T E X A S
MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU NEED
• Vol. 10 • Nov. 4 - Nov. 10, 2021
MY TRUTH
WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM
Leadership Program benefits area college students
By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER
Let's talk about issues Public health continues to be a crisis among African Americans and efforts to educate about, find solutions for and eventually eradicate the disparities have to become top priorities for us all. Realizing that not only every month, but daily, attention has to focus on health; this month, one of the many ills wreaking havoc in our communities has to be the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer's disease. Which brings me to my truth. Medical experts say this progressive disease usually begins with minor memory loss; however the long-term effects are devastating and eventually deadly. Alzheimer's disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Also considered a brain disorder with attention that has focused mostly on ages 65 years or older; Alzheimers is the 6th leading cause of death, and in the older population it ranks third behind heart disease and cancer. Initially, I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing; that Alzheimer's Disease kills. When my loved one was diagnosed with dementia, I immediately thought of Alzheimers and I began researching the disease. It was then I found out that Alzheimers can possibly lead to an inability to respond to the environment. It also results in the shutting down of a sufferer’s body because the brain stops telling the body how and when to function. See MY TRUTH, page 13
DFW Area Student Leading Protest
Howard University Issues Gain National Attention Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rep. Ayanna Pressley
Channing Hill
President Wayne A. I. Frederick
By Valerie Fields Hill
News Editor, Texas Metro News Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program team members with Senator Royce West.
By Marva Sneed
Texas Metro News
Nearly 30 years ago Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) established the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad
Leadership Program and during a reception last week alumni and sponsors shared stories about the many successes of the program. With the goal of pro-
Credit: Marva Sneed
viding college students in Senatorial District 23 the opportunity to secure and actively participate in internships and to provide them with See LEADERSHIP, page 3
Calling attention to the missing By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
In Philadelphia, an all-too-familiar plea circulates. The city’s police department said it needs the public’s help in finding 13-year-old Jada Blackwell, last seen on Sunday, October 10, along East Haines Street. Jada stands 5 feet two
inches and weighs about 130 pounds. While authorities said they couldn’t describe her clothing, Jada has brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information should immediately call 215-686-3353 or 911. Of course – and unfortunately, Jada Blackwell isn’t an isolated case. Jada Blackwell is missing and On June 11, 17-year- authorities and her family are See CALLING ATTENTION, page 11
seeking help in finding her
Local dreamers who became doers I WAS JUST THINKING... By Norma Adams-Wade
On June18, 2020, I began the Texas Metro News blog interviews. I conversed with mainly local African-Americans who are making or have made positive impressions in Dallas’ Black community and the city at-large.
One thing that stands out about them is how they got an idea or thought that they felt would improve society, put that thought in motion, and actually carried it to a positive outcome. It’s called realizing a dream. Many of the world’s dreamers – whom I have not interviewed – have worthy thoughts and ideas, but those visions die on the vine. Those
individuals are labeled procrastinators, pretenders, imposters – even failures. So, I was just thinking…what does it take to actually realize a dream? One of the individuals who actually realized his dream is a person I have interviewed often, including for The Texas Metro News blog. He is local theater icon Curtis King. I’ve told this story See THINKING, page 13
A movement to address poor housing conditions in dorms at the elite historically Black Howard University in the nation’s Capitol has gained the following of a U.S. Congresswoman and longtime civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The Rev. Jackson and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, (D-Mass.), one of Massachusetts’ most high-profile politicians, became the latest public figures to express concerns over a two-week long impasse between Howard students and the university’s academic leaders. “We’re interested in the plight of our children at Howard,” said Jackson during a media conference hosted by Howard University NAACP on Friday to update news outlets on the status of negotiations between Howard’s leadership and student protesters. Howard is a 150-year-old private Historically Black University in Washington, D.C., It’s teaching hospital and other professional schools graduate a noticeable percentage of the nation’s African American physicians, lawyers, journalists, and actors. Vice President Kamala Harris is a notable graduate. Interest in the well-being of Howard and its students is broad among politicians, health science leaders, tech companies and big business because the college is among the few historically black “R2 Doctoral Research” See HOWARD UNIVERSITY page 3
EPIC
FAMU’s Homecoming is Black History
By Cheryl Smith This year’s homecoming for Florida A&M University (FAMU) was billed as “Epic” and for a number of reasons, the weeklong events met or exceeded expectations. There were celebrities galore. Everyone from Super Producer Will Packer '96, who came bearing a $500,000 donation; Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms ’91; Comedians Roy Wood Jr . 01’ and Kevin Hart, Rappers Lil Baby and Moneybagg Yo, ABC President Kim Godwin '84, Director Rob Hardy ‘96, journalist Stephen A. Smith, R&B singer Anthony Hamilton, Coach Rudy Hubbard; The President of Funk George Clinton; Atty.
FAMU SGA Presidents Carrington Whigham ‘21 and father, Andrew Whigham ‘86. See FAMU HOMECOMING, page 7