I Messenger

VOL IX NO 51 AUGUST 21, 2020

I MESSENGER MOCCA is more than Makeup and Toyota is more than a Car

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Established 2011 CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

AUGUST 21, 2020

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WILLIAMS: A ‘Dirty’ Word?

WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE DR. E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ.

Politics can be strange!

Sometimes the analysis of a political campaign can raise as many questions as it answers. From discussion around the current Biden campaign we have learned that, depending upon one’s perspective, the word “ambitious� holds both positive and negative connotations.

Some seem to think of ambition as synonymous with arrogance.

As a former teacher, I’m almost tempted to offer a short presentation on the denotative and connotative qualities of words. Instead, I’ll ask a few simple questions: What’s wrong with ambition? When did it become a negative? And, since the word was cast upon a Black woman who is a potential vice presidential candidate as a negative aspersion, what is the problem with an ambitious Black woman?

Given the examples of ambitious Black women in the history of this nation, we can ask whether a woman like Harriett Tubman was arrogant or ambitious, or whether her goals, over objections of the slave-holder class, served a higher purpose. She was a no-nonsense freedom-seeker who tolerated nothing less than total commitment from others as well as herself.

Who would dare question the motives of women like Mary McLeod Bethune, Ella Baker, Diane Nash,

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Shirley Chisholm (U.S. Library of Congress)

Amelia Boynton, Fannie Lou Hamer or Dorothy Height? Did Rosa Parks keep her seat out of arrogance or did her ambitions for “her people� supersede her concerns for personal safety?

Were the efforts of Mary McLeod Bethune undertaken for anything other than providing an opportunity for Black youth to educate themselves? Can we evaluate the actions of Baker, Nash, Boynton or Hamer as anything more than altruistic ambitions for the benefit of our race?

At great risk, they placed their convictions and bodies between those who would attempt to hold on to the social and cultural restrictions that established the boundaries of Jim Crow-ism. Did Dr. Height, who conjoined the interests and goals of civil rights and women’s rights do so for the purpose of self-aggrandizement? The ambitions of all these women were selfless and based upon service for a greater good.

The tradition of Black women in service to our communities is highlighted with women of great ambition. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black woman candidates for a major political party to run for the office of president of the U.S. Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman was elected to the Texas legislature, and later the first Black woman elected to Congress from the Deep South. Chisholm and Jordan ambitiously laid the foundation for the current lineup of Black women politicians.

It’s doubtful that in 2013, when Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi founded Black Lives Matter, they realized it would evolve into a human rights movement with the ambitious goal of eliminating violence and systemic racism towards Black people.

Sojourner Truth, Ida B. see WILLIAMS, page 6

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INSIDE

MY TRUTH

TERRY ALLEN

THE LAST WORD

I absolutely love good corporate citizens. Too often businesses, large and small, benefit from communities but don’t do anything to enhance the lives of those who will spend their last dollar purchasing their products and services.

My past columns have stated wisdoms taught to me during my SMU school years by my Grandmother, lovingly known as BIG Mama. As a NABJ board member, I attended our recent virtual conference, NABJNAHJ20 Virtual.

On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment passed. The white women’s equal rights struggle began in 1776, though, when Abigail Adams, the wife of our second president and member of the constitution-drafting Continental Congress, sent her husband a letter.

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AUGUST 21, 2020

MY TRUTH

by Cheryl Smith, Publisher

Entrepreneurial EnTOURage

Kena and Cheryl at MOCCA

MOCCA is more than Makeup and Toyota is more than a Car AUGUST 21, 2020

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I absolutely love good corporate citizens.

Too often businesses, large and small, benefit from communities but don’t do anything to enhance the lives of those who will spend their last dollar purchasing their products and services.

Which brings me to my truth!

When I was approached about participating in Toyota’s Entrepreneurial EnTOURage, I was excited. I am aware of Toyota’s efforts in the areas of diversity and inclusion so the opportunity to assist and to highlight a Black business, was a no-brainer.

The program was “designed to celebrate and support African American entrepreneurs by partnering with influencers and local entrepreneurs, to share their stories and journeys to success.”

Working with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and others, we are one stop as Toyota moves around the country, having already stopped in Kansas City, MO and Atlanta, GA. Participating also included driving one of Toyota’s premiere vehicles, the Avalon Hybrid.

So, for a week I am styling and profiling in a midnight blue luxury four-door vehicle with all the bells and whistles.

Now, I’m an SUV type of woman but the comfort and smooth ride was really impressive, and I had all the leg room I needed!

Cruising down the highway was an enjoyable

MOCCA cosmetics at DBTH

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Kena Williams Baccus MOCCA Cosmetics and Skincare

experience. My entrepreneur was equally impressed when I pulled up to the Paradise Salon in Duncanville where MOCCA Makeup & Skincare is located. Owner Kena Williams Baccus comes from a family of entrepreneurs and she takes pride in providing quality products and service.

Since 2003 Kena has been working tirelessly with MOCCA. Community involvement is a priority for the Dallas native as she supports scholarship efforts, provides training for high school and college students, and helps aspiring journalists prepare for photo shoots.

Kena suffered setbacks because of COVID-19 but she quickly pivoted and bemyimessenger.com

Kena and Cheryl at MOCCA

gan laying the foundation to make her company bigger and stronger. She has kept her loyal clientele by fully utilizing her excellent communication and marketing skills.

Especially with the use of facial masks, more and more clients began asking for her skin care regimen. MOCCA was selected because of the quality of the products and the work ethic of Kena and her consultants. She’s located at 719 South Cockrell Hill Road Suite 100 Duncanville, Texas 75137. Call her at 682-325-8293. Or order at www.moccacosmetics. com.

I have been a client since the beginning and I proudly say that I don’t wear makeup, I wear MOCCA! And I hope you will too!

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AUGUST 21, 2020

Slowing Down to Stop FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

BY DR. FROSWA BOOKER-DREW

Lately, I think we have all been overwhelmed by Zoom meetings. It seems as if we are busier than we were before and as a result, I find that more people are drained and exhausted.

Even in being confined in our homes, we are rushed.

We are eating shorter lunches to make room for more calls. We are going to bed later, getting up earlier. Even as the world has paused for the pandemic, our pivoting has caused panic.

We are trying to keep up on an unending wheel that continues to pick up speed. Most people I talk to are overwhelmed, struggling and for one friend, less motivated than before.

During this season, we must be mindful of our own mental health and the toll that it takes to deal with the uncertainty of an unknown assailant—the virus—as well as the racial injustice that we continue to witness along with the

WILLIAMS, from page 2...

Wells and Black women by the thousands number among those in history who overcame, instilled, motivated and supported their own and the ambitions of their families.

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Census, upcoming elections and being confined to our homes. It is a lot to process and there is so much that we do not understand. There is a young entertainer who recently posted that she could no longer take the isolation and lack of intimacy and wanted things to be done.

Many saw it as a cry for help and others viewed it as a suicide note. It is troubling to see the impact this having on all ages. Young people are no longer able to enjoy the social aspects of school and college as they were before. Our seniors are isolated from family and friends. Those who are single are also alone often without visitors for months.

We were designed to be in community and wired for relationship.

For those who are not disconnected because our work continues to create more meetings, calls, emails, text messages, and social media inboxing, we can feel like we are on all the time. Our downtime is oversaturated with reading Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms that slowly distract us and take time away from those things that really pour back into

us. In this season, there are those of us who are losing ourselves.

Luke 8:43-48 says, “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.

She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.””

Metaphorically, many of us are bleeding out and if we are not clear about who we should seek, we will go to so many remedies that the world will give to us that we will never be healed. We seek

out comfort in ways that are temporary fixes, never offering real peace and restoration. You must be willing to own your need and take the risk to seek what God has for you and that is only by reaching out to Him. For others, we are daily pouring into others, not recognizing that for every person that pulls at us, power leaves us, too.

Jesus knew that and rejuvenated himself by getting away with those closest to Him and other times, by being in solitude and in prayer. Even in the midst of COVID with so many distractions and issues that we face, there is healing available. All we need to do is ask. Read 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Slow down, seek God, and He will heal you, and show you the way to restoration.

We wouldn’t see the brilliant Black women being considered for Joe Biden’s running mate were it not for their ambition to play a large part in leading this country to “a more perfect union.” Ambition is the fuel that propels us to the goal of being our better selves.

Ambition is not a dirty word.

Instead of viewing the concept or quality of ambition through the lens of negativity, race or misogyny, thank God for ambitious Black women.

If we think critically and answer honestly, where would our communities, our nation or our world be now without the ambitions of strong, thoughtful

women of color?

Without argument, women shape the world and there’s nothing wrong with the desire to shape it in its best form.

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Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the Founder and CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, specializing as a Partnership Broker and Leadership Expert for companies and organizations to thrive with measurable and meaningful impact. She also is the VP of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances for the State Fair of Texas.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women and Host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-FM 89.3.

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Fast nickels beat slow dimes

We have to be warriors for the movement and embrace both coins THE BLACK CARD BY TERRY ALLEN

My past columns have stated wisdoms taught to me during my SMU school years by my Grandmother, lovingly known as BIG Mama.

As a NABJ board member, I attended our recent virtual conference, NABJNAHJ20 Virtual. It was a major success!

So many shining moments happened but one moment that stood out that resonated with me.

During a Toyota sponsored NABJ town hall session, Where Do We Go From Here: What’s Our Collective Strategy to Overcome Social Injustice? with Marc Morial -NUL, Jericka Duncan-CBS, Eric Deggans- NPR and Renee Montgomery-WNBA spoke in the same tone as my Texas Metro News column did weeks ago: We Need to Make This Moment a Movement by Maintaining Momentum.

On the hills of the unprecedented ground-breaking partnership TMN has with the Dallas Morning News, this unique alignment of the column and the panel (found on YouTube currently) is further confirmation that we are on target.

I witnessed speaking truth to power. I saw a call for warriors to choose between becoming a fast nickel or a slow dime. A Nickel Warrior dedicates themselves to the service of fighting for and protecting a physical kingdom.

A Dime Warrior makes a commitment to demonstrate peace, commitment to disseminate peace, convey brotherly love, and do the work necessary for justice and for the service to others.

Both show up for the battle that takes place both spiritually and physically as they demand honesty and social justice.

My Big Mama’s first mind would tell me that Black people, especially Black men, are at risk as this country and this myimessenger.com

world are in the middle of a worldwide reckoning on race.

She would say that, “the ancestors have risen up to drive justice to their people.”

She most likely would be right. As communities call on their leaders to impact systemic racism, the call to action has risen in both sectors, public and private.

Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Nevada and Michigan became the latest states to declare racism a public health crisis.

So, are you ready to join me and go be-

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yond a culture of conversation and build a spiritual-driven army of warriors that are ready to step into their strength and power?

Are you ready to be a fast nickel or a slow dime? Can I save you a seat at the table?

Email me at Terryallenpr@gmail.com Terry Allen is a multi-media journalist and board member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

AUGUST 21, 2020

What You Smokin’?

QUIT PLAYIN’ VINCENT L. HALL District Attorney and longtime criminal judge, John Creuzot made an eye-opening presentation at the Community Police Oversight Board meeting. The empirical data he presented on the disproportionate number of Blacks and Browns being jailed for small amounts of marijuana, buoy the case that the system needs an overhaul.

The limited resources of the Dallas Police Department could be better utilized by adopting some of the common-sense strategies put forward by the chief of the District Attorney’s office.

Handing out citations for small amounts of marijuana is a no-brainer!

Creuzot’s aim was fourAUGUST 21, 2020

fold and easy to comprehend. This initiative examines the data as it pertains to the City of Dallas Police Department, encourages frank dialogue, fosters cohesion among elected and appointed officials, and supports fair and equitable policing.

This effort, presented to the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court by District Three representative, John Wiley Price, is not an attempt to legalize marijuana. And as quiet as its kept, several public servants that I have discussed the matter with are hopeful. My canvass included current and retired officers who see merit in Creuzot’s argument.

DA Creuzot further pointed to the facts as they pertain to marijuana arrests in Dallas County. Arresting and incarcerating people for possessing small amounts of marijuana does not reduce violent crime. Meanwhile, the Dallas County Criminal

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District Attorney’s Office (DCCDAO) shows Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are disproportionately arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana in Dallas County.

The DCCDAO is committed to enhancing the safety of the community by prosecuting violent and repeat offenders. However, by diverting low-level offenses, we can reduce recidivism and save taxpayers’ money.

Although marijuana usage is virtually the same between Blacks and Whites, Blacks are arrested at a rate of 568/100K, while their White counterparts are arrested at a rate of 156/100K. The fiveyear graph shown here is as disgraceful as it is revealing.

A staggering 91% of minorities had cases filed against them, while only 9% were White. These cases require a minimum of four hours in booking and further drain already taxed DPD resources.

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It is noteworthy that in 22% of the cases DPD presented, the package weighed more than the marijuana contents.

At $217 per test, the change in policy has netted $510,000 in savings over the past 18 months. Class C Misdemeanors will save money, valuable police time, and reduce the number of confrontations on the street.

Many of the societal issues that plague policing these days are far beyond their purview and ability to address. You hear very little from this column about the efficacy or the lack thereof of the Dallas Police Department. My mama says, “if you can’t say something good, say nothing at all.”

So here it is; Nothing at All! The Dallas Police Department should consider a move toward ticketing non-violent offenders rather than placing them in a county jail system that fights this current pandemic daily to maintain the health and safety of each inmate and staff at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.

If COVID-19 has been good for nothing else, it has forced public policymakers to re-examine what they do and how they do it. The top brass at the City Council and Dallas Police Department need to join the overwhelming majority of its citizens.

You have to be smoking something to miss a fix as simple as this one.

What you smokin’?

Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, and award-winning columnist.

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Black Women rising despite obstacles THE LAST WORD BY DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX

Women won the right to vote a century ago. On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment passed. The white women’s equal rights struggle began in 1776, though, when Abigail Adams, the wife of our second president and member of the constitution-drafting Continental Congress, sent her husband a letter. She urged him to “remember the ladies.”

She further wrote, “All men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

The Continental Congress did not remember the ladies, and it reduced African American enslaved people into a fraction of a person for census and political representation. The National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA) because white women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony refused to support the 15th Amendment, which gave Black men, but no women, the right to vote.

Ain’t I A Woman, thundered Sojourner Truth. The battle lines were drawn between Black men and white women. And few were willing to notice the Black women on the sidelines. It reminds me of a Black Enterprise cover, circa about 1980, where a Black man and white woman were arm wrestling, presumably over who should benefit from affirmative action. There was no Black woman on that cover, not even standing on the sidelines. When Akasha Gloria Hull, Patricia Bell-Scot, and Barbara Smith wrote their book, All the Women Are White, All the Men Are Black, But Some of Are Brave (Feminist Press 1982), Black women cheered. These sisters realized that with race/gender conflict, Black women are too often discounted, by Black men, but especially by the white women who purport to be allies.

History will reveal that white women have used their whiteness as a shield myimessenger.com

against both Black men and women, especially as they have falsely accused Black men of rape.

Their false accusations resulted in the destruction of several Black communities.

Very recently, the Women’s March leaders asked Tamika to step down from their Board (she stay until her term was up) because she embraced the intersectionality of unapologetically Black activist and gender-affirming warrior. In this era of racial reckoning, white women have much to explore and grapple with. Too many of them are so myopic that they don’t get it.

Black women get it. Gwen McKinney, Patricia Ann Ford, and a coterie of their friends have launched a great website that explores the intersection of suffrage, race, and power,(srp@unerased.com) and the ways that the majority narrative has too often erased the contributions that Black women have made to suffrage and justice.

Most feminists know about Susan B. Anthony, but how many white feminists know of Nannie Helen Burroughs or Ida B. Wells? Black women often advocated for the same rights that white women did, but in protest, thanks to southern women and their racist mindset, Black women were excluded from public activity or asked to march at the end.

That nonsense did not discourage the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in 1913 when they pushed their way into the center of the march.

The historical relationship between Black and white women is ugly, but in this era of Black Lives Matter, Black women are rising.

Despite extremely nasty shade, which I won’t dignify with a reference, there is at least a 60-40 chance that a Black woman will be Joe Biden’s running mate. The Higher Heights for America PAC is named after Dr. Dorothy Height (higherheightsforamerica.org) and supports Black women running for political office. They describe their space as “a political home for Black women,” and thy see to elect, mobilize, and amplify Black women.

They are among those who celebrated Cori Bush’s surprising victor over incumbent William “Lacy” Clay in the St. Louis congressional primary. Actually, it

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shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

Bush planned her work and worked her plan as a visible presence in St Louis, an organizer for Black Lives Matter and a grassroots activist. Her win is a victory for Black women, for progressives, and activists.

Even as Black women are rising, ugly racism too often attempts to put us in our place. In Aurora, Colorado Brittney Gilliam had planned a girl’s afternoon with her sister, nieces, and six-year-old daughter, Instead, they were confronted by the police because they mistakenly identified her car as “stolen.”

Our “law enforcement” officer pointed guns at the young, innocent Black women and girls, and they were forced to lay, face down, on hot asphalt as they were handcuffed. Later, the police tepidly acknowledge their “mistake.” Later the police chief, Vanessa Wilson, apologized and offered therapy for the children.

Brittney told a CNN anchor that the chief could “shove it” as she found it insincere. Incidentally, Valerie Wilson is a white woman who bet out three Black men for the job. Would they have handled this differently?

As always, the pace of progress oscillates with two steps forward and one step back.

Black women are rising politically, but some things change slowly. Where are the majority women’s organizations in Aurora, Colorado?

Pandemic notwithstanding, why are they silent? Would the Aurora police have treated a white woman with four young people in the car? Ain’t I A Woman?

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an author, economist, and social commentator.

AUGUST 21, 2020

Trichologist Perspective

ABOUT YOUR HAIR

BY DR. LINDA AMERSON

Have any of you heard someone say, “Your hair is dead, and so it does not matter what you do to it”. This is not true. Your hair and scalp have a tolerance level. But is it dead or alive? Actually Yes and No. Trichology emphasizes hair science microscop-

ically, getting to the root of the problem.

Hair is Dead The hair outside your scalp, physiologically speaking, is dead. It has no nerves, or live components. In addition, when hair is cut, you feel no pain, nor does it bleed or pull a muscle when stretched.

Hair elasticity is an external component. However, a person can feel hair blowing in the wind, pain of someone pulling their hair, or tangled and matted hair combed out.

You have a unique opportunity to be a part of something new at UNT Dallas College of Law. Our law school - which admitted its first students in 2014 - is not bound by the restraints of traditional legal education.

UNT Dallas College of Law is initiating change. Our curriculum stretches far beyond traditional classroom learning. We provide our students with hands on experiences and meaningful opportunities to engage with members of the community, lawyers and legal scholars.

Our mission at UNT Dallas College of Law is to promote justice and advance human potential through the enterprise of legal education.

OUR MISSION HAS FIVE GOALS: ACCESS Expand access to legal education for those who are capable of becoming legal professionals but have lacked realistic access to legal education.

PREPARATION Our students benefit from the insights of legal educators as well as the input from legal practitioners.

VALUE We create opportunity for students by keeping tuition and debt low while consistently delivering an excellent legal education.

INNOVATION We are a national leader in the advancement of best legal education practices and of the evolving business of practicing law.

COMMUNITY We are valuable partners with legal professionals in the area and the Dallas-Fort Worth community as well.

Follow us: @UNTDallasLaw and @UNTDLaw Version 15- CoL View Book .indd 5

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However, for a dead fiber it is quite remarkable. A healthy hair strand will stretch up to 30% of its length, can absorb its weight in water and can swell up to 20% of its diameter. Many consumers get bored with their hair and alter its appearance frequently.

Diva changes can be daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, etc.

This variety includes: changing its color, shape, curl pattern, twist and set it, braid and weave it, spray it in various styles, tease, pull it to an amazing heights and degrees. Yet despite all of this abuse, many consumers do not realize your hair has a tolerance level. There is a breaking point, boiling point and Alopecia a possibility… with excessive abuse to your hair. In addition, scalp sensations may be felt.

Hair bulb is Alive Hair grows from a single follicle where the bulb forms under the scalp tissue. Blood capillaries surrounding the follicle carry the nourishment needed for cell production and growth of the hair bulb. The size of the folli-

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cle may produce one to eight strands growing from it. This reveals the variations of fine/ thin hair textures, medium hair textures, thick hair textures, as well as combination hair textures.

Each follicle has its own blood, nerve and muscle supply. The nerves and muscles give the hair its tactile properties, allowing the slightest movement to be felt.

Important fact: each of us is born with a specific number or follicles, which naturally cannot be changed. However, with hair transplants procedures, this expensive procedure has attracted many consumers, as well as micropigmentation.

Put simply, hair is extremely sensitive to any metabolic change, and it is often a result of these internal problems that hair loss and scalp conditions may occur. Seek the expertise of an expert for a microscopic analysis.

Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, 817 265 8854. #39yr Veteran Hairandscalpessentials.com

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Hall’s

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Breonna Taylor case spotlights Attorney General Daniel Cameron I WAS JUST THINKING...

By Norma Adams-Wade

Texas Metro News

Who is Daniel Cameron and what does he have to do with the Breonna Taylor case?

Cameron is the Kentucky Attorney General assigned in May to the Taylor case as a special prosecutor. He came aboard after the previous county attorney Tom Wine recused himself from the controversial case because of a conflict of interest.

Cameron, 34, could be viewed as a political figure at the center of a firestorm. He is Kentucky’s first Black attorney general, a Republican Trump supporter, and the commonwealth state’s first Republican AG in more than 70 years. The son of a college professor mother and coffeeshop owner father graduated from the University of Louisville where he played football and the Brandeis School of Law where he was Student Bar Association president.

In other words, he has all the credentials for a political rising star who has caught the eye of President Trump. The commander-in-chief seems to consider Cameron an ally after Cameron complimented Trump at a political rally.

What does this have to do with Breonna Taylor?

Well, some observers have questioned whether Cameron’s political leanings may explain why there have been no arrests in the Taylor case and why it has moved so slowly. Cameron holds all the cards right now in whether the Louisville, Kentucky police officers who fired shots – including eight that investigators say killed Taylor -will be prosecuted. After much public myimessenger.com

Daniel Cameron

protests, changes were made early on in police procedures, but to date there have been no arrests or charges.

Enter entertainment media mogul and billionaire Oprah Winfrey.

Winfrey recently has taken a visible interest in the case. The super-star celebrity was not on the cover of her popular O Magazine for the first time in the publication’s history. Instead, Winfrey ran an artist rendition of Breonna Taylor. Inside the magazine, Winfrey commented on the need for justice for Taylor saying, “We can’t be silent.”

The cover art was done by a rising star, self-taught, digital artist Alexis Franklin, 24, of Dallas and Houston.

Winfrey also paid for 26 billboards displaying the magazine cover of Taylor throughout the Louisville area.

That’s 26 for each year of Taylor’s life.

I was just thinking... It appears that Winfrey’s intervention is getting results where little else has. This August, the case has seen more movement than it has in months. Cameron met with Taylor’s family for the first time on August 12, more than 150 days since the 26-year-old emergency medical technician died from the police bullets fired in her Louisville resi-

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Alexis Franklin, digital artist from Dallas and Houston

dence on the night of March 13.

Police went to the wrong home seeking a drug suspect. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, awoke when police bust in but did not knock.

Walker told investigators he picked up a gun that he had a permit to carry, thinking he and Taylor were being invaded by robbers. Police fired back, struck Taylor eight time and she died.

Walker was arrested for firing at police but later released after lawyers and community leaders intervened on his behalf. Wide-spread public protests have continued. Lawyers have pushed for justice. Various officials have resigned. The FBI is investigating. One officer was fired. Two others are on administrative leave. None have been charged nor arrested.

Ben Crump, a well-known attorney representing Taylor’s family has said recently that he sees indications that arrests may come by the end of September or early October.

Norma Adams-Wade is a veteran, award-winning journalist, Graduate of UT- Austin and Dallas native. One of the founders of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), she was inducted into the NABJ Hall of Fame

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Healthy Youth Project to Expand to Multiple Dallas Middle and High Schools From Staff Reports COVID-19 has heightened the awareness of food insecurity and nutrition in underserved communities. The Healthy Youth Project addresses the importance of nutrition and access to fresh produce for the most vulnerable students in the public food system.

“It goes beyond simply providing meals to inner-city high school students with meals; it’s providing the education to lay a strong foundation and understanding for a sustainable healthy future,” said Debra Peek Haynes, who launched The Healthy Youth Project in response to the increasing rate of obesity and health disparities among the nation’s children.

A healthier diet has a significant impact on students’ overall mental and physical health. For the past two years, the Healthy Youth Project used an interactive curriculum to educate students on healthy cooking, eating and how to develop an organic garden on the school campus.

During the 2020-21 school year the program will expand from one campus to nine middle and high schools in underserved communities in Dallas.

Haynes, president of Debra’s Healing Kitchen and DHK Wellness Strategies, Inc., a resident of Dallas, Texas, founded Healthy Youth Project as a demonstration of her 30 years’ commitment to building better and healthier communities, both nationally and internationally. “Since fresh produce is essential for better health we must address why our children lack access to nutritious life giving foods,” she explained, adding that the project is adaptable to in-classroom engagement or virtual learning. myimessenger.com

Program Educates Youth on Healthy Cooking; Helps Combat Childhood Obesity

Debra Peek Haynes

According to The State of Childhood Obesity “The national childhood obesity rate is 18.5%. The rate varies among different age groups and rises as children get older: 13.9% of 2 to 5-year-olds, 18.4% of 6 to 11-year-olds and 20.6% of 12 to 19-year-olds have obesity. There also are striking racial and ethnic disparities, 25.8% of Latino children and 22% of Black children have obesity.”

Texas Capital Bank and Toyota

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Motor North America, on different scales, support this project through their community outreach programs.

“This program provides important life skills that lead to healthier lifestyle choices,” explains Alva Mason, senior manager, Toyota Social Innovation.

To learn more about The Healthy Youth Project teaches visit : ht t p s : / / w w w . d e b ra p e e k hay n e s. com/healthy-youth.html.

AUGUST 21, 2020

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Please wear your mask and wash your hands!

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AUGUST 21, 2020

RUN KAMALA RUN Biden chooses Senator Harris for VP slot From Staff Reports The presumptive Democratic nominee’s much-anticipated decision was announced last week to mixed reviews.

Former vice president Joe Biden heeded the wishes of many as he announced the selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.

In 2017 the Howard University graduate and Oakland CA native became the second Black woman and the first Asian American U.S. senator.

After an unsuccessful presidential bid, Sen. Harris remained at the top of many lists as a potential running mate for whomever was victorious in a very crowded field.

The former San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General was AUGUST 21, 2020

Sen. Kamala Harris

Biden reportedly had called Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), former Ambassador Susan Rice, and three other candidates to inform them that they were not his pick.

— NNPA NEWSWIRE optimistic after the announcement and so were others.

Dale Long, retired City of Dallas administrator and veteran mentor with Big Brother, Big Sister organization. A former KDFW-TV Fox 4 Hometown Hero “I’ve been watching the news all day. I like her (Kamala Harris) and liked her when she was running against Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination. She stands out as the only incumbent African-American female U. S. Senator. She comes across as very smart. She knows the

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Dale Long

business, knows the country, and has an impressive background as the former District Attorney in San Francisco.

Looking ahead, she might be the right person to follow after

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Biden and become President.

I suspect President Trump will find a way to beat up on her because he is working hard to find ways to get re-elected.

He has already said that Biden made a mistake by boxing himself in, saying he would pick a woman VP. Trump said that statement could be an insult to men.”

Betty Culbreath, political operative, Republican Party member, former chair of Dallas City Plan Commission and member of various city boards, including former chair of the DFW Airport Board myimessenger.com

Betty Culbreath

“Frankly, I hope that she will help the (Democratic) ticket, although Biden presumably would take the Black vote anyway. I had thought maybe he would pick someone from a southern state to help draw that vote. I hope people won’t get hung up on (Harris’) race as a factor and (Biden) lose out by some people not voting because of that. If I had been Biden, I probably would have gone with Susan Rice (former national Security Advisor) because of her service and experience. President Trump likely will continue to attack Harris as being too aggressive, painting that as a weakness and unwomanly, while many others see her as strong and smart.

I don’t think Trump’s strategy will work. But people who are for Trump are going to be for him regardless. But the undecided voters will make a difference.”

Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, Sr. Pastor Friendship-West Baptist Church “I am hyped with anticipation!

Kamala Harris is a dynamic force of nature. She is brilliant, competent and eloquent. Joe Biden has done this nation a great myimessenger.com

Rev. Frederick D. Haynes

Angela Luckey

Jasmine Crockett

service by selecting her as his running mate.

We will need that kind of transformative ticket at the top to rescue this nation from the double pandemic we are in! “ Thomas Muhammad, chair of the National Black United Front, Dallas Chapter “There currently is a strong urge, particularly since March, for a national strategy for saving this country. And although I consider myself a citizen by default, I think she is an excellent pick to move that strategy forward. It’s clear that this man in the White House has no idea how to move the country through one of the darkest periods in modern history. As a result of (Biden’s) choice, there is some hope for a strategy.

I personally think Elizabeth Warren would have been better. She was my choice for President.

Still, Harris is a good choice for this period in time. And, this gives her a start on a future presidential run.”

Angela Luckey, Grand Prairie NAACP President “It’s an excellent choice. I’m pleased with the fact that she’s the running mate.” “ Having Kamala Harris on the ticket is big for the United States. She is the person that can get Vice President Biden elected. I think that’s the way they should go.”

Diane Ragsdale, managing director of South Dallas/Fair Park Inner-city Community Development Corp. and former Dallas City Council’s deputy mayor pro tem“I’ve very happy with his choice. I’m proud to be able to support the ticket with my work now. If it had not been the right choice, I would

vote but not walk. Now I’m inspired to get out and knock on doors. We have a demon in office that we need to get out.

I supported Elizabeth Warren during the primaries. I felt she was most progressive and capable... But I will support this ticket now actively not passively.”

Atty. Jasmine Crockett - Democratic nominee - TX State Rep. District 100 “I’ve admired, modeled, and tracked Senator Kamala Harris’ career since she was first elected as the youngest District Attorney in San Francisco. I sat in awe as she was elected the first woman and Black Attorney General of California.

As the first Black Woman Attorney to represent my district, I know what it’s like to be the “first” to do something in 2020. One thing

Thomas Muhammad

Diane Ragsdale

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Mayor Curtistene McCowan

Councilwoman Shaunte Allen

about Black Women, when we’re the first to do something— we make sure we’re not the last.”

Councilwoman Shaunte Allen - City of Glenn Heights “It was a solid choice, she has the experience and is a solid pick. She will balance Joe Biden out. I feel that Stacey Abrams is more progressive and in tune with the people, and what she gets from them she would take back ‘this is the law, this is what we are going to do and that’s it.’ Get to know Senator Harris’ background. She stands on Healthcare and Immigration Act. These are concerns for Texans. Her background speaks for itself.”

Mayor Curtistene McCowan of DeSoto, Texas “She is smart and exciting” She has my full support. I am behind the Biden/Harris ticket. The mayor also went on to say she was excited that Senator Harris will be the first Black woman to run as VP and she will be a heartbeat away from the President.”

Contributors: Norma Adams-Wade, Allana J. Barefield, Ashley Moss and Marva Sneed.

AUGUST 21, 2020

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BLACK GIRLS RIDE PORSCHE TAYLOR THAT CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

BY VALDER BEEBE

My team learned about International Female Ride Day® Mon August 22, 2020 to celebrate and empower more women through power sports.

The event sponsors Polaris and Black Girls Ride join the 14th annual global event that calls on all females to “Just Ride!”

Saturday, August 22, on six continents in over 120 countries.

I was honored to talk to Porsche Taylor, Founder & Editor-In-Chief of Black Girls Ride Magazine.

Black Girls Ride is not an exclusive racial statement; It is an inclusive celebration of all women who live to ride. You’ll find women of all ethnicities in our pages. We believe that all women who ride are Beautiful Bikers. That said, we are unapologetic about giving a voice to women of color in motorsports. We are often asked, “Why call it Black Girls Ride?”

My direct answer is simple. There is a need for the voice of all women in motorsports, but specifically for Black Women, to be heard. We overspend on bikes, accessories and gear, myimessenger.com

yet remain under represented in motorsports media, marketing and advertising. We intend to be the change we want to see. We take pride in bringing you articles on professionals like Peggy Llewellyn, Crystal Dickerson, and SJ Harris. We are honored to feature living legends like Ms. Showtime, Secret the Cross Country Rider and Suicide. We focus on the women who have endured to be simply seen as equals, highlighting female MCs that represent with Pride and Dignity in their communities. While there are levels to the MC lifestyle, allow us to cross the entire spectrum. We recognize all women, regardless of bike or club status.

From 250cc to 1400cc and beyond, we believe we are all united as sisters on ground.

VBS: Porsche, educated and my audience about Black Girls Ride. I’m fascinated.

PT: In 2011 I CREATED Black Girls Ride Magazine which is the premier motorcycle women for women in power sports. The

goal was to create a platform that represented women of color. There simply was not much representation in motor sports primarily, motorcycling and evens of that nature.

We wanted to be the change we wanted to see. What happened, there are women that ride with us all over the world.

VBS: What has been the greatest opportunity for Black Girls Ride Magazine?

PT: That is a great question. I think, I (via Black Girls Ride magazine) would be able to bring the platform to the mo-

Porsche Taylor

tor sports industry to showcase women of color and our place at the table. We’ve about to showcase in social media we are a force.

Primarily social media Insta-

gram approx. 42, 000 followers, another 25,000 followers on Facebook and ------Porsche Taylor’s Complete interview: SoundCloud.com/ valderbeebeshow

Valder Beebe hosts the Valder Beebe Show on FM and streaming TV: ValderBeebeShow. com, 411RadioNetwork.com; SoundCloud.com/valderbeebeshow FM Broadcast: KKVI FM 89.9, KRER FM 102.5; Streaming on ROKU & Amazon Fire: YouTube/ ValderBeebeShow; VBS affiliate broadcasters; BMIA, PChatman Network [Roku TV].

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Dr. Amerson adapts to Temporary Business Closure Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, has adapted to the temporary closure of LA's Hair and Scalp Clinic. We continue to offer our award-winning products to consumers. Our exclusive products are manufactured by a facility in Garland, TX. Premium quality natural ingredients are used to assist with dry, oily, itchy, flaky, inflammed scalps, as well as hair breakage, hair thinning and regrowth.

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AUGUST 21, 2020

Voter Suppression. The Birth of Apathy.

By ALLEN R. GRAY Dallas Area African American Newspaper Publishers It is difficult to determine where the line between voter suppression ends and voter apathy begins. What is certain, though, is that the line of demarcation between the two has been blurred by decades upon decades of interference from damning schemes that strip Black Americans of their legal right to have a say when it comes to elections.

Know that voter apathy for Black voter apathy is not innate. It is instead a psychological implant that has been nurtured over time and has evolved over generations due to the many mutations of the poll tax. The poll tax wasn’t born during post-Civil War Reconstruction, though. The concept of the poll tax dates to the time of Cleopatra’s Egypt, and essentially all conquering nations since that time have used a “head tax” or capitation to sustain its government and fund wars; but Americans during the 19th century took the poll tax to a whole new level.

During the period of Reconstruction, when newly freed slaves gained the right to vote, various forms of the poll tax became a lot more creative than guessing the number of jelly beans in a mason jar. The Grandfather clause, for in-stance, said that you could only vote if your father voted. Which meant that all former slaves were left out. Then there was the literacy test, which asked that you be able to AUGUST 21, 2020

read (literature supplied by election officials) before you could vote. Blacks were asked to read complex legal documents, while whites were asked to read literature with simple sight words. The voting dilemma became even more compounded when we consider that only people who qualified to vote prior to the Civil War, or whose ancestors qualified to vote were allowed to cast ballots during elections. This requirement eliminated an entire nation of newly freed slaves. White men, of course, were exempt from the rigors of poll taxation in any form. These methods of suppression towards Blacks sustained well into the early 1900s.

The monetary poll tax, which is perhaps the most infamous of all poll taxes, often ranged anywhere from $1.50 and greater per voter. That doesn’t seem like much by today’s standards—but when you consider that in 1905 the average Black family earned around $3 per week, sirloin steaks were 10 cents a pound and the homes sold for approximately $3,500—potential voters were forced to decide whether to vote or feed their families.

These insidious measures worked to suppress the Black vote for more than a century, despite legislation that mandated otherwise. The “Reconstruction Amendments” attempted to rectify Blacks’ right to vote.

The 13th Amendment (1865) freed the slaves; the 14th Amendment (1866) gave Blacks citizenship.

(The

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Black Codes, laws aimed at oppressing Blacks, were also enacted in 1865.) The 15th Amendment (1870) outlawed discrimination in voting rights but it had no penalties for violating of those rights. So, in 1870, the Enforcement Act attempted to give teeth to laws that had bark but no bite.

After decades of protest and civil unrest, the House passed the 24th Amendment in 1962 eradicating the poll tax for federal elections.

Then the landmark Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 that sought to secure Blacks’ right to vote unencumbered. Yet, voter suppression in some form lingered, nonetheless. In 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections also rendered the poll tax unconstitutional for state and local elections. Yet, as recently as 2013, that same U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelby v. Holder that states had the right to do things like limit early voting and require voters to show photo IDs. The spirit of Jim Crow laws has proven to be that revenant who can mutate and transform depending on the climate and circumstance.

While in the past voter suppression was much more obvious, today’s systemic racism has a more covert means of undermining the voting rights of targeted demographic groups.

Today, we would be hardpressed to find the Ku Klux Klan at polling places burning crosses and crops to turn voters away, but contemporary methods of sup-

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pression have proven to be just as effective acts of violence. Here are some contemporary tactics used to turn voters away from election polls: • Voter ID requirements allow election officials to use false claims of rampant voter fraud to justify strict requirements like a photo ID, or laws requiring a physical street address discriminate against minorities groups that are more likely to have P.O. Box addresses, such as Native Americans living on reservations.

• Lack of language access, where election officials refuse to translate materials or offer language assistance (as required by law), which suppresses the voting of Asian Americans and Latinos.

• Voter roll purges, claims to remove duplicate names, the names of the de-ceased, or the names of convicted felons. The purge actually deletes the names of millions of eligible voters and disproportionately effects communities of color.

• Polling place closures/ consolidations, where election officials have closed thousands of polling places, largely in communities of color. Recently in Chicago’s Cook County alone, which has the largest non-Hispanic black population in the country, 95 polling places were either closed or moved.

• Lack of funding for elections, demonstrated its affect when during the 2000 presidential election in Florida there was failure in the recount process, flawed myimessenger.com

ballot designs, and voting machines that overheated and failed.

• Provisional ballot requirements, if a voter’s eligibility is in question they may use a provisional ballot to be counted until eligibility is confirmed. However, localities determine how many provisional ballots are printed, which meant that in certain localities far less were printed than were actually needed.

• Reduced early voting, early voting is essential to hourly workers who don’t have expendable time, because of work or child care obligations. Recently, time apportioned to early voting has been drastically cut which negatively affects communities of color.

• Reduced regular voting hours, negatively affects low-income workers, who don’t have the convenience of arriving to work late or taking extended midday breaks; or who are strapped due to childcare arrangements.

Other means of suppression are poorly trained volunteer poll workers, partisan election administrators, and the creation of at large local offices to dilute the minority vote.

These tactics of voter suppression have proven to be particularly fruitful in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and especially Texas. In the wake of this century long onslaught on voter suppression a toll has been taken on Black voters.

In 1890, the qualified Black voters registered to have their voice heard was at 90 percent. By 1940, only 3 percent of qualified Black voters were registered. Today, less than half of all registered Black voters regularmyimessenger.com

ly participate in elections.

Although, if Blacks have someone they feel is worth voting they have shown to be less apathetic.

With Obama on the ticket in 2008 and 2012, the number of Blacks that voted rose tremendously. Yet when they needed to vote the most in 2016, Black voter turnout fell drastically. And eight percent of the Blacks that did vote that year voted for Trump. Political districts with a relative low percentage of registered Blacks voting is routinely high, compared to districts with a greater percentage of registered Blacks where the voting is repulsively low; and Black women tend to vote more than Black men.

Since 1865 to the present, the provocateurs of this most insidious scheme have done a most commendable job of implanting the spirit of apathy deep within the psyche of African American voters—while the victims have proven to do very little to assuage its effects.

There is, however, a ray of hope for the minority voters. From 2014 to 2018 Blacks have had the highest voter turnout upsurge of all demographic groups, with an increase greater than 18 percent. The status of Black voting isn’t what it used to be 20 years ago, but it surely isn’t what it was in 1890.

The issue of Jim Crow being dead has been greatly overstated. He has merely changed his name to systemic racism, a more covert method of depriving citizens seeking to be heard at polling places. If ever there was a time to shake off the effects of the psychological implant know as apathy, the time is now.

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MAY 20, 2020

August 19-21

Virtual and liVe Community Calendar August 21

Senior Info and Wellness Virtual Vendor Fair, at Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center, 310 E Parkerville Rd. 12:00 pm. The Cedar Hill community week of August 17- 21 for our Senior Information and Wellness Virtual Vendor Fair!

August 19

Friendship-West Presents Spiritual Care. Fridays Spiritual Care of our souls helps to encourage us through difficult times.1:00 pm. Zoom: Link and access code.https:// zoom.us/j/8567036848? Access Code: 856 703 6848.

Back to School Cut + Autographed Book. Hosted by Alton’s Old School Barbershop, 1911 Abrams Parkway #102, Dallas. 10:00 am–6:00 pm. For a limited time, purchase: https://altons.square.site/product/limited-special-kids-cutautographed-book-/36?cs=true.

Girl, TALK! The Protection of Rejection. Hosted by Melanin Manifestival and To’Ccorra Hill. Online event. Tickets: https://www.melaninmanifestival.com/ 7:00-8:30 pm.

Drive-Up and Stock Up! School Supply Giveaway. Hosted by Garland Parks, Rec. & Cultural Arts. Friendship House, 620 W Avenue B, Garland. 5:30 pm–7:00 pm. Free Backpacks with school supplies. Children must be present. For kindergarten to eighth grade. Info: call 972-205-3090.

August 23

Best Southwest, State Rep. Carl Sherman (District 109) facilitates the TGIF Legislative Series: Education during the Pandemic. Register: Call 972-780-5099 or www.bestsouthwestresources.com. 8:00 am.

South Dallas Summer Drive-In at 1920 Martin Luther King Blvd. A summer drive-in that aims to bring together the Dallas community through cinema that explores and celebrates the black experience. Free via www.Eventbrite.com 8:00 pm-11:59 pm.

The 24th Annual Dallas Mayor’s Back to School Fair (Drive-Thru Only) Hosted by Dallas ISD, at Fair Park, 3809 Grand Ave. 9:00 am–2:00 pm. Register here: http://giveaway.mayorsbacktoschoolfair.org/.

August 20

August 22

Elections Town Hall: Educating & Mobilizing Through the Movement, Tri-Cities NAACP. Feat: Toni Pippins-Poole, Dallas Election Department and Jasmine Crockett, Crockett Law Firm, PPLC. Online Event https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/85487180332 at 7:00 -8:30 pm.

Food Drive Hosted by Trinity Church 1231 E. Pleasant Run Rd., Cedar Hill 5:00 pm-7:00 pm. The more groceries they get, the more They are able to give away! Info: (972) 291-2501 or www.trinitychurch.org.

Celebrity And Friends Live at Arlington Improv. Hosted by Celebrity The Comedian. Arlington Improv as we LAUGH thru today’s madness. 8:00 pm– 11:00 pm. Tickets: www.improvtx.com.

How To Be Anti-Racist Online Workshop Hosted by Enoch Pratt Free Library and Brittany Oliver. 2:00 pm3:00 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com. Info: http://www.brittanytoliver.com/ The 24th Annual Dallas Mayor’s Back to School Fair (Walk-Up Only) Hosted by Dallas ISD, at Fair Park, 3809 Grand Ave. 5:00–7:00 pm. Register: http://giveaway. mayorsbacktoschoolfair.org/.

AUGUST 21, 2020

Annual Black Winemakers Scholarship Dinner.

A virtual event raising scholarship funds for Dallas-Ft. Worth students attending Jackson State University. Tickets: http:// dfw-jsu.org. Info: www.dfwjsunaa.fundraising@gmail.com.

Meet A Black Mental Health Professional: We Are Here, hosted

by Dr, Tanisha Guy & Megan Pickens, LPC-S. 7 pm – 9 pm. A 2-hour event will introduce you to 20 Black mental health professionals. Register: Eventbite.com.

The African American Film Critics Association invites you to a Summer Screening of House Party. Reserve your seat: houseparty.aafcascreening.com Screening 2:00 pm. 4-4:45 pm. Talk Back with Reginald Hudlin.

Prayer in the City. Online prayer meeting every 3rd Saturday 10:00 am. Register: Eventbrite.com they will send info.

Freedom for the Children. A peaceful walk for children.

10:00 am at Round Saloon, 3912 Cedar Springs Rd. Info: www. fredomforthechildren.org.

I Still Have a Dream Community Showcase. Host We Are Cocoa. City of Dallas - City Hall, 1500 Marilla St, Dallas.

6:00 pm–8:00 pm. Tickets: https://www.wearecocoa.org/ Live Performances, Community Photo Shoot, Raffle & Giveaways.

Social distancing and masks are required!

Day of Service!! Hosted by Rho Phi Kappa Fraternity, Inc. Dallas Downtown, with other fraternities and sororities a National Day of Service. 9:00 am–4:00 pm. Back to School Supply Drive & Distributing Hygiene Packs to the homeless. Contact : rhophikappa@gmail.com for location and to donate.

Mavs Playoffs, Host CutiePies Pizza at 2916 McKinney Ave, Dallas. 2:30 pm-5:30 pm. 214-238-6348 info@cutiepiespizza. com. Luka and the Mavs will take on the Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs! Limited capacity so arrive early and follow proper social distancing and safety ordinances.

August 24-Sept. 2 BiteNites Restaurant Week. Hosted by Watters Creek, 970 Garden Park Dr, Allen. From August 24 – September 2.

Participating restaurants include The Blue Fish, Cru Food & Wine Bar, Edith’s French Café, Frogg Coffee Bar & Creperie, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, and PF Chang’s. Info: (972) 747-8000.

August 24 Fluffy-N-Fitness in the Park at Vandergriff Skatepark 2800 S. Center St. Arlington. 7:00 pm. Fluffy-N-Fitness.com.

Makin’ Money Mondays Host Wealth Architect. Need some financial wisdom? We got you covered. Hosts Kirsten Elise Dunn, successful social entrepreneur and real estate investor, and Jack Waldron, Executive VP at Five Rings Financial, on FACEBOOK LIVE @WealthArchitect. 11:15 am–11:45 am. FREE!

Meet, Connect & Learn Are You a Senior Citizen, a Caregiver, or a Family in Need. Host, Mark D. Cooks Duncanville City Council. Online even.

Guest Speaker: Sharla Meyers, CEO, Community Council https://us02web. zoom.us/j/89657228662 Meeting ID: 896 5722 8662.

#NationBuilding w/ Michael Sorrell, at 12:30 pm. CDT, Wednesdays on Facebook & Twitter. Follow Paul Quinn College’s President, Michael Sorrell on all social media platforms. @MichaelSorrell on Twitter & Instagram and @Michael J. Sorrell on Facebook.

A Message For You, with Anthony Council Morehouse student and I Messenger Media intern. Tuesdays at 11am Anthony brings that perspective from those born in this century. Live on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews & Blog Talk Radio.com Join the conversation.

Andrew’s World with host Andrew Whigham III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join the call at 646-200-0459 The Stimulus Show, hosted by Ashley Moss a Poynter-Koch Fellowship with I Messenger Media, LLC. Join in on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 am Mondays.

SIP and Eat with LaShante’ “The Lifestyle Chef.” LaShante Williams, Every Thursday at 7pm CST on FB live and IG live and https://www.instagram.com/ lashante@thelifestylechef/

A Message For You, with I Messenger Media multi-media journalist Allana Barefield and the legendary Norma Adams-Wade. Thursdays at 11am. Live on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews & Blog Talk Radio.com Join the conversation.

August 23-29

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BLACK LIVES MATTER

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myimessenger.com

Hanging with Hollywood

WASHED

MOVIE REVIEW BY HOLLYWOOD HERNANDEZ

We’re open and ready to serve you!

WASHED Season 2 is an independent TV series that was shot entirely in The Dallas-Fort Worth area and features an ensemble cast of primarily Dallas area actors.

Season One is currently playing on Amazon with season two due out on September 2nd.

I had the opportunity to watch the first three episodes of the new season. So, the obvious question is” is it any good?”

I’d have to answer that question with a resounding, YES! The movie tells about the lives of men and women.

Most of them are on the verge of making their dreams come true; while some of them are living lives where their dreams never came true. myimessenger.com

The movie, directed by local award-winning director Jerod Couch, has a very good cast and the cast is very likeable as milliumms who are out in the world trying to find their way.

According to Couch, he experienced most of these same things himself. Couch is a native Dallasite and he puts the spotlight on this city. The series is called WASHED because most of the characters are washed up.

I enjoyed WASHED. It is not rated but the show does contain adult language and situations. I can’t wait to see the rest of the season.

On my “Hollywood PopCorn Scale” I rate WASHED a LARGE.

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Elaine’s

Jamaican Kitchen

(214) 565-1008 2717 Martin L. King Jr Blvd, Dallas, TX 75215

AUGUST 21, 2020

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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

I Messenger

Do you know this man?

POLICE have not apprehended “Pookie” the serial rapist.

We know he has attacked members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and there is a $5,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers.

HE IS A SERIAL RAPIST

He targeted members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. but this is more than about a sorority. We’re talking about a community.

Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE? Will it matter when it is your sister, mother, aunt or grandmother or maybe YOU?

877-373-8477 AUGUST 21, 2020

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