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“The Spoken Word Is Like the Air, but the Printed Word Is Always There.”
Affirmative Defenses to Child Support with Miles D. Peterson. Read more on page 5.
THREE BLACK MEN PARTNER TO CONFRONT THE FENTANYL CRISIS. See more on page 5.
TELLING IT LIKE IT IS!
Texas Southern University president suddenly retires, just 2 years after taking position. See more on page 3.
A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story’ Review: Remembering an Early Black Oscar Nominee. Learn more on page 3.
Juneteenth DFW Mural at William Blair Jr. Park. Read more on page 4.
Dear Dr. J: The Beauty of the Body Change.
See more on page 5.
Dedication for the Daniel Cross Evans Elks Lodge 1578. See more on page 6.
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Woman charged with fatally shooting neighbor has history of harassing children. Read more on page 10.
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should By Lorie Blair. Learn more on page 10.
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Texas Southern University president suddenly retires, just 2 years after taking position
Samantha Ketterer, Staff writer for the Houston Chronicleseveral lawsuits and a bold $1 billion appropriations request to the Texas Legislature.
Chairman Albert H. Myres said the board unanimously agreed to the president’s request to retire.
“I would like to personally thank Dr. Young and her family for their service to this great institution,” he said in a statement Friday. “We wish them the very best.”
A transition committee will be formed and chaired by Regent Mary Sias, Myres said. All divisional vice presidents will maintain their positions during the interim period and report to the board through the oversight committee, he said in a memo.
A short tenure
Crumpton-Young, 57, started her career in academia as one of the first Black women to become a full professor in engineering. She rose through the ranks as she worked to diversify the workforce, especially in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
us up for success and getting some great programs started, and we certainly intend to continue many of the programs she initiated,” he said. “We certainly have the faculty and staff in place to make that happen.”
But Sydney Freeman Jr., a University of Idaho professor who studies HBCUs, said the latest changes at TSU could seriously impede progress.
“It puts a pause on the vision that the president was brought there to enact,” he said. “If there’s a lot of turnover, consecutive turnover, what happens then is the institution is not able to move forward in the way they would want to. There’s not the same continuity.”
undervalued the HBCU. It’s unknown what other factors might have led Crumpton-Young to relinquish her position.
“There’s always a story behind the story,” he said. “There’s a narrative that’s put out there, and of course you want to shape it as positively as possible.”
samantha.ketterer@houstonchronicle. com
Dear Dr. J: The Beauty of the Body Change
My partner still appears to be attracted to me, but I can’t seem to connect like I used to. What do you do when you no longer feel sexy in your changing body? What can I do to embrace my new normal and regain the sex confidence I once had.
Signed, Wanting to bring my sexy back
Texas Southern University President Lesia Crumpton-Young abruptly retired only two years after taking the position, school officials confirmed Friday.
In a May 15 letter informing TSU’s board of regents of her decision, CrumptonYoung said she was leaving to help “elevate HBCUs to a broader national stage.”
“I consider it a professional privilege to have served the past two years as President of Texas Southern University,” she wrote. “With the support of the TSU Board, students, faculty, staff, alumni, community, and corporate partners, we have collectively achieved (unprecedented) success at an accelerated pace.”
MORE ON TSU: Texas Southern asks Legislature for $1 billion investment in new programs
“I believe this is a critical and unique time in the history of American higher education, (particularly) Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” the president said. “It is my goal to assist in accelerating this urgent and compelling objective and by assisting in shaping the national success of HBCUs and Higher Education at-large.”
Crumpton-Young became the historically Black university’s 13th president in 2021, promising a period of transformation for the university as it recovered from an admissions scandal in the law school. She marked her tenure with broad expansion efforts in research, academic programs and enrollment — as well as
One of those positions was associate provost at Texas A&M University. And prior to coming to TSU, she served as provost of Morgan State University.
Crumpton-Young took the helm after a tumultuous time for TSU, which had seen its board of regents oust former President Austin Lane for failing to take action or inform the board about fraud allegations involving a former law school official. The regents and Lane reached a settlement, which Lane said totaled to an $879,000 buyout package.
School leaders celebrated CrumptonYoung’s arrival and her commitment to reforming the school’s reputation. She also got the job after a 22-percent drop in enrollment in 2020 — a figure that her administration brought close to prepandemic levels in fall 2022.
Many of the president’s initiatives are still at their beginnings. Crumpton-Young made research growth one of her largest goals, leading her to create a division of research and innovation and launch an official research partnership with Rice University. She also oversaw the expansion of the department of aviation science and technology and the creation of a new college for transdisciplinary studies meant for students who left college short of a degree.
Regent James Benham said he believes the current leadership team and faculty are well-situated to lead the university through yet another transition.
“The president did a great job of setting
As she set ambitious goals for more students, higher graduation rates and increased research dollars, CrumptonYoung’s administration dealt with some tumult. The school is fighting two lawsuits, including one from a former law school dean who alleged she was stripped of tenure without cause. The other involved a school police chief who sued to keep her job while facing an anonymous complaint that alleged she unlawfully raised several officers’ salaries.
Students have meanwhile raised concerns about the safety and availability of their housing options, which TSU has designated freshmen priority. And the Supreme Court of Texas last week resurrected a dismissed suit that alleged that the school defaulted on payment obligations for a student housing construction contract.
And Crumpton-Young’s $1 billion ask for the Texas Legislature to fund new programs at Texas Southern University is not expected to yield much. The latest version of the Texas House of Representatives’ general appropriations bill allocates close to $15 million for new programs that don’t currently exist inside state formula models.
(Larger schools had made much smaller requests, with the University of Houston, University of Texas and Texas A&M asking for amounts closer to $50 million. Prairie View A&M University, another HBCU near Houston, asked for $17 million, according to state documents.)
Freeman said he has recorded much administrative turnover at historically Black colleges and universities, most recently with some presidents leaving due to burnout from the pandemic. Freeman has also seen disagreements between presidents and boards, not dissimilar to President Ruth J. Simmons’ early exit from Prairie View A&M University, which saw her lob accusations that the Texas A&M System has long
Dear Dr. J.
I recently celebrated a milestone birthday. As my years increase, my body is looking and feeling differently than it has in the past.
A Star Without a Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story’
Review: Remembering an Early Black Oscar Nominee
As a woman of a particular age, I can completely relate to this question. As we age, our sexual desires and abilities, along with our bodies can change. We don’t move like we used to, we don’t look like we used to, and often times we don’t feel like we used to. For some this creates new challenges, while others may view this time as an opportunity to reinvent themselves and embrace a new sexual self. Either way, change can be scary and bring with it uncertainty.
Continued on page 4
where she was raised. Moore first performed as a dancer, part of a chorus line at the Cotton Club before becoming a film extra while working in theater.
Moore was the vice president of the Original Cambridge Players, who took a Los Angeles production of The Amen Corner to Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in April 1965. She was friends with Marlon Brando and James Baldwin. It was Moore who asked Brando to lend the funds ($75) to Baldwin to write the play.
Juanita Moore (October 19, 1914 –January 1, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actress.
She was the fifth black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a time when only one black actor, Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind (1939), had won an Oscar.
Her most famous role was as Annie Johnson in the film Imitation of Life (1959)
Early life and career
Juanita Moore was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, the daughter of Ella (née Dunn) and Harrison Moore. She had seven siblings (six sisters and one brother).[2] Her family moved in the Great Migration to Los Angeles,
After making her film debut in Double Deal (1939), Moore had a number of bit parts and supporting roles in motion pictures through the late 1930s and 1950s.
Moore’s performance in the remake of Imitation of Life (1959) as black housekeeper Annie Johnson, whose daughter Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) passes for white, won her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[3] She was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for the role.[4] When the two versions of Imitation of Life were released together on DVD (the earlier film was released in 1934), one of the bonus features was a new interview with Moore.
The Beauty of the Body Change with Dr. J (CONTINUED)
The main thing to understand is that this is normal. All bodies go through changes, and while the changes may present themselves in different ways for different people, change itself is inevitable. These changes can be influenced by diet, medications, health status and activity level, among other things. As you notice and identify changes, a good first step is to speak with your physician to rule out any major health issues that you may be unaware of. You want to have a clear understanding of any issues so that they may be addressed and not hinder your new sexy.
Now that we have any medical concerns handled, it is time for us to practice a bit of self-love. Don’t laugh, I’m serious. What are the things that you love about yourself. What makes you feel desired, wanted and gets you in the mood? Do you enjoy being touched a certain way? Or perhaps, you feel your sexiest when you are wearing a certain article of clothing. Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics, and reconnect with ourselves.
Doing the little things that make you feel like a sexier version of yourself can lead up to a desire for the bigger things. This can lead you to identify new and exciting areas that you would like to explore as part of embracing your new normal. In turn, it can evoke memories of old favorites that we want to begin incorporating into our routine again. Explore your “new” body, get to know its likes, dislikes and abilities. Speak positive affirmations to yourself, and feed yourself good words and good food. In the end, it all counts and will contribute to more favorable outcomes.
partner. Invite them to be part of the process. If you have noticed changes, they may have noticed too and want to be supportive to you. How you handle your changes, may also help them as they too will experience changes, if they haven’t already. As we age, sexual health, intimacy and pleasure can remain important relationship staples. Your sexy may be on a shelf, but it isn’t too late to dust it off and bring it back into rotation.
Peace, love and orgasms, Dr. J.
Do you have a sexual health related question you want answered? You know what to do. #goaheadandaskme. Send your questions and comments to info@ deardrj.com, or use the contact me form at https://deardrj.com/.
Column Disclaimer for Readers
The information contained in this column is for educational and informational purposes only. The information contained in this column is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, medical or health advice. While the professional does address sexual health issues, the information provided in this column is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation. The views and opinions expressed in Dear Dr. J. are solely of the author Jennifer Scott, PhD, MPH, CHES®, CSE.
Juneteenth DFW Mural (William Blair Jr. Park)
Finally, communicate the changes you are experiencing with your
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
As the world begins to recognize Juneteenth as a pivotal moment in history, we want to do our part in keeping the spirit of Juneteenth in the heart of Texas. We are community focused individuals that create culturally centered, educational and entertaining events. The DFW Juneteenth Experience will embody the unity, service, and freedom that Ms. Opal Lee's hard work and commitment to making Juneteenth become a national holiday, represents.
In that regard, we would like to present:
Juneteenth
DFW 2023
We are still looking for a few sponsors for this Pivotal Landmark Event in the state where Juneteenth was originally founded.
We are still looking to fund our mural scope honoring William Blair Jr. & Our Annual Clean Up taking place this year in the Mill City neighborhood.
If you are interested please review our mural scope of service and Juneteenth FEST attached above for our remaining sponsorship opportunities.
Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to working with you on this important cultural work.
With Thanks,
Shannon Brown-Key Executive Director SSQDC
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2022 Drinking Water Quality Report
The City of Dallas’ Drinking Water Quality Report is produced annually to provide information about the City’s water system including source water, the levels of detected contaminants and compliance with drinking water rules. The report is also produced to answer your water quality questions.
The 2022 Drinking Water Quality Report shows that the levels of contaminants in Dallas’ water meet or are below the amounts allowed by law.
A copy of the 2022 Drinking Water Quality Report can be obtained by calling Dallas’ 311 Information Line or downloaded from the City website www.dallaswqr.com.
Affirmative Defenses to Child Support with Miles
D. PetersonLet me start out by saying that I in no way shape or form advocate for not paying your court ordered child support. If you have been ordered to pay monthly child support for the benefit of your children, you need to pay it. But, there are situations where legally you may be required to pay but requiring you to do so would not be equitable. An example of one of these situations is when the other parent engages in voluntary relinquishment.
Voluntary relinquishment is when the other parent has been awarded primary possession of the child as well as the right to receive child support, but leaves the children with the non-primary parent to raise and care for them. Under the Texas Family Code, the parent required to pay child support has an affirmative defense to a child support enforcement when the primary parent has voluntarily relinquished actual possession and control of the child for more time that is court ordered. It is also important to note that in order to raise this affirmative defense, the possessory parent must actually care for and support the children while they are in their care.
Recently I had a case where our client had an enforcement action filed against him for not paying child support going all the way back to 2016. As you can imagine the amount owed in arrears was large. However, from the time the order was entered in 2016 the children had been living with him, despite the fact that their mother was awarded primary possession. She willingly let the children live with him and made no effort to take possession or control of them. So, instead of paying her child support he used that money to provide for the children while they were in his care. We were able to show evidence
of this to opposing counsel by way of school records, bank statements, medical records, and texts from the mother acknowledging that the children lived with our client. Once they saw the evidence to prove our affirmative defense, the enforcement was promptly non-suited.
Granted, a better course of action for our client would have been to file a modification instead of simply withholding the child support, but that is for a different article. What’s important here is that even though he had a legal obligation to pay child support every month, the law provided him an equitable defense to not fulfilling that legal obligation.
THREE BLACK MEN PARTNER TO CONFRONT THE FENTANYL CRISIS
Who can forget the 1980’s and the formative stages of the crack epidemic. None of us had any idea how this derivative of powdered cocaine would flood the streets and highways of America and pounce on the black community. Imagine how many lives would have been saved and families protected if we could go back in time and do things differently. Today, our fallback position regarding the crack epidemic is:” we simply did not know the damage the drug would cause.”
History reaches out with long talons. Themes repeat from generation to generation.
Today, we approach the abyss of another life altering-familydestroying drug catastrophe. But today it’s not crack, it’s fentanyl. A leading Pentagon official said: “fentanyl is the most severe threat to the national security of the United States that exists today.”
Debra’s Bits and Pieces
Is it inconceivable that the impact of fentanyl, ‘tranq dope’ and other combinations will make the crack epidemic seem like ‘child’s play.’ There are many across the healthcare and law enforcement communities who believe this isn’t possible; but that it is an eventuality.
History has presented the pattern: vulnerable communities will be decimated, with families wrecked and robbed of hope and stability. Sadly, we recall that during the height of the crack epidemic, more than 40% of black children under 16 lived with a grandparent—often because crack had robbed these children of their parents. The crack epidemic was a public health crisis ‘re-branded’ as a righteous ‘law and order’ war on citizens of color, dutifully starring dark-skinned faces on the evening news.
We must not allow fentanyl to unfold with a identical playbook. Fentanyl is coming to your community, your neighborhood, your church, and family. It’s only a matter of time. We should be concerned that fentanyl seeks to finish what the crack epidemic began.
As a nation, we offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ as our default position–somehow hoping that things will be, ‘ok.’
We can do more, We can act.
Three black men have joined forces to act. They are producing documentary films that educate, illuminate and inspire communities to confront and act regarding the impact of fentanyl and opioid addiction. The film is called, unFORGIVABLE: Opioids in America.
Ed Gray of ‘The Commish Radio Show’ podcast—longtime political strategist and historian, is partnering with Sam Allen, President of the Texas Buffalo Soldiers Association and award-winning filmmaker and producer Lindell Singleton to make this project a reality.
ED GRAY QUOTE:
“The scourge of our lifetime is more than a quote; it is a threat to our communities. In one generation the Fentanyl Opioid Epidemic will be the last combination of destructive punches that will destroy our communities and future. We must act today because the future is here “
LINDELL SINGLETON QUOTE: There is an embedded sense of angst and loneliness that is part of the American experience. We search for ways to ease the intensity of the pain. In this film, we present the stories of how real people face this pain while helping them understand the roots of it…and how to stop pushing it forward to the next
generation. The power of film and storytelling is the path forward.”
To watch the trailer, visit: https:// vimeo.com/829600501
To support this project, contact: pierre@sagasse.com
There is little doubt that the systemic issues that drive Americans toward illicit drug use, despair and a dependence on pain medication can ever be eliminated. We must embrace emerging trends and evidence-based treatment methods that will prevent the devastation of communities that occurred during the crack epidemic. This documentary is the starting point for this journey of action.
In and On the Town with Elite News Dedication for the Daniel Cross Evans Elks Lodge 1578
A great day for a greater cause and community institution. Thank you Leo Evans, George Coleman, and the O.D. Evans family.
OKLAHOMA
Ministry
House
of Restoration San Antonio Church
1729 E. Houston St San Antonio, Texas 78202
(210)375-4176
www.mhorsc.com
St. Phillips Missionary Baptist Church
6000 Singing Hills Dr. Dallas, TX 75241 (214)374-6631
Morning Worship
8:00AM & 10:15AM Sunday School 9:00AM
Lords Supper 1st Sunday 6:00PM Pastor Rev C.J.R. Phillips
New Mount Zion Baptist Church
550 Shepherd Rd , Dallas, TX 75243 (214)341-6459
Intercessory Prayer Wednesday
6:16PM – 7:15PM
Bible Study Every Wednesday 7:00PM – 8:00PM Pastor Rev. Tommy Brown
Surviving The Times
Service Times:
Sundays: 11:00AM Thursday Bible Study: 7PM
Come Worship with Us
556 Rancho Canyon
Haslett, Texas 76052
Tel-Star Baptist Church
Sunday School:9:30 AM
Sunday Worship: 10:30AM
Bible Study-1st and 3rd
Wednesday's
Rev. Mark A. Proctor / Pastor
2515 S. Denley Drive Dallas, TX 75216
Saved By Grace Restoration Ministries
Lighthouse Church of God in Christ
2127 S. Corinth St. Rd Dallas, TX 75203 (214)371-2421
Morning Worship: 11AM
www.lighthousecogic.com Superintendent Michael Clerkley, Sr
East Gate Missionary Baptist Church
6960 S. Polk St. Dallas, TX 75232 (214)371-2633
Sunday Worship:
David E. Wilson
7:30AM & 10:30AM
Bible Study Wednesday: 12:00PM & 7:00PM Pastor Rev. KennedyYoungJr.
Interested in joining our Minister's Listings? Call us to see how!
Concord Ministries Baptist Church
6808 Pastor Bailey Drive Dallas, TX (214)331-8522
Worship: 7:30AM - 9:15AM 11:00AM – 12:24AM
www.concorddallas.org Pastor Bryan Carter
PLEASANT GROVE
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
1655
RD
Cornerstone Baptist
1819 MLK Blvd Dallas, TX 75215 (214)426-5468
Sunday
Sunday School: 9:30AM Worship: 8:00AM & 11:00AM
Church
Wednesday Bible Study 7:00PM Pastor Chris L. Simmons
Bexar Street Baptist Church
2018 S. Marsalis Ave Dallas, TX 75216 (214)943-3579
Sunday School: 9:30AM
Sunday Worship: 10:45AM
Bible Study
Wed: 7:15PM
Thursday 11:00AM Pastor TC Marshall
Community Baptist Church One Church Two Location (972)230-4477
115 W. Beltline Rd, Desoto Sunday: 7:30AM – 9:30AM
820 E. Wintergreen, Cedar Hill
Rev. Mark A. Proctor, Pastor
Sunday School : 9:30AM
Morning Worship: 11:00 AM Pastor Rev Oscar D. Epps
Tabernacle of Praise
MBC
6925 Woofford Ave. Dallas, TX 75227 (214)275-4959
Sunday School: 8:30AM Worship:9:45AM
Wed. Bible Study: 7:00PM Reverend Dr. A. E. SharpPastor
Wed. Praise and Prayer:6:15PM
New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church
411 N. Hampton Rd. Desoto, TX (469)297-4771
Sunday Worship
Sunday School: 9:00 A.M.
Morning Worship: 10:30 A.M.
Wednesday
Mens & Women Ministry: 7:00 P.M.
Young Adults Ministry: 7:00 P.M.
Marsalis Avenue Baptist Church
2723 S. Marsalis Avenue
Dallas, TX 75216
Ph: 214.943.6007
Church School: 9:00 A.M.
Morning Worship: 10:00 A.M.
Wednesday Prayer & Praise: 7:00 P.M.
Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church
1819 n. Washington Ave., Dallas, TX 75204
Phone : (214)823-7308
Fax : (214)823.9720
Sunday: 10AM
Sunday School: 9AM
Pastor Darrell W. Pryor
Carver Height Baptist Church
2510 E.Ledbetter Rd, Dallas, TX 75216 (214)371-2024
Sunday Worship
Sunday School: 8:30 A.M.
Morning Worship: 9:30 A.M.
Wednesday: 7:00 P.M.
Pastor Rev Daryl Carter
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
444 West Ledbetter Dr. , Dallas, TX 75224 (214)374-0828
Early Risers Sunday School
7:15 AM
Morning Worship: 7:50AM
Sunday School: 9:30AM
Morning Worship: 10:30
Tuesday Night Bible Study
7:00PM
Pastoral Bible Teaching Class
New Leaf Family Church
1707 St. Augustine Dr. Dallas, TX 75217
**order of services**
Pastor Rev Micheal D. Pryor
www.marsalisavenuebc.com
Terry White Pastor/Teacher
New El Bethel Baptist Church
2023 Mouser Ln Dallas, TX 75203
Sunday Service
9:30 AM – Church School
11:00 AM- Worship II Mountain Top Experience
Wednesday Services
12:00PM - Noonday Prayer
6:30M - Corporate Prayer
7:00PM -Bible Study
Interested
Greater Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church
1010 Bayonne St., Dallas, Tx (214)744-1677
Morning Glory: 7:45AM
Sunday School: 9:15AM
Morning Worship: 10:30AM
Tues- 12 Noon & 7pm BibleStudy
Sunday School: 8am
Sunday Praise & Worship: 9:30am
St. Paul Baptist Church
1600 Pear Street Dallas, TX 75215
Phone: (214)421-3741
Fax: (214) 421-3926
Sunday School
9:30AM
Service Times
8:00am and 10:45 am
Pastor / Founder : Dr. Corey C.
Toney / Clarette L. Toney-First Lady
Bible Study: 7:00PM
The “Exciting” Singing Hill Baptist Church
6550 University Hills Blvd, Dallas, TX 75241
Main: (214)375-5952
Fax: (214)371-1611
Sunday Worship: 8AM-10:45AM
Sunday School: 9:45AM
Wednesday Night: 7:00PM Pastor
http://www.pilgrimrestdallas.org/ Pastor Carlos D. Williams
Greater Emmanuel Baptist Church
2110 E. Eleventh St. Dallas, TX 75203 (214)942-0218
Sunday Service
10:00AM
Wednesday Daytime Bible Study/Prayer: 11AM
Evening Bible Study/Prayer
Dinner Served: 5:30 PM
Pastor Rev Lelious A. Johnson
Dr. H.E. Anderson
Prayer: 6:30PM
Bible Study: 7PM Pastor Rev BurleyHudson
Friendship West Baptist Church
2110 E. 2020 W. Wheatland Rd. Dallas, TX 75232 (972)228-5200
Sun Morning Services
8:00AM & 10:45AM
Wednesday Bible Study
12:00PM & 7:00PM Pastor FrederickD.Haynes, III
Divine Inspiration Missionary Baptist Church
4325 W. Ledbetter Dr, Dallas, TX 75233 (214)337-1713
Sunday School: 9:15AM
Morning Worship: 10:30AM Pastor Rev Wade Simmons
Grace of God Baptist Church
601 N Hampton Rd, DeSoto, TX 75115 Phone: (972) 274-1074
Sunday School 9 am
Praise & Worship @ 10 am
Brotherhood & Women Ministry meet every 4th Sunday @ 930 am
Thursday Night Theology @ 7 pm
Choir Rehearsal - Thursday @ 8 pm Pastor BrianBonner
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
By Lorie BlairDaily I read the Dallas Morning News opinion section. I read the articles written by MasterPlan’s leader Dallas Cothrum and then discuss these articles with my friends and colleagues. We find it interesting that developers and their consultants continue the zoning concepts that our forefathers thought were the right way to zone in areas of color with a blatant disregard to safety and equity.
As I read the book “The Color of Law” I realize that not much has changed in the thoughts and practices that place hazardous development in communities of color as we saw in the early years of development. Today we still see zoning in communities of color that leads the way for environmental injustice, unsafe placement of warehousing and the insistence that hazardous development still should be placed in communities of color. After all this is 2023 and not 1930 and one would think that we were more equitable in our thinking and practices.
I read the recent DMN article by Sharon Grigsby about the pollutionplagued Austin Bridge and Road company who has been polluting the air in the District 7 community of Joppa for some time and I was not surprised that this company is also represented by the consulting firm MasterPlan. MasterPlan is the same consulting firm working with Stonelake Capital Partners that wants to place a large warehouse in District 8 on Wheatland Rd. This is right across from Carter High School, a well-established multifamily and single-family community, an after school gathering place for the community’s children Youth World, Wheatland Park, a mega church Friendship West and down the street to the only hospital, Charlton Methodist that serves not only the southern area of Dallas but the surrounding suburbs.
One can only imagine the safety challenges this will introduce when hundreds of commercial vehicles and children driving to and from school try using the same street. There are already major congestion challenges met when Medical and Fire try accessing this same street when transporting people to the hospital. Are we hearing that the rights of business are more important than the right to live safely matters to this community of color?
Along with the leadership of Friendship West we addressed Dallas City Council May 10th asking them to follow the path that says, “Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should”. We asked that the health and safety of this community take more of a priority than the desires of a developer who wants to build an ill-placed warehouse right in the middle of a residential community. Remember there is never a time when commercial vehicles do not sit and idle introducing diesel exhaust into the air. So now this same residential area will not only have to dodge 18 wheelers while breathing in polluted diesel fumed air.
This is a non-compatible, unreasonable considered development that should be placed 5 miles east in the International Inland Port of Dallas (IIPOD) and not near a residential community and definitely not among young high school drivers. After all the City of Dallas has invested millions of development dollars into the IIPOD infrastructure providing for this type of commercial businesses and away from residential communities.
The IIPOD is a 7,500 acre area that sits on the boundaries of Dallas, Lancaster, Ferris, Wilmer, and Hutchins and provides direct access to Interstate Highways, I-35, I-45 and I-20. These 3 Highways give direct access to transport all products everyone needs and uses throughout the entire United
States. There is no reason a developer should be allowed nor want to develop in the middle of any residential community when a better place has been provided.
Woman charged with fatally shooting neighbor has history of harassing children
Colon was playing in a field with his son and other children when, he said, Lorincz stuck her middle finger up at him.
Colon, who added Owens was the first person to warn him about Lorincz when he moved to the neighborhood about two years ago, said the suspect started recording and screaming “all kinds of nonsense towards me, towards the kids, towards everyone else.”
'Everybody in this neighborhood has feuded with this lady over our children' Phyllis Wills, 33, has lived in the neighborhood for about 15 years. She knew Owens and knew of Lorincz "because she used to come outside all the time and harass our kids," she said. "Everybody in this neighborhood has feuded with this lady over our children."
She said Lorincz had a problem with children simply being children.
Susan Louise Lorincz (Marion County Sheriff's Office)
OCALA, Fla. — A white woman charged with fatally shooting her Black neighbor through a door has a history of harassing area children and using racial slurs against them, neighbors said Wednesday.
Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, was arrested Tuesday on charges of manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Manslaughter with a firearm is a felony punishable with up to 30 years in prison.
The arrest came a few days after authorities said Lorincz shot Ajike “AJ” Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, through her front door in Ocala on Friday night. The sheriff's office said Owens had approached Lorincz’s home, knocked on the door multiple times, and demanded that Lorincz come outside to settle a dispute.
At least two of Owens’ children witnessed the shooting, according to the sheriff’s office, which was criticized by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the grieving family over the pace of the investigation.
It was not immediately clear whether Lorincz, who is being held in the Marion County Jail, had an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
In interviews with NBC News, neighbors recalled the times they said the suspect recorded their children, taunted them with slurs, called the police and waved guns at them — just for being kids.
Hours before the shooting, Franklyn
‘Mama, Karen called the police on us today’
Sharna Mozell, 36, who has lived in the neighborhood about 12 years, said Lorincz “was a problem with the kids.”
Her 10-year-old daughter would most frequently play outside with other children in the neighborhood.
Lorincz “used to come outside, and she used to record them constantly. And she’ll just flick them off while she’s recording the kids, calling them out their names,” said Mozell, the mother of four children ranging in age from 10 to 19.
“Our kids used to play in the field over there all the time. It’s an apartment complex. These are children who, you know, they’re, they’re going to do things. ... Every time they’ve went even in the patch of grass over there, she would be like, ‘Get off of my lawn, you b— or you retards or you N-word.’ She would wave guns at them,” Wills said.
Wills continued: “She recorded them every time she’s came outside. She’s gotten into her truck and blasted the radio as loud as she could to agitate the kids. She’s gotten into her truck and laid on the horn for long periods of time to agitate them, as well. She sped out in her truck out here, just crazy things.”
She said she never called the police on Lorincz but has “stood in my yard and yelled at her for the way she talks to the kids. But I’ve never actually had a conversation with her. She wasn’t somebody that you can converse with.”
She added that Lorincz would bully children and was known in the neighborhood as a “Karen,” a sarcastic term for a white woman who harasses people of color and has a reputation for racism. Mozell said her youngest daughter told her that Lorincz would record them and then contact authorities for the mere act of playing.
“’Mama, Karen called the police on us today,’” Mozell said her daughter would tell her.
She continued: “But the police never do anything ... because we’re kids, we’re just playing. Like, I don’t understand, like, what was her motive or what was the problem?”
‘The lady shot my mom’ Colon was inside in his home around 9 p.m. when he said he heard what sounded like a firecracker. His son told him Owens had been shot and people in the neighborhood, including children, were standing around crying.
According to the sheriff’s office, Lorincz had been angry because Owens’ children were playing in the nearby field and “engaged in an argument” with the
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Woman charged with fatally shooting neighbor has history of harassing children
children.
During the argument, Lorincz threw a skate at Owens’ 10-year-old son and later swung an umbrella at him and his sibling, according to the sheriff’s office. Owens then knocked on Lorincz’s door multiple times, and Lorincz fired one shot through the door, the sheriff’s office said.
Owens was hit in the upper chest and pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
Colon said he performed CPR on her until police and EMS arrived.
“When I saw her and everything, I’m like, ‘Oh crap.’ I started scanning for open wounds. No exit wound, just an upper right chest [wound],” he said.
Colon looked to make sure Lorincz was not around, he said, adding she did not come outside after the shooting.
Wills was preparing dinner when one of Owens’ children pounded on her door.
“It was so loud, my windows were shaking,” she said. “So I’m like, “What the heck?” And I go and I opened the door and it’s Isaac, her oldest son, and he’s like gasping for air. He can’t even barely talk. And he’s like, ‘The lady shot my mom!’”
“When he said that, I already know who he’s talking about, because she’s the only person out here that feuded with the children,” Wills added.
‘This world is really, really nasty’ Crump, who is representing the Owens family, and the slain woman’s relatives and loved ones have said that Lorincz had used racial slurs against Owens’ children prior to the fatal encounter.
One of the children left an iPad behind, which the woman took, he said.
A sheriff’s incident report, which is redacted, mentions that deputies were told at the scene that an iPad was taken by a woman who was at that time described as a suspect.
Deputies had been responding to a call about trespassing that night when they were informed there was a shooting, and they arrived to find Owens lying on the grass not breathing, according to a sheriff’s office incident report.
Lorincz told investigators that she acted in self-defense “and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
In an interview Tuesday, Crump said there could be no justification for the killing.
“No way she should feel that this person knocking on the door would be able to cause death to her or imminent bodily harm,” he said. “And if she did feel fear, call the police. Why shoot through a metal door?”
Mozell’s son, Jamerien Wilson, 18, said he witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.
He said that when he went outside, he saw police cars everywhere and then saw Owens on the ground and someone performing CPR. He said he didn’t know at the time what happened and didn’t know Owens had been shot.
Wilson said he didn’t know Owens well, but knows her 12-year-old son because they would play basketball together with other neighborhood children.
“She never bothered nobody. She was most definitely always in the house and doing what she had to do for her kids,” he said.
“Just another Black soul lost to earth, you know. It’s just not what we need. Bro, this world is really, really nasty,” Wilson added.
‘The mood has changed’
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Crump said he hopes prosecutors consider upgrading Lorincz’s charges to murder and also take into account witness statements from neighbors who said their children have been harassed by the suspect.
“We are grateful to Sheriff Woods for making the arrest. We don’t take that lightly, we don’t take it for granted. Because Black people getting swift justice in America is not something that happens all the time,” Crump said.
“Even though we are bothered that it took four days, we understand because ... of laws like stand your ground, it can complicate matters,” the attorney added.
Sheriff Billy Woods previously said that before they made an arrest, investigators were legally required to determine whether Florida’s “stand your ground” law applied.
He said the killing of Owens was not justified under the self-defense law.
“It was simply a killing,” Woods said.
Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, sat down with MSNBC on Wednesday and spoke at the news conference. Her grandchildren, who range in ages from 3 to 12, have been impacted “in so many ways” since their mother’s death, she said. Dias noted Owens’ two boys, including a 9-yearold who saw his mother killed, blame themselves for her death.
“In his soul, in his heart, it’s his fault,” she said, explaining how the child told his mother what Lorincz allegedly did prior to the shooting, which prompted the confrontation.
Dias added: “Our 12-year-old blames himself for the death of his mother because he couldn’t save her. He couldn’t give her CPR. His words were, ‘Grandma, grandma, I couldn’t save her.’”
Mozell said the shooting has impacted the neighborhood, too. Ocala is a city of around 63,000 residents about 60 miles northwest of Orlando.
“The mood has changed, the vibe has changed out here. Nothing’s really different, but you could feel it. It’s eerie now because it’s always been quiet. And it’s just like something major like that happening is just, like, so sad. We’re not used to things like that,” she said.
Minyvonne Burke reported from Ocala, Florida, and Antonio Planas from New York City.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
