MY TRUTH Cheryl Smith Publisher
Support the community
MEDIA MOGUL
VOL IX ISSUE 16 APRIL 15, 2020
Educator, servant leader
EARL GRAVES, SR. REMEMBERED Camille Goode
By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
The Real Aunt Irene’s These are the times. Yes, these are the times! Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk once said that small businesses are the backbone of America. Unfortunately with the onset of coronavirus/COVID-19, small businesses have suffered tremendously. It’s important to note that most small businesses are owned by women. So many businesses that are impacted negatively by COVID-19, are closing down, some never to open again. These businesses that usually operate with 1-10 employees, and some more, find their employees are now sitting at home without any income or opportunities. While some owners are quickly adapting and taking to social media or other efforts to subsidize their incomes; others are shutting down permanently, which will cause a big blight in minority communities across America. What are the challenges that these entrepreneurs have and how will they overcome, if possible? What does the loss of small businesses, like mom and pop stores, in communities where there is a food desert mean? Just think about the impoverished communities -- those without adequate transportation are especially hit hard when they have to take buses and trains to get to a store. Then too, what about the disparity in costs for products? Because they have less inventory, the smaller convenience stores must charge more. I’ve been talking with corporate executives, elected officials from city, state, county and federal offices, Small Business Administration and chambers of commerce officials, as well as owners, about legislation and efforts to help small businesses. Which brings me to my truth. My father was an entrepreneur. I grew up realizing the importance of supporting Black businesses and have lived a life of reaching out and sharing my love with Black business owners. The Black communities have dealt with crises time and time again. I’ve often said that the most successful boycott in American history has been the boycott of Black-owned businesses by Black people! You see, over the years, I had heard so many excuses made by Black folks. “They have an attitude,” “service is slow,” “the prices are too high,” are just a few of the many excuses folks used to explain why they didn’t shop at certain Black-owned establishments. See MY TRUTH, page 5
Tributes have poured in for Black Enterprise founder Earl G. Graves Sr., who died this week at the age of 85. “At 9:22 p.m. this evening, April 6, my father and hero, Earl Graves Sr., the founder of Black Enterprise, passed away quietly after a long battle with Alzheimer’s,” Earl Graves Jr. wrote on Twitter. “I loved and admired this giant of a man and am blessed to be his namesake. Love you, dad.” A tweet from Black Enterprise stated, “We will evermore celebrate his life and legacy, in this, our 50th Anniversary Year, and beyond.” Born January 9, 1935, in New York, Graves
Ms. Camille Janine Goode March 29, 1973 - April 2, 2020
Earl Graves, Sr. learned hard work and perseverance from his parents, Earl Godwin and Winifred Sealy Graves. After receiving a B.A. in economics from Morgan State University, he served two years in the Army, followed by a three-year stint as Sen. Robert F.
Kennedy’s administrative assistant, according to The HistoryMakers. After Kennedy’s assassination, Graves entered the business arena, where he was to realize unprecedented success. Since founding Black See PARKLAND, page 3
Parkland CEO says they’re ready for COVID-19 By Rebecca Aguilar
Senior Correspondent
President Trump warned the nation at a recent White House briefing that coronavirus is about to claim more lives, “This will be the toughest week…there will be a lot of deaths, unfortunately.” While the President prepared Americans for a worstcase scenario, at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, medical teams are ready for a surge of COVID-19 patients. According to Parkland’s President and CEO, Dr. Frederick Cerise, the surge cannot be prevented. “It’s my job to be pessimistic and to anticipate that the surge is coming. That’s what we are doing. We are planning.” Parkland is one of the largest county hospitals in
Frederick P. Cerise, MD, MPH P r e s id e n t a n d C E O -P a r l k l a n d
the country. In preparation for a surge, staff has already converted its operating room into a 55-bed unit for coronavirus patients. They have also found hospital space where they can expand to another 42 beds if needed. Dr. Cerise said they continue to look for areas in the hospital that can be used for more bed space. “There are a number of things we
have done to create a surge capacity. We are not squeezed in the emergency room today.” The hospital has also enclosed part of the area where ambulances bring in patients. It can be turned into a 36-bed care triage area. “We have a number of things we have started, and we’ve planned on if we got into a situation like New York,” said Dr. Cerise. Parkland medical staff ready for increase in covid-19 patients Parkland’s medical staff has not been overwhelmed yet with the number of patients with coronavirus, but Dr. Cerise expects a surge in three or four weeks. He thinks now is the time for his
Camille Janine Goode was born on March 29, 1973 in Dallas, Texas and went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 2, 2020. She was the middle child born to Ernest R. Goode, Jr. and Linda D. Allen Goode and was affectionately given the nicknames of “Mille” and “Cami” by family and friends. Camille accepted Christ at an early age and had a regular worship relationship with the Lord. She was a dedicated and loyal member of The New Hope Baptist Church, the oldest African American church in Dallas, TX. With a servant’s heart, Camille participated in: The Young Adult Ushers, and the Courtesy Committee. She also organized arts and crafts activities for Vacation Bible School, supervised the youth ushers, Thanksgiving Fill-A-Meal Basket drives Jubilee Sunday Black History Month Program and meal service. Camille grew up in Mesquite, TX. in a household that emphasized excellence in education and service to others. Like her brother and sisters, Camille was a product of the Mesquite Independent School District. She attended Porter Elementary, Vanston Middle School, and graduated from Poteet High School in 1991, where she was a member of the Poteet Belles Drill Team. After graduation, Camille attended Eastfield Community College where she was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society (Phi Eta Chapter). She also fulfilled her dream of attending an “HBCU,” by matriculating at Texas Southern University, (TSU) in Houston, TX. where she studied Elementary Education. Camille was a proud and devoted member of the TSU Alumni Association. She regularly volunteered to help with alumni functions and college, and career fairs. She also routinely wore TSU paraphernalia along with that of other HBCU’s. To Camille, service was not an option, but was a mandatory part of her life. Camille found her purpose in life – giving back to help others and did so by volunteering whenever and wherever she could. She was widely known as someone who the
See PARKLAND, page 3
See GOODE, page 3
Self made face masks I WAS JUST THINKING... By Norma Adams-Wade Countless Grammas and Grampas were way-makers, prophets, and trailblazers – particularly in African-Americans families -- setting examples we did not realize we one day would follow. Back in the day, when funds and materials were limited, Gramma or Grampa always found a way to
create what was needed. I remember a friend describing to me a truck his Grampa fashioned by hacking off the top back half of a car and top of its trunk to produce a truck that would carry what he needed. Today, with increased calls for face masks, and a limited supply of them, during the coronavirus
A display of various face masks created and produced by former Dallasite Charlotte-Marie Smith-Jones Callins.
pandemic, average citizens are creating ways to create their own. Any quick trip to a grocery store or pharmacy and you will see all sorts
of home-made masks as protective gear. Tips and demonstrations for making your own masks are all See THINKING, page 4