T E X A S
MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU NEED
• Vol. 10 • Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2021
MY TRUTH By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER
What are you thankful for? There’s nothing like a pandemic to help people put things into perspective. Vacations, retirements, marriages, and divorces are just a few considerations that are giving folks an opportunity to take a deeper dive into what they want for the future. Now for many of the Black people I know, you can just add COVID 19 to a long list of pandemics that are prevalent in our lives as we attempt to survive and thrive; living out our lives and fulfilling our dreams. Time and time again, I have heard someone utter, “we could die tomorrow.” Well, that’s been the reality from day one; however we never looked at death the way COVID has caused us to do so. When I was playing in the creek, in East Orange, there were so many times I could have fallen in and been swept away. Or what about the time in Newark when I fell off a swing, or tumbled from the monkey bars? Then there was the serial murderer across town from FAMU at Florida State University but folks told us, “don’t worry, you’re Black.” So many times to think about when death was so close. For some reason we didn’t focus on the possibility or the probability. I’ve had loved ones who have quit their jobs, called it quits with their spouses or mates; and even packed up and left these United States of America. They all made decisions that they felt were right for them. Too often folks live their lives trying to please others. One Life to Live is more than just the title of a soap opera. See MY TRUTH, page 7
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
Jackson State 28 Mississippi Valley State 19
Jackson State 28 Mississippi Valley State 19
It’s a Soulful Family Affair at the Bayou Classic
By Gordon Jackson NOIRE
Familywise, they’re man and wife. Professionally, they’re partnering attorneys. On an entrepreneurial level, they’re media executives. Perhaps in their most shining moments, Daniel “Danny” and Genera “Gigi” Freeman-Morris are most proud of one thing, as passionate longtime patrons, participants and supporters of one of the country’s top annual sporting spectacles. When it’s all said and done, the Bayou Classic – the world-renowned
BAYOU Love: Danny and Gigi
annual football event that pits the Grambling State Tigers against the Southern University Jaguars inside New Orleans’ Superdome
during Thanksgiving weekend – would just not be the same without the Morrises and their families in the mix. It makes per-
fect sense. One family is all Grambling, the other family is all Southern. What could possibly ever go wrong? “It’s like a mini-family reunion for us,” said Daniel Morris, the Southernite. “It’s the one (HBCU football classic) that has the pageantry and the most history. It is a show – something where you get to see Black people doing excellent things and making it an excellent event.” “It’s a large family reunion to me,” said Genara, the Gramblinite. “We’ve gone from Sunday to Sunday and have
Hundreds of ‘Beto For Texas’ enthusiasts filed into Fair Park this past Sunday to celebrate Beto O’Rourke’s announcement that he will be running for Governor of Texas in 2022. Since his announcement early last week, O’Rourke has been on
See SOULFUL FAMILY, page 11
See BETO O'ROURKE, page 7
EBJ: A Life of Service
By Arise & Rejoice News Service
Texas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has helped to shape the legislative and policy history of Texas and the United States, according to those who have studied her life as an elected official. The first registered nurse to serve in the Halls of Congress, Representative Johnson recently announced that she would retire from the U.S. House of Representatives at the conclusion of the current term. “Congresswoman Johnson has played a pivotal role in the life of our state, and in life of our nation,” said Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot. “Her legislative achievements and her relentless dedication to her constituents has inspired all of those who seek the support of voters.” Representative Johnson’s legislative achievements rival those of any member who has ever served Texas in the House of Representatives.
Beto O’Rourke Holds Dallas Kickoff Rally in Fair Park
Beto O'Rourke Candidate for Texas Governor Credit: Charles "City" Gbadebo (IG @sosocity)
By LE "Lilly" Brown
Dallas’ first Black city manager, Richard Knight Jr., dies at 76 By Everton Bailey Jr. This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has worked with Presidents Clinton and Obama. Rep. Barbara Jordan was one of her role models.
She was a crucial proponent of the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative achievement of former President Barack Obama. Her legislative achievements in the areas of science, fair housing, technology, women’s rights, infrastructure, education and climate are a testament to her seriousness as a member of Congress, said Reverend
Tommie Jackson, a Connecticut pastor and one of the nation’s leading political thinkers. “Her mark on the fabric of our nation is substantial,” Reverend Jackson said. “Indeed, our country is a better place because of Representative Johnson’s visionary and selfless service,” Reverend Jackson said.
Richard Knight Jr., Dallas’ first Black city manager, died Monday. He was 76 years old. Knight’s son, Marcus, confirmed that he died but declined to provide details, saying he and other relatives were in the process of notifying family members Richard Knight Jr. and friends. Knight had been assistant city manager for four years before he was hired as the top administrative leader in 1986. He served in that role until 1990. See DALLAS CITY MANAGER, page 7