I Messenger 3-12-21

VOL X NO 26 MARCH 12, 2021

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Comerica names Faussette to build businesses

Summer

Faussette All in the FAMUly

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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.

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INSIDE

Faithful Utterances

Quit Playin’

The Last Word

I have been working with a holistic practitioner. I am beyond excited because she has been changing my life. I marvel at her ability to look at a person and identify what is wrong. When I saw my physician, he agreed with her diagnosis and wanted to even learn more about what she has used to improve my health.

In September of 1986, Greg Abbott was jogging on a windy day through Houston’s ritzy River Oaks neighborhood. A large Oak limb snapped as he ran beneath it. The accident cost him the use of his spine and wreaked havoc on his kidneys. Abbott, an attorney, sued the homeowner and a tree care company and has received nearly $10,000,000 in payments since.

March is Women’s History Month, and this month is the perfect time to lift the Black women’s organizations that make such an essential difference in our lives.

Last year, both the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women (NANBPW) celebrated their 85th anniversary.

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MY TRUTH

by Cheryl Smith, Publisher

It was such a joy watching the NBA All-Star Game as the focus was on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, on what was a really busy Black History Day. There was the Selma Jubilee, commemorating Bloody Sunday and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge; while also paying homage to the Hon. John Lewis (D-GA) and others who spoke up for

No, I didn’t watch Oprah’s interview but the “Street Committee” told me what many have said before, racism is alive and well, and not just in America.

I took a breather on Sunday to enjoy the love from Selma, Tallahassee and Atlanta. I was beaming with pride.

Which brings me to my truth.

On Saturday, March 13, 2021 we will socially-distance, fully mask and gather at Globe Life Park in Arlington for the State Fair Classic featuring Grambling and Prairie View A&M Universities.

We’re still talking Black History and HBCU love.

Now because of COVID-19 the crowd that makes this contest one of the top HBCU gatherings in the world will be considerably smaller; but the love, pride and spirit of competition will definitely be in full effect.

I’ll take a moment during the game and remember the wonderful Opal Smith, who was the prettiest woman in Dallas.

Mrs. Smith, who was Miss Prairie View A&M 1954, transitioned in December 2020. She had so much love for her alma mater, and all HBCUs. Some will say they

voting rights.

Then there was the coronation of Mr. and Ms. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University - albeit late because of COVID-19.

On Sunday, there was so much love shown for Black people, although I think that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, would beg to differ with that assessment.

Let’s hear it for GSU and PVAMU!!

PVAMU March 12, 2021

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are going to look forward to attending the game in October during the State Fair of Texas, when it returns.

We must continue to be safe, wear our masks and socially distance. We must also support our HBCUs. Someone asked me if I was racist because of my love for HBCUs. Guess what? I’m not even taking that walk or having that talk.

And people still ask why do we have to have Black History Month!

Why don’t you join me at the game? If you have reservations, I definitely overstand. So instead; write a check, cash app, use whatever device you choose and support our HBCUs.

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March 12, 2021

GETTING WISDOM is WISE FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

BY DR. FROSWA BOOKER-DREW

I have been working with a holistic practitioner. I am beyond excited because she has been changing my life. I marvel at her ability to look at a person and identify what is wrong. When I saw my physician, he agreed with her diagnosis and wanted to even learn more about what she has used to improve my health.

During our visit this week, I asked QC and her team to help me understand how they can look at someone and tell the state of their health.

The response was not unfamiliar— “We just know.

We’ve been doing this a long time.” What she meant was that her 30-plus years of experience has taught her so much. Despite her continuous quest to learn more, her effectiveness is a result of practice and wisdom.

When I was younger, I was on this quest to get so much done. It was as if an invisible force was at work pushing me to achieve. I realized as I have gotten older that there are many invisible voices around us that coax us into believing that we don’t have time or that we must keep up with everyone else.

The voices now not only come from those around us, but social media can create a tension of trying to set standards with others that are unrealistic.

When I was a child, I March 12, 2021

remember my grandmother always saying to me “keep living”. If you live long enough, there are some things that you will learn not because of degrees or reading books but because of life experience and it requires having some time in the world to develop skills, habits, and even character.

We tend to dismiss age but there is something to be said about living and the experience and wisdom

know I was politically correct in my statement, but you understand the value of this cliché that we don’t hear as often.

Even in my life today, I surround myself with individuals who are wise, that can guide me and have been places that I seek to go.

The word wisdom is mentioned 222 times in the Bible. It along with justice and kindness are important

“

Who is wise and under standing among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” James 3:13

gained from it. It isn’t that as we age, we know everything, but it is recognizing the power in wisdom which can accelerate you much further.

I was fortunate to spend time at the feet of individuals who were great but not by the world standards. They were great because of their lived experience. I loved listening to the elders in my family and in my community growing up because so many things I was able to avoid because I listened.

My mother would say a “hard head makes for a soft behind” meaning that it is easier to listen than to be difficult and allow life to beat you down. I

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virtues that I think we don’t focus on enough in our lives: • Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16) • How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!

(Proverbs 16:16) • Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

(Proverbs 13:10) • The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. (Proverbs 19:8)

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• Do not deceive yourselves.

If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. (1 Corinthians 3:18) It is more than obtaining information on how to become successful in your career. It is identifying those who have lived a good life, that walk with God and know the power of prayer. It is making sure that in your life, there are individuals you are surrounded by who know how to take care of their mind, body, emotions, and spirit.

If I surround myself with individuals who are just like me and see the world the same way that I do, I am only rehashing similar information and I’m not stretched.

My life reflects the wisdom that has been poured into me and I continue to sit at the feet of those who can guide me and direct me, whose lived experience can add value to my own.

“Who is wise and understanding among you?

Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (James 3:13) Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the Founder and CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, specializing as a Partnership Broker and Leadership Expert for companies and organizations to thrive with measurable and meaningful impact. She also is the VP of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances for the State Fair of Texas.

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Abbott, Neanderthals and Jokes!

QUIT PLAYIN’ VINCENT L. HALL In September of 1986, Greg Abbott was jogging on a windy day through Houston’s ritzy River Oaks neighborhood. A large Oak limb snapped as he ran beneath it.

The accident cost him the use of his spine and wreaked havoc on his kidneys.

Abbott, an attorney, sued the homeowner and a tree care company and has received nearly $10,000,000 in payments since.

Author and Attorney Mark Bello mentioned Abbott’s gross hypocrisy in a 2013 “Legal Examiner.”

“Mr. Abbott has been outspoken in his support for the tort reforms. He says tort reform is needed to curb “frivolous lawsuits.” What a hypocrite!

For example, under Abbott’s policies, if a patient is left paralyzed from the waist down due to a doctor’s negligence, tort reform caps non-economic damages at $250,000 with no built-in in-

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creases over time to keep up with the rising cost of living.”

Take a re-look at what he did with Obamacare. Abbott has sued the federal government 27 times; (20 since President Obama took office) at taxpayers’ expense.

The cost for Texas alone is $2.58 million. Of those 27 cases, he has won five. Were these 22 losses frivolous expenditures of taxpayer money?

Greg Abbott will not accept the Obamacare Medicaid expansion in Texas, causing millions to suffer preventive, physical, and psychological treatment.

Parkland Hospital of Dallas, one of the leading public health facilities in the world, estimates that it loses more than $100,000,000 per year as a result.

Recheck this. Greg has raked in almost $10 million dollars for his injury, but your loss is capped at $250K. The fact that Abbott is ineffective with the electricity grid issues, COVID safety protocols and anything else that does not generate campaign dollars from wealthy corporate interests, should not be a surprise.

Abbott’s leadership is one of the reasons minorities, seniors, and the indigent are being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone who watches this Neanderthal could have predicted this. He gets his, his friends get theirs, and when it comes to the rest of us; frankly, Scarlett, he don’t give a damn!

If you don’t believe me, have him produce a vaccine distribution report that contrasts Red vs. Blue counties on a per capita basis.

So this latest move to “open the state 100%” while removing the mask mandate is characteristic of how Abbott has always governed. He appears to be a little kinder and gentler version of Trump.

Abbott is a throwback to the Crackerocracy that Dr. Michael Eric Dyson described.

The old political guard never sounded like the racist, elitist, and misogynistic animals that they are.

After President Joseph R. Biden described Abbott’s feigned naiveté as Neanderthal and ill-timed, Abbott did what Trump learned to do so well. He deflected and outright lied, knowing that no one would take the bait

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except his base. KHOU-11 in Houston reported as much.

“The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities. The Biden Administration must immediately end this callous act that exposes Texans & Americans to COVID,” the governor tweeted Wednesday.

When asked on Thursday, the White House dismissed the claim.

What’s even more egregious is that anyone would be stupid enough to swallow the charge he levied against the Biden comments and immigration changes. If what Abbott said was true, he has an even greater responsibility to require masks.

Truth is, he has bungled the pandemic, blundered the ERCOT fallout, and now he wants to bamboozle the thoughtless Republicans that vote for him…regardless!

Abbott is a joke and makes all Texans look like Neanderthals, but Neanderthals ain’t no joke.

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

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How to get a COVID-19 vaccine If you are a Parkland patient: Parkland patients (at least one appointment in the last year) will be contacted by Parkland when it’s their turn to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are not a Parkland patient: Please follow these steps to register to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

1.

Go to the website of Dallas County Health and Human Services:

www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination.php

2.

Click on the green rectangle to register:

3.

Fill out the form and click Submit. You are now registered.

4.

When it is your turn, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment to get the vaccine at one of the hub sites (such as Parkland, UT Southwestern, Dallas County Health and Human Services, etc.)

Getting the vaccine will protect yourself and the people around you.

The vaccine will help stop the spread of the virus in our community and end the pandemic.

Not able to register online?

Call the Dallas County Health and Human Services Vaccine Registration Hotline at 469-749-9906, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Registration help is available in English and Spanish.

Until more people are vaccinated, please stay safe.

Wear a mask

Wash your hands

Clean surfaces 01/21/21

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Comerica names Faussette to build businesses Comerica Bank announced it has appointed Summer Faussette as its National African American Business Development Manager supporting its ongoing commitment to building strong relationships with African American business leaders, entrepreneurs and communities across all markets. These responsibilities are an extension of Faussette’s current role as Vice President, External Affairs Arizona.

As National African American Business Development Manager, Faussette will collaborate with Comerica’s African American Business Resource Groups, Chief Diversity Officer Nate Bennett, and Chief Community Officer Irvin Ashford, Jr. on building external partnerships with African American nonprofit organizations across the bank’s national footprint.

“Summer brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge, which will benefit us as we continue to support initiatives that engage African American communities across our markets,” said Ashford.

“Comerica’s hallmark is building relationships and this role will allow us to continue strengthening partnerships with nonprofits and community leaders who do so much for our communities,” said Faussette. “I am also honored to accept these new responsibilities and broaden Comerica’s reach in our communities.”

A veteran of more than 17 years in the financial services industry, Faussette will continue to oversee Arizona’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities, which include CRA volunteerism, civic and community relations, internal and external CRA strategic planning, and fostering community partnerships and investments.

Pivotal to the external affairs team’s outreach includes the Business Bootcamps and Comerica Money $ense programs that have gone virtual since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comerica’s impact on local communities in 2020 was felt through the more than 110 of the business bootcamps hosted across

its markets, assisting 1,250 small businesses. And, more than 35,000 low- to moderate-income individuals took part in financial education sessions and in 2021 it looks to increase its reach.

Summer Faussette

In late 2020, Comerica also moved $10 million in deposits to Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), as well as established mutual mentoring relationships with these institutions. MDIs assist minority and underserved communities and foster economic viability in their communities.

Specifically, Comerica allocated $2.5 million to each selected MDI, including First Independence Bank in De-

troit, Mich.; Broadway Federal Bank in Los Angeles, Calif.; Unity National Bank in Houston, Texas; and Commercial Bank of California in Irvine, Calif.

“Summer has demonstrated a passion for working in our communities and will serve to play an instrumental role in developing ways to strengthen our racial equity efforts internally and externally,” said Bennett.

Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $88 billion as of Dec. 31, 2020.

Fernandez receives award from Texas School Public Relations Association Demond Fernandez received the Media Award at the TSPRA Annual Conference. Fernandez is a veteran reporter at WFAATV in Dallas, TX that exhibits the very best of broadcast journalism.

He seeks out stories that highlight teaching and learning and provide unbiased investigative coverage on school districts’ sensitive subjects.

His reporting allows the community to remain up to date on critical issues impacting their community and schools. myimessenger.com

Demond Fernandez

Most recently, he’s had to cover two southern sector school districts in the DFW area. He has broken these news stories and reported the facts while

providing unbiased coverage with integrity.

He’s dedicated to showcasing all sides of stories, so those impacted the most are informed with all information. He does the groundwork to ensure accurate reporting, which showcases why he is an award-winning investigative reporter.

An active member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the DallasFort Worth Association of Black Journalists, Fernandez uses his journalistic skills to

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inquire about stories and has a dedicated following on social media, allowing him to connect with individuals for story ideas.

In a world that is oversaturated with misinformation, Fernandez is passionate about reporting the facts, telling a great story, and being a source of information for the DFW community.

When this member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is not engulfed in investigative reporting, he’s always looking for ways to highlight the best of school districts.

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Black women’s organizations matter THE LAST WORD BY DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX

March is Women’s History Month, and this month is the perfect time to lift the Black women’s organizations that make such an essential difference in our lives. Last year, both the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women (NANBPW) celebrated their 85th anniversary. Thanks to COVID, neither organization had the opportunity to celebrate in the way they planned; now they are celebrating by Zoom.

The differently scaled celebration does not diminish the importance that these organizations have.

When I think of NCNW, I think of the late Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, who used to say, “If I tap you with my finger, you may or may not feel it, but if I combine these five fingers into a fist, you will definitely feel it.”

Dr. Height was not a pugilistic woman, but she was a fervent believer in the power of the collective. And NCNW, an “organization of organizations,” certainly fits that bill.

Too many times, in modern history, NCNW, the collective, has been present.

Many of us, for example, myimessenger.com

attended Labor Secretary Alexis Herman’s confirmation hearings, many wearing the crimson and cream colors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ms. Herman’s sorority (and also mine).

Deltas were not the only people in the house. Other Divine Nine sisters joined us, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Rho. We made an impression, and those senators prepared to grill Herman had to think twice because we were there.

Black women had a tremendous impact on this current election. I think of LaTosha Brown, a Black Votes Matter leader, and the tireless work she did to get voters out.

I think of Melanie Campbell and the sisters of the Black Women’s Roundtable.

There are so many more Black women and Black Women’s organizations that made a difference in this election. President Biden has acknowledged the Black community and Black women in particular.

It is crucial, though, that our coalition continues to stay active and connected.

One Black woman, Kristen Clarke, has been nominated to serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Already the right-wing is going after her with their usual smear campaign tactics, taking comments out of context and blowing them up. The same coalition that worked

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to get the vote out now must work to support this exceptional woman.

Similarly, two other women of color are being smeared.

Vanita Gupta, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, has been attacked by rabid right-wingers. Another woman of color, Neera Tanden, who leads the Center for American Progress, has been attacked for her tweets. Really?

Her tweets, some say, are vicious. When have tweets adhered to a civility protocol?

The coalition of Black women who have always made a difference must step up to support these women, too.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the founder of NCNW, was a firm believer in diversity and inclusion. She reached out to white women who shared our values and worked in coalition with them when she could, given the constraints of the time.

She would approve supporting sisters Gupta and Tanden, women of color just like us. While we might not be on the same page as these sisters on everything, we have enough in common to be passionate in their defense.

The smear tactics that the rabid right uses to smear these women are unacceptable.

They are the same tactics that these people use against Vice President Kamala Harris. We need to make sure they don’t

work.

I often wonder what motivated Dr. Bethune to form an organization in the middle of the Great Depression, when overall unemployment rates soared to 25 percent and Black unemployment was two or three times higher.

In 1935, food lines snaked around city blocks and down dusty roads in rural communities. Too many Black folks were pushed to the back of the line or denied assistance altogether.

The indignities were innumerable, but Bethune shrugged them off to build a powerful organization with unprecedented access to President Roosevelt. She walked into Roosevelt’s office with the collective strength of Black women in her fingers or her fist.

Black women’s organizations don’t get the credit they are due, so these organizations must be lifted in this Women’s History Month.

What would our nation be without these organizations who get out the vote, raise money for scholarships, provide social and civic services, and do so much more? I don’t want to know the answer.

All I know is that Black women’s organizations matter.

We must celebrate them!

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

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Thirty years ago, I watched Rodney King beaten. We thought our fight was finally over OUR VOICES REP. KAREN BASS

March 3, 2021 When I first saw the tape of Rodney King being beaten in the middle of the street on March 3, 1991, I was not horrified or surprised.

I was hopeful.

I believed that now, finally, the public would believe what Black and Latino activists had been saying: that police brutality is real and continues a long history of treating Black people like their lives do not matter, while simultaneously attempting to hide that reality in plain sight.

Activists had fought for years to get elected leaders to see and act on what was happening in Black communities across America.

But officers who killed or brutalized Black people could say that they did it because they had been in fear for their life, whether or not the person was armed.

But then, 30 years ago as we watched that video, we were convinced that justice would finally be served, and the truth would be exposed to the world.

We were right to an extent. myimessenger.com

VIDEOS AMERICA CAN’T IGNORE People across the country felt outraged at what they saw on the tape, but that anger did not translate into large-scale change. Los Angeles amended its city charter to rein in the largely unchecked chief of police, who around that time suggested that Black people were dying from chokeholds at the hands of police at disproportionate rates because our neck veins were different from “normal people’s” neck veins. While these local actions were significant at the time, the reforms pretty much stopped there.

There had been a moment of understanding and an opportunity for change, but it passed.

In what could now be viewed as a rigged trial (due to changed venue and a jury with no Black people on it), the jury didn’t convict any of the four police officers involved in the assault. After that verdict, I drove through the intersection of Florence and Normandie in South Los Angeles on my way to a meeting with other activists and saw our community begin to burn in anger and despair.

Black and Brown people in this country have now endured 30 years of police brutality and violence since Rodney King was beaten.

On May 25, 2020, the world

witnessed yet another video, this time of the slow killing of George Floyd. Tens of thousands took to the streets demanding change, not only in Minneapolis but in nearly every major U.S. city and in cities around the world.

Thirty years later, I stand hopeful yet again. There is a systemic problem with policing in the United States. By enacting transformative reform on a national level, we have a chance to address it.

WHAT REAL POLICE REFORM LOOKS LIKE Though named in his honor, Congress must not pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to honor one man — but to honor all the unarmed people who have been brutalized or killed by police since his death and the many more who were brutalized or killed prior.

Last year I introduced this bill to act on these long overdue reforms. I developed it carefully in consultation with many stakeholders, including some police officials. The bill would introduce common sense reforms such as: requiring police officer accreditation; promulgating best practices; maintaining a registry of officers dismissed for excessive use of force; providing grants for communities to reenvision public safety; and banning the chokeholds and no-knock

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warrants in federal drug cases, which have been at the root of recent high-profile tragedies.

The House passed the bill last year, but it never got a vote in the Senate. The 117th Congress will take up the bill again this week with the opportunity to set us on a path towards finally addressing the issue of police brutality in a transformative way.

This is a moment of understanding and an opportunity for change yet again and we cannot let it pass.

When the police officers were acquitted at their trial for the beating of Rodney King, I felt hopeless and defeated. It felt like his life did not matter. That’s the feeling we will continue to have until we act. We cannot afford to wait another 30 years.

Next week, Derek Chauvin will stand trial for second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

At some point, our nation needs to make a decision about how many more instances of police brutality do we need to witness before we do something about it.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., represents Culver City and parts of Lost Angeles in the United States House of Representatives and is the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Follow her on Twitter: @ RepKarenBass

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My COVID-19 action plan: How to cope when the virus hits home

By SONJA BARTOLOME, M.D. Internal Medicine - Pulmonary Disease UTSouthwestern Medical Center Special to Texas Metro News In a pandemic, even when you do everything right, viruses can still find a way into your home.

As a respiratory specialist, I have lived in PPE for the better part of a year and made sure that my family has taken every precaution. I was also among the first health care workers to be vaccinated. So when my husband, Ivan, got COVID-19 this winter, it was a stark reminder of just how insidious and unpredictable the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be.

Ivan didn’t have a mild case, either. He was sick with a fever and cough for two weeks straight. When I posted an update about Ivan’s condition to my social media, I was surprised how many people came out of the woodwork and said, “I

Even before his test results came back, my husband, Ivan, self-isolated. Our master bedroom has an exterior door, so we could see him through the glass and we could FaceTime.

By following safe practices, we were fortunate nobody else in our house was infected.

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UT Southwestern offers several options for testing, including drive-up facilities.

had it, too!” or “My whole family caught it at the same time!”

It was as if they felt ashamed of being infected by a novel coronavirus that has spread to nearly 29 million people in the U.S. They also seemed worried about being judged by others: What were you out doing? Didn’t you wear a mask or wash your hands?

Leading up to Ivan’s illness, we hadn’t really gone anywhere or done anything.

We never went out in public without masks on and hand sanitizer in tow. But that’s what viruses do. They are always searching for an available host, even when we do our best to be careful.

As we approach the one-year mark of living with COVID-19, we need to eliminate the stigma and shift our focus to controlling the controllables, particularly as new variants to the SARS-CoV-2 virus arise. The vaccines, while vital, don’t mean we can let our guard down.

If someone in your immediate family becomes infected, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk and limit the spread at home. We developed an action

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plan when Ivan tested positive for COVID-19, and I wanted to share our experience in hopes it might help others.

1. GET TESTED EARLY When Ivan first started feeling sick, we thought it might be a cold or flu and not COVID-19. But just to be sure, we all got tested right away. My tests came back negative, and we were surprised when his were positive. More severe symptoms began shortly thereafter.

My children and I got tested a second time just to be sure, and we were still negative. Testing helped us isolate him early, potentially sparing the rest of the family from infection. Explore UT Southwestern testing options.

2. ISOLATE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF SYMPTOMS Even before his test results came back, Ivan self-isolated at the first sign of symptoms. We’re fortunate to have a bathroom off the master bedroom, myimessenger.com

which he was able to use through his two-week isolation. I took the spare room, main bathroom, and kitchen so I could bring him food throughout our time apart. I also worked from home, attending meetings and seeing patients via video conferences.

Ivan and I set up a protocol. I’d mask up, then knock. He’d put on his mask and move at least six feet from the door. I’d place his food on a side table, chat a bit, then leave so he could unmask and eat.

When he was through, we’d repeat the process to clear away the dishes.

Our master bedroom has an external door, so we could see him through the glass if we stood in the yard. We could FaceTime, but it was difficult being apart for that long. I empathize with people who have had to deal with this situation throughout the pandemic with relatives in nursing homes and hospitals.

3. DIVIDE AND CONQUER Not everybody has access to separate bedrooms and bathrooms. In tight quarters, do your best to keep people who

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Throughout our time apart, I worked from home and we developed a protocol so I could bring Ivan his meals and he could remain isolated.

have COVID-19 or symptoms in one area of the home and those who are well in another.

We know families who live in their RVs. When one person got infected, that person stayed in a room at the back of the RV, leaving only to use the restroom (masked up, of course). The rest of the

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family stayed out of the person’s space, masked up, and used antiviral cleaners to wipe down the doorknobs, toilet handle, and faucets. No one else in the family got sick.

Do your best in your environment.

Keep at least six feet of distance between sick and well individuals for at least 14 days after a positive COVID-19 test and after they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours.

Keeping them isolated behind a door is safest, but physical distance may suffice. Weather permitting, spend time outdoors at home as much as possible. The virus is more likely to spread in closed in spaces without much ventilation.

Related reading: Tired of social distancing? Try NPIs on for size 4. WEAR PPE AT HOME WHEN SOMEONE IS SICK Most of us don’t love wearing masks, but they make a difference. At work, I wear an N95 mask, face shield, gloves, gown, you name it. But at home, we wore simple surgical masks, and the virus did not spread to anyone else in our home.

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Some of the recently recorded COVID-19 variants appear to spread faster than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but they do not appear to cause more severe infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reiterated the importance of wearing a snug-fitting mask and even suggested wearing two masks, depending on the type, to further reduce the risk of exhaling or inhaling respiratory droplets.

5. CONSIDER NEW TREATMENTS TO AVOID HOSPITALIZATION If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at high-risk for severe symptoms, consider getting a monoclonal antibody infusion. This new treatment consists of laboratory-made proteins that mimic how the immune system fights viruses.

While the infusion doesn’t cure COVID-19 infection, it can help decrease the viral load by blocking the virus from entering more cells. The goal is to reduce the severity of infection and avoid an ER visit or hospitalization.

Patients 12 and older who are hospitalized with COVID-19 may benefit from remdesivir, an antiviral medication that interrupts virus production, lowering its ability to multiply.

Research suggests that fewer than 3 percent of patients have mild side effects March 12, 2021

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from the infusion. Perhaps the main drawback on monoclonal antibody treatment is that you can’t get a COVID-19 vaccine for 90 days afterward because the treatment may impair your body’s immune response to the vaccine. However, it is rare to get infected with COVID-19 again in that timeframe due to the nature of the virus.

Texas has set up monoclonal antibody infusion centers around the state, including at UT Southwestern. Your primary care provider must refer you for treatment, which is under an emergency use authorization because it is so new. Find a center near you.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE COVID-19 VACCINES Vaccine hesitancy runs deep in the U.S., particularly in hard-hit communities of color. Dr. Quinn Capers, Associate Dean for Faculty Diversity at UT Southwestern and a national leader on the issue of diversity and inclusion in medicine, says the key to connecting with Black and Hispanic patients is delivering on a message of trust and equality.

6. GET VACCINATED – EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY HAD COVID-19 The vaccine supply is limited right now, but that won’t always be the case.

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As soon as you are eligible, you can schedule a vaccination appointment at UT Southwestern’s Vaccination Page.

Around the time my husband recovered from COVID-19, he became eligible for the vaccine because he has a highrisk condition. He registered right away, but he did get some questions from friends who thought once you had the virus you were immune. That’s a common misconception. Nobody is sure how long natural immunities last, and while reinfections aren’t common there are enough recorded cases that the CDC has recommended vaccination for people who have been infected with the virus.

It may sound cliché, but none of us are safe until all of us are safe. That’s why it’s important to get vaccinated when your time and opportunity come.

The potential side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine are minor and shortlived, especially when compared with the symptoms of COVID-19 infection for a patient who has comorbidities such as blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity. If you feel hesitant about getting vaccinated, talk with your primary care provider about your personal risk/benefit balance.

A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS Patients sometimes ask, “Why me?

Why did I get this when I am so careful?”

The truth is, viruses don’t discriminate – they just look for any way to spread.

That’s why it’s essential to continue following COVID-19 safety protocols: • Wear a mask • Wash your hands • Practice social distancing • Avoid large indoor gatherings • Get tested early and often • Self-isolate if you feel sick or suspect you’ve been exposed There shouldn’t be a stigma attached to catching COVID-19. Do your best to implement the precautions, and if someone in your family gets infected, do everything you can to limit the spread to the rest of your family and the community.

Working together, we can beat this virus.

To visit with a primary care or respiratory health doctor, call 214-645-8300 or request an appointment online. myimessenger.com

Local author chronicles Black experience

By ASHLEY MOSS Madelyn Modeste breezed into a Lewisville bakery promptly at 3 o’clock on a recent afternoon.

The restaurant was quiet.

Few visitors aside from Madelyn and her mother, Shauntelle Modeste, had trickled into the café between lunch rush and the coming dinner hour.

Madelyn plopped down on a well sanitized armchair.

Dressed in a lightweight sweat outfit, the 11-year-old clutched a brightly colored book as if it were a prized possession.

In fact, it is. Madelyn - her hair braided back into long cornrows - is the author and publisher of the book, Mariella Can’t Wait. She ventured into the restaurant to talk about her book.

Released in October, Mariella details a familiar experience to youngsters: a pre-teen waits for an important gift that takes way too long to arrive by traditional mail.

“It’s about Mariella, the main character, who is waiting on a special package from her grandmother who lives out of state,” says Madelyn, who is African American.

Madelyn Modeste is among a flood of young authors who are writing and publishing their own texts and chronicling their unique Black experiences in children’s, teens’ and young adult literature.

According to Bowker, a company that has collected data on publishing trends since 2011, self-publishing grew 40 permyimessenger.com

Shauntelle and Madelyn Modeste

cent to more than 1.6 million texts in 2018.

Bowker included the data in its 2018 “Self-Publishing in the United States” report.

“The self-publishing landscape continues to improve, creating more and more opportunities for authors to manage their own path through the process,” said Beat Barblan, vice president of publishing and data services at Bowker and chairman of the board of the International ISBN Agency.

“As more authors take advantage of the abundant tools now available to publish, distribute and market their own

books, we expect that self-publishing will continue to grow at a steady pace,” Barblan said in a prepared media statement.

Publishing industry experts say Black authors are having a sort of “Renaissance” – a revival of writing and publishing - of their very own.

Frisco-based publishing consultant Rekesha Pittman said that the social and political climate in the United States has ignited a fresh literary movement - and a greater demand for equity and inclusion in both children’s and adult books.

“For a lot of African Amer-

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icans, in the past, literacy was viewed as a challenge to keep our people suppressed and oppressed,” said Pittman, who earned a degree in English and creative writing at the University of Southern California.

“And now, many Black authors want to tell their stories, and it’s not just biographies.”

“Authors are writing about a variety of issues and topics, putting out all kinds of content that people can relate to,” she said.

On the other hand, Black literary consumers have an insatiable appetite for books written about African American March 12, 2021

experiences in America, said Monique Christian-Long, library manager for Dallas Public Library.

After the highly publicized deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, Dallas Public Library staff saw increased inquiries from African American parents seeking book recommendations with characters who looked like their children, said Christian-Long.

“We got an influx of requests for books (for and by Black authors) due to the social climate and the Black Lives Matter movement,” she said.

“Parents would come to us and say, ‘Help me find books with representation like them’.”

To meet such demand, Christian-Long and other librarians created the Dallas Public Library’s Young Black Readers newsletter, which is published bi-monthly and includes books by an author or illustrator who is either African American or a member of the African diaspora.

Meanwhile, Pittman, who owns Get Write Publishing, says Black authors increasingly are choosing to self-publish to retain artistic freedom and minimize barriers to getting their stories told.

This has led to a more diverse literary landscape, she says.

“It’s become easier than ever to create and produce content (as an author),” said Pittman, an author herself and a self-publishing consultant.

“Self-publishing is helping to diversify the literary world and everyone is finding their voice.”

Still, doing so comes with challenges for Black authors.

Marketing their work, for example, often is difficult.

Massachusetts author Sandra Hinds self-published I Love You Every Second, a book for young children in 2012, after being told “no” by too many March 12, 2021

Shauntelle and Madelyn Modeste

publishing houses.

“I’d gotten rejection letters from big publishers, but I decided to say ‘yes’ to myself so I could accomplish my dream of seeing my work in print,” she said. “But because I self-published, I do the marketing on my own.”

While she envisions the book becoming available in schools and libraries around the world, for now, Hinds relies on social media and word of mouth to market the book.

“I’m not looking to make a lot of money. That would be nice. I just think I have a gem that I want to share with the world,” Hinds said. “I think every author wants that for themselves,” she said. “At some point, maybe I’ll hire someone (to help with publicity) but, financially, I can’t do that right now.”

Madelyn’s mother, Shauntelle, believes there is a ripe market for delivering more stories

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with African American characters.

She may be correct: According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a research library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, representation in all literature is lackluster but, in children’s literature, it’s especially dismal.

The Center looked at 3,717 children’s books published in the United States in 2019 and found that only 5 percent – or 675 titles - were by Black authors or about Black characters.

Shauntelle Modeste said the statistic underscores a need to fill this void.

“When it comes to reading and our community, we need books that spark our interest and attention, stories that speak to family, love and faith” said Modeste, who is a former instructional specialist for the Lewisville Independent School District.

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“With things like the language and the graphics, the books Madelyn reads should reflect her lived experiences.”

The idea for Madelyn’s book came after her mother stumbled across a story on the young social activist Marley Dias who, after becoming frustrated at a white protagonist in a book she had read, created the hashtag “1000BlackGirlBooks” in 2015 while she was in elementary school.

“One day I came across Marley Dias and her story and it inspired me to encourage Madelyn to try to write a book,” Modeste said.

To get the project done, Modeste found a publishing coach online and enrolled her only child in a month-long virtual course to help her with the writing process.

“We homeschool and we have flexibility in our schedule,” Modeste said. “Madelyn logged on to the class every week for a month to work with the coach and at the end of the process, we decided to work towards having it physically published.”

Modeste also found an artist online to illustrate and help bring Madelyn’s book to life.

“We wanted to make sure everything, down to the graphics in the book, accurately reflected the Black experience and, at the end, we uploaded it to Amazon to self-publish,” she said.

The writing of the book, however, the plot and the ending, are entirely Madelyn’s work.

For Madelyn, writing her book was a way to see herself in literature, but also to be an example for other girls of color.

“Everything that happens in the book are all facts that actually happened in my life,” she said. “People can look at the book and see a girl who’s African American with curly hair, just like them.” myimessenger.com

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Dallas COVID-19 Resources

MO’ BETTAH WINGS

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

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

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

Safer at home

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

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

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

Keep your mouth and nose covered while out in public.

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

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March 12, 2021

BIG MAMA WAS RIGHT,

a bought lesson is better than a told one THE BLACK CARD BY TERRY ALLEN

“A bought lesson is better than a told one,” is a statement that my Big Mama uttered a lot during my childhood. I never understood until much later in life. It was also a lesson that didn’t resonate with any of Big Mama’s kids until we grew older.

Now during the Racial and COVID-19 Pandemics, Big Mama-ism is back front and center in my mind. The original statement is: A bought lesson is better than a taught lesson.”

For the record the textbook definition is “You will learn

March 12, 2021

more as you experience it, more than anything anyone teaches you.”

Big Mama told me when I moved to NYC to stay alert and use my ‘first mind.” I did not listen. My first “bought” lesson came when I moved to New York City and fell in love with the taxi system.

I lived in Westchester and I would stop and take the A-train in Manhattan. Mostly, I rode all over NYC taking Manhattan by storm by taxi-riding. I rode North and South as well as the East and West. I hit Harlem and Midtown on a Sunday, Greenwich Village and Upper East Side on Tuesday and then finally on Saturdays, it was Tribeca, SoHo and East Village.

I applauded the drivers’ friendly personalities! They

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asked me how long I was here?

How did I like New York? They were very nice! I bragged to my native New York family about the amazing low cost vs. me driving my car.

As I began to boast about the routes, then suddenly my New York family began to laugh at me, not with me. It turns out that every taxi driver overcharged me on purpose because I didn’t understand the geography and they took longer routes. The friendly questions were to assess my level of knowledge and I discovered I spent more on taxis than I should have! I had to pivot and dial back my ego for this lesson.

So the advice of Big Mama was right. She would say, “keep your first mind.” So here we are in a second surge of

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COVID-19 infections making Texas a hot spot again. This time the infected includes those between 18 and 39 years old. We have had our 15th day of record hospitalizations and deaths.

Despite expert medical advice, our leadership was among the first to lift restrictions and open up. We created a perfect storm.

Now here leadership is dialing back and restricting interaction. This is a classic case of a bought lesson. Big Mama was right.

In closing, this takes me to my endgame question: What lessons and words might your Big Mama say right now?

Email me with your answer at Terryallenpr@gmail.com and you will get a Texas Metro News gift from me.

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Dr. Kang has a secret FROM MARVA WITH LOVE

BY MARVA J. SNEED

On From Marva with Love, Dr. Sharka’Kang Zoolo Kang.

Who is a Shaman, a healer, an herbalist and naturalist; naturopathic doctor talked about healthy living. He was born into a family of healers and naturopathic doctors in Cameroon in 1982 and has spent decades studying the plants and herbs of North, South and Central America, Africa, Indian, China, and world medicine.

Dr. Kang started as a child, healing animals, mixing herbs.

He said he is blessed with the gift of telepathic clairvoyance to see visions. He is so special and a gift to mankind. Dr. Kang came to the United States, a self-educated man, diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

After unsuccessful treatments

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with conventional doctors and traditional western medicine, he gave up everything and embarked on a 30-day fasting and spiritual journey. It was on this journey that he said the spirit of his ancestors (grandfather) began to remind him how to heal himself and go back to nature.

MS: Dr. Kang, tell us a little background about yourself and Grandpa’s Secret?

Dr. K: Yes, as you say I’m a Shaman, a healer, a doctor of natural medicine. I have developed over 2,000 and something formulas. I have written five books, I have three inventions that I’m working on now. I’ve just developed another formula. I’m working on a natural male birth control.

MS: So you have developed over 2,000 formulas, do they address all types of illnesses?

Dr. K: They address a lot of different illnesses. We have to understand that there is one cause of illness and it is inflammation mucus. When

Dr. Kang

you have a lot of mucus concentrated in your prostate, you’re told you have prostate issues.

When you have a lot of mucus in your lungs you may have bronchitis or they have asthma. So it’s depending on where the mucus is concentrated. It’s not rocket science. Look at nature, take a baby cat or rat most of these animals, they don’t have the problems that we are having.

So most animals do not die of disease they die of natural old age. Every animal has a specific diet. So you ask most

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human beings what is the right food for humans, I’ve never heard anyone who actually answered that question. If we don’t know what food is right for the human body then we are bound to get what you call disease and that simply means the body is not at ease.

My grandfather was a Shaman and people came from all over the world and he was able to help them with things just by observing nature. One thing he advised me of was that I should grow old and not become an educated fool.

He said nature is your best teacher. Just observe nature.

Whatever problems you have in the human body nature can fix it. Grandfather would talk about drought. “You see that bald person over there they are experiencing drought in their body.”

“From Marva with Love” BlogTalkRadio.com/Cheryl’s World Texas Metro News email: marvasneed@myimessenger.com

March 12, 2021

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90 means No truth, No justice, No peace.

WHAT’S ON MILES’ MIND

MILES’ JAYE I once had the cause and occasion to ask a contractor “How many degrees are in a 90-degree angle?”

It was a joke, like what color is a red horse? It was a humorous way to communicate my concern over what I saw as inaccuracies in his work-or so I thought.

He stared at me like the proverbial deer in the headlights. It was then that it occurred to me that not only had he missed the joke, but also the point. God made degrees, angles, frequencies, distances, time and measurements of all kinds for a reason. To be clear, man created the terminology, the words, but God created the reality.

Measurements of angles or temperature in degrees, distances in inches, feet, yards, miles or kilometers, frequencies of sound or light in hertz, weight in ounces, pounds or grams satisfy man’s need to communicate.

God made each of these things true, consistent and accurate. A mile is measured the same anywhere in the world-- 5,280 feet, a kilometer is 1,000 meters, “middle C” is 262 cycles per second. There’s a reason we call 90-degree angles, right-angles. There’s a reason north is referred to as true north. These measuremyimessenger.com

ments and others have been in use throughout the history of mankind.

Einstein challenged the viability of time itself. However, did he question whether time, a manmade construct, subject to bending or distortion, or whether or not the sun rises and falls with precision over… time? Calendars are not perfect, but cycles of time are quite reliable. Sixty seconds makes a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 hours is the same every day. Monday is Monday every week, December is December every year and Haley’s comet appears every 75 years.

I believe many of those who hate math would have a change of heart if they only knew God as a master mathematician. To realize that the movements of the planets throughout the Universe, the shapes and patterns of flowers and the perfect design of a snowflake are Sacred Geometry-- God’s math. Colors are frequencies, so art is math.

Music, all music regardless of genre, is math-- God’s math.

Would you want to live in a house, drive a car or fly in an airplane where the engineering and craftsmanship were close but not accurate? Accuracy represents the truth.

Either it is straight, or it isn’t.

Either it is level, or it isn’t. The problem with inaccuracy is that it is compounded when you try to build on it. The first level may be adequate, and you may not notice by the second, but by the time you

reach the third or fourth level, flaws in either the design or the construction become obvious. A taller structure would run the risk of collapse. The same can be said of companies, organizations and governments.

Philosophers have weighed in on the matter of truth for hundreds of years. Plato said, “Man is the measure of all things.” Notice he says the measure of all things, not the creator of all things. He’s speaking of perceptions and observations. The truth is, a yard is a yard, and a meter is a meter, whether it is measured, regardless of man’s observations. Socrates was more of the mind of questioning other’s perceptions of truth, so he would question whether or not a meter was actually a meter or simply the perception of a meter.

Aristotle said of the truth, “To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true.” Pythagoras, the great Greek mathematician/philosopher believed that numbers were not only the way to truth but truth itself. Numbers, not beliefs, not opinions, but numbers.

90-degrees is 90-degrees period, that’s the truth, and the truth matters.

Truth is the essence of justice, and of true freedom.

Jesus told the Jews in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Notice He doesn’t

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say, ye shall know peace and peace shall make you free. It’s been said, no justice no peace, I would add, no truth, no justice, no peace. Anyone denying, resisting or withholding truth has no heart for or interest in justice. A government built on lies and deceit is the equivalent of the building built on inaccuracies and flawed measurements.

A measurement is just information. If the information is built on mistruths, there will always be consequences.

March all you want, protest all you want, vote all you want, pray all you want, your government is deceptive, your leaders use lies as a normal course of conduct; therefore there can be no justice and subsequently, you will never know peace as you seek it.

The history of man and of civilizations shows that man is not in the peace business, man is in the power business.

Man is in the business of control at all costs and business is good for those who possess the power. Man is not in the business of relinquishing control or power, so if a few lies is all it takes to maintain control, the pain and anguish they may cause are simply the cost of doing business.

90-degrees is 90-degrees, and that’s the truth, and the truth matters.

That’s what’s on my mind!

Website: www.milesjaye.net Podcast: https://bit.ly/2zkhSRv Email: milesjaye360@gmail.com

March 12, 2021

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Ubuntu Market for Small Business. Hosted by Pan African Connection, 4466 Marsalis, Dallas. 12-5 pm. For vendor Info: Women’ s History Month HERstoryorConversation.

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BLACK LIVES LIVES MATTER MATTER BLACK

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March 12, 2021

Briefs

City of Dallas Opens Emergency Home Repair Rebate Program

The City of Dallas has opened a home repair rebate program to provide emergency home repair assistance to qualified low-to-moderate-income homeowners within the city limits of Dallas for replacement or repair of systems/fixtures that have been damaged as a result of the 2021 Texas Severe Winter Storm.

Applicants that meet eligibility requirements listed below and have already hired a licensed contractor are eligible to have up to $10,000 reimbursed to them.

The Emergency Home Repair Program

consists of 2 programs: 1. Rebate Program for homeowners in the City of Dallas 2. Non-Profit Program for homeowners served by 501 (c) (3) organizations Applications can also be requested at hipp@dallascityhall.com along with the following items: • Proof of Household Income (all that apply) • One (1) month of most recent paycheck stubs (all household wage

earners) • Current Social Security and/or Supplemental Security Income • Annuity/Pension • Unemployment: Statement of Potential Benefit and Wages • Court-ordered child support statement (if applicable) • Proof of Identity • Government issued ID • Proof of primary homeowner occupancy • Utility Bill

United Way invests $100,000 for Winter Storm Recovery United Way of Tarrant County is investing $100,000 to offset unexpected expenses as a result of February’s winter storm. The funds are intended to help older adults pay for items such as food, utility bills, rent, hotels and housing solutions, clothing and toiletries.

“Our older adult population is one of the most vulnerable in our community and, like so many in our community, is in desperate need of assistance because of the damage caused by the winter storm,” said Leah King, president and March 12, 2021

CEO of United Way of Tarrant County.

United Way of Tarrant County activated its Emergency Relief Fund Feb. 18 to help those impacted by this month’s winter storm. Donations can be made online to: https://www. unitedwaytarrant.org/donate/ As additional donations are re-ceived, funds will be distributed to older adults and families with household in-come less than $60,000, and nonprofit organizations that sustained damage during the storms.

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• Homestead Exemption • Proof of ownership • DCAD print out showing ownership info • Proof of damages and that the damage(s) occurred as a result of the 2021 Texas Severe Winter Storm • Photos of repair work • Copies of paid itemized invoice and/ or receipts showing what was paid To confirm eligibility, call 214-6703644 or email HIPP@dallascityhall.com

Advancing Black Pathways Women undergraduate experience The Advancing Black PathwaysWomen Early Insights Program seeks to provide Black, women undergraduate students with a first-hand look at what it’s like to work at a leading financial services firm.

The program will offer training and networking events, earlier consideration for internships and the opportunity to receive a financial award for successful candidates that receive an offer.

Applications for summer internships

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open on April 1, 2021.

Visit jpmorganchase.com/careers for upcoming events, career advice, our locations and more.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. myimessenger.com

Briefs Rivera receives William Pulte Innovative Leader of the Year Award

Israel Rivera

Photo Courtesy Dallas ISD

Israel Rivera, principal of School of Business and Management at Townview, has been recognized by the national organization Bilingual VIDA Bilingüe.

The non-profit recognizes the importance of bilingualism and bilingual education across the country in developing the next generation.

Rivera received the William Pulte Innovative Leader of the Year award by VIDA Bilingual for his leadership and championship for instilling bilingualism among native English-speakers and English Language Learners.

Rivera has been an educator in Dallas ISD for 16 years, including five as bilingual teacher and one as assistant principal. Rivera, who is also an officer for the Asso-ciation of Hispanic School Administrators, spent his last ten year serving as a principal.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine is single dosage U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its singledose COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials said the decision was based on scientific evidence, including data that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studied, and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination. The terms of the EUA allow use of the vaccine while more data are gathered.

“This milestone follows a year of incredible work by our dedicated teams and unprecedented collaboration with

health leaders around the world – all of whom shared a goal of bringing a singleshot vaccine to the public,” said Alex Gorsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Johnson & Johnson. “We will do everything we can to help bring this pandemic to an end, in the United States and throughout the world.”

The Company has begun shipping its COVID-19 vaccines to the U.S. government and expects to deliver enough single-shot vaccines by the end of March to enable the full vaccination of more than 20 million people in the U.S.

42 Dallas ISD Schools Considering Alternative School Calendar

Photo Courtesy Stock Footage/Canva

More than 40 Dallas ISD elementary and middle schools are considering adopting an alternative school year calendar to ensure that students do not fall behind academically because of the pandemic. myimessenger.com

Under the alternative, “intersession” calendar, the calendar would run from August to late June, with no changes to the school day hours; start and end times each day would remain

the same. The alternative calendar would exist for two years and provide more personalized attention for students and additional planning time for teachers. Not all students will be asked to attend the extra

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intersession weeks.

Only schools where the teachers, campus staff and families are strongly in favor of the intersession calendar will move forward with the alternative calendar.

March 12, 2021

Briefs COVID-19 health threat increases psychological distress among Black Americans

Photo Courtesy Stock Footage/Canva

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities of color around the country, Black Americans are facing additional stressors due to COVID-19.

Researchers from the University of Georgia study examined the perceptions of coronavirus threat and psychological distress among Black Americans and de-termined that the additional stresses arise from the prevalent belief among Black Americans worried that they might not recover from how hospitals treat them if they become infected with the coronavirus.

The study used data from the March 12, 2021

American Trends Panel survey by the Pew Research Center collected shortly after the initial outbreak in March 2020, a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States.

“We found that the perception that the coronavirus outbreak was a major threat to one’s health and the belief that Black Americans face racial discrimination in medical settings were both positively and significantly associated with higher levels of psychological distress,” said Ryon Cobb, assistant professor of sociology in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and lead author on the study.

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“While the notion has been floated among commentators, this is the first study that uses nationally representative data to assess whether this threat, or feeling, is real among Black adults, and then assess how it impacts their health,” he added.

The research also establishes a relationship between these two factors that multiply the risk. Cobb said the data suggest people may take preventive measures more seriously though it could also cause Black adults to engage less with the health care system.

“These findings highlight the complexity of how a public health

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crisis can influence Black community members’ navigation of an already unequal health care system in increasingly difficult circumstances,” W. Carson Byrd, associate professor at the University of Michigan, added.

“Discussions about dealing with the fear of just getting it or not often come down to, if you don’t get it, you’re fine,” Cobb said. “But the outbreak itself is stressful, and the increasing stress is part of people’s health, regardless of whether they have COVID.” “By the time things are critical, at least for Black Americans, the perception is that there is little hope for recovery.” myimessenger.com

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March 12, 2021

March 12, 2021

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COMING 2 AMERICA

AT THE MOVIES BY HOLLYWOOD HERNANDEZ

It’s been 30 years in the making but finally one of the most eagerly anticipated sequels in movie history is available on Prime Video (free to its subscribers), COMING 2 AMERICA. The movie is set in present day Zamunda and we catch up with Prince Akeem(Eddie Murphy), his queen (Shari Headley) and his family of three daughters who are wellversed in the culture of their native land.

At the start of the movie King Jaffe Joffer is on his deathbed and reveals a long held secret to his son; he has a son and an heir to the throne of Zamunda living in the United States.

After the king holds a big final celebration for himself, which features some big name talent (I won’t ruin the surprise), he dies and Akeem and Semmi, with Arsenio Hall back in his role as the prince’s best friend, head to Queens to find his son and the rightful heir to the crown of Zamunda.

Once in Queens they are reunited with all of the old crew from the original 1988 film.

With the help of the men at the barber shop Akeem ventures out to find his son. He finds him outside of Madison Square Garden scalping tickets to the New York Knicks game, and tells him that he is his father.

The young Prince Lavelle, played by Jermaine Fowler, is skeptical and brings him home where he finds his mother Mary (Leslie Jones) and his Uncle Reem, played

by Tracy Morgan. After Semmyimessenger.com

mi spills a briefcase, filled with thousands of dollars and gold, Lavelle and his mother Mary decide to accept Akeem’s invitation to move to Zamunda and experience the life of royalty.

Back in Zamunda, Akeem has problems that he has to deal with. General Izzi, portrayed by Wesley Snipes, is still angry because his sister, who still jumps on one foot, wasn’t chosen by Akeem to be his wife.

Izzi, who discovers Akeem has a “bastard son,” devises a plan to match up his daughter, the incredibly sexy Bopoto, played by Teyanna Taylor, with the young prince, to create an alliance with his neighboring country and Zamunda.

Of course Murphy and Hall reprise the characters they played in the original movie and in the sequel the story also involves a strong supporting cast who are more involved in the storyline, rather than relying so heavily on Akeem and Semmi to move along the story.

The story has a younger feel to it with the help of all of the younger generation in the

film, which was a wise move because the story has so much more energy than if it was just about a bunch of 50-year-old characters.

In my opinion, COMING 2 AMERICA is a better movie than the original. It’s the excellent big cast of new actors that gives it that something extra. It may be because the film was

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so eagerly anticipated but I loved it. COMING 2 AMERICA is hilarious and in no way disappoints.

The film is rated PG with a run time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate this movie a JUMBO! You can only see it on Prime Video.

March 12, 2021

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 March 12, 2021

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