency in the U.S., as many Haitians have done. He too was once tempted to leave the country because of a painful experience he chooses not to share. But he chose Haiti.

Auguste Demeza, a sociologist based in Port-au-Prince, said people who choose to stay in Haiti are prone to changing their minds.

“This choice is relative, it’s not permanent,” Demeza said. “Tomorrow, the person might want to move overseas. Maybe they kidnap a family member and the person gets discouraged and says he’s leaving.”

Returning to the “rotten hole” Blondel Joseph moved to Saint-Raphaël, a commune in the Northern Department, after spending 20 years in Boston.

From the first day Joseph, 55, moved to Boston at 18 on a cold

Activist Tristan ‘Mahfoud’ Matiado holding the Haitian flag.

Credit: Mahfoud Haiti’s Facebook images

day in February, he knew the U.S. was not for him. Later in his days in Boston, Joseph’s life mainly consisted of working as a parent liaison at a high school to pay his bills. He was stressed out. Joseph traveled to Haiti, where he felt comfortable, every summer before eventually moving here in 2011.

Worldwide, about a third of immigrants returned home permanently between 1990 and 2015,

The view Blondel Joseph sees in his home in Saint-Raphaël, Haiti after waking up in the morning.

Credit: Blondel Joseph

according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). PNAS didn’t provide the total number of immigrants who returned home between 1990 and 2015.

Joseph left a 20-year-old son in Boston, whom he misses, and moving to Haiti cost him a divorce.

“I wish the relationship never ended but if it’s for Haiti, I’ll find another wife,” Joseph said. “When I’m in Haiti, I’m happy. When I wake up in the morning, I open my door and see the sunlight and the landscape, my heart is filled with joy.”

Although Joseph has been enjoying the scenery in Saint-Raphaël and a life without overwhelming bills, he has also been experiencing stresses. Joseph had to close a water company he started due to lack of electricity and because people were polluting Haiti by throwing away the water bags from his company anywhere they found. Joseph later closed a bar because business was slow due to ongoing violence.

“Haiti is a troubled nation,” Joseph said. “But it’s where I can live, where I want to stay. It’s a country that you will not find anywhere else in the world.”

“There’s suffering everywhere in the world,” he added. “I choose to suffer in my country.” myimessenger.com

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June 24, 2022

BIG MAMA SAID:

HATE THE SIN BUT LOVE THE SINNER We Have to Mobilize in Unity if we are to Save USA’s Democracy THE BLACK CARD BY TERRY ALLEN When I pull any Lucille “Big Mama” Allen rules out of her vast faith driven Playbook, I stand to change a life just by absorbing and passing on wisdom from Big Mama on the back porch or front porch.

Lucille “Big Mama” Allen would always speak her truth in the powerful Black woman position, her hands on hips stance, and the voice would begin with a term of endearment “Honey, you got to hate the sin but love the sinner.”

Her legacies became part of lifetime lessons.

Lucille “Big Mama” Allen filled her three sons and three daughters, 16 grandchildren, 50 great grandchildren, 38 great-great grandchildren, seven great great-great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and bonus family members with simple, Bible-based logic for us to use all throughout our lives.

When she talked about loving the sinner she uttered James 3:4, “ The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”.

So, if you really, really want

We sin ourselves all the time and at no time do we blink an eyelash at it. And when we are clocked on it, we make excuses.

We have to do something about the divisive and attack mode we as citizens are currently in. We have to mobilize in unity and save the country and create a new attitude.

The only part of the “Love the Sinner; Hate the Sin” statement that is doable is “love.”

And so, I ask you. Can love be enough?

Big Mama said, “Jesus loved this other person enough to

die for them. And if He loved them, why can’t we? I say let’ supersize love. I let the love I saw at City Men Cook be an everyday situation.

So, the next time your words want to say “Love the Sinner; hate the sin,” just stop at love.

Go restore democracy. Use love as the tool and drop the weapons.

Terry Allen is an NABJ awardwinning Journalist, PR professional and founder of 1016 Media, the charity - City Men Cook and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS-DFW

Big Mama said, “Jesus loved this other person enough to die for them. And if He loved them, why can’t we? I say let’ supersize love.

I let the love I saw at City Men Cook be an everyday situation.

She taught me how to seek knowledge, recognize the good in most people even why they demonstrate bad and evil behaviors. Her most important request from her Sin/Sinner advice was to publicly and personally recognize the sin or wrongdoing but lend support to the person’s soul and spirit. That was Lucille “Big Mama” Allen’s grace and mercy statement.

Let me tell you about my beloved grandmother audience, June 24, 2022

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to hate someone’s sin, hate a sin which is actually hurtful like rape, murder, incest, child abuse, and any other of one of the other destructive sins so you are telling me that those who stormed the seat of the government creating an insurrection; those who killed innocent people charged with a replacement theory belief system and those who wish to shut down factual history in our curriculums are supposed to love them? I do not think so!

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Fred Hammond – “Way Back When!”

By Vincent L. Hall June is Black Music Month, and all the melodies of life are converging to remind us how we got over. In the Black Church, those melodies envelop the songs of Zion, from the hymn book to the Good book.

This Black History Month, you must check out Fred Hammond’s recent gospel medley “Way Back When.”

This 14-minute “disco version” chocked full with some of the Black church’s most moving staples will take you way back.

It can take you back if you grew up in one of those old-fashioned “gut-bucket Gospel” churches where voice and rhythm were all you needed. Or maybe you were raised in one of the “silk-stocking” churches where you moved from hymn to anthem, to spiritual, and to Gospel.

On the other hand, maybe your parents took you to a “high brow” Black or integrated church. There wasn’t no screaming and hollering, hand clapping and tambourine shaking. No drumbeats or “Saturday Night” instrumentation. Your church was more on the scope of Catholicism or Presbyterian.

Fred Hammond has something for all of you. Not only does it get me ready for church, but it has also become the processional to my workouts on the treadmill and long walks.

This captivating and engaging mélange of Black church history is introduced to us with a neo- classical fanfare that sets the stage for the process of praise. Then, it breaks into three triads.

It begins with a lofty liturmyimessenger.com

gical blend of “His Mercy Endureth Forever,” lands on “Glory to Glory,” continues the praise with “An Awesome God” and concludes with “Total Praise.” This pattern aligns with the old days when nothing commenced without exalting the subject of our praise.

The next phase of the service declares “I Was Glad” and extends that joy to an invit-

church. But after asking the Lord to help you hold out, came “Lord, I’m available to you.”

After that, worship turns into a praise party. Keith Pringle’s universally accepted “Call Him Up” is followed

by Edwin Hawkins Singer’s “Oh Happy Day.” Thank You, Lord,” also written by Edwin Hawkins, brings us the song’s benediction.

“Fred Hammond has scored a litany of award nominations and multiple Dove and Stellar Awards. However, none compare to the joy he has experienced as being called Dad by 24-year-old daughter BreAnn and 14-year-old son Sean. He takes every aspect of their growth and development seriously and personally. ing segment of “We Welcome You!” Then Fred goes into the 1970s when James Cleveland brought some funk to Gospel.

“Lord, help me to Hold Out.” I can still see them choir robes swaying down the aisle and stepping from side to side!

Lawd!

If you thought Kirk Franklin caught hell for “Stomp” You don’t know how inappropriate most church leaders thought “worldly” music was to the

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“Consuming the Black Gospel Culture: an Interpretive Study of Symbolic Exchanges”

by Yuko Minowa, and David S. Glover, Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus in 2009, created a visual to show the range and scope of Gospel music.

The work describes how Black Gospel extended the cultural range of church music from withdrawn and introspective to evangelical and

“mass hysteria.” (Even when intellectuals study us with the best intentions, they can’t describe our joy!)

Black church music was born in the brush harbors and secret places where former enslaved Africans could “steal away” to the real Jesus and escape their White master who declared himself and his kind the Almighty.

It was my pleasure to interview Mr. Hammond 10 years ago as a testament to his remarkable role as a father. So here is a bit of that.

“Fred Hammond has scored a litany of award nominations and multiple Dove and Stellar Awards. However, none compare to the joy he has experienced as being called Dad by 24-year-old daughter BreAnn and 14-year-old son Sean.

He takes every aspect of their growth and development seriously and personally.

What struck me as a writer about him was his eagerness to be open, honest, and transparent. He didn’t mince words, falter in stating his beliefs, and didn’t sugarcoat or hide any aspect of his life experiences, Good or bad.

B. B. King once had a hit song, “I like to live the love I sing about in my song.” Fred Hammond’s life is a remix and an example of King’s words.

Hammond’s songs and vocal preachments align with his love for his God, his family, church folk, and humankind in general.”

This medley and musical masterpiece lines up with his knowledge of the Black church and its great traditions. Happy Father’s Day, Fred Hammond.

Hopefully, this audience will listen and enjoy. #itsallaboutdemspins June 24, 2022

June 24, 2022

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NUL’s ’21 Pillars’ Tour Focuses on Racism, Excessive Force Among Kansas City Police Department TO BE EQUAL

BY MARC MORIAL

“Governance of the KCPD is an atavistic vestige of slavery and Jim Crow that does not foster public confidence and trust. The stakeholders whose tax dollars fund the department lack the power to redress the KCPD’s incompetence and deficiencies. Despite the abysmal clearance rate, the BOPC maintains the status quo. As a result, the community is disillusioned by its disenfranchisement and the department’s incompetence.

Victims of violent crime who lack confidence that the perpetrators will be brought to justice take matters into their own hands contributing to an escalating cycle of violence.”

— Kansas City civil rights leaders to Attorney General Merrick Garland In 2019, officers of the Kansas City Police Department investigating a traffic accident stormed into the backyard of Cameron Lamb’s home and shot him dead as he was backing his truck into his garage. Those officers, never prosecuted, still are on the force.

In 2020, a KCPD officer shot Donnie Sanders in the back as he fled from a traffic stop. The officer, who was not wearing a body camera, and who falsely claimed Sanders had a gun, was neither disciplined nor reprimanded.

Last year, Malcolm Johnson was shot execution-style in the head while face down myimessenger.com

on the ground with several police officers on his back.

Officers allege that Johnson had a gun and shot an officer in the leg, but video captured at the scene raises questions about their account.

The list of similar incidents is appallingly long. KCPD officers have used deadly force more often than 98% of simi-

a state board control of the city’s police force.

This week, the National Urban League took our 21 Pillars Tour — a nationwide initiative to promote our common-sense framework for safe and effective law enforcement — to Kansas City.

Watch the event here: https ://nul.org/program/ police-reform.

Credit: Pexels.com

larly-sized departments, killing 36 people between 2012 and 2020.

A Black person was more than four times as likely to be killed by police as a white person in Kansas City from 2013 to 2020. Does this staggering use of deadly force make the KCPD more effective? Far from it.

The department has cleared or solved only two out of every 10 violent crimes and placed 495th out of 500 of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country.

But the citizens of Kansas City, 30% of whom are Black, have little recourse because of a racist policy dating to the Jim Crow era that gives

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We heard heartbreaking stories from the survivors of KCPD racism and violence.

We engaged in substantive discussions with members of the law enforcement community.

And we reiterated our wholehearted support for the tireless activists and advocates who are working to bring about much-needed reforms, most notably Urban League of Kansas City President and CEO Gwen Grant.

Grant, who helped lead a successful effort to oust former KCPD Chief Rick Smith, is suing to release the department from state control and has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the department’s disturbing

patterns of misconduct, discrimination and violence against communities of color.

As Grant explained in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, “During the Civil War, Missouri never seceded, but it was mostly sympathetic to the Confederacy. St. Louis, however, was Union-leaning.

Claiborne Jackson, Missouri’s segregationist governor, didn’t want St. Louis to control its own arsenal, so in 1861, he encouraged the state legislature to pass the ‘Metropolitan Police Bill’ that gave the state control of St. Louis’s police department … one state representative called the bill ‘an effort to disenfranchise and oppress the people of St. Louis because they were not sound on the Negro question.’ One of Jackson’s appointees to the first police board confirmed that it was ‘adopted to enable our people to control St. Louis.’”

In 1874, the state also seized control of the Kansas City force. The Missouri Supreme Court declared the Kansas City Board of Police unconstitutional in 1932, but another segregationist governor, Lloyd Crow Stark, reinstituted the board in 1939.

St. Louis took back control of its police force in 2013, leaving Kansas City the only city in Missouri, and the only major city in the United States, without local control of its own police department.

For Kansas City, the Jim Crow era persists.

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

June 24, 2022

For Those Who Didn’t Vote

VOTE OUR VOICES DR. JOHN E. WARREN

In California, it is expected that there will be low voter turnout. It is anticipated that this will be the case in a number of states holding primaries because a number of people are frustrated with the problems of the pandemic, high gas prices, and inflation at the grocery store and across the country.

But apathy is not the answer.

As a matter of fact, the Extreme Right mainly sees an opportunity for the Republican Party to run its candidates for office at all levels, with anticipated success for those who bought the Big Lie that Donald Trump won the Presidency. That Right Wing element of ultra-conservatives is counting on low voter turnout among the rank and file of Americans, many of whom are Democrats. Low voter turnout among people of colJune 24, 2022

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or and young white voters who did go to the polls in 2020 to elect President Biden represents an opportunity for those seeking to overthrow our democracy, to gain positions of power for the 2024 election they otherwise could not win.

So for those of you concerned about gun violence, but not enough to vote, your nonvote was just a vote for the NRA and their 50 U.S. Senators who still will not ban assault weapons.

Your nonvote is a vote of confidence for those U.S. Senators who continue to block the Voting Rights Act, who refuse to pass laws making Roe vs. Wade a federal law as opposed to leaving its fate up to a bought and paid for Republican U.S. Supreme Court majority no longer listening to the American people as it did in the days of Brown vs, Board of Education in 1954 and a host of similar decisions since.

Those of you who didn’t bother to vote did cast a vote against

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the George Floyd Act; you cast a vote against the $22 billion dollars needed to continue the fight against the pandemic while sending $44 billion to Ukraine.

Your failure to vote and that of your family and friends in other states might have set the stage to elect a Republican to the U.S. Congress to shift the balance of power away from the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives or set the stage to elect just one more Republican to the U.S. Senate to shift the balance of power back to Mitch McConnell and the Republicans instead of giving us needed votes to overcome the Filibuster.

Yes, there are consequences to your decisions of apathy which many of us will have to bear.

So the next time you have a complaint about what the government is doing, remember, you are getting just what you deserve. Unfortunately, those of us who did vote, have to share your fate.

Dr. John E. Warren is publisher of The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint.

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June 24, 2022

Grammy-Winning Producer Pharrell Pays Channing Hill Off North enters senior Texas Student’s year debt-free at Howard University Loans

Students with Pharrell Williams (4th from right)

June 24, 2022

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By Valerie Fields Hill Texas Metro News Editor

Music producer Pharrell Williams, who wrote the blockbuster cult classic song “Happy” for 2013’s animated film Despicable Me 2, made a few college students – including a North Texas coed – gleeful Friday by promising to pay off their student loan debts.

The five HBCU students and recent graduates, including Channing Hill of Bedford, received the news that their loans would be paid off while they participated in a panel discussion Friday in Washington, D.C. The panel explored the personal impact of college loan debt.

“I think my mama started praise dancing when I called her,” Hill wrote on her Instagram feed, after receiving the news. “Today, I enter my senior year with a clean slate.”

Friday’s discussion was hosted by the NAACP. It was among a host of activities planned as part of Williams’ three-day, “Something in the Water” festival being held in the nation’s capital over the Juneteenth holiday weekend.

Williams, who frequently performs under only his first name, created the festival in 2019 as a means of bringing together people from many walks of life, interests and political persuasions. He is among the festival’s star-studded lineup of singers and musicians.

Meanwhile, NAACP Namyimessenger.com

tional President Derrick Johnson, celebrated the students’ reactions by posting images of them, including Hill, appearing shocked and tearful at the news.

Johnson also reiterated his call for President Joe Biden’s administration to cancel loan debts for

day. “@POTUS, it’s your time now to do the same for all Americans plagued by student debt.”

According to research by the NAACP, Black Americans by comparison to all others have student loan debt that is higher than their median annual in-

Channing Hill's reaction upon hearing news

low-wage earning graduates and other students, particularly those attending the nation’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “@Pharrell is canceling all their student loan debt,” Johnson tweeted on his official NAACP account Fri-

come. A cancellation of $10,000 would not place their student debt lower than their annual income, the NAACP contends.

Further, the civil rights organization maintains, the average white family has an average of 10 times the amount of wealth as

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the average Black family.

Additionally, White college graduates have seven times more wealth than Black college graduates, according to NAACP researchers.

Hill, a junior Strategic Legal and Management Communications major at Howard University, had told attendees she worried that the $18,000 in student loans she had accumulated not only affected her, but also her family and sibling.

Hill said her debt likely would affect her parents’ ability to borrow money to finance her younger sister’s undergraduate studies, which begin next year.

Other panelists – each of them are NAACP student leaders from historically Black Florida A&M University – Devan Vilfrard, Southern University in Baton Rouge – Robyn Hughes, Norfolk State University – Jamie Turner and North Carolina A&T State University – Damarius Davis – shared similar concerns over mounting college debt.

Upon learning the news, Hill, who is president of Howard University’s NAACP student chapter and a graduate of Euless’s Trinity High School, said she was speechless. She, herself, had advocated for the Biden administration to cancel students’ federal student loan debts.

“My God. I’m still in disbelief,” Hill wrote on her Instagram feed. “Get active in this fight to cancel ALL student loans. Call Biden. Tell him it’s time.”

June 24, 2022

Nena's Finds 215 W. Tyler St. Gilmer, Texas 75644 (903) 680-3333

June 24, 2022

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New and Improved: Austin Street Center

By Asia Nicole Alcorn and Kendall Gayle Washington Texas Metro News

DALLAS – As City and County officials grapple with the homelessness issue, the support that Austin Street Center continues to provide to homeless citizens of Dallas since 1983 has reached new heights with the opening of a new and larger state-of-the-art facility on Tuesday.

Now located at 2929 Hickory Street in Dallas, Austin Street provides its “guests” with a variety of opportunities while promoting personal growth, with housing and job opportunities, medical services and spiritual support.

At Austin Street’s Grand Opening on Thursday, June 16, long-time supporter Norm Hitzges received a walking stick engraved with the Ten Commandments, made by former Austin Street Center resident, Roosevelt Wilkerson In addition to that walking stick, the team at Austin Street named the Engagement Center after Hitzges who has donated more than a million-dollars in support for the homeless community.

On Tuesday the Center opened the doors of its new 60,000-square-foot facility to the public and as early as 6 a.m., people experiencing homelessness began arriving at the Center, in search of a home. Coupled with Dallas lacking an affordable housing market and the rapidly increasing number of people moving to the area; the importance of the philanthropic community, and agencies like Austin Street Center, is even more significant. as it provides safe shelter and basic needs to men, 45 and older, and women,18 and older.

According to Teresa Thomas, Director of Advancement Communications, there were about 65% males and 35% females at the facility, with more than 51% identifying as African American.

She said Austin Street has a three-tier system, which demonstrates a client’s progress. Tier one is when a client first arrives and gets settled in. Tier two is when they start to receive job opportunities within Austin Street Center, in myimessenger.com

Rapid Rehousing Case Managers Brooks Willhoite, Alesia Cate and Cortina Jackson; Director of Advancement Communications Teresa Thomas; Rapid Rehousing Case Managers Barbara Houston, Cynthia Russell and Alicia Hatcher.

Credit: Kendall Gayle Washington

the kitchen and other areas. Tier three is when a client is looking for housing, has a stable income and is almost ready to depart from the Center.

The residents of the Center are ecstatic about the new facility. They are especially excited about the new ice machine. Two of the clients, Freddie Anderson and Robert Wells, have both been staying at Austin Street for the past three months. After a lot of hard work and genuine growth, they have now reached Tier three and will be finding a home soon.

“I see how the volunteers come out, help and donate their time when they don’t have to, but they do every day,” Anderson said. “Austin Street has been very good to me.”

Wells said he is striving to be a good influence on his four daughters.

“Austin Street is a blessing. It’s really an answered prayer. My girls are motivated to do something other than the wrong thing,” Wells said.

Cameron Jenkins, a representative from The Intersection of Research & Practice, has worked with Austin Street clients seeking counsel since 2018.

“It’s the little things that make residents happy,” Jenkins said, adding that he believes the new location is a step in the “right direction.”

The Austin Street Center has implemented resources in the new facility to

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ensure its clients have a bright future.

They will be hosting teaching, exercise and mental health sessions for their clients. Volunteers are always welcome, as well as clothing donations, hygiene products and food that is not expired.

Homelessness is a big issue across the country and especially in Dallas where according to a report released by the City of Dallas’ Office of Homeless Solutions, “of the 2,000 beds in Dallas Shelters, the majority are full every night.”

As Dallas prepares for several days of consistently triple digit days of sweltering heat, Austin Street is ensuring there will be fewer bodies on the streets, seeking respite from life-threatening heat related issues.

Asia Nicole Alcorn

Kendall Gayle Washington

Asia Nicole Alcorn, Texas Metro News Multi-media journalist.

Asia is a senior at the University of North Texas at Denton, studying Broadcast Journalism and Spanish.

Email: AsiaAlcorn@my.unt.edu Twitter: AsiaAlcornTV Kendall Gayle Washington, Texas Metro News Multimedia journalist. Kendall is a rising high school senior at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, with hopes to pursue journalism. In May she received her Associate of Art and Science Degree from Dallas College.

Email: kgaylewashington@ gmail.com Twitter: kkendallgayle

June 24, 2022

June 24, 2022

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myimessenger.com

Call issued to Support Black Businesses CHEF KENNETH TEMPLE

Buy Black!

By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, of Friendship-West Baptist Church, announced 100 Days Dr. Frederick D.Haynes III 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.

ADVANTAGE FOOT CARE CENTER

Let Dr. Helen Gipson take care of your feet and they will take you places you couldn’t imagine.

Podiatrist Dr. Helen Gipson treats, bunions, callouses, corns, deformed nails, diabetic foot, hammer toes, heel pain, heel spurs, ingrown nails, keloids, injuries to feet and ankles, neuromas and more.

Specializing in wound care, she is also experienced in sports medicine and regenerative medicine.

7220 S. Westmoreland Rd. #108, Dallas, TX 75237 214-331-3700

POTERE CONSTRUCTION

Potere Construction LLC is a Fort Worth TX based company, established in 1995 with a focus on Heavy Highway, Commercial, and Municipal Projects. Potere myimessenger.com

Construction LLC serves as a Prime or Subcontractor with multi-tier abilities in industrial, municipalities, commercial, private, and heavy highway construction. Potere provides experienced construction managers, business professionals, and skilled tradesmen that are vested in the proper execution for each contract. Sharon Douglas is the CEO. Check Potere out at http://www.potereconstruction.com/

BERT SIMMONS

In need of insurance? Talk to State Farm Insurance Agent Bert Simmons. The Texas Southern University alum is located at 9330 Broadway St in Pearland, TX. Mr. Simmons prides himself on providing quality service and also addressing his client’s needs. Check out his website at www.bertsimmons.com and give him a call at (281) 485-5572

GIBBS TRAVEL

Gibbs Travel was founded in 1978 and is owned and operated by Sarah M. Gibbs. As a family enterprise, they began by providing local travel for business and personal needs and have since expanded to include world-wide travel. They have more than 25 years of service in the travel industry providing enjoyable and affordable travel to destinations all over the world. The Gibbs Travel Historical Black College and University Tour with its origin in Houston, Texas, is the most extensive yet affordable tour of historically black institutions. Email: gibbs_travel@yahoo.com or call: (713) 748-2242

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Chef Kenneth Temple is an author, Chopped Champion, and a dynamic on-air food expert who is passionate about motivating others to cook mouth-watering, flavorful food with everyday ingredients. Hailing from New Orleans, Chef Kenneth’s cooking style is inspired deeply by his southern roots and the fusion of cultures that comprise traditional New Orleans cuisine. Check him out at www.kennethtemple.com

AT EXCLUSIVELY GYN & AESTHETICS

At Exclusively Gyn & Aesthetics, they offer a wide range of services, from gynecological medicine, to noninvasive aesthetic procedures, that help patients look and feel their best. Dr. Jennifer C. Brooks listens to her clients, treats them with compassion and she collaborates with her patients to create a plan that works for them.

Dr. Brooks can be reached at 817 – 334 – 0562 or www.exclusivelygyn.com

PARTNERS BUSINESS CONSULTING, INC.

Partners Business Consulting, Inc. (PBCG) specializes in working with government entities in the areas of project management, scheduling, quality performance and custom report writing. Richard Crowder is the CEO/President of PBCG and is responsible for the direct management of the company. The company is known for its ability to aid entities in business process development and refinement, professional training development, and outlining training needs assessments. Check them out at www.pbcg-inc.com June 24, 2022

Briefs Proposals Are Being Accepted For South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund Non Profit Organizations are invited to apply for funding to provide human development programs or services directly benefiting residents of the South Dallas Fair Park community. Applications for the 2022 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund (SDFPOF) will be accepted through July 8, 2022.

The SDFPOF provides loans and grants to promote economic development and support human development initiatives in neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park. NOFA provides the form of application and scoring criteria for the human services grants. A maximum of $100,000 will be awarded to fund the projects and services.

Proposals will be submitted on the City of Dallas Bonfire system https://dallascityhall.bonfirehub. com/portal no later than 5 p.m. July 8, 2022. To apply for the 2022 Notice of Funding Availability, visit https://sourcedallas.org/2022/01/21/south-dallas-fair-park-opportunity-fund/ The City of Dallas Small Business Center will host a series of information sessions for those interested in

learning more about the South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund Notice of Funding Availability. For more information regarding the South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund NOFA, contact Regina Onyeibe at regina. onyeibe@dallascityhall.com or visit SourceDallas.org.

June 15th In-Person | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Hosted by Ms. Diane Ragsdale Martin Luther King Jr. Center 2922 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Dallas, TX 75215 Bldg A – Activity Room B June 21st In-Person | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Hosted by Pastor Todd Atkins Salem Institutional Baptist Church 3918 Crozier St, Dallas, TX 75215 Must send the following for payment: Screenshot of social media postings PDF/tearsheet or email copy of print proof with run dates E-Newsletter distribution date – add denita.lacking@dallascityhall.com to the subscription list.

Send the invoice and all related material to denita. lacking@dallascityhall.com.

Only Original Copy Of Juneteenth General Order No. Our Juneteenth Tennis 3 Document Available For Public Viewing Exhibition, Saturday, June 18 On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger stood at Galveston Bay and pronounced that all enslaved African Americans living in Texas were free. The document he read that day was General Order No. 3, and the only known original copy of the order is part of the permanent archives of the Dallas Historical Society housed at The Hall of State in Fair Park. During parts of Juneteenth weekend, the document will be on display and available for public viewing.

The copy of General Order No. 3 will be on display in the Hall of Heroes at the Hall of State from 10 am to 5 pm on Tuesdays -Saturdays and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays from now through the end of July.

The exhibition is part of the Dallas Historical Society’s centennial anniversary celebration which will include a number of special events throughout the year. Formed in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society June 24, 2022

is the oldest organization in Dallas County committed to preserving the history of the region and presenting it to the public in innova-

tive and informative ways.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President

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Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops present to enforce the new Executive Order.

However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

Interviews Available: WHO: Veletta Forsythe Lill Chair, Board of Trustees Dallas Historical Society WHEN: Friday, June 17, 2022 10:00 am – 1:00 pm WHERE: The Hall of State 3939 Grand Avenue Dallas, TX 75210 Media Contact: Shawn Williams, Allyn Media 214.923.5013 shawn@allynmedia.com

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Rep Davis

Chad West

How can Texans put a different spin on Juneteenth?

Celebrate it with tennis!

The Juneteenth Tennis Exhibition has family fun for everyone.

Young high school players from Southern Dallas will participate, playing for tennis tutoring scholarships.

The exhibition opens at 7 a.m. at Kiest Tennis Center, located 2324 W. Kiest Rd.

The charity event is organized by Camp Wisdom UMC, and primarily supports its Youth Outreach.

For more information, contact the Camp Wisdom’s Administrative Assistant, Pat Wilson at info@ cwumcdallas.org or 817680-6203, or, Ms. Beasley at minnie.faye@sbcglobal. net or 214-205-9991. For interviews, call Gemeral Berry, Jr. at 214-886-7000. myimessenger.com

Briefs Dallas’ Arthur Muhammad’s Latest Feature, Bid For Love, Premieres On BET+ Bid for Love, the new feature film by director, writer and producer Dallas’ own Arthur Muhammad debuts June 23 on BET+.

The film stars Basketball Ball Wives star Tami Roman, Dawn Halfkenny (BET’s Saints & Sinners) and Blue Kimble (Tyler Perry’s Ruthless, Being Mary Jane and P Valley).

Muhammad was signed on to direct by executive producer Lawainna Patterson, on whose life story the film is loosely based. Bid for Love follows Sasha (Halfkenny) who after being recently released from prison has found love with Malik (Adrian Lockett).

A slow and methodical manipulation begins as Malik tries to alienate Sasha from family and friends. Her therapist (Roman) gradually helps her avoid the same pitfalls that landed her in prison

during her past relationship with ex-boyfriend Memphis (Kimble).

Muhammad said he was thrilled to

reunite with fellow Texan, Halfkenney, for the project “It was a pleasure working with the

cast. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dawn. Our first project together was First Impression which also aired on BET. Dawn is originally from Killeen, Texas; so, it was nice to have her in the lead role in a film shot in Dallas.”

Muhammad’s other film projects include Carter High (Charles S. Dutton and Vivica A. Fox) and First Impression (Elise Neal, Thomas Mikel Ford and Kel Mitchell). He is currently in post-production on Recession Proof (Clifton Powell), in production on No Better Love (Karli Redd) and pre-production on TWELVE, a horror film written by Muhammad; while pursuing his MFA. Production on Bid for Love wrapped in June 2021. The production company is Sisters of Freedom and Erick S. Gray and N’Tyse were writers on the project.

Dallas-Based African American Filmmakers Bring Legacy Story To Life “Rising: The Hall of Negro Life,” a documentary about seminal civil rights exhibit in 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition The hard-won legacy of the 1936 Hall of Negro Life is remembered in the film Rising: The Hall of Negro Life produced by the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, Southroad Pictures, and Limeville Entertainment. Airing on KERA at 7:30 and 10:30 pm on June 17, 2022, the film is partially funded through Inspire Art Dallas, Fair Park First, and the National Park Service.

In spring of 2020, the Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) received a $50,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) to research and interpret the historic legacy of the 1936 Hall of Negro Life. Given both the historical significance of the story, itself, and the importance of properly showcasing it, OAC commissioned two of Dallas’ prominent Black filmmakers. The film was directed

by Lindell Singleton and King Hollis of Limeville Entertain-ent and Southroad Pictures.

“The Hall of Negro Life was a watershed moment for African-Americans.

What happened over that summer altered the trajectory of the push to myimessenger.com

obtain equity, recognition and social justice. It’s a story that had to be told and we’re pleased to bring it to life for this generation,” said Singleton. “It was an incredible discovery,” said Hollis. “To

Dr. Marvin Dulaney

know about the city I grew up in, not knowing our contribution to civil rights, our contributions to the image of African Americans during that century.”

“This is an important film because it documents a little known story about the history of African Americans in Dallas,” said Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, President Association for the Study of African

American Life and History Rising recalls the events that occurred in the middle of the Great Depression when determined Black Americans of Texas lobbied for the opportunity to tell their story at the world’s fair, a first in the fair’s history.

Fraught with broken promises from the state legislature, the ultimate story of character and courage altered the tenor and trajectory of U.S. race relations. The exhibition was finally approved with fewer than 100 days to show time through the extraordinary efforts of A. Maceo Smith, who lobbied in support of federal funding to underwrite the exhibition.

“The Hall of Negro Life is a significant cultural moment in Dallas’ history. This exhibition of African American culture, achievement and history has been under appreciated and neglected as part of our city’s history.

The film captures this inspiring story and the lasting legacy of The Hall of Negro Life beautifully,” offered Benjamin Espino, Interim Director, Office of Arts & Culture Visited by 400,000 Americans

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and visitors from across the globe, four site-specific murals framed the entrance to the pavilion.

Painted by Aaron Douglas, the most important Black artist of the early 20th century, these murals welcomed visitors to the exhibition with a clear message of the importance of African American’s contributions to American culture in 1936. The hall also feature the Hall of Music, Arts, and Literature curated by Dorothy Porter; The Hall of Medicine and Public Health; The Hall of Religion; and the Hall of Medicine.

For five months the federally funded exhibition was operational on the grounds of Fair Park during the Texas Centennial Exhibition then it mysteriously closed with no explanation. Out of the embers of destruction, a civil rights movement was born.

Being involved with the creation of this most important eye-opening documentary has been a joy, a great learning experience and a perfect vehicle for Inspire Art Dallas. “ Gail Sachson, MFA and Co-Founder of Inspire Art Dallas.

June 24, 2022

Listen to Your Heart: Raising Awareness of a Serious Heart Condition

By Dr. Aaron Horne, MD

Structural and Interventional Cardiologist, Summit Health

More than a year and a half into a global pandemic that has disproportionately impacted communities of color, we continue to live through a public health tragedy. If there is any hope to be drawn from so much hardship and loss, it’s that COVID-19 has reignited new conversations about disease awareness and the inequality that still exists in our healthcare system.

As a cardiologist, who has been treating heart disease for 8 years, I’ve witnessed how delayed visits can impact care within our community. It is always upsetting June 24, 2022

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when patients come to my office with advanced heart disease that potentially could have been diagnosed and treated earlier.

That’s why there is one condition I want every patient to be aware of. It’s called transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR-CM. ATTR-CM is a serious and often underdiagnosed cause of heart failure.

ATTR-CM is a progressive disease, in which over time the heart muscle begins to thicken and stiffen. There are two types of ATTR-CM; the wild-type, which is associated with aging, and the hereditary type, which is associated with a gene change (mutation) and can be passed down from a relative. The most

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common mutation in the United States, known as V122I, is found almost exclusively in African Americans. Approximately 3% to 4% of African Americans are thought to have the V122I mutation, although not all individuals with the V122I mutation develop symptoms of hereditary ATTR-CM. While heart failure is common among Black, African American, and Afro-Caribbean communities, hereditary ATTR-CM in these populations is often overlooked by doctors for several reasons. In fact, some patients with ATTR-CM say they visited up to five doctors before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

This is why I am excited to be myimessenger.com

partnering with Pfizer on Voices for the Heart in Dallas - a community-based initiative bringing together physicians and trusted local organizations within African American, Black, and Afro-Caribbean communities around the country to increase awareness of hereditary ATTR-CM as an often-underdiagnosed cause of heart failure.

Early signs of ATTR-CM can include an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, shortness of breath, carpal tunnel syndrome, swelling in the hands and feet, and numbness and tingling in the hands. Some of these symptoms are not traditionally associated with heart disease, which may contribute to multiple doctor’s appointments and a delayed or incorrect diagnosis.

I’m committed to spreading awareness of hereditary ATTR-CM because I have seen firsthand how a delayed diagnosis can adversely impact a patient (and their loved ones), making it essential to inform our community about this condition – including everyone from patients to caregivers to local healthcare providers.

If you’re experiencing seemingly unrelated signs and symptoms

As part of the Voices for the Heart effort, myself and former NBA basketball player and coach Don Chaney, a hereditary ATTR-CM patient himself, will be featured speakers at virtual town hall on June 25, 2022. Don will share his personal story of being diagnosed and living with hereditary ATTR-CM. I will share more information about hereditary ATTR-CM symptoms and diagnosis, and there will be additional educational resources on hereditary Dr. Aaron Horne, MD ATTR-CM available to the com(e.g., irregular heartbeat, fatigue, munity. For additional informashortness of breath, or carpal tun- tion on the event, click here and nel syndrome), have a family his- scan the QR code below. tory of cardiac issues, and have been diagnosed with heart failure, talk to your primary care doctor or an experienced cardiologist.

Whether they seem related or not, it’s important to share your symptoms and health history. This will allow your doctor to provide the care you need and to make an appropriate diagnosis.

Family members and caregivers also have an important role to play because they sometimes notice or remember health sympWorking together, we can toms that the patient may forget overcome the challenge of low or neglect to mention and help awareness and raise our collecpeople with hereditary ATTR-CM tive voices to help educate family manage their disease. members, friends, and neighbors at risk of developing hereditary ATTR-CM. For resources on hereditary ATTR-CM, including a discussion guide to help conversations with your doctor, you can visit www. yourheartsmessage.com/don.

Content developed by Pfizer in collaboration with Dr. Aaron Horne. Dr. Aaron Horne is a consultant on Pfizer’s Voices for the Heart program.

Working together, we can overcome the

challenge of low awareness and raise our collective voices to help educate family

members, friends, and neighbors at risk of developing hereditary ATTR-CM. myimessenger.com

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June 24, 2022

Family Affair at Elite News Juneteenth Expo in Fair Park

June 24, 2022

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The return of #CityMenCook!

Kudos to event creator and organizer Terry Allen, and to all who joined our Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists Can We Really Talk? conversation.

Special thanks to moderator Cheryl Smith and panelists Dominique Alexander and #DrAlonMilwicki.

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June 24, 2022

Civilized Fest

Photos By Eva Gray Coleman Civilized Fest, where local and national artists took the stage, including So You Think You Can Dance winner, Kida The Great.

Enjoyed dance competitions and good food from Jaykusteaux Custom Cuisine and many other vendors. There was Civilized Conversation, Youth Forum and more. Event hosted

by Big Thought and Shy Speaks at Gilley’s in Dallas.

June 24, 2022

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Haiti ranked 173 out of 180 in environment management The Haitian Times www.haitiantimes.com

By Juhakenson Blaise PORT-AU-PRINCE — After receiving a score of 26.1 out of 100, Haiti finished in 173rd place in the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) standings of 180 countries.

“The 2022 ranking tells us what we already know, our environmental situation is critical, catastrophic,” Edgar Previlon, the executive director of Network for Youth Education, Environment and Health (REJES), told The Haitian Times.

“Unfortunately, no sustainable or structural actions can be considered in this context of weak, illegitimate central governance, marked by this revolting insecurity and the accelerated deterioration of living conditions,” he added.

Meanwhile Haiti’s neighbor,

Haiti is the eighth worst country in environmental management in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)’s 2022 standings.

Credit: Georges H. Rouzier for The Haitian Times

the Dominican Republic, holds the 89th spot in the EPI ranking.

Denmark topped the list with a score of 77.9 while India finished last, accumulating 18.9 points.

Researchers from Yale and Columbia University started the EPI ranking in January 2006. It ranks countries based on climate change performance, environmental health and ecosystem vitality.

EPI’s latest ranking came out at a time when the Haitian government has chosen June to be environment month to raise awareness among citizens about environmental protection. The ranking was also released days after Haiti’s Civil Protection disaster response agency announced that 19 tropical storms, including four hurricanes, might hit Haiti this hurricane season.

Authorities urged residents to stay informed of bad weather and remain vigilant.

Haiti is the fifth most exposed country to natural disasters in the world, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Residents have not been well-prepared for hurricanes in years past and ended up sustaining much loss of life, limb or property from storms that caused significantly less devastation in neighboring countries In August 2020, Storm Laura passed through Haiti, killing at least 20 people and damaging or destroying about 465 homes from flooding.

“It’s time to recognize the need for an environmental emergency,” Previlon said. “The state and civil organizations should work on implementing a solid plan to find the appropriate resources to manage Haiti’s environment well.”

Gas shortages persist in Haiti despite recent fuel shipments The Haitian Times www.haitiantimes.com

By Murdith Joseph PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti has received thousands of gallons of gas, but the shipment is not enough to fix a recurring gas shortage at local pumps, according to the director of the National Association of Service Station Owners.

“We will be facing this situation constantly,” Marc André Deriphonse, the director, told The Haitian Times. “The country buys fuel at a high price [only] to sell it at low cost. Shipments coming here are more and more useless.”

As summer approaches, the worldwide hike in gas is already affecting travel to the country.

In November 2021, American Airlines said it reduced flights to Haiti due to a gas shortage. myimessenger.com

Providing enough gas for travel inside Haiti will likely be even more challenging, industry experts say.

“Today, we have the capacity to order 10,000 gallons. Tomorrow,

this problem isn’t solved.”

In recent years, Haiti has faced persistent gas shortages because the government has been unable to pay for fuel shipments with the country’s credit tightening.

Two men riding on the back of a taxi van in Haiti.

Credit: Georges H. Rouzier for The Haitian Times

we’ll order 7,000,” Deriphonse said. “Orders are significantly reduced and there will come a time we will no longer be able to order. It will be a total collapse if

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One group extremely affected by the constant gas shortages is public transportation drivers.

Angry, they have been demanding that the government puts an

end to the fuel shortage.

“We have been facing this problem for a while,” said Junior Jean-Baptiste, a taxi-moto driver.

“Gas shortage happens all the time. If BMPAD’s director doesn’t manage to solve this as soon as possible, he will hear from us.”

Jean-Baptiste was referring to the Office of Monetization of Development Assistance Programs, a government agency that oversees development funding.

Evens Petit-Homme, another taxi-moto driver, also voiced his frustration. He does not have another job to take care of his family.

“I am in a contract with the owner of the motorcycle I drive,” Petit-Homme, a father of three, said. “We must be able to eat, my children and me. The gas shortage, and to add to it the insecurity crisis, is strangling us.”

June 24, 2022

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June 24, 2022

Shaq surprised a three-time heart attack survivor by gifting him his watch

It’s only been two weeks since she graduated high school!

Because Of Them We Can https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/

By BOTWC Staff A four-time NBA champion and basketball Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal’s accolades also extend off the court.

Over the years, the sports icon has become known for his random acts of kindness, buying 10 pairs of shoes for a 13-year-old whose mom took to the internet for help finding her son’s size 18 shoes, purchasing a home for a family whose 12-year-old son was paralyzed by random gun violence and paying off the engagement ring for a random stranger who happened to be in the jewelry store at the same time. You just never know when an of act of kindness from Shaq is coming on and every time he’s moved to action, the world is a little bit brighter.

This time, Shaq surprised a

random fan at a Golden State Warriors game. The man walked out and was shocked to see Shaq right there, walking up to him with a huge smile to acknowledge one of the greatest players of all time. Before the man could

Shaq surprised a three-time heart attack survivor

even shake his hand good, Shaq began taking off his watch to give it to him.

Visibly emotional, he began sharing how much he loves him and how grateful he is to meet him, sharing that he was a three-time heart attack survivor. “All praises to the most high,” the man exclaimed.

As the two exchanged pleasantries, the man stopped to share what the real value of the moment was, despite Shaq’s generous gift.

“It’s not the watch, it’s you Shaq,” he said.

The two exchanged “I love yous” before parting ways and thank goodness, some other sweet soul caught the entire moment on video. To date, it has already been viewed 2.4 million times. Check it out below because this one is guaranteed to keep you smiling.

Thanks for all you do, Shaq!

Photo Courtesy of Good News Movement/Instagram

North Carolina has dedicated a historical marker to the first Black woman licensed to practice law in the state She was also the first Black woman to study law and earn a law degree from Fordham University!

Because Of Them We Can https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/

By BOTWC Staff Ruth Whitehead Whaley was born in 1901, growing up in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and attending a school where her parents were teachers. From high school, she went on to pursue her education at Livingstone College, marrying her husband Herman Whaley in 1920.

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It was Herman who would convince her to pursue a law degree, Whaley becoming the first Black woman to study law at Fordham University in New York and the first Black woman to earn a law degree from the school. She passed the bar exam in 1925, becoming one of the first women to practice law in New York.

While Whaley was extremely accomplished, she was still impacted See NORTH CAROLINA, page 43

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Ruth Whitehead Whaley historical marker

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Zaila Avant-Garde has teamed up with a global education technology company as their first-ever U.S. youth ambassador She wants to inspire other youth to go after their dreams!

Because Of Them We Can https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/

By BOTWC Staff Last year, Zaila made history as the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She is also a twotime Guinness World Record holder, one for the most bounce juggles in one minute and another for the most basketballs dribbled at once by one person. As a result of her accomplishments, Zaila has received multiple scholarships to college and has been named Sports Illustrated’s 2021 SportsKid of the year. Her thirst for learning and mastering various crafts is what motivates her, and she’s taken to platforms like BYJU’S, a global ed-tech company specializing in engaging and effective learning solutions, to continue exploring even more passions.

Zaila has already enrolled in coding and music courses on BYJU’S, brushing up on her skills as a piano player and learning how to code with a private instructor. Now the India-based company has partnered with Zaila to make her its first U.S. youth ambassador. In her new role, Zaila will serve as a spokesperson, encouraging other youth learners to pursue their dreams

North Carolina cont. from page 42

by the pervasive racism of the time, returning to her home in Goldsboro in 1933 to earn her law license. While she was granted a license to practice in the state, it was more of a ceremonial license than an official one and she was never truly acknowledged for the history-making moment, becoming the first Black woman in the state to ever earn a license to practice law. myimessenger.com

and try something new. She will also host a workshop at BYJU’S first virtual Summer Camp.

“I am excited to partner with BYJU’S as a brand ambassador because I know that many kids struggle with subjects in school that they don’t like. I want to show them that the virtual learning platform

Zaila Avant-Garde

can help make that subject fun and engaging. The learning experience is handson and personalized, so you’re not just sitting at a lecture jotting down formulas or completing workbooks alone. I was able to learn at a faster rate and had a lot of fun doing it, while also gaining confi-

“She couldn’t easily practice law here so she had to move to New York. But she still came back and went through the process and got her license here. I think that’s a real interesting side of the story,” said Ansley Wegner, a member of NC’s highway historical marker program.

As a result of the challenges she faced, Whaley returned to New York where she continued her private practice, serving as an expert in civil service law and winning several landmark cases. In 1945, Whaley ran for

dence in myself,” said Zaila.

A new digital ad from the company entitled “Better” features Zaila, showcasing her accomplishments as well as her passion for expanding her knowledge and wheelhouse. Filmed in a local high school in Zaila’s hometown of Louisiana, the ad shows the triumphs and challenges of the teen’s journey and promotes the benefits of being able to learn on your own terms and at a pace that works for you. By promoting Zaila’s own story, BYJU’S hopes they can inspire a new generation of lifelong learners.

“Spanning her many accomplishments and appetite for learning, Zaila is a shining example of how a child’s natural curiosities translate into life achievements. Her unwavering love of learning and inspiring roster of successes made her a natural choice as BYJU’S first U.S. youth ambassador,” said BYJU’S co-founder, Divya Gokulnath.

Zaila will be speaking during BYJU’S first Summer Camp on July 9 where she’ll touch on her own strategies for success and the importance of never giving up. To learn more about BYJU’S, visit their website here.

Keep inspiring, Zaila! We’ll always be here rooting for you and the next generation of leaders.

Photo Courtesy of BYJU’S

a New York City Council seat, becoming one of the first Black women to be nominated by a major political party in the U.S. Whaley then went on to serve as secretary of the NYC Board of Estimate where she worked on municipal policy, city budgets, contracts, franchises, land use, and water rates from 19511973.

Whaley passed away in 1977 and now almost five decades after her death, she is finally being acknowledged for her pioneering contributions. Recently, North Carolina dedicat-

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ed a highway historical marker in her honor, acknowledging her as the first African American woman licensed to practice law in the state.

The Ruth Whitehead Whaley marker is at the corner of Ash and Jones streets in Goldsboro, North Carolina, not far from where Whaley grew up.

Thank you for your contributions and your sacrifice, Mrs. Whaley! Because of you, we can!

Photos Courtesy of NCDCR/ WFAE; Facebook/North Carolina Highway Historical Markers June 24, 2022

Metro Community Calendar powered by JUNE BLACK MUSIC MONTH PRIDE MONTH Black Male Health Month

22-25 National Newspaper Publishers Association Annual Convention, New Orleans, celebrating 195 years of the Black Press.

Charles Haley, former Dallas Cowboys player and NFL Hall of Fame inductee; Ashlee Hunt Kleinert, CEO of D Magazine and Ruthies Food Truck; Libbie Terrell Lee, Executive Director Golden S.E.E.D.S. CDC; Roland Parrish, CEO of Parrish Restaurants; Rosie Stromberg, Dallas Jewish Historical Society; Carolyn Toliver, Benefits Counselor of Community Council of Greater Dallas; and Rev. S.M. Wright II, Pastor of People’s Baptist Church and President of S.M. Wright Foundation.

Don’t miss Bobby Sessions, Jayson Lyric, Coach Tev, and Trey Haggerty @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall in Dallas

Fair Park Fourth 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM at Fair Park

22 Tracy Morgan Live @ The Texas Trust CU Theatre At Grand Prairie

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Kendrick Lamar w/ special guests Baby Keem & Tanna Leone July 23rd @ The AAC in Dallas

27 Burna Boy live @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

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AUGUST Dallas Zoo Safari Nights until Jul 2, 2022 · 7 – 9:00 PM at Dallas Zoo

Kendell & Mary Beck Scholarship Gold Tournament at the Golf Club of Dallas, 2222 W. Red Bird Lane, Dallas. For more info, contact Bro. Michael Dade or Bro. Abron Young ThetaMuSigma1914@ gmail.com

*** Market Street Allen USA Celebration 7 PM – 10:00 PM at Celebration Park *** Summer Movies on the Lawn: The Goonies 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM at Omni Dallas Hotel

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Wiz Khalifa w/ special guest Logic at the Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas!

11-12 Kevin Hart live August 11th & 12th @ The AAC in Dallas!

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From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Dallas City Hall Plaza - A Free event and open to the public; the “Giants Shoulders on Which We Stand Memorial” and Interfaith Prayer and Praise Celebration.

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.

Shakespeare in the Park: A Midsummer Night’s Dream until Jul 17, 2022 · 8:15 PM – 10:30 PM at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre

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Verna H.E.L.P. Seventh Annual Empowerment Prayer and Living Legends Brunch from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Royal Oaks Country Club honoring these living legends nominated for their legendary efforts in making a difference in our community and the lives of others: Margie Aguilar, Co-Founder ISP Studios; Tim Brown, NFL Hall of Fame and Heisman honoree; Attorney Paul Coggins, Partner of Locke Lord and former U.S. Attorney; Lauriston Crockett, CEO of Genostim Labs; Felecia Frazier, Founder and Executive Director of Chocolate Mint Foundation;

Discover Downtown Movie Series: Selena 8:20 PM at West End Square The Ultimate Holistic Festival 2022, Mind Body Spirit at Armstrong Park, 100 James Collins Blvd. in Duncanville. Sponsored by the Global Holistic Movement and you can reach them at theultimateholisticfestival@gmail.com. For more info, www.Globalholisticmovement.org Dallas Taco and Margarita Festival, 12– 6:00 PM at Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ

The World According to Andrew on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join the call 646200-0459 on Andrew’s World.

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1980s Nostalgia Night · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Arlington Museum of Art

JULY 2 Liberty by the Lake 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM at Colony Five Star Sports Complex *** Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson and Family, 3:15 PM at Dos Equis Pavilion *** Independence Day Celebration 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM at Klyde Warren Park

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I Was Just Thinking with Norma Adams-Wade “History Class is The Weeknd live Au- in Session” Join in on Facebook/@ gust 14th at The At&t TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRaStadium in Arlington dio.com at 11 am -1 pm. CST. Wednesdays. Join the conversation call 646-200-0459.

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Addison Kaboom Town 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM at Addison Circle Park

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Lifestyle Metro Calendar powered by JUNE Black Music Month LGBTQ+ Pride Month 23

National Newspaper Publishers Association Annual Convention, New Orleans, celebrating 195 years of the Black Press. Publisher Bobby R. Henry of the Westside Gazette will be honored and featuring Stephanie Mills.

Thursdays on Tap at the Perot - until Aug 25, 2022 · 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM at Perot Museum of Nature and Science 2022 Oak Cliff Film Festival, until Jun 26, 2022 · 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM. at The Texas Theater

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The Ultimate Holistic Festival REBIRTH, 9am-5pm Celebratiing Life and Wellness at the Armstrong Park and D.L. Hopkins Senior Center, 100 James Collins Blvd. in Duncanville There will be a Too Vegan Chef in Dallas Contest, African Dance Festival and more.www.globalholisticmovement.org

14 Bastille on Bishop 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM at Bishop Arts District

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25 Dallas Metroplex Musicians’ Association’s William S. Mitchell Sacred Choral Music Workshop Concert will be held at 4:30 P. M. Pearly Gate Baptist Church will host this endeavor. It is located at 6021 University Hills Drive, Dallas, Texas 75241, Dr. Thomas J. Payne, Senior Pastor, and Dr. Robbie Moore, Pastor.

JULY

2022 Texas Democratic Party State Convention

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Family Festival / Fiesta de la Familia 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM at Kimbell Art Museum

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM--A Memorial Balloon and Floral Ceremony for the 30 City and County leaders that assisted with the START and EXISTENCE of Verna’s H.E.L.P. Foundation “HELPING EVERYONE LIVE POSITIVE.” “THE THIRTY SHOULDERS WE STAND ON OF GIANTS.” Honoring the Late Frank and Judy Lott, Honorable Elsie Faye Higgins, Mayor Annette Strauss, Gloria Hogg, Murdine Berry, Olga Mae Rabourn, Mr. J.B. Jackson, Honorable Albert and Lovie Lipscomb, Pastor George W. Pryor, Pastor S.M. Wright, William and Mozelle Blair, Comer J. Cottrell, Lawson Ridgeway, Attorney Louis A Bedford, M. T. “Buddy” Minyard, Judge John H. Wittington, Judge Cleo Steele, Fred Meyer, Norman Moorehead, John Stemmons, Peter and Betty May Stewart, Dr. Charles Mitchell, Mayor Jack Evans, Poncho Medrano, Mayor Starke Taylor, and Mayor Robert Folsom.

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The 2022 ILIVE Women’s and Girls Wellness & LifeStyle Expo!

University of Texas at Arlington, Texas 10a- 2:30 p 300 W. First Street Arlington, Texas, TX 76017

The Denton County Democratic Party (DCDP) will hold its LBJObama Dinner at the HIlton Garden Inn, 785 State Highway 121, Lewisville. The keynote address will be given by former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis and the guest speaker will be Texas House Rep. Jasmine Crockett. For tickets call 972-835-7301.

***** Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce 41st Annual Luncheon will be held at the Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

Register through the Chamber’s website at www.fwmbcc.org

Send your calendar items to editor@texasmetronews.com

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Parker County Peach Festival 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Downtown Weatherford

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4th Annual DFW HBCU Alumni 5K Run/Walk Scholarship Event at 7:00am at Mike Lewis Park, 2410 N Carrier Pkwy, Grand Prairie Texas https://linktr.ee/incrhouse

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BAMM, Being a Melanin Mom, Inc. cordially invites you to Second Annual Black Owned Experience Summer Expo!

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM CDT Lofty Spaces, 816 Montgomery Street Dallas, TX

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www.grandpasecret.com

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June 24, 2022

Poor People’s Campaign holds major DC rally to combat poverty

By Jack Jenkins WASHINGTON (RNS) — Thousands of clergy, union leaders, activists and scholars rallied near the U.S. Capitol on Saturday (June 18) at a march organized by the Poor People’s Campaign, calling on Congress to take action and address the plight of millions of Americans who struggle with poverty and low income.

“This level of poverty and greed in this, the richest nation in the history of the world, constitutes a moral crisis and a fundamental failure of the A crowd gathers for the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March in Washington Credit: Jack Jenkins policies of greed,” thundered on June 18, 2022. the Rev. William Barber II, a before he was assassinated in Church and the Evangelical Disciples of Christ minister 1968.

Lutheran Church in America. and co-chair of the Poor PeoThe modern iteration, led The American Friends Serple’s Campaign, as he ope- by Barber and co-chair the vice Committee, an arm of ned the Mass Poor People’s Rev. Liz Theoharis, advocates the Quakers, also appeared, and Low-Wage Workers’ As- for legislation to address not as did Catholic Sisters of Mersembly and Moral March in only poverty, but also voting cy.

Washington. rights, immigration reform, “We gather on these streets “The regressive policies abortion rights, labor rights, in the spirit of the Prophet which produce 140 million climate change, gun violence, Amos, who declared: ‘Hate poor and low-wealth peop- housing and LGBTQ rights, evil, love good and establish le are not benign,” he conti- among other things. The justice in the public square,’” nued. “They are forms of ‘po- campaign also names five Sheila Katz, head of the Nalicy murder.’” “interlocking evils” in the U.S. tional Council of Jewish WoWhat followed was a more- — namely, “systemic racism, men, told the crowd. than-five-hour rally, featuring poverty, ecological devastati- The Rev. Neal Christie, a United The crowd, too, was thick an array of mostly liberal-le- on, the war economy and our Methodist minister, attends the with clergy, many of whom aning speakers. Their theme distorted moral narrative.”

Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage wore shirts with slogans such was the way a complex of poThe event doubled as a show Workers’ Assembly and Moral as “God is love” or “Jesus was licy failures conspires to keep of progressive political force. March in Washington on June 18, a socialist.”

2022.

Credit: Jack Jenkins the poor in dire straits.

Signs in the crowd called for Shane Claiborne, co-founThe massive march — tur- a federal job guarantee, pasBut more than 20 clergy der of the group Red Letter nout, though lower than what sage of the Green New Deal and other voices kicked off Christians and a fierce oppoorganizers initially aspired for and new gun control laws. the event with an interfaith nent of the death penalty and when they began planning Several speakers represented litany. Indigenous, Hindu, gun violence, sported a cross roughly a year ago, was still si- secular progressive organiza- Muslim, Afro-Caribbean and fashioned from a melted fizable — was the culmination tions, such as Greenpeace and Jewish traditions were repre- rearm. Claiborne applauded of years of organizing by the Planned Parenthood, as well sented, along with an array the focus on gun control at the Poor People’s Campaign, pat- as various unions. The crowd of Christian denominations, rally, which he said reflected terned after the Rev. Martin cheered the activist academi- including the Presbyterian the surge in attention to gun Luther King Jr.’s final project cian Cornel West.

Church (USA), the Episcopal violence in recent months afJune 24, 2022

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ter a slew of mass shootings.

“The Prophets Micah and Isaiah, when they said God’s people beat their swords into plowshares — that’s people taking it into their own hands.

They don’t wait on change to come from the top down,” Claiborne said. “I think that’s what’s happening here. Water boils from the bottom up, and there’s something happening in our country.”

Elijah Anthony, wearing a colorful stole and holding a sign that read “Everybody has a right to live,” said he drove from Boston to attend the rally. A seminarian and member of the United Church of Christ, he works with a church that caters to the unhoused.

Anthony said he appreciated the Poor People’s Campaign’s encyclopedic approach to protest. “This is about dismantling systemic injustices, and I really love that the Poor People’s Cam-

Elijah Anthony, from Boston, attends the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March in Washington on June 18, 2022.

Credit: Jack Jenkins

noting that she was especially concerned about health care, income inequality and caring for the unhoused. “Our denomination and my own congregation are very justice focused.”

One of the Poor People’s

The Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon, a Unitarian Universalist minister, attends the Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March in Washington on June 18, 2022.

Credit: Jack Jenkins

paign talks about the interlocking social injustices that occur — that it’s not just one thing, but we have to tackle everything together,” Anthony said.

The Rev. Amanda Weatherspoon, a Unitarian Universalist minister, huddled close to the stage with other clergy.

“Our principles and our values are centered around collective liberation,” she said, myimessenger.com

ty and Low Wages From the Bottom Up.” But President Joe Biden, who has endorsed the campaign’s work, has yet to respond to Barber’s repeated requests to host a summit on poverty at the White House,

The Rev. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, called legislation that hurts the poor ‘forms of policy murder.’

Campaign’s expressed goals for the day was to impress on Congress the voting power of the poor and their allies. Last year, Reps. Barbara Lee of California, Pramila Jayapal of Washington state and Jamie Raskin of Maryland teamed up with Barber and Theoharis to unveil a sweeping anti-poverty omnibus resolution called the “Third Reconstruction: Fully Addressing Pover-

and the Third Reconstruction resolution hasn’t gained widespread support on Capitol Hill.

Barber and Theoharis reiterated their demands while addressing the crowd on Saturday, calling on Congress to “publicly acknowledge the pain of 140 million poor, lowwealth people” and “commit to creating and supporting legislation that reflects our Third

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Reconstruction agenda.”

Barber also voiced frustration with the lack of response from the White House.

“I know the phones work and emails work,” he said.

“We demand a White House poverty summit with President Biden, to allow this administration to meet with a delegation of poor and lowwealth people, religious leaders and economists — now!”

Down Pennsylvania Avenue, the Rev. Neal Christie, executive minister for connected engagement with the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, held a sign that demanded Congress pass the Third Reconstruction omnibus resolution. As a former staffer at the UMC’s advocacy office on Capitol Hill, he understood the difficulty of getting laws passed. But, he said, “With Congress we have an opportunity to appeal to their moral conscience.”

Barber vowed to keep up those appeals, announcing that the Poor People’s Campaign would return to Washington in September for “nonviolent direct action all day in the halls of Congress.”

June 24, 2022

ARRESTED

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?

Crimestoppers 877-373-8477 June 24, 2022

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