OTK Issue 09

Her Words. Her Journey. Her Story.

OPAL LEE

Life Lessons by Opal Lee

Our mission is to support and empower women of all ages and any race through traditional journalism, storytelling, illustrations and photography.

This magazine supports diversity, inclusion and equality for women.

Our hope is that the stories in the magazine illustrate this through the telling details of our everyday women’s inspiring lives.

FROM THE OWNER

When I got the news that Ms. Opal Lee herself agreed to be featured in our magazine, I was speechless. I’d never met her in person. Walking into her home, being welcomed and told to pull up a seat next to her was such an honor. As I listened to her speak, all I could think was, wow, this lady has got some memory, and her passion for making the world a better place was such an inspiration.

I had a moment alone with Ms. Opal and took the opportunity to get to know her a little better. “What is on your bucket list?” I asked. To my surprise, her answer was not what I thought she would say. Instead of traveling to some far away country, her response was still focused on helping others and doing good. As long as she’s still breathing, she wants to devote her time on change and making a difference, no matter how big or small. If only we all had an ounce of her spirit, what a beautiful world this would be.

When Rebecca Aguilar, a well known and respected journalist, agreed to write Ms. Opal Lee’s article, I was beyond grateful. I immediately fell in love with her vision of the angle she wanted to explore. So many stories have been written about Ms. Opal, so it’s rare to find a new perspective. Rebecca did just that, and I hope you enjoy reading her article, Life Lessons by Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth, in this issue.

Happy New Year! It’s been a crazy year full of ups and downs but somehow I got through it. I hope the article, Taming Chaos Through Decluttering, by Jill Bold, gives you a fresh start in embarking on your new year. I know for me this article is more important than ever. We are happy to announce that our family of 4 is growing into a family of 5. Making space and purging the unnecessary is a must for our household. We all need a fresh start at times, and the start of a new year gives us that opportunity to do so.

As always, thank you for continuing to support our mission in bringing evergreen, motivational and ethical journalism to you. Without you, One To Know would not be possible.

With gratitude,

ADRIENNE MARTINEZ Founder + Owner

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In this issue, we shine a light on Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth. She urges people to change the hearts and minds of others through love and preaches that people can learn to love. How has someone made your life better with love?

I am fortunate to have many people who have inspired, empowered and encouraged me in my life. They include family and friends, but also people I am connected with via social media, and I have never met them in person. Also, as a reporter, I learn from people I interview, like Ms. Opal. She taught me that it is never too late to create good change.

Through the years, I’ve witnessed my parents navigate life with such optimism and love. Their selfless actions and ability to see the good in people have impacted me more than I could have imagined. They never look for praise or expect anything in return when they help others. Regardless of how hard life can be, they always come with open arms, prepared to serve others.

When I was on bedrest during a difficult pregnancy, my son and my husband stepped up and took over all the cooking and cleaning and laundry. They did so with a smile and a hug. Being cared for in a gentle way by loved ones brings me so much peace.

When I decided to return to college and work part time, my husband fully supported me. When I was stressed out with school, my kids encouraged me. When I finally earned my degree, they all clapped and cheered for me as I walked across the stage. I felt their love every step of the way as I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Although I grew up in DFW, I used to live in the Midwest for a few years. When it was time for me to move away, my friend made a photo collage of pictures documenting our years-long friendship. I look at it whenever I miss her, and I am reminded of how many good times we had together. It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever given me.

When my sweet dachshund Hailey crossed the rainbow bridge, I experienced gut-piercing grief. The following day, a present was waiting on my doorstep from a new-found friend. On the brown paper box, she had written: “An angel is hugging your sweet girl until you meet again.” I couldn’t open it for about a week. When I finally did, inside was an angel holding a dachshund. Sweetest, most thoughtful gift ever.

I still feel very new to this wonderful, little big city of Fort Worth. Having moved here almost three years ago, I have met some wonderful people who have shown me kindness through actions and words. Showing love doesn’t always require a grand gesture. It can be shown through something as simple as a genuine “hello” and a kind smile.

I truly believe that love is the best gift you can give. Allowing someone to feel safe and supported in your presence means more than you can imagine. I’m thankful for all my friends and family who meet me where I’m at and love the imperfect person that I am. It encourages me to do the same for others.

In a time of despair, a woman walked alongside me. Present to my pain, she offered me unconditional love without an expectation in return. Though I felt lost and hopeless, her direction and belief in me bolstered me until I could stand on my own. This love shattered the childlike ideas of love I needed to outgrow. This love I received, I now give, too. Love shared actually grows.

I’m very much a go-go-go person. When I was waiting tables at Red Lobster in my early 20s, rushing around and stressed out, a customer flagged me down and said, “You don’t have to run for these people.” I try to remember those words when I get frazzled at work, to slow down and not kill myself trying to please everybody.

Ronaldo Bolanos PHOTOGRAPHER

Amber Shumake PHOTOGRAPHER

Veida Dima WRITER

Jill Bold WRITER

Shilo Urban WRITER

Hannah Ezell WRITER

LaRue Gillespie WRITER

Beth Hutson WRITER

Conny Gonzalez ILLUSTRATOR

Rebecca Aguilar WRITER

Story Ideas

Got a tip? Tell us about it!

In a town as vibrant and bustling as Fort Worth, there’s bound to be stories we don’t know yet. If you have any in mind, send them our way! Perhaps there’s an artist whose work deserves recognition, or maybe there’s a new wellness trend going around we should look into. If you have ideas for something you’d like our team of writers and journalists to look into, let us know here.

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@onetoknowmagazine.com

Publisher & Owner

Adrienne Martinez

Editorial Inquiries

editorial@onetoknowmagazine.com

Advertising sales@onetoknowmagazine.com

Design

Adrienne Martinez, art director

Editorial Jill Bold, interim executive editor

Contributors

Editorial

Rebecca Aguilar, Jill Bold, Veida Dima, Hannah Ezell, LaRue Gillespie, Beth Hutson, Shilo Urban

Illustrator

Conny Gonzalez

Photography

Ronaldo Bolanos, Amber Shumake

Have an idea or see a mistake? Tell us about it: editorial@onetoknowmagazine.com

One To Know Magazine is a bimonthly, subscription-based publication. All rights reserved.

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WhenTiffany Ortez Parish entered the lavish home belonging to a late American Airlines pilot and his wife, she knew she was stepping into a time capsule, exploring the opulent residence suited for entertaining in the 1960s and 1970s. She discovered family heirlooms — textiles and gowns from the 1920s and 1930s — lovingly preserved and meticulously cataloged by the wife who kept a record of everything.

- Sustainable Intentional Fashion, by Jill Bold, P 16

Tamara Johnson’s life today is quite a departure from her stressed-out, burned-out days donning flashy suits and high heels and running full steam ahead from one obligation to the next. This new version of herself has her looking inward, practicing self-love and meditation, and being OK with just being. For her, it’s about balance and mindfulness, skills she’s learned and honed through yoga.

- Yoga Changed Her Life, by LaRue V. Gillespie, P 46

“Soul food, it would seem, depends on an ineffable quality. It is a combination of nostalgia for and pride in the food of those who came before … soul food looks back at the past and celebrates a genuine taste palate while offering more than a nod to the history of disenfranchisement of blacks in the United States.”

- The Soul of Como, by Hannah Ezell, P 52

The history of Opal Lee’s life covers the walls of her Fort Worth home. Numerous awards and mementos for her community and civil rights work. Photos of her family’s ancestry hang on a small, wired tree. A large painting of another family tree spreads its branches across a dining room wall.

- Life Lessons by Opal Lee, by Rebecca Aguilar, P 22

Cover art by Ebony Gabrielle

Opposite page from left to right: Brian Hutson Photo, Brooks Burris Photo, Walter Photography Photo

Fort Worth Black History Tour

Five places to explore our rich African American history

By Shilo Urban

African Americans have been a part of Fort Worth since its beginning as a frontier settlement overlooking the Trinity River. From business leaders and iconic activists to legendary musicians, their stories echo across the landscape — especially at these historic sites:

TERRELL HEIGHTS

Located in the Historic Southside district, Terrell Heights was the city’s first middle-class Black neighborhood. It was also the childhood home of Opal Lee, who moved to a house on the 900 block of East Annie Street (between Kentucky and New York avenues) in 1939. When she was 12 years old, 500 white rioters burned down her home. It was June 19 — a day that would become the national holiday Juneteenth in 2021, thanks to decades of her tireless efforts. Terrell Heights is also home to Evans Avenue Plaza, an inviting gathering place with dozens of plaques that honor local African Americans, from doctors and educators to World War II veterans.

I.M. TERRELL ACADEMY

Established in 1882, I.M. Terrell was the first school for African Americans in the city. The high school moved to its current location in 1938 and soon became known for producing boundary-breaking jazz and R&B artists. Led by the beloved instructor G.A. Baxter, students from I.M. Terrell included Ornette Coleman (a principal founder of the free jazz movement) along with King Curtis, Dewey Redman, Charles Moffett, John Carter and many other musical luminaries. Today, the historic school has relaunched itself as I.M. Terrell Academy, a magnet school offering VPA (Visual & Performing Arts) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) instruction under the same roof. 1441 I.M. Terrell Circle.

Photo courtesy of I.M. Terrell Academy

MOUNT GILEAD BAPTIST CHURCH

In 1875, 12 formerly enslaved people constructed a small building where they could worship in an area called Baptist Hill (near today’s Crump and 15th streets). The congregation grew and grew, drawn by messages of progress and self-determination from the pulpit. Much expanded and remodeled over the years, the graceful neoclassical landmark is now the oldest continuously operating African American Baptist church in Fort Worth. 600 Grove St.

OAKWOOD CEMETERY

Fort Worth’s second-oldest cemetery (after Pioneers Rest) was established in 1879 with three separate areas for Blacks, whites and Catholics. The designated burial place for African Americans was called Old Trinity and can be found on the northern edge of Oakwood. Look for the 38-foot-tall monument that belongs to William McDonald, Texas’ first Black millionaire, which stands on a hill looking down at the former headquarters of the local KKK chapter. 701 Grand Ave.

GREAT WALL OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

Although Fort Worth’s Central Station dates from just 2002, it stands on the former site of a thriving African American commercial district. A series of modern murals on the eastern wall commemorate the Black businesses and warehouses that existed here from 1865 to 1940. Five colorful panels illustrate the neighborhood’s rich history, with nods to Black entrepreneurs like John Pratt, a blacksmith who owned the first African American business in the city. 1001 Jones St.

Oakwood Cemetery Jay Henry Photo; Great Wall of Aftican American History Courtesy of Trinity Metro

Refurbished Dreams

Rebecca Low and her gallery of artists breathe new life into “found objects.”

By Jill Bold

In late autumn, out of the blue on a perfectweather day in Fort Worth 20 years ago, a man in overalls wandered into Rebecca Low’s art gallery, the lone patron in an empty showroom.

“Who buys this shit?” the man demanded to know.

Deflecting his aggressive vibe, Rebecca replied to him with candor and kindness.

“Well, I’m very grateful that not everyone feels this way about my work,” Rebecca said to him.

“There’s room for everybody. I’m guessing you’re an artist?” He was, and Rebecca hosted this fellow artist in her gallery for the following hour and a half, discussing how his own art could have a home at the Rebecca Low Sculpture Gallery.

“I have two or three things my folks taught me,” Rebecca says, reminiscing about her supportive and loving parents. “You can do anything you want, do it with kindness, and be the best you can be at whatever it is you choose to do.”

And Rebecca chose to take discarded items, view them in a new way and create a unique sculpture from “found objects.” Recycling otherwise useless objects into art is her passion. But being a sculpture artist was never a dream of hers.

The idea originated when Rebecca was walking with her dog in a Kroger parking lot. As she collected items off the ground, a lady from across the parking lot declared, “This is my lot.”

Undeterred, Rebecca returned repeatedly to retrieve recycling items, and the same woman confronted her, asking why she’s picking up what appeared to be trash.

“Why don’t you make something with it?” this woman asked Rebecca. She didn’t know how to make anything with metal, but the woman offered some advice that Rebecca ran with: “Go take a welding course.” And that’s exactly what she did.

The gallery’s main room showcases the works of over a dozen artists — bright, textured

Rebecca Low with sculpture Cecil Fuqua Photo

sculptures atop pedestals fill the floor space, and graphite drawings and slightly skewed, framed photographs adorn the walls surrounding Rebecca’s office. Window shelves along the front wall display many of artist Chasity Hernandez’s stark white sculptures with striking facial features.

“One mission is to teach people how to see things differently,” Rebecca says.

Holding up a random piece of metal that is shaped like a pterodactyl head, she asks, “What does this look like to you?” She describes her means of inspiration as trying to see what is already there rather than taking material and manipulating it.

A prominent display in the property’s “backyard” features unaltered antique tractor hoods that clearly resemble the famous Easter Island statues when staked into the ground on its edges.

Rebecca stores all the scraps of deteriorated, discarded materials in her sprawling backyard. She gleefully refers to her indoor-outdoor workshop that connects the gallery and her backlot as her “playroom.”

Although part of the gallery’s purpose is to sell art, Rebecca strives to use it as a way to enhance the community. “It brings such diverse art that anybody can like if they come in,” Rebecca says.

Rebecca Low gallery Rhonda Hole Photo

Community Over Crystals

Eli and Malia Hill converge their love of crystals and community into a welcoming online space.

By Jill Bold

Photos by Jessica Sherrell

The gentle tones of Eli and Malia’s voices match the soothing vibes of the crystals they showcase on Crystal Collaborative’s Instagram Live on a typical Tuesday evening. An interactive audience takes turns expressing in the comments their admiration and desire for the glistening stones and creatively carved crystals. “There are a lot of people that love crystals just because they’re pretty,” Malia says. She acknowledges that people can have misconceptions about the power of crystals.

“I think a lot of people’s perception of crystals and things like that is, it’s super ‘woowoo,’” she says. She hopes their educational social media and livestreams will help evolve people’s ideas about what crystals can do.

Malia explained that crystals do not possess magical attributes, nor will they solve any problems for anyone. Crystals harness an energy that has existed on earth for millions of years, and they can help someone unlock what already exists within them.

For Malia, understanding crystals and crystal energies provides a tangible way for her to get to know herself.

Crystal Collaborative’s holistically organic and down-to-earth mission facilitates an authentic and comfortable environment that customers — over 8,000 followers on its Instagram — are drawn to. Its mission promotes inclusivity and education. Over and over, its audience communicates that they appreciate the ability to ask questions in a judgment-free environment. “Whether you have a collection worth millions of dollars or you have a collection of three tumblers, come here,” Eli says.

“Whether you have a collection worth millions of dollars or you have a collection of three tumblers, come here.”

ELI HILL

The Citrus Cowgirl Recipe

By Beth Hutson

Photos by Brian Hutson

When we kicked off a new year, many participated in the Dry January Challenge — to stop drinking for a month following a festive holiday season. But on a whole, people are reevaluating their relationship with alcohol. From health and well-being to a variety of other reasons, over 40% of Americans don’t drink, according to a recent Gallup poll. But being alcohol-free doesn’t mean being boring. When OTK founder, Adrienne Martinez, asked my lifestyle brand, The Elevated Elixir, to create a signature mocktail for the Issue 8 launch party last fall, we made a Blackberry Baddie that included blackberry simple syrup, lime and Lyre’s Classico zero-proof sparkling wine. It was a hit, and we noticed that over half the guests preferred the “unleaded” version to the “leaded.” If you’re like OTK readers and like your zero-proof cocktails with a kick, then The Citrus Cowgirl is for you. Offering refreshing flavors of mango and citrus balanced with the boldness of chili, it’s the perfect way to spice up your mocktail repertoire. Most ingredients can be found online. We sourced our ingredients from WeAreRaisingTheBar.com.

INGREDIENTS

For the Rim

Portland Syrup

Chili Salt

For the Glass

Ice

1 ounce Pentire Seaward

4 ounces Top Note Grapefruit Soda

Jalapeño & grapefruit garnish

DIRECTIONS

Roll a partial rim of the rocks glass with Portland Syrup.

Add a small amount of chili salt to the plate and gently roll the rim in salt to cover.

Add a scoop of ice into the glass.

Add Pentire Seaward and the grapefruit soda and stir.

Add a dried jalapeño and grapefruit to garnish.

Sustainable Intentional Fashion

Tiffany Ortez Parish creates sustainable, one-of-a-kind wearable art out of forgotten heirlooms.

By Jill Bold

Photos

by Brooks Burris

When Tiffany Ortez Parish entered the lavish home belonging to a late American Airlines pilot and his wife, she knew she was stepping into a time capsule, exploring the opulent residence suited for entertaining in the 1960s and 1970s. She discovered family heirlooms — textiles and gowns from the 1920s and 1930s — lovingly preserved and meticulously cataloged by the wife who kept a record of everything.

“When it comes to vintage, for me, it’s the older the better,” she says. “That’s what gets me extremely excited.”

Tiffany owns and operates the vintage shop Honeysuckle Rose Vintage in Fort Worth and the sustainable clothing line Lovey Dovies, and her passion for vintage and the namesake for that sustainable clothing line originates from her mentors — grandmother Hazel and mother Dovi.

She spent her childhood tagging along with them, waking at 4 a.m. to sleep on the floor bed of a loaded car on the way to the flea market. She would help her family set up their booth of antique and vintage merchandise, occasionally breaking away from their booth throughout the day to shop around. Here she would learn the value of a dollar, practice her hustle and appreciate the time she had with her family.

Many years later, she and her sister, Amber, collaborated with their mother to curate forgotten textiles and transform them into fashion.

“We take our time, scavenger-hunting cities throughout Texas, as well as on our travels out of state, to find the best vintage and heirloom textiles that have long been forgotten,” Tiffany says.

She sees many people get rid of their table linens, passed-down quilts or afghans when they clean them out of their homes. They end up at donation centers and sometimes on the curb, discarded as trash. Dovi, Tiffany and Amber are not afraid to rescue these treasures —

slow-stitched quilts and patchwork, crocheted afghans, fine lace and embroidered table linens, handmade long ago.

“Each one tells a story of wisdom and love,” Tiffany says. “Lovey Dovies’ mission is to rescue those rapidly vanishing forgotten textiles and repurpose them into sustainable clothing that we like to call ‘wearable art.’”

Tiffany practices sustainability in all areas of her life, especially when it comes to her businesses. Lovey Dovies only utilizes recycled materials, including the threading, buttons and zippers. All materials can be sourced from flea markets, garage sales and estate sales, so buying new is not necessary. If they can’t find materials for a project, then it is shelved until everything is available. Creating pieces in small batches means Lovey Dovies is considered a slowfashion brand which helps reduce their carbon footprint.

Tiffany lovingly describes Lovey Dovies’ designs as “feminine, structured, free-flowing and inspired by vintage folk art and a time when people lived slowly with intention.” The clothing is designed to evoke the wearer’s confidence and allow them to stand out in a crowd.

“Clothing can give you the confidence you need to take on the day,” Tiffany says. “That’s what it does for me. Whether you want to dress down or dress up, do it with style and intention.”

Utilizing Recycled Materials

“Clothing can give you the confidence you need to take on the day.”

- TIFFANY ORTEZ PARISH

Forever Blooming

By Jill Bold

Photos by Ebony Gabrielle

She’s a multifaceted artist who dreams up oil paintings, collages, sculptures and other creations forged out of any medium. College-educated in sustainable architecture and art, she strives to surpass the boundaries of her artistic abilities — a forever-learner. She’s a commissioned portrait artist who’s currently evolving into more surreal and abstract styles. Her daily inspiration?

“It really just depends on the day and where the sun’s at in the sky when I wake up,” she says.

Artist Ebony Gabrielle was happy to pour her creative energy into painting Issue 9’s cover of Opal Lee. The oil painting that the 25-year-old Arlington native spent seven hours painting explores Opal’s commitment to growth and serves as a visual representation of the ever-blooming 96-year-old community leader.

“She talked about how she feels like she has a lot more work to do, even though she’s accomplished so much,” Ebony says, reflecting on Opal’s past contributions and continuing goals. “And I tie that in with nature, how there’s always something blooming and something really beautiful around, but there’s always also something growing as well.”

Ebony Gabrielle

I wanted to go back to nature as a nod to the powerful women that were in Opal’s life as well as the powerful woman that she is, continuing to inspire.”

- EBONY GABRIELLE

Q: What did you know about Opal before you painted her?

A: “I knew that she was an activist for Juneteenth and talked to kids. My mom was an elementary school principal in the DFW area, and I went to her schools where Ms. Opal visited and spoke to the kids and gave out Juneteenth. My mom brought me one home that was autographed, and she showed me pictures of her and Opal. It was pretty cool.”

Q: What imagery in this painting has deeper meaning?

A: “I put her shoes on her in the painting because they’re tennis shoes, signifying that she still has some walking to do, and there’s some work to be done.”

Q: Why do you have bluebonnets obscuring her face?

A: “She’s lounging in the chair with these bluebonnets in her face, enjoying the flowers and the fruits of her labor. It’s really impactful and powerful that the only flowers in the picture are the ones that she’s holding, to show she’s planted a seed for other activists or different people to make positive change. It also shows that she’s done her work and that her flowers are blooming.”

Each issue we ask a local artist to design our cover, and we write about what inspired her design here in the Craft section of OTK Magazine. If you are interested in designing one of our covers, email art@onetoknowmagazine.com.

Ebony Gabrielle

OPAL LEE

GRANDMOTHER OF JUNETEENTH

Opal discusses the journey of her mission to teach love and fight for what’s right.

By Rebecca Aguilar

The history of Opal Lee’s life covers the walls of her Fort Worth home. Numerous awards and mementos for her community and civil rights work. Photos of her family’s ancestry hang on a small, wired tree. A large painting of another family tree spreads its branches across a dining room wall.

She is in a back bedroom on this day, relaxing in her favorite easy chair. “My mother was one of 19 children,” she tells a reporter who has called her from Tyler, Texas, for a live radio interview. “My mother was passionate about her children.”

At 96 years old, she is used to telling her life story a few times a week to the media or at public events where she is celebrated and honored for everything she has done in her long life, from helping unhoused and needy families in Fort Worth to spearheading efforts to turn Juneteenth into a national federal holiday.

Family, friends and supporters know her as “Ms. Opal.” They also know she is on several missions in life, and she is not done yet. People often ask her why she hasn’t slowed down at her age.

“As long you have breath and as long as you can help others, you should do so,” she says. “I got a list. I don’t know how long, but when I wake up, I know there are things that have to be done.”

Shelves full of books inhabit most rooms in her house. Short and tall stacks of books line her bedroom, along with more shelves, books, awards and gifts. The books are mostly about Black history or by female authors like former Georgia State Representative and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, former First Lady Michelle Obama and American novelist Toni Morrison.

Opal admits she has not read them all, but each one of the books brings her inspiration that she hopes to pass on to the next generation.

There are many lessons to be learned from Ms. Opal.

Independence: Create your journey

Opal Lee credits her inner strength and independence to her mother and grandmother. Two women, she says, who taught her to care for others.

Lee was born in 1926 in Marshall, Texas. When she was ten, her mother moved the family to Fort Worth to join her father. Her parents eventually divorced.

“My dad joined the Navy when I was in high school, and he had another family,” she says. “So he was not in the picture at all.”

Her mother became the breadwinner for the family, making sure her daughter and two sons had food on the table.

“I understood why they didn’t make it,” Opal says. “I understood. My mother wanted things, and she was going to work for them, and she was not going to put up with you if you lagged behind.”

Opal would become just as independent as the women who raised her.

Determination: Like mother, like daughter

Opal graduated from I.M. Terrell High School, Fort Worth’s first Black high school, when she was 16 and decided to get married. She disappointed her mother, who wanted her daughter to go to college. Her mother refused to go to the wedding. But four years and with four children into the marriage, Opal decided to get a divorce.

“I cut my losses and went home to my mom,” Opal says. “I had the nerve to say I can go to college now.”

She believes her determination helped her get a college education, juggle multiple jobs and raise her children at the same time. Her mother cared for her children in Fort Worth during the week while she attended college in Marshall and worked at the college bookstore. On weekends, Opal took a bus home to Fort Worth and worked other jobs.

“I finished college three and a half years because I could not stay for four,” she adds. “I had kids.”

After graduating from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, in 1952, she landed her first job.

“I got a job teaching school, making $2,000 a year,” she says. “I couldn’t feed four kids on that money.”

Opal got a second job because she was determined to buy her own home and raise her children, and eventually, she saved enough to buy the house she still lives in today.

High School yearbook photo of Opal Lee

Photo Courtesy Opal Lee

Opal Lee spends her days serving others, and she hosts a Secret Santa giveaway event to provide families with gifts for the holidays.

Ronaldo Bolanos Photos

Tenacity: Getting Juneteenth recognized

Opal set her mind on making Juneteenth a national holiday, and she would do everything in her power to make it a reality.

“This is not a ‘me’ thing but a ‘we’ thing,” she says, as she remembers how Lenora Rolla and Dr. Ronald Myers played a significant role in establishing Juneteenth as a day of celebration.

“Dr. Ronald Myers was a medical doctor, minister and jazz musician all rolled into one,” Opal says, reflecting the impact of her good friend. “And he was adamant about Juneteenth becoming a national holiday. He had traveled all over the country, encouraging people to have Juneteenth celebrations.”

Dr. Myers died in 2018.

She knows Dr. Myers would have been proud that Juneteenth is finally recognized as a national holiday.

“I think sometimes he looks down and says, ‘Well, it’s about time you got it done,’” she says.

Opal also helped establish the Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society in 1974 with Lenora Butler Rolla, a political activist, community leader, journalist and teacher. Opal said in the mid-1970s, the society started organizing the annual Fort Worth Juneteenth celebrations.

She campaigned to make Juneteenth a federal holiday by having annual 2 ½-mile walks because enslaved people in Texas did not know about the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation until 2 ½ years after it happened.

“I learned from my mother and my grandparents that if you are passionate about something, don’t let anything turn you around,” she says.

Opal was 89 when she launched a symbolic walk

from Fort Worth in September 2016 to Washington, D.C., that she finished in January 2017.

“Naysayers thought I was crazy walking from Fort Worth, some 1,400 miles,” she says. “But if you’re passionate about something that is going to lift you, your family, your community, then you have to stick with it come hell or high water.”

Opal also launched a petition for a Juneteenth federal holiday that garnered more than 1.5 million signatures and was shared by celebrities.

Her tenacity paid off on June 17, 2021, when she stood next to President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony as he signed the bill into law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Opal received a standing ovation.

“I was thinking how good God is and how he allows things to happen in his time, not ours,” she says.

Ronaldo Bolanos Photo

Ronaldo Bolanos Photo

Make yourself a committee of one

Opal springs into action when she sees a void in life or someone in need. She hopes her work will encourage others to do the same.

“It’s our responsibility to look out for each other,” she says. “Make yourself a committee of one.”

As a school teacher, she eventually became a visiting teacher who helped students who needed food, clothing or a place to stay. She always found a way to get families help.

“I knew what I had gone through raising my children, and I knew parents were working and not making enough money,” she says. “Sometimes sending their children to school with no shoes.”

She worked at the Community Food Bank for years and still delivers food to people in need.

“When people work together, we can get so much more done,” Opal says. “So much more.”

People taught to hate can be taught to love

The rise of racism worries Opal, but she strongly feels we all have the ability to change our minds.

“And I expect us to change minds and teach people to love,” she explains. “We don’t need guns.”

Opal knows hate. She was 12 years old when she said a white mob torched her home, destroying all her family’s belongings. It happened to be June 19, 1939.

She also grew up in a segregated society when Black citizens were not allowed to shop, eat or attend a school where white people would go.

But despite all the racism she has encountered, Opal believes there is hope for the haters even today.

“That can be changed,” she says. “We can talk people out of hate. It’s not going to be done in a day. You’ll have to work at it, but it can be done.”

centered on a long list of projects

“If I don’t get them all done, the the same list,” she says. “It’s a list

everyone she touches in her path, leave a lasting message when she

“On my headstone, I want people to know we are survivors, our brother’s keeper, and we must continue to fight for what is right.”

-MS. OPAL LEE

From the Kitchen with Love

Melting the hearts in her community, Jimena Maldonado bakes her way to college.

By Veida Dima

Photo by Amber Shumake

There is a healing art to baking. The smell of home. Family traditions. Making memories. Baking means different things to different people, but to high school senior Jimena Maldonado, baking means so much more. Her baking represents survival, honor and smiling — sprinkled with joy.

In 2020, she endured the death of her father due to COVID-19. She then witnessed her mother struggling to keep up with bills soon after and decided to help the best she could — through chocolate-covered strawberries.

“At first, I would just post [order requests] on my social media, and then my family members would buy from me,” Jimena says. After receiving ample positive feedback about her pastries, she launched her official website and social media account for N&J Pastries.

Her pastry business has blossomed since then and now offers more than chocolate-covered strawberries. Jimena has perfected cake pops, hot chocolate bombs and her top seller, the churro cheesecake.

Jimena credits her father as the one who encouraged her to try new dishes. Many creations didn’t turn out great, but she extracted a lesson each time, slowly perfecting her craft.

She dreams of owning a store-front bakery in Fort Worth after graduating college with a degree in business and a minor in culinary arts. Jimena’s entrepreneurial spirit originated as a child when she sold candies on a side table of her aunt’s food truck.

She moved one step closer to her dream when she found out she was accepted to Texas Christian University. Now she waits until February 2023 to find out if she will be selected as a TCU Community Scholar or receive a scholarship as a Girls Inc. National Scholar semi-finalist.

Jimena volunteers with Girls Inc. of Fort Worth, a community program where girls can find empowerment, mentorship and education in a safe environment, a place where she participated as a girl growing up. As a volunteer, she brings her popular baked goods to events. She also spends many hours volunteering with more community outreach programs throughout Fort Worth.

Jimena also lends a hand to educators by helping them stock up on supplies. She reaches out to her cousin, a teacher, to connect her with anyone who might need her help.

Jimena balances her business and schoolwork with sports as a power-lifting and cross-country athlete at Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School and works part time as a waitress. But, just like her father, she pushes through because she knows it is worth it.

“Every time I volunteer, everyone has a smile on their face,” Jimena says. “I feel like I have made someone have a big smile. I personally love smiling, so if others have a smile, I feel like I’ve made them happy.”

Jimena’s dreams of owning her own bakery and attending TCU became obtainable through the influence of her parent’s perseverance and hard work. They raised her to be strong and resilient, bouncing back from any obstacle. Jimena learned to work through the stress and tackle her problems directly and stay focused on a solution.

“I just want to make them proud,” she says. “Hopefully, I do.”

With so much accomplished in her life so far, Jimena has established a solid foundation for herself, and her future is one to watch.

Instagram: @nandjpastries

Jimena Maldonado

Compassion Wears a Crown

Accomplished teen Madison Corzine navigates pageants, schoolwork, podcasting and community outreach and education with grace and confidence.

By Jill B old

“I’ve always been taught to give 110% because I deserve that, but so do the people around me.”

Channeling this sage advice from her parents, Madison Corzine embodies what can be accomplished with this mindset. At 16, the reigning Miss Juneteenth DFW has led her Fort Worth community in the fight against period poverty through her organization Pragmatic Prodigies and co-hosts the podcast Black Girls: The New Gen.

Madison packs a lot into her busy life, building herself a future filled with purpose with the full support and guidance of her parents.

“They’ve established this drive in me to always be the best,” Madison says.

All areas of her life — the pageants, her own education and community service efforts — are centered around and powered through her work with period poverty advocacy.

Curiosity and compassion

What started off as a fifth-grade research project focused on women in Kenya turned into a moment for Madison when her eyes were opened to the reality that many people experience period poverty. This is the struggle that low-income women and girls endure when trying to afford menstrual products, and it’s a problem that persists worldwide. This inability to obtain these products means more girls are staying home from school and missing out on their education. This can add up to five weeks of someone’s semester and can result in failing the class.

“These girls are struggling with these issues, and no one’s talking about it or willing to speak up,” she explains. “It’s incredibly unfair because they’re missing school.” Madison knew she needed to find a way to give these girls a voice and provide a helping hand.

Pragmatic Prodigies co-founder Madison Corzine helps lead the fight against period poverty in Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy Shalunda Corzine

Madison Corzine, Miss Juneteenth DFW 2022

Larry Miller Jr. Photo

Pragmatic Prodigies steps up

Madison teamed up with her best friend, Kyler Reese, to bring Pragmatic Prodigies to Fort Worth. At first, they focused on young women’s issues, but once they decided that period poverty was something they had the strength and the drive to dig into as a group, they got to work.

Working at Morningside Middle School, they mentored girls on navigating dual credit, building confidence and getting them ready for high school. But they also provided them with period products.

In fact, due to a swell of generous donations, Pragmatic Prodigies was able to provide the entire district with period products, and Morningside became a hub for other girls across the district to get the materials they needed.

Madison knows the complete solution doesn’t end with providing products. She and Kyler, who’s focused on medical law, work together to explore the medical statistics and complex issues surrounding period poverty.

“If you have only a few menstrual products, people are going to try to make that stretch because they don’t have enough,” she says. “But using one for too long is better than nothing, right? That’s a medical risk in itself.”

Begin the conversation

Madison spent many hours on FaceTime with Kyler talking out issues like this, even discussing current news events and sharing how it made them feel. This sort of authentic, thoughtful conversation was the basis for the podcast Black Girls: The New Gen. The open-ended, unedited conversational format of the shows welcomes listeners to a respectful conversation about issues like colorism, stereotypes, mental health and pretty privilege from the perspective of two bright young Black girls.

“It’s really important that we have the voice to do these sort of things,” Madison says.

Top: Madison and her best friend and business partner personally gather and deliver menstrual products to Morningside Middle School in Fort Worth.

Bottom: Through Pragmatic Prodigies, Madison provides mentorship and encouragement to her middle school mentees, instilling confidence and preparing them for high school and beyond.

Photos courtesy Shalunda Corzine

Platform for change

Madison found more ways to amplify the voices of girls and women in need of period poverty advocacy. When she signed up for the Miss Juneteenth DFW pageant, she hoped for a chance to bond with girls her age and earn some scholarships for her future college education. She hopes to attend Spelman College for undergraduate studies and aspires to study at Syracuse University for law school.

“I’m trying to get two degrees, if not three,” she says. “That’s a lot of money.”

But in the process, she found that participating in pageants proved to be a powerful tool for shining a light on the period poverty problem.

After winning the title of Miss Juneteenth DFW, Madison was set to compete in the national pageant with 11 other girls from all over the country. She loved performing, and her background and training in theater prepared her for the experience. She developed deep bonds with her fellow contestants, building lasting friendships despite the pressures of performing in a competitive space.

“Having this sense of unity and sisterhood has always been a dream of mine,” she says.

Madison is looking at pageantry to support herself through college. The healthy-sized scholarships offered to winners can provide the financial independence she’ll need. She is also looking forward to establishing period poverty advocacy on her future college campus, bringing education, support and relief to women and girls wherever her new home might be.

SCAN THE QR CODE to hear Madison speak more about period poverty advocacy.

ROLE MODELS FOR A QUEEN

Madison draws inspiration in her life from a variety of influential Black women — from Beyoncé to actress and producer Marsai Martin to her own mother. She is drawn to how hard working, powerful and successful these women are.

She’ll find inspiration even when she takes time to slow down and enjoy a good read. She’s an

avid reader who enjoys a good young adult fantasy novel or a dystopian sci-fi read. “I’m a huge reader,” she gushes. “I love reading.”

Right now, her favorite novel is Children of Blood and Bone by Nigerian-American novelist Tomi Adeyemi. Madison is intrigued by the first Black female novelist she’s seen in the genre.

“I’ve never seen a Black female writer do such amazing things,” she says.

Light Me Up

By Beck Reed SCAN

to listen to the story read by Jill Bold

It was beautiful, really. All chrome handlebars with sleek blue panels lining the sides. Washed and polished to perfection, it stood proudly on its kickstand and gleamed in the orange evening sun. She could almost see herself banking a sharp turn, the wind whipping through her shirt, her hair in tangles behind her.

Yeah, right, Josie thought. Me on a motorcycle. I know jack-all about motorcycles. But the price tag saved her. She glanced at it once and quickly turned away from all those zeroes. Far beyond what she could pay.

Still, Josie stopped for a moment to admire the machine, just as she did every day on her walk home from work. Daydreaming didn’t cost anything.

She told herself it wasn’t so bad to walk everywhere. Chicago was an amazing city, a place where, no matter where you looked, something was always happening. That was what had attracted her to it. She had been fresh out of college, and the world had looked so impossibly big. Anywhere but Houston was what she had said she wanted. Even UT in Austin hadn’t been far enough away, and she’d fled farther north as soon as she graduated. Chicago, with its flashing lights and incredible skyline, had seemed the perfect place to make her own. She settled down and started law school, envisioning a future as a kickass lawyer. Josie didn’t think her mother had ever forgiven her for dropping out halfway through. Some visions just weren’t meant to be a reality.

It was a good life, she had decided. Her job wasn’t half-bad, and the hours allowed her time with the book club her old grad school friends had formed after they had outgrown student life. It was a good group — even though Danny and Linda talked of nothing but their perfect little life since they returned from their honeymoon, and the twins, Jenny and Chris, missed meetings more often than not. Jacob was a bright spot, always brimming with jokes and insights about the novel they were discussing this week.

Lots to appreciate. And having a motorcycle wouldn’t improve anything, she scolded herself. Besides, her roommate, Denise, would kill her if she used her savings for anything but finding her own apartment.

THE QR CODE

The sun was setting by the time Josie reached her building, a tiny apartment complex in the middle of downtown. Her phone started playing a Frank Sinatra tune as she got off the elevator. She groaned when she saw the name Sharron Parker on the screen. Josie propped the phone between her cheek and shoulder so she could dig in her bag for her keychain.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Jocelyn! How’s the paralegal?”

Josie ignored the twinge of annoyance at her mother’s insistence on using her full name. “Fine, I’m just getting home from work.” She could hear pots and pans clanging in the background as her mother spoke. Sharron always had been proud of her elaborate cooking. Josie tried to ignore it as she dropped her bag in the front hall and went to the kitchen to examine the contents of the freezer. She chipped the purple nail polish on her index finger as she rummaged through the frozen food and microwave dinners.

“Good, that’s good to hear.” Sharron’s focus was obviously on whatever dish she was preparing. “Listen, I’m going to be in town in a couple of days, and I’d like to meet with you for coffee while I’m there.”

Josie frowned. Sharron usually wanted to meet in person when she needed to ask for something. She pushed Sodapop the cat off the counter and tried not to crinkle the cellophane wrapping of her instant mashed potatoes too loudly. “Um, sure, that’s fine. I’m free at three on Saturday.”

“Perfect, text me the address of a place that you’d like to go. It’s my treat. Also, I wanted to ask you: Have you spoken with your sister lately?”

“With Katy? Um…” Josie couldn’t remember the last time her mother had asked about Katy. Usually she said no news was good news, and if Katy wanted to ruin her life with partying and nightclubs and cigarettes, that

was her choice. Communication in the family had been scattered since Josie and Katy’s father had passed away. Lung cancer tends to mess things up. “No, I haven’t heard from her recently.”

“Hmm,” was all Sharron had to say to that. “OK, I’ll see you this weekend.” And she hung up. Brisk as usual.

Sliding her phone into her pocket, Josie tied her messy brown hair back and picked up the pack of cigarettes sitting on the counter. Denise hated her smoking in the apartment, so she tried to keep it outside on the patio. She smoked her first cigarette in high school, sometime around sophomore year. She and Katy had grown up with the smell of smoke, and picking up the habit themselves seemed only natural. Josie had always managed to keep it hidden from Sharron, but Katy was far more open about it. By the time their father was diagnosed, Josie was already hooked. She gave up trying to quit maybe a week after his funeral.

She turned and caught sight of a calendar on the wall, full of appointments in Denise’s swirling, half-cursive handwriting. Bridal shower, cake sampling, dress alterations. She curled her lip and walked away. While she was excited for her roommate, marriage wasn’t entirely appealing to Josie. She could still see Denise’s glowing smile when she came home one night with a ring on her left hand. It shouldn’t have come as a shock when Denise had asked her to move out. The lease was in Denise’s name.

Ignoring the guilty twist in her stomach, Josie headed for the back patio, opening the pack of cigarettes. What her mother

didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

Josie should’ve known agreeing to coffee with her mother was a mistake. She sat down and Sharron handed her a steaming mocha along with those smiling words. A command in the form of a request. “Your sister is being evicted. She needs a place to stay. Only for a week. Your roommate won’t mind, will she?” Josie should’ve seen this coming.

“Why don’t you take her?” she asked. “You and Katy get along a lot better than she and I do.”

“I don’t see why this is so difficult, Jocelyn. It’s just a week of watching your sister.”

“Mom, Katy’s 20; she shouldn’t even need to be watched.” Josie leaned over the coffee and scones her mother had bought even though neither of them were hungry. Sharron frowned at Josie’s elbows on the table but said nothing about it.

“It could be fun. Show her around the city, let her see what a real adult life is like. Not the crazy way she lives in Miami — partying, drinking, smoking God knows what with God knows who …” Sharron’s buzzing phone cut her off. Picking it up off the table, she began to tap out a reply text. “Sorry, it’s my client.”

Josie fell back in her chair and pulled her jacket sleeve down to try to cover the stamp on the back of her hand. The club logo from the night before had yet to wash off, but she was relatively certain Sharron hadn’t noticed the halffaded ink. “Smoking doesn’t seem that terrible to me. Lots of people from work do it, and none of them have dropped dead yet.” Josie thought of the pack of Marlboro Lights in the inner pocket of her handbag, right next to a bag of the strongest mints she could find.

Sharron’s eyes snapped up from the phone. “Sweetheart, cigarettes are slow-moving poison. They cook

you from the inside out, and make you feel good while they’re doing it. Have you ever seen an X-ray of a smoker’s lungs?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them. It just seems like there are worse things to do to yourself. It doesn’t kill you right away, does it?”

“I didn’t come all the way up here from Houston to argue with you about smoking.” Her mother hit send and put the phone down. She spread her hands in a placating gesture. “I wanted to get coffee and have a nice conversation with you for once.”

No, you came here for a business meeting, Josie wanted to reply. She

fiddled with her napkin, twisting it around to give her fingers something to do. “I just don’t think the way Katy lives is completely her fault. When you think about the example we grew up with …”

Sharron scoffed and rolled her eyes. “That again. A father with unhealthy habits isn’t a good excuse to go into a tailspin. He smoked, he didn’t beat her.”

“But did you ever think there might be a reason why Katy started smoking so young? Why she lit up right after his damn funeral?” She began to tear bits off the corner of the napkin.

Sharron recoiled like she’d been slapped. “Don’t you swear at me. Your father was a good man, and I refuse to believe that his one bad habit was the cause of my daughter’s delinquency.”

“Mom, he left me alone in a department store so he could have a smoke break when I was 6!” Josie lurched forward again, this time with her palms flat on the table between them.

Sharron mirrored her. “This isn’t about you; this is about your sister! Katy is flying to Chicago in a week, and you’re going to keep an eye on her and try to talk some sense into her until she goes home, do you understand me?”

Josie fell back into her chair. It was useless. “Yeah, I understand.” Her napkin was in shreds.

Sharron’s phone buzzed and

she stood up, still leaning over the table. “I have to meet my client. Katy will text you her flight details in a couple of days.” She plucked her purse off the back of her chair and scooped up her phone from the table.

“That’s fine,” Josie said, but Sharron was already hurrying away, typing out more text messages as she went. Josie waited to be sure she was gone, sizing up the cold coffee and pastries left on the table. She grabbed her belongings and headed for the door, digging her lighter out of her pocket as she went.

Sharron always got what she wanted. A week later, Josie was helping Katy load her suitcase in the back of a taxi idling outside O’Hare. Katy had been easy to spot in the crowd of tourists — her hair, always dyed a bright color, was royal purple. Silver studs shone in both of her ears.

“How’ve you been?” Josie asked as they settled into the backseat and the driver pulled away from the curb.

Katy blinked owlishly before shifting to look out the window. Her eyes had always been unsettling — cold and gray. Like their father’s had been. “Good, I guess. Sorry Mom dumped me on you for a week.”

Josie leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

This was OK. The week was going to go just fine. Maybe bringing Katy to the book club wasn’t such a great idea after all, Josie reflected. Everyone had been welcoming enough when they had first gotten here, but Katy turned down all attempts at conversation and sat in a sullen silence. She was in a bad mood because Josie had woken her up and made her come to the meeting, even though Katy came home at three that morning drunk and smelling like a nightclub. Now, Josie wished she had just let her sister sleep. The meeting was only 10 minutes in, and she could already feel the

awkwardness pressing down on her chest. Having her sister here at the book club made Josie feel like she had felt all week — wrong. Like an alien presence had invaded her life.

Josie decided to get the ball rolling. She turned to Jacob and asked, “So what did you think of this week’s reading?”

His eyes brightened, just like she knew they would. “I loved it! It has so much to say about youth and the loss of innocence. And Johnny’s death scene? It gets me every time.” They were finishing up the last few chapters of The Outsiders

It had been one of Josie’s favorite stories since high school, and

she’d been looking forward to this discussion for weeks.

“I loved the exploration of the idea that being scared is what makes you human,” Linda said from across the picnic table, where she sat holding Danny’s hand. Jenny and Chris, who had made it to the meeting for once but clearly hadn’t done the reading, both nodded their agreement.

“There was actually a quote along those lines that I highlighted…” Jacob trailed off as he thumbed through his well-worn copy. Maybe this was one of his favorite stories, too. “‘Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That way you could tell the other guy

was human, too.’ I think that almost sums up the entire story in those two sentences.”

From her corner of the table, Katy let out a snort. All eyes turned to her. Josie braced herself.

“Katy, do you have something to add?” Jacob asked, not unkindly.

Katy rolled her eyes. “The Outsiders isn’t about being scared or any of that shit. It’s about growing up and making your own damn decisions.”

After an awkward silence, Josie remarked, “Katy, that’s not … have you even read The Outsiders? You don’t like reading.”

“I’ve seen the movie,” Katy said evenly.

Josie groaned. “But we’re not discussing the movie; we’re talking about…”

“No, this could be interesting,” Jacob said, grinning. “A book versus movie discussion. So what makes you say The Outsiders is about making your own decisions, Katy?”

“Jacob, we all know that’s not what the story is about,” Josie interrupted. She turned a glare on Katy. “Don’t we, Katy?”

Katy stared back for a moment, unperturbed. She looked like she was making a decision. Turning to Jacob, she said, “Josie wants to ask you out. She’s just too scared to do it.”

“Katy!” Josie felt heat rise to her cheeks. What was her sister thinking?

Katy shrugged. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

Josie glanced at Jacob apologetically. He looked just as confused as everyone else at the table did. All copies of The Outsiders lay on the table, forgotten. “She’s kidding,” Josie said, trying to laugh it off. “She’s just kidding,” she announced again, after clearing her throat.

There was another awkward silence. Katy sat back, looking pleased with herself. Josie rubbed her temples and avoided eye contact with everyone. Three days, she reminded herself. You only have three days left until she goes home.

“Why do you still work there?”

Katy asked one afternoon when the two of them were leaving the law firm. It was her last day here, as Josie had been reminding herself since she got up that morning.

Josie glanced around, wincing, hoping that none of her coworkers were nearby. “Because it’s a good company and a good job. You should consider having a solid job yourself.” Her answer came out harsher than she’d meant; she was still smarting from the book club meeting the other day.

Katy seemed unaffected by the jab. “At least I enjoy my jobs when I have them. That place felt like a prison. Like sitting in a box all day.”

“You weren’t there all day; you were there for half an hour while I finished up. It’s really not…” Josie trailed off as she realized they were nearing the corner with the motorcycle on it. There it was, coated with a thin layer of dust from sitting out so long. The For

Sale sign was starting to fade in the sun. It still looked beautiful.

Katy looked where Josie was staring. “What, the bike?”

“It’s just something I look at on my way home. I thought the color was pretty.”

“You want to buy it,” Katy said matter-of-factly. “Just like you want to quit your job.”

“I don’t want to …”

“You’re so full of shit.” Katy walked off, crossing the sidewalk toward the motorcycle. She stood admiring it for a moment, running her fingers along the handlebars.

“Katy, you should leave it alone. It’s not yours.”

“So?” Katy shrugged and then went closer and mounted the bike.

“Katy!”

She grinned wickedly. “Wanna take it for a ride? We could probably hotwire it.”

“Get off of it! Someone could see!”

Katy shrugged again,

dismounting and pulling a pack of Camel Lights out of her pocket. “Whatever you say.” She lit up and inhaled as they started walking again, watching to see if Josie would stop her.

Katy kept up with her. “You’re so full of shit,” she said again.

That evening arrived with an almost palpable sense of relief. Tomorrow, Katy was going home. No more arguments. No more pretending that she hated smoking. No more of those gray eyes looking down at everything they saw.

Josie had just finished the first few chapters of The Book Thief for the book club when she smelled it. Cigarette smoke. She groaned. If Katy was smoking on the back patio again…

But Katy wasn’t smoking on the patio. She was smoking in the living room.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Josie stood gazing at the smoke curling into the air. Soaking into the walls, the couch. Denise is going to kill me. “I told you not to smoke, especially in the apartment!”

Katy shrugged indifferently. “I always do things I’m told not to. Have I listened to you once this week?”

Josie marched over and tried to snatch the cigarette from Katy’s hand. “Put that out. It’ll kill you just like it killed Dad. And it makes Mom furious.”

Katy held the cigarette out of reach. “I know you smoke too! You smell like it all the time, and you hide a pack in your purse! I’m not stupid!”

“It’s none of your business what I do!” Josie felt her voice rising in pitch. “Now put that damn thing out!!”

Katy maintained even eye contact — and buried the cigarette butt in the middle of the white couch cushion. It went out in a soot-streaked crunch.

Josie’s vision went red. “That’s it. Go back to Florida and do whatever the hell you want to do — smoke, spend all your money on drugs, kill yourself for all I care!” She wanted to break something.

Katy leapt to her feet. “Maybe I will kill myself; you wouldn’t give a damn!”

Josie grabbed the ashtray from the coffee table and threw it against the wall behind Katy’s head. Glass and gray flecks of ash exploded everywhere. “Get out!” she screamed in her sister’s face. She didn’t care where Katy went. She just wanted her gone; she wanted her to stop looking at her life through those dead gray eyes.

Katy stared back at her for a moment, her mouth pressed in a hard, thin line. Then she turned abruptly and headed for the back patio, slamming the sliding door shut, rattling the glass.

Half an hour later, neither of them had moved or looked at each other. Josie had been sitting on the edge of the couch, her head in her hands. When she finally looked up, Katy was halfway through another cigarette.

Katy didn’t move when she heard the glass door open or when Josie sat down next to her with a blanket around her shoulders.

“Aren’t you cold?” Josie asked. Katy only shook her head.

Josie held out a cigarette. “Light me up.”

Katy raised her eyebrows and held out her lighter in response. Josie stuck the cigarette in her mouth, taking a deep breath as

she leaned back against the door.

“I’m buying that damn motorcycle,” she said after a moment. “To hell with what Mom or Denise or anyone else thinks.”

“You should buy it,” Katy said. “It’s the only reason you’ve smiled since I got here.”

For a moment, the only sounds were their soft exhales and the murmur of traffic in the street far below them. Then Katy said, “Can I share that blanket?”

“Sure,” Josie said, moving over. They finished smoking like that, huddled together under the stars. Their trails of smoke rose through the chilly night air, curling into paths through the darkness.

Taming Chaos Through Decluttering

Eliminating the clutter that lingers in homes after the holidays can refresh the soul and maybe restore some sanity.

By Jill Bold

Illustrations by Conny Gonzalez

Remnants of the end-of-the-year holidays float around American households every January — old and new toys, clothing, electronics, food, decor and straight-up trash. This clutter invades our physical spaces, and it can feel suffocating.

As the excitement of the holidays subsides and everyday life settles back in, it’s time to tidy up a bit. It’s time for a reset.

Getting rid of all the old material things that have accumulated over the year — especially after that surge of stuff that you added to it last December — is crucial to keeping 2023 on track with a clear mind and a clean home.

The plan of attack is twofold: address all categories of clutter and attack them in a specific order. Set up a bag/can each for trash, recycling and donations. Have additional bags and boxes ready to go.

CATEGORIES OF CLUTTER

Holiday Decor

It’s January and the tree’s still up, as well as the raggedy wreath that hangs on the front door year after year. Take a quick assessment of what holiday decorations remain in your living space. Gather up sturdy cardboard boxes or plastic bins with lids to store the decor. Room by room, pack up everything, but observe the condition of any of the decorations. Anything that’s old, broken or unwanted is destined for the trash. Using storage bins or boxes that are red and green is festive, and it helps you quickly know what’s inside of those boxes: holiday decorations. Add detailed labels of the contents if desired and whisk them off to storage till next season.

Toys & Clothes

The top Christmas holiday retail category in 2022 was clothing, and toys were not far behind, so chances are you’ve experienced an influx of both. Take the time to sort through all that systematically:

Identify any clothes you want to donate; add them to the donate box.

Throw away any old clothes that are not suitable for donation.

Remove tags from new clothing and all other packaging and throw away or recycle.

Throw any of the clothes that are machine washable into the washer and wash them.

Grab any other dirty laundry in your space and gather it in one place, preparing it to be cleaned as well.

Continue to process the laundry as you tackle the rest of the list.

With toys, sort through the total volume (new and old toys) and eliminate 30%-40% (or more!). Trash unwanted toys that are junky and donate the gently used ones. If these are kids’ toys, have your little ones help you sort.

Electronics

If your personal technology received a glow up this holiday season, it’s time to take inventory of everything that’s accumulated. Recycle the copious amounts of packaging you’ll be dealing with and arrange to properly dispose of old unwanted electronics through a local e-recycling company.

Food

A fresh fridge makes any day brighter. A thorough cleanse of the refrigerator is always due at this time of year. The fastest way to tackle this is to pull out all the contents of the fridge, wipe down (scrub and rinse if needed) the fridge inside and out, and only put back the food you want to keep. Leave any expired or unwanted food on the counter; then dispose of it when you’re done sorting. Look through every leftover container and empty and rinse any container with old food. This may mean you’ll have some dishes, so load up the dishwasher and move on to the final stage.

Trash & Recycling

Easily the fastest and most satisfying stage of this super clean, the final task is to address all the trash and recycling. Gather it up and take it to your dumpster, garage or curb. Check all trash cans in the house and make sure they are emptied and clean. All that should remain is the donation box, so take the time to schedule a pickup or place the box in your trunk so you can drop it off at a donation location.

Yoga Changed Her Life

Now, Tamara Johnson is helping others transform theirs through her nonconventional, all-inclusive style of yoga.

By LaRue V. Gillespie

Photos by Walter Photography

Tamara Johnson’s life today is quite a departure from her stressed-out, burned-out days donning flashy suits and high heels and running full steam ahead from one obligation to the next. This new version of herself has her looking inward, practicing self-love and meditation, and being OK with just being. For her, it’s about balance and mindfulness, skills she’s learned and honed through yoga.

“Yoga allows you to experience the power of being in the present moment,” says Tamara, the founder of Ensō Apothecary. “Living in the past keeps you depressed. Living in the future keeps you anxious. But being mindful about staying in the present moment is powerful and liberating.”

Tamara’s journey was not a smooth one. She found herself ensnared in the rat race and a loveless marriage. Caving to societal pressures, she said yes more often than she should and constantly poured from an empty cup. She gained 30 pounds and was facing surgery to alleviate daily migraines. Instead, she turned to yoga and switched to a plant-based diet. Not long after, her migraines ceased.

“Once your mind, body and spirit are allowed to work in unison, you release what no longer serves you — stress, trauma, weight, bad habits and more,” she says. “You are free to be your true, authentic self — no mask, no code-switching, no self-doubt. .… I want this for everyone.”

Ultimately, Tamara found a new path forming in front of her — one that would incorporate yoga and make it welcoming and available to a more diverse range of people. She moved from Dallas to Mansfield in 2014, changed jobs, filed for divorce and began taking back her life.

As a hobby that turned into a side hustle, Tamara made clean, 100% vegan soaps and sold them at trade shows and local markets under the name Ensō Apothecary. Word spread and her business grew. By January 2019, she left corporate America to build Ensō full time.

In October 2019, she secured a brick-and-mortar location on East Rosedale Street in Fort Worth where she could showcase her handcrafted, clean beauty products. She thought she had such a gorgeous studio space that she decided to incorporate yoga classes into her business model, making it more of a total mind-body wellness concept. This is where her nonconventional, all-inclusive style of yoga was born, and this concept is the one she wants to bring to the masses.

“Most yoga studios are based on a very indoctrinated practice. So they stick with a certain flow and a certain type of music,” Tamara explains. “However, that excludes a lot of people.”

Her style of yoga fosters authenticity, so she, the other instructors who make up the Ensō collective, and everyone of every color and background attending the classes feel included and comfortable. For instance, hip-hop or heavy metal music might be wafting over the speakers, and it wouldn’t be uncommon to hear laughter.

“We allowed everyone to be included and be immersively engaged in the space,” she says. “It was magic.”

Self-Love and Meditation

Just as Ensō was amassing a solid following, the pandemic struck. And, like so many small businesses, Ensō was forced to shutter its doors in late 2021. It was a devastating blow to Tamara, and she admits she sank into depression, finding comfort in DoorDash deliveries. But, remembering the tenets of yoga, she began centering herself again and climbed her way out of the setback.

Tamara kept her business alive through community partnerships with Texas Wesleyan University, Market by Macy’s and the Near Southside Community, where she could host monthly pop-ups to sell her skin care wares and offer outdoor yoga classes. In November 2022, she teamed up with The Pool at Near Southside to relaunch her yoga program.

“The Pool … offered us the space to use as a temporary location until we settle into our future studio,” she explains. “Sharing the space with an art gallery provides the perfect backdrop for our sessions.”

Tamara is still optimistic about opening a new physical location one day, preferably on South Main Street in downtown Fort Worth. While she works to raise funds and seek partnerships with like-minded investors to secure her new physical space, she’s continuing with her mission to help others transform their lives through yoga.

“My daring to show up authentically has made a positive impact on thousands of people through creating Ensō Apothecary,” she says. “I am just scratching the surface. My small business has evolved beautifully over the past five years, and I have plans to scale globally. Stay tuned.”

To shop and find an upcoming yoga session, visit ensoapthecary.com

Zero-Proof Life

How spirit-free living can set you free.

By Beth Hutson

“I don’t think I wanna drink anymore,” I said to my friend.

“Oh babe, you don’t have a problem. You rarely even drink,” she said.

“I think I’m gonna stop drinking,” I said to my colleague.

“Please don’t; then you won’t be able to have bubbles with me anymore,” she said sadly.

“I’m never drinking again,” I said. But that time, I really meant it. I had a different mindset.

Previous to that, I entertained the idea of “breaking up” with alcohol but never did it. Drinking is a social norm and abstaining from it is not. It’s kind of like glorifying busy-ness. There’s some type of unspoken “achievement badge” for throwing back some drinks. But it’s not a good fit for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine.

Although fine wine has been part of a lot of great moments in my life, including a stint as a wine writer and getting engaged in Napa Valley, it just started losing its sparkle.

In all fairness, my bestie was right. I didn’t drink that much. I rarely kept alcohol at home, but I still didn’t feel at peace about it. See, alcohol was never the problem for me. I was a part-time social drinker who struggled with people-pleasing behaviors, and that’s why I drank. Peer pressure. Seems silly for an adult, right? But it still happens. Don’t get me wrong – I love the art of a cocktail, the craftsmanship

and the flavors – I just didn’t love how it made me feel. It was more about giving myself permission to be me and share my authentic feelings, despite what others might think. It was about feeling empowered to set boundaries and to be aware of people-pleasing behaviors that weren’t healthy for me.

After one particular wine-infused client dinner and an early call time on set the next day, I decided that I was done with it.

Three years ago, I put it out there on social media: “I’m breaking up with alcohol.”

After turning 40 earlier that year, I finally felt confident in the woman I was becoming, quirks and all. I became clear on my own personal “brand standards” in life and realized that drinking didn’t align with them. For me, alcohol offered a false sense of security in social situations.

I found that I could socialize just fine without my security blanket. In fact, cutting out alcohol led me to healing, self-discovery, finding healthy new hobbies and a deeper creativity.

Shortly after removing alcohol from my life, the vision for The Elevated Elixir, a brand that celebrates a zero-proof lifestyle with recipes and videos, came to me. I knew I wanted to advocate for more zero-proof options and do it in a fun and visual way. It felt purposeful, like the culmination of my experience coming together in a meaningful way. My background — a publicist to chefs, a wine writer and a recipe

NOTHANKS

video producer — all found a place to land. It also aligned in my marriage. My husband is a professional photographer with a focus on lifestyle and culinary content. He’s a former wine buyer and was my wine-writing partner. He stopped drinking over nine years ago. Our constant search for alternatives for him served as a huge inspiration to me in creating this brand.

Thanks to these blessings and challenges, new doors opened up. I started building relationships with like-minded brands and people, both drinkers and nondrinkers alike. It created opportunities to connect in more meaningful ways. Even more surprisingly, I found that I could still dance without liquid courage.

Over the past few years, I’ve been able to meet great people and cultivate partnerships with networks, publications, wellness companies, alcohol-free brands and retailers.

It’s amazing how the zero-proof industry has grown in that time. What started as a movement has really bloomed into a cultural shift. Many people are finding that alcohol doesn’t add to their daily routine and are opting for more mindful ways to relax and connect. The spiritfree alternatives available are incredibly impressive and so fun to explore.

Currently, I’ve been working on brand collaborations, writing for publications and speaking on zero-proof cocktails and other wellness topics. My goal is to complete a zeroproof travel guide and series this year.

I’ve also leaned into the fact that life is short, so you should just be yourself. Whatever that looks and feels like to you. Cheers.

The Soul of Como

Stephanie

Thomas,

matriarch of Como’s soul food joint Drew’s Place, serves home cooking on the journey to explore Black food culture in Fort Worth.

By Hannah Ezell Illustration by Conny Gonzalez

“Soul food, it would seem, depends on an ineffable quality. It is a combination of nostalgia for and pride in the food of those who came before … soul food looks back at the past and celebrates a genuine taste palate while offering more than a nod to the history of disenfranchisement of blacks in the United States.”

I close the book containing these words written by culinary historian Jessica B. Harris as the waitress serves me a traditional soul food plate piled with chicken, mashed potatoes and fried okra. The food that was commonplace for me growing up in a Black family with deep Southern roots takes on a new meaning to me as a food writer as my teeth pierce the crispy skin of a fried chicken leg that bursts with flavor at Drew’s Place, a storied soul food restaurant in Fort Worth.

Located in Como, a historically African American neighborhood in the western portion of the city, Drew’s Place is reminiscent of many soul food spots, hosting vibrant red-and-white walls littered with art and vintage pictures depicting Black subjects. As I take in my surroundings — the eclectic collection of borrowed walnut wood tables and chairs, the hanging frame containing the jersey of a local high school basketball team — it strikes me that even the interior of the restaurant is a testament to the perseverance that keeps its doors open today.

Drew and Stephanie Thomas Krystal Thomas Photo

Stephanie Thomas, who co-owns Drew’s Place with her husband Drew Thomas, grew up in a small East Texas town called Emory. Her mother taught her and her siblings how to cook, raising them on nothing but home cooking. Foods that were thrown under the label “soul food” such as candied yams, collard and mustard greens, fried chicken, and smothered pork chops were the traditional foods she grew up eating. While Stephanie loves food and was taught how to cook and bake from scratch, she says the thought of running a restaurant was her husband’s idea.

When the couple first met, Stephanie said Drew ran a limited-menu sandwich shop that served french fries and salad as sides. After the place closed and her husband sold most of the equipment, Stephanie never foresaw him opening another restaurant again.

Once the sandwich shop closed, the couple, newly married, faced a difficult challenge when Stephanie was laid off from her job. During her period of unemployment, she said Drew started to realize that his passion for cooking and the restaurant business stuck with him despite the closure of the sandwich joint. From there, Drew’s Place was born.

Though they first opened the restaurant in a small space that could only squeeze in about three tables, they now serve their award-winning food out of a cozy, wood-and-stone-paneled building with a rich history of its own. Before the Thomases moved their restaurant in, the building housed a beauty shop. When it was first constructed in the 1960s, it was a dentistry owned by the first Black dentist in the neighborhood. The history of African Americans in the U.S. is not just apparent by looking at the current and past tenants of the building that now has “Drew’s Restaurant” plastered on the exterior, but in the food as well.

I ponder this history as I crunch into the wonderfully salted exterior of a piece of fried okra, a vegetable not indigenous to the Americas, but to West Africa, a region where most Black Americans can trace their ancestry to, dating all the way back to 1619. Okra made its way to the U.S. during the transatlantic slave route between the 16th and 19th centuries.

The collard greens I devoured — a famous Southern staple — are a testament to this history as well. The savory dish is full of silky, wilted, leafy greens stewed for hours in a pot often containing onions, ham hocks and chicken stock. It was one of the only vegetables enslaved Black Americans were allowed to grow for themselves and their families. The flavorful greens have remained a culinary staple among Black people in the U.S. throughout the centuries.

The deep significance of this food is not lost on Stephanie, who said that what people label as “soul food” has a much deeper meaning to her than the food that’s on the plate. To her, it’s food that truly touches the soul. “It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what color you are,” she says. “There’s something in the taste of that food that reminds you of something that your grandmother prepared.”

Drew’s Place, like many businesses, faced hard times during the pandemic and briefly closed due to issues surrounding the supply chain crisis. While they’re up and running again, they’ve had to make adjustments to keep the restaurant operational. Despite the obstacles they faced, Stephanie said the community has supported them from day one, in part, because of her husband’s local ties. “He’s from Como, right here where this restaurant is,” she says. “This is where he grew up. This is where he went to school. He went off to school at Texas Tech and migrated back to his own community to do what he was passionate about.”

That fiery devotion has kept Drew’s Place open for almost 40 years. Though Stephanie sees the fact that they’re still a viable business as a blessing, she is unsure of what the next few years hold. As she and her husband age, they look forward to retirement while they continue to work out the details of the future of Drew’s Place.

As for the journey she and her husband embarked on as restaurateurs, Stephanie believes Maya Angelou said it best when she said, “Wouldn’t take nothing for my journey.”

“Because it’s my journey, and it’s what I had been given,” Stephanie says. “And I have done it the very best I know how. And I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

Power in Poetry

Carolyn West recognized a need in the Fort Worth community. Now, she’s taken students to new heights with the Thank You Darlin’ Foundation’s poetry-centered program.

By Jill Bold

carried the power of that performance into her mission at Thank You Darlin’.

This simple adage encapsulates the mission and the impact of the Thank You Darlin’ Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity that works with Fort Worth students to unleash their critical thinking skills and literacy through poetry. Founder Carolyn West uncovered a need in the community after reading a 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram article about educators who were perplexed as to why their students’ writings were flat. She knew that poetry was the vehicle to transport these students to greater academic achievement and understanding.

Carolyn fell deep into the world of poetry unexpectedly through her daughter, Autumn. One Friday night, Autumn cryptically asked Carolyn if she could give her and four of her friends a ride back up to school. She did, and upon arrival to a nearly full parking lot and a bustling auditorium, Carolyn took a seat in the audience. To her surprise, Autumn took the stage to read a poem and received a standing ovation.

“So many folks were there to hear children speak — not turn flips, not dance, not play musical instruments — to speak,” Carolyn says, as she recalls the impact of what she witnessed. “Do you know how incredible that is?” Carolyn

The foundation helps students develop the ability to write and communicate and provides an education on poetic technique. A session with the children will start with a free write: an opportunity for them to express what’s on their minds. Carolyn plays music during these sessions to inspire the children to tap into their creativity. After filling up their journal pages, students will share their writing with everyone. This technique introduces them to public speaking.

Many of these students are shy, and reading their thoughts aloud prepares them to master speaking before an audience. After this warmup, the class studies a poetic technique to activate their critical thinking skills and foster teamwork. Students collaborate as they analyze the works of various poets, practicing comparing and contrasting poems.

These students will showcase their talents in poetry slams. The poems, written by the students themselves, are not merely read; they are performed. They incorporate choral speaking and performance techniques, and the competition awards monetary prizes for the top three performers across three age categories.

If you give a child a word, you’ll open up their world.

Students perform their own original poetry at a poetry slam where contestants of all different ages can win monetary prizes.

Dijuana McCray Photo

The students have performed at libraries, the Botanic Garden, the historic I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA and at TCU, exposing many underprivileged youth to a college campus. The foundation’s limited budget means finding a venue can be a challenge, but in the end, the students put on a tremendous show.

“We have been turning straw into gold for years,” Carolyn says.

Through the foundation, students have the chance to publish their work. These children from marginalized communities have the opportunity to share their talents, chronicled in eight anthologies that the foundation has published. The subjects of these books vary widely, like Science and Energy Poetry: Poems for Left and Right Brains.

“Poetry is a way to teach literacy, and it can teach about almost anything, even science and energy,” Carolyn says.

The poems in this anthology relate to electric, solar, wind and water power, as well as emotion. In a session with the children, the foundation brought engineers in to talk to students about renewable and nonrenewable energy.

“We’ve talked about how a volcano exploding could be a metaphor for someone’s emotions,” Carolyn says.

The impact of a powerful poem can have a profound influence on a young person. Carolyn recalls a former student in the program named Jesse, a young man who gravitated toward Carolyn’s acrostic poem, “Peace.” Each line of that poem began with each of the letters in the word “peace,” giving the poem a deeper meaning. She led a session with the children

where they studied its content, and when she moved on to the next subject, Jesse wasn’t ready. He wanted to continue to teach peace. His empathetic mind formulated a plan to carry it out — he wanted to distribute copies of the poem in hopes that those who would read it would know peace.

The name “Thank You Darlin’” is derived from the memory of a woman who brought peace and made people feel warm, loved and valued. The organization was founded to honor Carolyn’s mother, who passed away after a battle with cancer. In her final days, Carolyn’s mother could always muster the strength to

Thank You Darlin’ founder Carolyn West gives students a voice through poetry education.

say, “Thank you, darlin’” and express her love despite her illness.

In its early years in Illinois, Thank You Darlin’ Foundation worked to help women. Carolyn’s life experience in a “sandwich generation” — when a person is simultaneously caring for children and aging parents — led her to serve the women in her community. After a move to Fort Worth in 2004, the foundation shifted its focus to address the community’s academic concerns for its students. The foundation has grown to include a board of directors, consisting of five women who bring their experiences in nursing, investing, workforce development,

engineering and art to serve the foundation. Their next goal is to expand the board to nine, hoping to elevate their ability to earn grants and fundraise — more money to serve more schools and hire more teachers. Potential new board members with marketing or fundraising experience can help the foundation grow and serve the Fort Worth students.

“It is wonderful to see how kids progress so quickly when you just support them and encourage them,” says Debbie Ursini, board member and visual artist and poet. “Sometimes they don’t know they can do things until you show them that they can.”

“It is wonderful to see how kids progress so quickly when you just support them and encourage them.”

—DEBBIE URSINI, board member and visual artist and poet

Karena Pennon Photo

Vision boards help us get our thoughts and ideas down on paper and remind us of our intentions. Let’s set goals in different areas in your life and help visualize what you want to achieve this year.

Vision Board

my goals this year...

2023

physical ACtiVitIes PlACes

spiritual family mental

To Try

I Want To Go

ThIngs

I Want

“But if you’re passionate about something that is going to lift you, your family, your community, then you have to stick with it come hell or high water.”

–OPAL LEE