SEN. COREY BOOKER
#J16
ends 2020 presidential bid
HAPPY CENTENNIAL! VOL IX ISSUE 11 January 15, 2020
MY TRUTH Cheryl Smith Publisher
Real Mac & Cheese Today I have finally, come to the realization that children aren’t the problem and they never have been. It definitely has to be the parents and we need to call it what it is. Granted, there are some things that children do that they are solely responsible for. Children will do things their parents don’t have a clue about, however. And so I give a shoutout to all parents because I know it’s not easy either way. Still, there’s something to be said about creating a culture, then criticizing the outcome. There will always be differences of opinion, but darn; the lines have become so defined that the respect and love that should be there, well -- World, we have a problem. Which brings me to my truth. I still remember many days when I wanted to be off reading a book or playing with friends, but my mother had other plans. She would call me into the kitchen to learn everything from cleaning a chicken to cooking rice that wasn’t gummy, to making a sweet potato pie that didn’t have strings and didn’t sweat (Surely, you’ve seen those pies with that filmy look on the top? Always obedient, I attended class in the kitchen where Earline taught me what has now become habits, like don’t start cooking if you haven’t cleaned (that meant your behind and the kitchen) first and don’t eat all over the food you are preparing! You also had to learn the art of cleaning as you go. That meant that by the time you finished your meal, the kitchen was clean and didn’t look like what it had been through in the preparing of the meal. One dish that I learned to cook was not one of my favorites growing up, but the older I got the more and more it had become an alltime favorite. I’m talking about macaroni and cheese. Now back in the day, for most holidays and special occasions, we had special dishes like potato salad, sweet potatoes and some type of greens (sometimes collards or it was a mixture of kale and cabbage), a homemade butter pound cake and sweet potato pie, and macaroni and cheese. No offense to Kraft, but back then my family didn’t know you. There may have been times when it was made with government cheese, but our macaroni and cheese was not something you could prepare in 10 minutes! And one cheese was good enough! As a child, I would only eat the corner of macaroni and cheese where it was a little crispy, and that was enough. Now, today, it’s a different story. If you want to make me feel good, provide me with a tasty helping of macaroni and cheese. Now, I am challenged somewhat today because I don’t get into the kitchen as often. So, I find myself relying on other folks prowess in the kitchen. Oftentimes, however, I am disappointed. And we’re in the South, where men and womenswear on their cooking. According to several sources, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. loved macaroni and cheese. My sorority sister, the Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta, has a dish I am anxious to try and the Honorable Helen Giddings, former TX. state rep. said she has one I will love. So, January 20, 2020, as we commemorate Dr. King’s birthday with events around the world, we’ll see who has the best macaroni and cheese in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Dallas has long been heralded as having one of the Top 10 Martin Luther King Parades in the USA, with the Elite News parade, which was taken over by the City of Dallas. Following the parade, the Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo is held at the African American Museum in Fair Park. This year’s event, in addition to the Macaroni and Cheese Cook-off, will feature the ICON Custom Car Show, Vendors, entertainment, Health Screenings, Seminars, live broadcasts, giveaways, voter education and registration, food samples and more. In order to make this a better world, we must be healthy mentally, See MY TRUTH, page 4
QUIT PLAYIN’ By Vincent L. Hall If you want me to stay, I’ll be around today, to be available for you to see. But I’m about to go, and then you’ll know, For me to stay here I’ve got to be me. – Sly and the Family Stone circa1973
Gone, But Don’t Forget Me!
Allow me to borrow those words from a fellow native Texan, Sylvester Stewart, aka Sly Stone. He penned the song as a threat to leave his thengirlfriend. Since my first “Quit Playin’ article appeared in January of 2003, I have come to love my readers more and
more. However, and like Sly, I gotta go for a while in order to be me. If you ever wanted to understand a fraction of the stress that preachers are under, try researching, writing, rewriting, and publishing an See QUIT, page 5
Sen. Jones emphasizes importance of Black Voter Turnout By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
The importance of Black voter turnout, the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, bipartisan politics, the Futures Act and environmental justice, counted among the topics candidly tackled during a historic fireside chat between National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and Alabama’s Senator Doug Jones, a Democrat. Held inside the Hart Building at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the engaging hour-long conversation marked the first time that a sitting U.S. Senator sat down for a live-streamed video with the Black Press of America. During the discussion, Jones said that voter turnout – particularly that of African Americans – was crucial to his stunning upset of Republican Roy Moore in the 2017 Alabama Special Election. “The right to vote was hard
fought for African Americans in this country, and I think too many people take that for granted. I think we proved that in the special election in 2017, that every vote counts,” said Jones. Jones said voting rights had been under attack since the 2013 Shelby V. Holder decision, which eliminated a lot of voter protections. “It’s not the same as the old Jim Crow laws, but there’s still efforts out there to suppress votes and keep people from having that free access to the booths,” he said. Jones noted that he’s working to restore “teeth” in the Voting Rights Act, but doubts that the current GOP-led Senate and President Trump’s administration would approve. “I don’t see it happening, so it’s all the more important to get out and vote in the 2020 elections,” Jones said. Chavis asked Jones about the role Black women played in his winning election to the Senate. “It was critical. We focused on making sure that we got the African American vote out,” Jones said.
“We did get more African Americans as a percentage out than even when President Obama did in his first race, a fact that I was very proud. The Black community came out and worked hard. It’s community engagement; it’s a 365-days a year job. And, that’s why the Black Press is so important because it keeps the community engaged,” he stated. Late last year, Trump signed the Futures Act, a bipartisan measure that would put more funding into Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minorityserving institutions. “It was incredibly important. When it comes to federal dollars, there are two pots of money HBCUs get: Mandatory funding and discretionary funding,” said Jones. “The mandatory funding is absolutely critical so they can plan each year. There’s a lot of budgetary tugs that fought us, it wasn’t easy, but we were just persistent, and that’s the key in legislation in Washington, to be persistent,” he noted. See JONES, page 3
Rep. Lewis undergoing cancer treatment From Staff Reports American hero, U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) announced recently that he’s undergoing treatment for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. According to Rep. Lewis, who has represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District since 1987; he will begin his treatment plan soon and asked for prayers,
U.S. Rep John Lewis
“as I begin this journey.” In a statement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree said, “I may miss a few votes during this period, but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon.” Prayers and well wishes, for the civil rights giant, have been flooding social media platforms.
Celebration of HBCUs WORDZ OF WILSON
By Chelle Luper Wilson Photos by Damon Peebles
The Celebration Bowl, a postseason college football game featuring North Carolina A&T State University, the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and Alcorn State University the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champions featured all the heritage, legacy, pageantry and tradition fans love about Historically Black College and University (HBCU) classic games. This year, John T. Grant, the bowl’s executive director, wanted to add a different type of champion to the mix. The Council of Presidents of the National PanHellenic Council, representing the nine historically Black Greeklettered Organizations, were highlighted at this, the 5th Annual Celebration Bowl, for the
work their organizations have done to address systemic issues affecting the viability of the African American community. During the nationally televised Celebration Bowl, the presidents and representatives were recognized on the field along with Vanetta Cheeks Reeder, NPHC National President. Among the facts shared with the crowd about the work of the nine historically Black Greeklettered Organizations is that collectively they have awarded $17,132, 408 dollars in scholarships and contributed 4,575,470 hours of community service in 2019. Additionally, the display of Greek unity was one of the most talked-about moments of the game. Stronger Together is the theme of the NPHC and the Council of Presidents understands that the work of the nine historically Black Greek-lettered Organizations is just as important now as it was in the early 1900s, when these organizations were founded. “We are at a precarious time in the history of our nation,” said Dr. Everett B. Ward, council chairman and General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., “The serious nature of these issues in this current climate necessitates intentional strategic action. We are committed to using the power of our 1.5 million collective membership to engender positive societal change.” The Council of Presidents has outlined voter engagement, 2020 Census, economic impact, minority business development, HBCU sustainability, and healthcare advocacy as strategic priorities the organizations will focus on collectively for See HBCUS, page 3
Are Heroes with Guns the Answer? the senseless massacres of innocent people in public places. I was just thinking ... I By have never held Norma Adams-Wade a gun. Guns still True confession: I no longer hate scare the tar out of me. But every guns. In fact, this lifelong anti-gun time I hear about a lunatic nutjob advocate has switched sides. walking into a place filled with lawNo, I will not join the National abiding, defenseless humans and Rifle Association. I still am slaughtering and maiming many diametrically opposed to their them like sitting ducks, I wish for stubbornness and seemingly their someone with firepower to fight lack of caring, empathy and reason. back. But I do now believe that having And, finally, that did happen. gun-carrying sane people in public Jack Wilson, a sane, gun-carrying, places is the solution we seek to 71-year-old former reserve deputy
I WAS JUST THINKING...
sheriff, stopped alleged psycho killer Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43, dead in his tracks as the killer tried to wipe out worshippers, positioned like sitting ducks, waiting for communion. Before he himself was killed, the suspect killed two of the more than 420 worshippers gathered December 29 at West Freeway Church of Christ in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement. That was my final turning point. I was proud of Wilson. And no longer willing to keep silent about my switched position on guns. I saw in living color that what I imagined as a solution would, could, and did happen.
The public also quietly lauded Wilson as a hero who saved an unknown number of other worshippers who the killer could have massacred. You know the litany of American gun-violence carnage as well as I do. Agencies keep statistics that you can read and weep. Researchers say that in 2019 alone, there were 434 mass shootings in which 517 people died, 1,643 were injured, totaling 2,160 victims. Some researchers cite statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that keeps track of overall public health. Researchers say these stats show that gunSee THINKING, page 5