Garland Journal 5-19-22 by Cheryl Smith

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My Truth By Cheryl Smith Publisher

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop! While I could reference several pandemics that we didn’t identify as such while growing up in Newark, New Jersey; only slavery had such a devastating death toll on Black people, that is prior to COVID-19. As of May 7, 2022 the CDC reported 998,408 total deaths in America, with 15-20% being Black and still the World Health Organization reports a significant undercount. According to Dallas County Health and Human Services, “a total of 6,427 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness.” And it’s not over. Daily I receive reports about the number of new cases and deaths related to COVID-19. My message to everyone, you’d better get to living because the reality of life and death has become more “real” since COVID. Which brings me to my truth. I received a purse for Mother’s Day and the message inscribed was so significant to me: “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.” A former editorial assistant, Marva Sneed, said that it was one of the more memorable quotes she has heard me use, at least that can be put in print! I’ve been saying “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” for years and while I would like to say the phrase was my own contribution to great sayings, I have to attribute it to the hip hop culture. Now when I think about what “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” means to me, it boils down to a simple premise, and that is how a person chooses to live their life. Are they giving or existing? Are they giving their all or doing just enough to get by. Sure I like the grind, the hustle and the feeling of accomplishment. Also, as I attempt to figure out this thing called, “life,” always on my mind is the contribution I make during this lifetime. Speaking of sayings, there’s one that says there are two important times in your life: when you are born and when you realize why you were born. In a nutshell, what is your purpose? Many times at funerals you will hear folks ask, “Why?” They want to know why the person in the coffin is gone when there are others in their life they would rather be saying farewell to. It’s interesting that some will even proclaim, “It should have been me!” Reality check time. And again, what is your purpose? Death causes folks to make the strangest declarations. It never ceases to amaze me when folks say that a death was “untimely.” For the life of me, I don’t know when a death is “timely.” For the most part, you can say that the majority of people only die once or “YODO.” But more than likely you See MY TRUTH, page 8

SERVING NORTH EAST TEXAS

THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

VOLUME X

Officials Release Names of those Killed in Racist Buffalo Massacre

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The victims of the racist massacre at a Buffalo, New York supermarket have been identified and their ages range from 32 to 86. Avowed white racist Payton Gendron allegedly put together a 180-page manifesto that revealed his hatred for Black and Jewish people and the “replacement theory” ideology that Fox News often speaks of, notably hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham. Additionally, several Republican politicians have spouted the racist “theory,” saying that Democrats’ immigration policies See RACIST BUFFALO MASSACRE, page 5

HOPE for Garland It was celebration time for Hope Clinic of Garland recently at the Granville Center. For 20 years, since its inception when it was only open one night a week; Hope Clinic of Garland, Inc. has served residents as envisioned by the founders who were affiliated with First Baptist Church of Garland (FBCG): Martha Sanford, R.N., Phd and Jim Witt, FBCG Missions Pastor. Under the leadership of new executive director Tanya Downing, Hope Clinic is celebrating two decades of providing medical services to the underserved communities of Garland. Dr. Michael A. Horne, President and CEO of Parkland Foundation, was the speaker at the celebration where many of Garland’s health professionals, first responders and elected officials turned out to support. At Hope, Dallas County residents are provided service freeof-charge; thanks to grants and support from philanthropists and the business community. In addition to providing Behavioral Health and Telehealth Services, Hope physicians, nurses and volunteer health care professionals ensure that the poor and uninsured are taken care of.

Mark King Hope Clinic Board Chair

Shon T. Cass CTP Hope Clinic Board and Event Chair

Hope Clinic Staff

Tanya Downing with volunteers from Altrusa Foundation

Dr. Michael A. Horne President and CEO Parkland Foundation

Captain Shelley Hood, Corps Officer with the Salvation Army -- Garland Corps and Community Center with Hope Executive Director Tanya Downing

Locals weigh-in on “Evil” description of Russian President Vladimir Putin I Was Just Thinking... By Norma Adams-Wade When you hear and see Russian President Vladimir Putin’s name in media and on the Web these days, he frequently is described as evil. For instance: • Author Bill Browder during TV interview about Freezing Order, his true story book about Putin’s exploits: “This guy is just evil…It’s hard for us to understand …this is evil on a level that’s just incomprehensible.” • Antonio Guterres, U. N. Secretary General on a recent Ukraine tour: “(This is) “simply evil. There’s no way a war can be acceptable in the 21st Century.”

• Dennis Prager, radio talk show host discussing Putin: “This is as clear an act of evil as anyone can imagine.” • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota): during a recent Senate hearing spoke of society’s current “war against evil.” So, the word of the era right now is “evil.” But what is evil? Most people have their own definition, based on their own standards. Media images and reports about Russian’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine allege evils that includes blocking about 900 Ukrainian adults and children who were hiding in a cave so that they will be forced to starve to death, bombing hospitals that housed injured and sick children and infants, bombing many apartment buildings where innocent Ukrainian civilians live,

Vladimir Putin

blocking humanitarian aid to Ukrainians to force starvation and prevent medical aid, soldiers raping Ukrainian women, murdering more than a dozen journalists and injuring or torturing others, executing some handtied civilians and leaving their bodies in the streets. Also, since

the conflict started in February this year, Media reports that Ukraine deaths in the conflict are 3,000 adults, 210 children; injuries more than 3,200 adults, more than 300 children. Some Dallas locals have been watching the news as have you and have strong opinions. In general, their views are reactions cased on culture, faith and psychology. Clinical psychologist Dr. Brenda Wall said having to see media reports of horrendous devastation in Ukraine dredges up thoughts about similar violence to various cultures in history – the Holocaust, enslavement of African people, crisis at the Southern border, indigenous native Americans, Haitian migrants. “Yes. Putin IS an evil man and power has corrupted him, “Dr. See PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, page 5

GarlandJournal

THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

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OP-ED: Black Businesses, Leaders Undervalued in America OUR VOICES By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. When was the last time that you read a national news story in the so-called mainstream media about a successful Black business in America that has achieved unprecedented excellence and profit in today’s marketplace? I know it has been a long time. On the other hand, when was the last time that you read or heard in the media about allegations of corruption, financial failure and excessive greed by the owners of some Black businesses? In my opinion it has been an all too frequent and recurring false narrative that continues to be cast in the media to undermine and devalue Black business leaders across the nation. Late last year, I called attention to a barrage of unfair attacks being leveled in the media against CORE Services Group, Inc., a Black-run nonprofit that has for years provided food, shelter, and other services to New York City’s growing homeless population. I was particularly offended that the attacks appeared to be waged through anonymous leaks by city bureaucrats in the previous mayoral administration who seemed bent on destroying the nonprofit organization and its founder, Jack Brown, a successful Black businessman. Now, seven months later, the case has moved to court, where CORE has begun to fight back – and where city officials cannot hide behind a veil of anonymity.

In a series of legal filings, CORE has presented evidence that appears to rebut the allegations by NYC’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) against CORE and its leaders, while raising questions about the city’s motives under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, according to published reports. Central to the city’s case, for example, are claims that CORE officials concocted a scheme to enrich themselves by hiring several for-profit companies that CORE itself owned to provide food, security, and maintenance at CORE-run shelters. An outside observer without the benefit of all the facts might be tempted to conclude that CORE was engaged in some kind of self-dealing. But upon further examination, this hardly seems to be the case. Far from it, in fact. As CORE has reportedly noted in court documents and elsewhere, the for-profit companies — wholly owned subsidiaries of the non-profit — are part of a model of integrated services that CORE established to run its shelters efficiently – and without the uncertainty its leaders say they regularly faced from outside vendors that all too often provided inferior services or threatened to cut off services because the city was slow to reimburse CORE for its expenses. More than that, according to documents filed with the court, CORE told DHS about the formation of the for-profit companies even before the companies began providing services at CORE’s DHS-funded shelters. In other words, CORE operated the for-profit companies for years with the city’s knowledge and consent. But none of this explains why

city officials have targeted CORE for this kind of attack, particularly after years of consistently providing support to the city’s neediest residents, a disproportionate number of whom are Black and Latino. Yet to hear CORE tell it, city officials began raising questions about the organization under the previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, only after CORE officials began demanding that the city pay a backlog of unpaid bills that totaled $35 million. “The sequence of events says it all: de Blasio used CORE to deflect from his own failures addressing

In a recent Op Ed in Black Enterprise, the renowned freedom-fighting Attorney Benjamin Crump argued that Mr. Brown and his organization have been singled out for attack despite the essential role the nonprofit has played in helping legions of homeless individuals in a city with a notoriously overburdened social service system. “Jack Brown’s plight is yet another sad example of the impediments Black Americans still face when we strive for excellence,” he said. “Mr. Brown is being pilloried for his commitment to caring

The vital key to advancing the economic status of African American communities and families is the support and the promotion of the success of Black-founded, managed, and owned businesses. We will not stand silent about this matter. Our businesses deserved to be respected, engaged, and empowered. homelessness in New York City,” Wendy Weingart, CORE Vice President/General Counsel, told the news outlet Inside Sources. “The failure to pay nonprofits that continued to operate during the worst of the pandemic is indefensible. Simply put, the de Blasio administration took advantage of CORE through administrative delays and did not pay CORE for several programs it operated at the behest of the city for over a year.” As a result, many Black leaders are speaking out on behalf of CORE and urging the city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, to correct this injustice.

for the homeless New Yorkers, a group which unfortunately includes a disproportionate number of Black and Brown people. CORE came every time DHS called. But sadly, as Congresswoman Chisholm once said, ‘Racism is so universal in this country, so widespread, and deep-seated, that it is invisible because it is so normal.” Now that there is a new administration in New York City, I believe that the Honorable Mayor Eric Adams will have the opportunity to rectify the situation with Jack Brown and CORE. The city’s homeless deserve to receive the best care possible as the city rebounds from the negative impact

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Adams has already expressed a priority in ensuring the future sustainability of local and citywide businesses that are owned by African Americans and other people of color. Yet, what Jack Brown, as a Black business leader, was facing and continues to face in New York City is not isolated to that one city. The challenges that Black businesses are facing is a national concern from the east coast to the west coast, and from the north to the south. There appears to be a systematic attempt throughout the country to undervalue the strategic importance of supporting Black businesses. This is apparent at the municipal, county, state, and regional levels in nearly every state. The eventual fate of businessmen like Jack Brown III will be the future fate of our advance and progress in America. The vital key to advancing the economic status of African American communities and families is the support and the promotion of the success of Black-founded, managed, and owned businesses. We will not stand silent about this matter. Our businesses deserved to be respected, engaged, and empowered. No one should attempt to devalue what is invaluable to the future of our communities. It is time to vote. It is time to speak out. It is time to support our Black businessmen and women—especially those devoted to serving the underserved. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/ Host of The Chavs Chronicles on PBS TV stations weekly throughout the United States; and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

Erica Loewe - Helping to Open Doors for Black Press, Others at White House By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

As Karine Jean-Pierre prepares to make history as the first Black press secretary at the White House, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have continued to ensure that African Americans – particularly Black women, helm crucial posts. Alongside Jean-Pierre, there’s chief of staff to Kate Bedingfield, Khanya Brann, outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki’s chief of staff, Amanda Finney, and senior regional communications director, Rykia Dorsey. Then, there’s Erica Loewe. In Loewe’s all-too-important job as director of African American media, she has ensured that the Black Press and other media of color have enjoyed unprecedented access to the White House and top administration and cabinet officials. “President Biden and Vice President Harris promised an administration that looks like America, and they have fulfilled that promise,” Loewe said during a recent visit to the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) headquarters at the Thurgood Marshall Center in Northwest, Washington, D.C. There, Loewe sat for an interview with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., for his PBS-TV show, “The Chavis Chronicles.” “Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has valued diversity, empowered Black voices, and taken a whole-of-government approach to advance racial equity,” she told Dr. Chavis during the episode scheduled to air later this year. Loewe grew up in Miami after her mother gave birth to her in South Carolina. She attended the University of Florida and later interned at the White House for President Barack Obama. A prolific volunteer, Loewe has worked as press secretary and deputy communications director for U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters

Erica Loewe

(D-Calif.) and as deputy communications director for Congressman James Clyburn (D-S.C.). “Jim Clyburn is one of my favorite bosses, and he’s been very clear that I need to tell people that I’m from Charleston even

In Erika Loewe’s all-too-important job as director of African American media, she has ensured that the Black Press and other media of color have enjoyed unprecedented access to the White House and top administration and cabinet officials. “President Biden and Vice President Harris promised an administration that looks like America, and they have fulfilled that promise,” Loewe said during a recent visit to the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) headquarters at the Thurgood Marshall Center in Northwest, Washington, D.C. commissioner, allowing Loewe to spend time at City Hall. “I have always been around people who lead and serve, to some extent,” she said. “My parents split up, but I lived with my mom and grandparents

Alzheimer’s disease, but “somewhere inside, she’s there, proud of me.” Loewe said she has enjoyed returning to the White House and tries to stay out of the crosshairs of secret service.

(Pictured left to right): Karine Jean-Pierre, the nation’s first Black press secretary, Erica Loewe, director of African American media and outgoing press secretary Jen Psaki.

though I grew up in Miami,” Loewe stated. “He’s a great man, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” she remarked. Her early influence came from her parents, particularly her mother and grandparents. Loewe’s father worked in the nonprofit sector and helped her to gain a focus on economic empowerment and business development. Her mother worked for a city

in a house full of love and laughter,” she said. While working in the Obama White House, Loewe lived with her family and worked under the director of African American outreach. Now, as director of African American media, she said her life had come full circle. “I’m back at the White House, and my mother lives with me,” she said. Loewe said her mother battles

“We have fun. They take their jobs very seriously and we do as well,” Loewe said. The fulfilling part of her job is allowing access to Black media and the American public, Loewe offered. “There’s nothing like being able to grant access to the White House for the very first time,” Loewe declared. “It’s a building people have seen on television and thought they may never get inside. But, our job is to provide

access to people.” She exclaimed that the Biden-Harris administration had provided access never before experienced by the American public. The administration also has remained the most inclusive in American history. “Never has there been an administration that has uplifted and supported Black women as much as President Biden and Vice President Harris,” Loewe asserted. “It’s just a fact. Numbers don’t lie. The Honorable [Kamala] Harris is a Black woman who has lived experiences… She attended Howard University, and she’s a member of the Divine Nine, the Black Church, and an advocate for Black maternal health and accurate home appraisals for Black people.” Loewe continued: “There are more Black people in first time positions in the President’s cabinet. You have the war in Ukraine and Gen. Lloyd Austin, the first Black to head the Department of Defense and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Two Black people you see every day making sure that we’re providing aid to Ukraine.” She noted the Environmental Protection Agency’s Michael Regan as the first Black person to lead there, and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, as examples of other Black appointees in the administration. “These are not symbolic positions,” Loewe concluded.

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THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

Nena's Finds 215 W. Tyler St. Gilmer, Texas 75644 (903) 680-3333

Call issued to Support Black Businesses Haynes: "Buy Black" By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, of Friendship-West Baptist Church, announced 100 Days of Buying Black in acknowledging the Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III 100th Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we joined the movement. December 31, 2021 marked 100 days of featuring Black Businesses. and we decided that the struggle continues and we must also. So enjoy reading about more Black-owned businesses and please support.

CHEF AMBER

Chef Amber is the owner of Foodie2Go. Hailing from Chicago IL Chef Amber is a graduate of Kenwood Academy and she studied culinary arts at El Centro College (now Dallas College). Her corn and cheese chowder is something special! She says, “ From fine dining to our weekly food truck round-up, there is something here for the foodie in all of us!” Give her a call at 469-268-8593. She also has special sauces and you can take advantage of her meal prep orders. www.foodie2go.net.

NTHEKNOW ADVERTISING AGENCY

Advertising, Internet Marketing Service and event planning, you can get it all with NThe Know because Teresa Nelson will help you start, build and grow your business with her excellent communication and organizational skills. She can also help you with everything from affordable health insurance, travel and networking, to jobs, entertainment and professional growth and development. She’s grounded with more than 25 years as an entrepreneur. Reach her at www.ntheknow.com.

NATURAL CHANGE BAND

Tony Blaine (keyboardist and lead vocalist), Byron Fuller (drummer), Paul Rogers (saxophonist) and Robb Abbs (guitarist) are Natural Change. Heading toward their 20th anniversary, this band is absolutely

wonderful. In addition to being excellent musicians, they know how to read an audience and anytime they are playing it’s a treat. If you seriously want a great band and you’re willing to pay without asking for a discount, tell them we told you to call Tony Blaine @ 469-6284341 and Paul Rogers @ 214-629-3588 or email them at naturalchangeband@naturalchangeband.com

CATFISH SMITH

Catfish Smith is not like other catfish restaurants that have the word “catfish” in their name but they serve SWAI or some other no-name seafood. They will tell you straight up, they don’t play with their food! When you order catfish, you will get catfish! Located at 4620 Botham Jean Blvd. in Sunny South Dallas, they have been around for decades and you need to try their special blend tartar sauce! You can call ahead for your order at (214) 428-4407.

RONNIE’S CATFISH AND MORE

Ronnie’s Catfish and More has a new location in Mesquite, Texas. If you love catfish, wings and a variety of deserts, then go visit this location. Owner Veronica Navarro, is excited to serve you the best catfish. Always keeping in mind some of the most important ways to have customers come back are customer service, quality food and satisfaction; Ronnie’s provides it all. For more information, follow them on Facebook at Ronnie’s Catfish and More Mesquite or call 972-685-3313. Photo credit: Veronica Navarro

MILA JAE CREATIONS

Meet owner, Jamila Parker, who has been painting for years and enjoys developing one-of-a-kind art pieces. She began to discover herself as an artist by generating pieces that bring you happiness. For more information go to http://www.milajaecreations.com Photo credit: Jamila Parker

STRUNG OUT ON ART

Owner Kendall Rogers is the founder of Strung Out On Art; a custom-design business that makes a variety of products you can choose from. There are items for children to adults and everything is one-ofa-kind. Check them out at http:// strung-out-on-art.square.site/ Photo credit: Kendall Rogers

SMOOTHIE KING

Meet Skyler Blackwell, who owns a Smoothie King location in Fort Worth, TX. Smoothie King serves diverse ingredients that help strengthen the body; from protein shakes, green juices and so much more. Check him out at 9583 Sage Meadow Trail, Fort Worth, Tx 76177 Photo credit: Skyler Blacknall

to make you feel at home. Owner Joi Holmes, wants to help you create memorable moments through art classes which is the Artsey Art mission. For more information go to https://www.artseyart.com/home-keene

TEQUILA WITH FRIENDS

GODSENT

GODSENT is not just another clothing brand but a movement dedicated to what God has done for the Founder Ethan Lartey. He had a terrible car accident that could have killed him but he survived. Ethan came up with GODSENT when reflecting on everything God has done for him and his family. For more information go to https://shopgodsent.com/ Photo credit: Juan Diego, photographer

BEING A MELANIN MOM

Being a Melanin Mom, is a community organization providing resources for Melanin moms in the areas of self love, freedom, gratitude and elevation. If this sounds like your type of community involvement then check them out at https://linktr.ee/ bammwrld There’s also the Black-owned Experience Expo at Lofty Spaces, 816 Montgomery St, Dallas. Get your booth today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bammfestblack-owned-experience-expo-tickets-324462645507 Photo credit: Being a Melanin Mom .

DAWN FRANKLIN DESIGNS

Dawn Franklin Designs is a Dallas based business that makes custom made jewelry and sells one-of-a-kind African pieces. Owner Dawn Franklin designs pieces that are focused on the culture and defining your personal desires. For more info. go to: http://www. dawnfranklindesigns.com.

ARTSEY ART STUDIO

Artsey Art Studio is a place where all ages can come to learn to create their visions. Plus, the studio is a comfortable environment

Tequila With Friends is owned by a group of friends in Dallas, TX. This brand of Tequila has been around for more than three years and the alcohol brand resembles the life-long friendships. Owners Brandon Scott (CEO), Curnelius Arnick (COO), Roddrick West ( Co-Founder), Devin Woodson (Marketing Specialist) combined their fun times into a tequila brand that developed through shared experiences, adventures and drinking tequila. Check them out at https://www.tequilawithfriends. com/

NOT MY SON

Not My Son is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit operated by a Black woman in Dallas,Tx. The mission of Not My Son is Community Outreach, Social Activism, Civic Engagement programs to bring the community together. Owner Tramonica Brown, is dedicated to expressing the importance of creating awareness of pressing issues. For more information go to: https://www. notmysondallas.org/

THE LADIES ROOM + BOUTIQUE

Kenya Richardson, Owner The Ladies Room + Boutique is an upscale boutique that is proud to have a family of loyal customers who return time and time again for more of their favorites. Founded in 2021, they sell high-quality, affordable items that you are sure to love. They add new styles on a regular basis, so no matter how often you visit, you’ll always find something new. Visit in person to experience the incredible customer service and runway-inspired products, and enjoy The Ladies Room + Boutique experience for yourself. Visit: https://www. theladiesroomplusboutique.com/

GarlandJournal

THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

Quit Playin’ By Vincent L. Hall “If Johnson seeks another term, it would delay an expected free-for-all to replace her. In anticipation of her retirement, several contenders for the seat emerged. They included state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, state Rep. Eric Johnson of Dallas, and Jane Hamilton, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey.” – Dallas Morning News April 20, 2017 I ask that you vote for Jane Hope Hamilton, U.S. District 30. I like Jane because she always teaches me something. But, first, let me give you some background. As a boy living in Denison, Texas, in the 1960s, there wasn’t much excitement. The humble parsonage of the Mount Zion Baptist Church on Walker Street with my grandparents was my world. But one absolute pleasure for me as a first grader was reading. Two books, styled especially for youngsters, have never left my psyche and were familiar to most kids my age. “Tip and Mitten” was

Faithful Utterances By Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew

Recently, I posted a video about the importance of connections. As much as self-care is important, I think we miss so many opportunities to heal when we allow ourselves to be in community. There is power in our fellowship and our conversations. There is power in our narratives. Listening to the testimonies and journeys of others can inspire us, can empower us, and can affirm us. Our healing can also be found in our relationships. Building connection and community is critical. It is important in many ways especially for our mental health. In an article in the New York Times blog, In the Morning, writer Melissa Kirsch shares about the importance of our time and spending

Our Voices By Tanesha Peeples

Black Wall Street Times It’s infuriating that in the year 2022, people have the unmitigated gall to tell women what to do with our bodies. What’s even more infuriating is the hypocrisy and contradiction that drive these patriarchal and archaic ass attempts to end Roe v Wade. At the top of the week, Politico reported on leaked documents from the Supreme Court signaling that it was moving towards reversing the landmark ruling, Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, making it legal for women to terminate their pregnancy during the first trimester. Ever since then, there have been national attacks and successful attempts to restrict and bar women’s rights in regards to their reproductive health. Pro-life supporters have based their criticism and repeal of Roe v. Wade in wanting to preserve the sanctity of life but when it comes to advocacy, that’s where the buck stops. If you ask me, these people aren’t all concerned with folx quality of life. They’re sitting so high up on their horses that

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Run Jane, Run!

one, and the other was “Dick and Jane.” But, of course, today, Texas Governor “Hot Wheels” would try to have the book banned or insist that educators change the name. Richard and Jane may cut muster. But Dick would create a moral dilemma in this age of abiding ignorance and social upheaval. Any book title using Dick could cause civil unrest. If “gay’ is forbidden in Florida, too many references to Dick could get you blacklisted in Texas. Now, back to Jane. It baffles me that The Dallas Morning News acknowledged Ms. Hamilton as a possible contender in the 30th Congressional district five years ago but failed to endorse her. Yet, insiders know her skill, value, and unflappable determination to touch lives and fix issues. Jane Hamilton served as Chief of Staff and campaign manager for Congressman Marc Veasey, representing the 33rd Congressional District of Texas. In that role, she created the framework for implementing all political, legis-

lative, and communication goals. Overall, Hamilton has 17 years of success creating and leveraging strong political and government networks in public policy, electoral politics, and grassroots organizing to achieve strategic goals at the state, local, and federal government levels.

Jane and Family!

Jane’s legislative work spans from the Texas State Legislature to the Halls of Congress. She began her career as a legislative aide to Texas State Rep. Helen Giddings. She started her career in Washington, DC, a year later, serving on

the U.S. House Rules Committee as a professional staffer to Ranking Member Martin Frost. My first real experience with Jane was with District Attorney Craig Watkins. She ran his campaign and the Dallas Democrats delegation. As a result, Dallas elected the first Black DA; Dallas elected a jury box full of Black judges; and, the county went from Red to Blue. That speaks volumes of her ability to devise complex strategies and gain the level of respect that leadership requires. The girl is bad. Google “Black Girl Magic,” and Jane’s picture pops up! I have not been shy about my support for her. So people who know me tell me what they think of her chances. One said she didn’t smile enough. Another said that she appeared too aggressive. And another said flippantly, “she is running against my Soror!” (Really in 2022?) First, if you had a bird’s eye view of what we are facing as a race of people and a nation, you

might not smile as much. Second, yo mama was aggressive! Case closed. Finally, we have got to stop mixing pleasure with politics. Dwaine Caraway was a part of a fraternity. Lots of them didn’t vote for him. What? Too soon? US30 will be a safe Black district until the next census. Who knows after 2032. Jane is our most qualified candidate by a landslide. We cannot afford to allow lobbyists and cryptocurrency speculators to come into this community with TV blitzes and shallow promises. These wealthy ”Cryptomaniacs’ poured almost three million dollars into Jane’s opponents’ campaign. US30 is not a “redlight” district. You can’t buy us, and we won’t be pimped. And yes, if Jane had taken the same money, I would call her “Bitcoin Barbie!” My sister Gina, a long-time educator, explained why children learn from Dick and Jane. She says the series employs a simple but successful pedagogy. “Rote learning” uses predictable text that builds the memory muscle and establishes patterns for early childhood readers. So let me try it. Run Jane Run. See Jane Run. Win Jane, Win! Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, and award-winning columnist.

What About Your Friends?

it with those who matter. So often we commit to events, meetings, and even people we don’t want to because we feel obligated. Instead of using our time to spend with those who enhance our lives, we are wasting precious time with those who drain and deplete us. Kirsch quotes a colleague: “Spending time with friends you feel ambivalent about — because they’re unreliable, critical, competitive or any of the many reasons people get under our skin — can be bad for your health.” The impact of COVID is still being realized especially as it relates to our mental health. The isolation and loneliness that many experienced has impacted a significant amount of the population and for some, this adaptation has now become normalized. Kirsch further states, “A 2010 meta-analysis found that loneliness is “as harmful to physical health as smoking 15 cig-

arettes a day.”” Just as it is problematic to spend time with those who add little to no value to our lives, being alone is also detrimental to our well-being. Fellowship is important for our joy, peace, and our longevity. Hebrews 25:10 says, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” We need one another. The Bible has many references to the importance of relationships that demonstrate relationships are a necessity as we experience both good and bad times of our lives: • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up…. And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord

is not quickly broken.” • “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) • “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) One of the most powerful examples of friendship in the Bible is that of Jonathan and David. (1 Samuel 18) Despite their very different backgrounds, these warriors connected to one another because of their faith in God and their ability to see beyond the accolades and accomplishments. They saw the heart of the other. They were committed and supported one another through various challenges. Their connection was empowering and uplifting. They also pushed one another to God instead of serving as a distraction or detraction from their purpose. Even after Johnathan died, David took care of his son.

Our relationships are contagious because we are impacted by the behaviors we see. Called social contagion, we tend to mock the behaviors we are around. As a child, I always heard the phrase, birds of a feather flock together. As things go back to some sense of normalcy, pay attention to who you are spending time with—is the relationship rewarding or reckless? Christ modeled true friendship: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13). Examine if the people around you are worth losing your direction and laying down your destiny. Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is an author of three books and the host of The Tapestry podcast. To listen to episodes of the podcast, visit https:// www.spreaker.com/show/the-tapestry_1 and to learn more about her work, go to https://drfroswa.com/

THE HYPOCRISY: States with death penalty want to overturn Roe V. Wade clouds of privilege, judgment and delusion are blocking their view of reality and humanity. Now, if the true goal for ending Roe v Wade is to preserve the “sanctity” of life then why is it that most of these states that have anti-abortion laws are ones that also support capital punishment? Isn’t a life a life? Death penalty states want to play God In response to the leaked Supreme Court opinions, Georgia State Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene – one politician many of us love to despise – said, “Life starts at conception. Our constitution never did and never will give the right to murder another human being in the womb.” If I had the chance to sit down with Marjorie – which would be a frigidly cold day in Hell – I’d ask her about her thoughts on murder outside of the womb. Her state of Georgia has upheld the death penalty for 300 years, with thousands of executions on record. Did those people not deserve protection of the sanctity of life, too?

Publisher: Cheryl Smith Address: 320 South R.L. Thornton Freeway Suite 100 Dallas, TX 75203 Phone:214-941-0110 Website: www.garlandjournal.com Editor: editor@myimessenger.com

Oklahoma is also another contradiction culprit, ranking number one in executions per capita. The state has “legally” executed 199 people since 1915–not including the over 300 illegally executed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Despite having a gruesome state-sanctioned murder rate, Oklahoma recently passed a bill mirroring Texas’ strict abortion policies. In addition to Georgia and Oklahoma, 13 other death penalty states have trigger laws in place and waiting to be dropped the minute the Supreme Court pulls Roe v. Wade. So how can these lawmakers say they’re legally entitled to decide the fate of a life but tell women they can’t make that same decision? As anti-BLM people like to say, don’t “all lives matter”? Ending Roe v Wade won’t stop abortions What will we see if Roe v. Wade is overturned? Certainly, an increase in unsafe procedures. According to Planned Parenthood, by 1965, illegal abortions made up one-sixth of all pregnan-

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cy-related deaths in the United States. The site also states, “Overturning Roe v. Wade could put safe, legal abortion out of reach for one-third of people ages 15 to 49 who may need it.” As we’ve seen in the past, women aren’t going to be backed into a corner when it comes to making decisions about their health if Roe v Wade is rescinded–they’re going to find another way. But, let’s just say they do decide to carry out the pregnancy and give the child up for adoption. Why aren’t conservatives concerned about foster children? Currently, there are over 400,000 kids in foster care across the United States. Children’s Rights reports that in 2019, more than 20,000 young people aged out of foster care without permanent families. Research has shown that those who leave care without being linked to forever families have a higher likelihood than youth in the general population to experience homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration as adults. What about their quality of life?

Finally, what kind of quality of life will there be for a mother who decides to keep their child and is forced to raise them in poverty; a mother who’s traumatized from being sexually assaulted by the child’s father; or a family who’s lost a loved one due to undiscovered, late-term pregnancy complications? Anyone that has a heart doesn’t want to see a life terminated under any circumstances. But circumstances are different for different people and it’s not our place to judge or regulate what that person does with their body through policy or religion. Bottom line, you can be pro-life and pro-rights at the same time–it’s called pro-choice. Tanesha Peeples is driven by one question in her work--"If not me then who?" As a strategist and injustice interrupter, Tanesha merges the worlds of communications and grassroots activism to push for radical change, specifically in the public education system. Her grand vision is one where everyone-regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender or zip code-can have access to a comfortable quality of life and enjoy the freedoms and liberties promised to all Americans. And that's what she works towards every day.

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.

GARLAND JOURNAL Is published by I Messenger Media LLC. 320 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75203. GARLAND JOURNAL reserves all rights and privileges to accept or refuse any submissions to be printed in any issue of the publication. Views and opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or our advertisers. GARLAND JOURNAL will, once notified, correct any issue in the next issue. GARLAND JOURNAL is not responsible for any unsolicited material. Any use or reproduction in part or whole is forbidden without the express written consent of the publisher. Annual mail subscriptions are $60 for 12 months.

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THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

Controlling the Womb Mind over Matter By Dr. Brenda Wall

It’s more to it than abortion. Abortion has become the inflammatory debate in which everyone has had an opinion for the last generation. The argument is almost predictable where you’re either right or wrong based on moral argument, health considerations or personal testimonies. Yet, with the preview of the upcoming Supreme Court decision to terminate the almost 50-yearold Roe v Wade decision legalizing women’s reproductive rights, this particular legal precedent is not a mere return to the pre-Roe v. Wade era. It’s more to it than abortion. There can be little glee when rapists have more power than mothers, when mortality rates of mothers predictably increase or even when the decision is made to

deliver a stillborn fetus. It may seem like such a victory of one side over the other with Alito’s draft opinion to overturn women’s Constitutional rights. It is not. Whether you are a fervent adherent of pro-life or pro-choice in the way it has been framed for most of our lives, being caught up in that debate now clouds the far-reaching threat to freedoms at work right before our very eyes. Power. Always power. And dare I say it, retaining the foundational origins of power enshrined in the United States Constitution for white men who owned property. It’s more to it than abortion. This will arguably be the most egregious decision since the Dred Scott decision which declared no African American had rights under the law. We have been conditioned to embrace a binary moral passion over birth and death. However, there was once (in my lifetime) just as inflaming a debate before the era of Roe v Wade. Segregation.

I grew up in a time when racial apartheid was the law of the land; it was illegal to attend public schools (where the most tax dollars were spent) or be born in the nation’s segregated hospitals or be freely seated on public transportation. It was the era when private academies sprang up overnight in order to avoid the intermingling of the races. It was also illegal to be gay, to marry interracially, drink water from public fountains and yes, get an abortion. However, abortion was not the salient issue for the nation. Maintaining segregation was the country’s polarizing debate. Segregation fueled protest, water hoses and tumultuous sermons on separate but equal. Religious leaders who preached separation of the races and Congressmen who voted segregation of public institutions galvanized the masses and solidified the country’s reactionary vote. As long as the vote was controlled, culture would perpetuate

the white vote. Whatever it took to frighten people into mobilization then, from the movie Birth of a Nation, shown in Woodrow Wilson’s White House, inspiring the rebirth of the Klan or Willie Horton’s sexual assault, which became the Republican fuel casting a threat to deified white womanhood and taking George H.W. Bush to the White House was the calculated message. Power could operate best when the distraction of inflamed racial and sexual fears was at the forefront. White power meant that white sexual power and violence could function without restraint, challenge or consequence. As long as secrecy and denial cloaked forced sexual acts, the voice of women could be disregarded. This truth flourished during enslavement and more recently in certain Supreme Court testimonies. Babies were profitable. During the antebellum South, the economic value of the enslaved exceeded the invested value of all

of the nation’s railroads, factories and banks combined. The economy of controlling the womb was indeed profitable. It still is. If you control the womb, you control the vote and at the same time, you effectively diminish female agency. Criminalizing sexual behavior as a tool of womb control, reinforces male dominance and increases the number of babies available for adoption and also for economic suppression. This time, Alito’s proposed legal opinion would pave the way for additional repressive controls that take us all the way back to the authoritarian dominance of plantation politics. Abortion is a tool to hide the efforts of corrupt men to regain political control by eliminating informed voices that vote. No more sex for you. Dr. Brenda Wall leads Reclaiming Mental Health for Women and Families at Friendship West Baptist Church, which is open to residents of the city of Dallas. Applications available!

BIG MAMA SAID

GIVE PEOPLE THEIR ROSES WHILE THEY CAN SMELL THEM! THANK YOU FOR A LIFE WELL LIVED MARY S. MCFALL! Black Card By Terry Allen I don’t think I will get much disagreement when I pull this “Big Mama” rule out of her Playbook. On the back porch, my grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen filled her three sons and three daughters, 16 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, 38 great-great-grandchildren, seven great great-great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and bonus family members with simple, Bible-based logic for us to use all throughout our lives. She would always say very proudly with her hands on her hips stance, “Honey, you got to give people their roses while they can hold them and smell them…. Amen.”

She left legacies that became part of life lessons. She taught me how to seek knowledge, recognize support and express gratitude. Her most important request from her “Roses” advice was to publicly and personally recognize the service and support others gave you. She mandated that we give roses publicly. She would close with Jeremiah 29:11 in her final word. Today, I can say job well done for another mom of mine, Mary Simpson McFall. You will then know how God sends you what you ask for (Jeremiah 29:11) if you ask. When I entered college, I was scared but bold and SMU was a new frontier where I met Mary McFall. She was the woman who rescued me and adopted me. She was the Assistant Dean of Students and the Director of Multicultural Affairs at SMU before there was DEI. It is through her that I discovered my ties to Gre-

atness and the plans God had for me. Mary McFall introduced me to the teachings and lessons that became permanent imprints of her legacy for all who met her. On a call from Upward Bound director, Thomas Edwards, Mary welcomed me into her office and her world. She “poured” into me knowledge that would become my gifts. She introduced me to “new friends’ Maya, Nikki G, Haki Madhubuti, Sonia Sanchez, Kwame Ture, Gil Scott, Miles, Satchmo. She supported my sojourn through my alma mater’s biased roadmap. She introduced me a history that looked like me. Momma Mary had me embrace great Black men, she taught me how to know my place and use it! Just because of Mother Mary- I grew, I accomplished, I evolved. She taught me how to be like Empire’s Cookie Lyons and to “get what’s mine!” Her gift to me allowed me to bring to the campus Dick Gregory, Don L. Lee, Nikki

Giovanni, and so many others. Her uplift of me allowed me to bring great minds to SMU in my college years. I recall the day we sat at a restaurant with Kwame (he was Stokely then), and her, Kwame and I just talked about resistance, survival and the fact that Miriam (Makeba) would not let him eat red meat. He said to Mother Mary, “thanks Mary for the ‘Roses” and for Terry, he is a good brother, he is young and hungry for truth.” Mary’s adoption allowed me to give Roses daily. I sat with Jon Henrik Clarke at St. Philips, talked with Ivan Van Sertima, gave praises to Claude Anderson, and broke bread with the intensely deep Amos Wilson in the Dallas-based MA’AT thinktank. Her gift allowed me to chat with Coretta, and exchange ideas with MLK, III on a plane ride. She placed knowledge in my hands that restored my ancestral memory. She helped

me find my stolen legacies. With Mother Mary, I learned – God the protector, Jesus the warrior, Swahili, Xhosa, Yoruba, Corinthians, jimbe, Pamoja, intercession, faith, Kemitic and Afrikan. Yet, the greatest gift she gave me was calling me her “bonus son.” She made me family, she gave me Brick and Jamila and all my other nieces and nephews. I have been by her side so many times for years, celebrating her gift; being her “bonus” son. A few days ago, Mother Mary transitioned! God said, “Join me Mary – your feet are paid for” God said, “Job well done!” God opened the gates of heaven and when he did, a Saint walked through! Amen! Rise in power, Mary! Rise in Peace, Mother! Rise in Perfection, Mom. Terry Allen is an NABJ awardwinning Journalist, PR professional and founder of 1016 Media, the charity - City Men Cook and Chapter President of NBPRS-DFW

Locals weigh-in on “Evil” description of Russian President Vladimir Putin cont. from page 1 Wall said. “So much so that people hurting and dying has no meaning to him.” Historian, educator, faith leader, and community activist Clarence Glover Jr. had a similar opinion. He defined evil as “the indiscriminate destruction of life, without remorse.” Does the term fit Putin? “Certainly,” Glover stressed. “It’s because he’s killing people, adults and children, who are not able to defend themselves.” Like Dr. Wall concerning evil, Glover also listed historical realities that he said could be labeled as evil: Adolph Hitler’s persecution of Jews, the 400 years of African enslavement[cq in America, the inequities of Jim Crow laws, the Native American “Trail of Tears” in the late 1830s. “All of these were evil, relative to the times when they happened,” Glover said. And Dr. Sheron Patterson, the out-spoken senior pastor at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church, “The Park,” said this about evil: “To me, evil comes straight from the pit of hell,’ she said, not flinching. “Its total focus is to annihilate -- with no conscious. It is not satisfied until it has killed, mangled…

Buffalo Massacre cont. from page 1 would “replace” GOP voters with individuals of color. New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Ohio GOP hopeful JD Vance recently have been outspoken in supporting “replacement theory.”

Putin painted as “evil” begs questions: What is evil? What will stop it? Are other humans powerless in face of “evil?” destroyed everything in its path. Does this description apply to Putin? That’s exactly who I was describing.” Some researchers say it’s key that Putin’s life experiences drive his actions. Here’s a summary: Putin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Russia in 1952. He was his parent’s third child and only survivor after two earlier brothers died as small children in the 1940s, during Germany’s devastating invasion of Russia during World War II. He allegedly joined a street gang as a youth. One of his grandfather’s was a personal cook for both Soviet Union leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin during World War I and German’s killed his maternal grandmother in 1941. Putin’s father was wounded as a Naval officer who battled the German Nazis, his mother a factory worker who almost starved during WWII. Some researchers say Putin

sees Ukraine as a threat because on some issues it favors the West which Putin views as no friend. He was an introverted child who became an icy, remote authoritarian adult. He earned a law degree in Leningrad (now St. Peterburg), Russian, worked as a KGB spy -- Soviet secret police intelligence officer – before the USSR dissolved. He moved to Moscow and joined Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s administration in security leadership positions, was appointed Prime Minister in 1999 under Yeltsin and when Yeltsin resigned at the end of the year, Putin -- whose growing popularity indicated he was heir apparent -- was appointed acting president, soon won the presidential election, and

remained president for eight years. After a four-year time-out, he was reelected in 2012 and remains as President today. One 2016 Hudson Institute report details a suspicious well-timed war between Russia and Chechnya that produced numerous well-cloaked, deadly and devious acts along Putin’s route to top billing in Russia including many deadly bombings of civilian homes. Researchers say a new 2021 constitutional amendment Putin signed could allow him to run twice more and extend his presidency to 2036. Some historians say Putin is obsessed with Russian history, including his own family roots there. They say his world view is sadly and bizarrely linked to Leningrad, Rus-

Stefanik used the concept in her 2021 campaign ads saying, “radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a permanent election insurrection.” Vance, a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate, recently ratcheted up the rhetoric. “You’re talking about a shift in the democratic makeup of this country that would mean we

never win, meaning Republicans would never win a national election in this country ever again,” he claimed at a campaign event last month. Vance’s defeated opponent, Josh Mandel, also ran on “replacement theory.” “This is about changing the face of America, figuratively and literally,” Mandel stated in a pub-

lished interview. “They are trying to change our culture, change our demographics and change our electorate. This is all about power,” he said. So far, the only Republican politician of note to call out the racist rhetoric is Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney. “The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white

Dr. Sheron Patterson senior pastor, Hamilton Park UMC “The Park.”

Clarence Glover Jr. historian, educator, faith leader, community activist

Dr. Brenda Wall clinical psychologist

sia’s story-book, seemingly impossible victory over Germany at the end of WWII and how starving and freezing Soviets fighters doggedly refused to be defeated by Hitler’s invasion and in the end conquered Berlin. The impossible victory gave Soviet Russia hero status – an honor on which historians say Putin keeps an iron grip and clings to the fact that Russia and Ukraine both are former Soviet states. Dr. Patterson and Dr. Wall both addressed the age-old questions about good and evil and why a loving God would allow a persistent evildoer to prevail. “I don’t believe Putin will prevail,” stressed Dr. Wall. Evil never wins. Evil never prevails. Patterson summed it up thus: “Here’s my answer about Putin prevailing. A loving God knows that He created strong, loving people. And they are the ones who ought to stand up and stop him” Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black fulltime reporter in 1974. norma_adams_ wade@yahoo.com

supremacy, and anti-semitism,” Cheney wrote on Twitter. “History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse. @ GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them.” Meanwhile, among the victims in the Buffalo shooting was a former police officer, and 11 of the 13 killed or injured were Black.

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THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

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Lifestyle Metro Calendar powered by MAY

Jackson Center, 3113 S. Carrier Pkwy in Grand Prairie. The speaker is Matthew DeSarno, Dallas Special Agent in Charge, FBI. For more info, call 469-744-4696.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

24 ELECTION DAY!!!

Dallas ISD In-Person Teacher Job Fair at South Oak Cliff High.

Iota Phi Lambda, Sorority Inc., Psi Chapter, 85th Anniversary Gala will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre Hotel-5410 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Dallas Entertainment will be provided by the legendary Don Diego Band.

VIP Chingona Events: Selena Movie Night Market Starts at 7pm at the new Carpenter Park Downtown Dallas

VOTE

***

UNT DALLAS COMMENCEMENT Ceremonies

25 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at 7:30pm at Globe

***

So What? Musical Festival, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington

***

Legal Clinics while helping families, college students, senior citizens, and veterans - sponsored by Verna’s H.E.L.P. Foundation Legal Clinic on Eastfield Campus at 9:30 a.m.

97 Days of Summer Kickoff Concert!

29 Parking Pass Stereo Live, 10pm 2711, Storey Lane

***

Black Girls of Texas Presents: BGOT Website Launch Mixer Giveaways, Lite bites, Photo Ops , Drinking, Networking 3pm - 7pm Business Lounge Dallas 13740 Midway Rd Suite 528, Dallas, TX 75244 Dress code summer time Get tickets at eventbrite discount code: BGOT10

*** THE EXCHANGE DFW African American Market and Vendor Showcase A Celebration of Black Business and Culture

29-30 1135 Botham Jean Blvd. #101

Texas Bridal & Wedding Expo, at Fair Park. See the hottest trends and fashions for today’s bride!

Juneteenth and Father’s Day Nick Cannon Presents: MTV Wild N OUT, Dos Equis Pavillian, Dallas CIty Men Cook at African American Museum Black Violin: Impossible Tour AT & T Performing Arts Center 8pm - 10 pm Tickets link: www.attpac.org/on-sale/2020/black-violin

20 Happy birthday Jamille Bradfield

20-24

Melanin Manifestival “What’s Your Truth” Intimate Conversations Starts at 9 pm 4 the Culture Studio, 115 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX 75226 Free event RSVP at eventbrite

Me in You, You in Me Acro Yoga Event Starts at 10 am 4 the Culture Studio, 115 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX Free event RSVP at eventbrite

14 Melanin Manifest Presents: Pull Up and Register to Vote Brunch, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM 4 The Culture Studio, 115 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX 75226 Free event with Brunch, Live poetry and 3 DJs. https://www.melaninmanifestival.com/events/pull-up-andregister-to-vote-brunch

Dallas Metroplex Musicians’ Association is elated to announce the upcoming William S. Mitchell Sacred Choral Music Workshop, to convene Monday through Friday, June 20 - June 24, 2022, 7:00 P. M. until 9:00 P. M. The Concert will be held Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 4:30 P. M. Pearly Gate Baptist Church will host this endeavor. It is located at 6021 University Hills Drive, Dallas, Texas 75241, Dr. Thomas J. Payne, Senior Pastor, and Dr. Robbie Moore, Pastor.

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM--A Memorial Balloon and Floral Ceremony for the 30 City and County leaders that assisted with the START and EXISTENCE of Verna’s H.E.L.P. Foundation “HELPING EVERYONE LIVE POSITIVE.”“THE THIRTY SHOULDERS WE STAND ON OF GIANTS.” Honoring the Late Frank and Judy Lott, Honorable Elsie Faye Higgins, Mayor Annette Strauss, Gloria Hogg, Murdine Berry, Olga Mae Rabourn, Mr. J.B. Jackson, Honorable Albert and Lovie Lipscomb, Pastor George W. Pryor, Pastor S.M. Wright, William and Mozelle Blair, Comer J. Cottrell, Lawson Ridgeway, Attorney Louis A Bedford, M. T. “Buddy” Minyard, Judge John H. Wittington, Judge Cleo Steele, Fred Meyer, Norman Moorehead, John Stemmons, Peter and Betty May Stewart, Dr. Charles Mitchell, Mayor Jack Evans, Poncho Medrano, Mayor Starke Taylor, and Mayor Robert Folsom.

Freshstart Employent Pipeine Hiring Event 10a-3p in J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 6th Floor Wing, 1515 Young St., Dallas. For pre-screening visit https://bit. ly/3P9lmsz or register at https://bit.ly/38favN7

JUNE 1 I Love the 90’s R&B / Hip Hop Memorial weekend Party 2333 West Mockingbird Lane,Dallas,75235,US 4pm - 9pm Tickets: $9.99 - 199.99

June 3

23 The 34th Annual NAACP Grand Prairie Freedom Fund Scholarship Banquet to benefit local students with scholarships to advance their education will be held at 7pm at the Ruthe

Martin Luther King Recreational Center, 2901 Pennsylvania Ave. Contact Antoine White 314-630-4465 for vendor info 12-5pm

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents An Evening with Soledad O’Brien

Life Field in Arlington

Elusive Ladies celebrate 44th DELTAversary -#BADST

FES-

4 ‘Live Out Proud’ at the Dallas Pride Music Festival & Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade in Fair Park June 4-5. Dallas Pride readies for its return to Fair Park June 4-5 to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its allies with a weekend of events with the theme of “Live Out Proud.” Tickets are on sale now at dallaspride.org for the Dallas Pride Music Festival

The 4th Annual Denton Freedom Charity Golf Tournament is being hosted at Wildhorse Golf Club at Robson Ranch, 9400 Ed Robson Blvd A, Denton to help raise awareness for homelessness and hunger and freedom from addiction.

4 the Culture Studio, 115 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX 75226, USA Free event RSVP at eventbrite

Melanin Manifestival Painting at the Pink + P - Valley Watch Party Starts at 8 pm

Metro Community Calendar powered by RECURRING: The African American Genealogical Interest Group meets the 3rd Saturday each month, 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., through May, in the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1st floor West Room, 1515 Young St.

MAY

1904: Jazz pianist and composer “ Fats” Waller is born. Armed Forces Day

1878: Bill “ Bojangles” Robinson is born.

The Silent Partner presents “I Love Music Day Experience,” celebrating Black Music Month at Sandaga 813, 813 Exposition Ave, Dallas, Texas, 3pm to 8pm, Feat N’tense, the band, live! DJ Phil on the patio and DJ Twisted - inside presale tickets/table reservation: https://ilovemusic2022.eventbrite.com Reserve a table for guaranteed seating!

Southern University Alumni Association Annual Bayou Bash African American Museum 6p.m. ***

19 1925: Malcolm X born. He was a Black Nationalist and human rights leader, orator. Tap Takeover with Four Corners Brewery -The Village Dallas

Kids’ Movies and Concerts at The Lakefront™ The Lakefront at Little Elm 701 W Eldorado Pkwy, Little Elm at 5pm

22 1967: Legendary poet Langston Hughes passes away.

23 1900: Civil War hero Sgt. William Carney becomes first Black soldier to receive Medal of Honor.

Sample beers from local breweries. Stop by the beer garden outside of Over Under for FREE samples from Four Corners Brewery, Paletas for purchase, and live music from 6-9pm!

20 1952: Boxer “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler born.

Green Funeral Home Open House 105 Vintage Dr, Red Oak, TX 75154, Reception to follow with Food and Drinks. Come meet the owners and staff. Tour the facility. There will be door prizes! 4-6 pm

The 34th Annual NAACP Grand Prairie Freedom Fund Scholarship Banquet to benefit local students with scholarships for the advancement of education, 7:00 p.m., (Silent Auction/Social Hour begins at 6:30 p.m.) at Ruthe Jackson Center, 3113 S. Carrier Pkwy. Grand Prairie, Texas, 75052. The theme is “Moving Forward” and the dynamic Keynote Speaker is Matthew DeSarno, Dallas, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Mistress of Ceremony (MC) Sharlene Speaks and Dareia Jacobs, and entertainment performed by “Pure Blend Band.” Contact Crist Coleman, Secretary, 469-744-4696 or email: GrandPrairieNAACPGala@yahoo.com for more information.

24 1961: Acclaimed poet Langston Hughes inducted into National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Remembering George Floyd

GARY OWEN | STAND UP @ ADDISON IMPROV COMEDY CLUB Addison Improv Tickets - improvtx.com/addison/comic/gary+owen

1926: Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis is born.

27 1942: Messman Dorie Miller first American hero of Pearl Harbor awarded Navy Cross.

28 1944: Singer Glady’s Knight (of Gladys Knight and the Pips) is born.

11 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. - The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center’s Grand Reopening Meet & Greet. Come out and learn more about our programs and services, take a campus tour, and network with some of our community partners!

1965: Vivian Malone became first Black to graduate from the University of Alabama.

The World According to Andrew on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join the call 646200-0459 on Andrew’s World.

30 1962: Edward Franklin Frazier, world famous sociologist, historian and educator, died. Memorial Day (Observer)

Doc Shep Speaks Show! A fresh perspective, but still entertaining! Welcome to The Doc Shep Speaks Show!!!. Tuesdays at 11 am. CST Live on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews, @ fnsconsulting, and YouTube Live @ docshepspeaks.

1955: U.S. Supreme Court orders school integration “with all deliberate speed.”

June 1

Snoh Aalegra Live in Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory 1862: Slavery was abolished in all U.S. Possessions.

1863: Harriet Tubman, under the command of Union Colonel James Montgomery, led 150 black Union soldiers in the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina. This was the only Civil War military engagement where a woman was the commander.

1956: A Federal Court ruled that racial segregation on Montgomery City buses violated the Constitution.

Dallas Southern Pride just added rapper, songwriter, and record executive, Yo Gotti, as a headliner for its Juneteenth Unity Weekend

I Was Just Thinking with Norma Adams-Wade “History Class is in Session” Join in on Facebook/@ TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 am -1 pm. CST. Wednesdays. Join the conversation call 646-200-0459.

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GarlandJournal

THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

Oak Cliff-Native Courtney Peace Is Making Waves With Bottled Water By Stephenetta (isis) Harmon Courtney Peace wants you to drink more clean water. And, while you’re at it, his water. “You gotta stay hydrated,” said the Oak Cliff native, while gulping down a bottle of his own Maji Pure alkaline water. Studies show that most of us aren’t. According to the CDC, 43% of Americans drink less than four cups a day (another survey put us at 80%). And, when we do drink enough, it’s not likely to be the cleanest or the safest. That’s why Peace launched Maji Pure as one of a handful of Black-owned water companies in the country. “I had been drinking [my alkaline water] by myself for a minute,” he explained. Then, water shortages and boil notices during the pandemic (and 2021 snowstorm) helped him see a bigger vision. “It was kind of like a Godsend,” he said. “I was one of the few guys who could actually bring water to the community [...] in their time of need.” That’s when Peace knew he had to bring his brand to the masses. Overcoming adversity He initially started the venture with a few partners, but when they fell off, he knew he had to keep going. “I kept with the dream.” It took two years for him to push through bureaucratic red tape and financial setbacks. The most challenging parts, he said, were figuring out the manufacturing process and getting a license to bottle and sell water. “They gave me the blues about that license,” he admitted. Peace also opened up about facing uphill battles since he was a teenager. By the time he was 18, he was incarcerated for

Courtney Peace

Photo Credit: Alex-Martin

a crime he said he did not commit. After serving 11 years of a 15-year sentence, he was out on parole, unemployed, and with few options to make his own second chance. But, he is not looking for sympathy. “I don’t believe in hard or difficult, I just believe in what it takes to get it done.” He’s more interested in impacting the community. The most rewarding parts of his journey have been “to actually see my people appreciate what I’m doing for the community and the unity I’m bringing behind it,” he said. “I am someone that is really from the hood. For people in the hood to see me doing this, it gives them a spark of innovation. “They can see and say, ‘Peace can do this. Peace went to prison, wouldn’t nobody give Peace a job when he got out of prison. And Peace has got a billboard right now with Maji Pure going down Highway 35,’” he continued. “It changes the consciousness and the belief on what we can do.” From making water to making waves Calling it the “people’s water,” Peace believes he has one of the best alkaline water brands on the market. “It’ll change your life,” he said. “Everyone who has tried the water has become a customer. You don’t really know what clean water is until you drink clean water.” Maji Pure water is filtered through a reverse osmosis process to a level of 0 TDS, which measures the number of dissolved sediments in the water. It is then infused with minerals like calcium and magnesium to make it alkaline. While the body is self-regulating, alkaline water with a pH balance of 9 has been touted for helping take stress off the body’s systems, resulting in everything from better digestion and clearer skin to weight loss. “It’s like a healing agent,” said Peace. “Our bodies are so filled with different toxins daily, from the air we breathe and some of the foods we eat. Alkaline water helps your body maintain balance. It will have you feeling better. Your energy levels will be better.”

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Courtney Peace

For non-believers, he’s also done a few live demos showing the pH levels of several national water brands. Each time, Maji Pure tested higher, with fewer additives. And now, he’s ready to make waves in the community. Since launching in January, Maji Pure is already available in local mom-and-pop shops, medical spas, and even gyms throughout Texas, including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Houston, and Mansfield. Peace has even secured retail space in California. He’s also sharing the wealth. While building his brand, he offers wholesale opportunities and training for other entrepreneurial hopefuls. Within the next two years, Peace wants Maji Pure to become a household name. “I’m not just saying it’s water for Black people. I want everybody to embrace this and pay atten-

Photo Credit: Alex-Martin

tion to what they are putting into their body.” That includes creating and selling a filtration machine for consumers to soften and change the pH at home, along with opening a grocery store. “That’s something else I hope to happen in the future -- where we provide fruits and vegetables to our community,” he explained. Until then, he plans to keep pushing his marketing and community-building efforts. He will be selling water at the Rick Ross Car and Bike show in Georgia next weekend and then he will be back as a sponsor for a mental health awareness event and for a local Juneteenth celebration. “We are doing a lot of things in the community that we’re trying to balance out from negative to show the positive light of where we come from.” Learn more about Maji Pure at majipure.com.

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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?

Crimestoppers 877-373-8477

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GarlandJournal

THURSDAY MAY 19, 2022

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US Steps in Reclassifying Brittney Griner’s Detainment in Russia as Wrongful Houston Forward Times

It has been 4 months and counting since WNBA star, Olympic gold medalist, and Houston native Brittney Griner was detained and taken into custody in Moscow, Russia. On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, the Biden administration expressed a reclassification of Griner’s detainment in Russia as “wrongful.”

It has been 4 months and counting since WNBA star, Olympic gold medalist, and Houston native Brittney Griner was detained and taken into custody in Moscow, Russia.

A State Department official sent a statement to ESPN late Monday night, saying, “The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner’s release.” The State Department previously had not said much about Griner’s arrest which took place days before Russia invaded Ukraine. There has been speculation that the State Department didn’t get involved sooner to avoid Griner becoming a political prisoner under the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is not uncommon for WNBA players to play overseas as the pay is better than it is in the United States. Griner, who plays professionally overseas during the WNBA offseason with the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg, was arrested in an airport after personnel searched her luggage and discovered hashish oil. The “wrongfully detained” reclassification means that the United States government will make efforts to negotiate her release instead of waiting around to see her case play out through the Russian courts. Griner was granted consular access in March and at that time was checked on by a U.S. official. Her mental state was reported by Ekaterina Kalugina of

the Public Monitoring Commission as “calm” and the conditions with which she was being detained were described as “standard.” Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, made a statement to ESPN saying, “Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House will do whatever is necessary to bring her home.” Griners’s absence was palpable as the WNBA began their season on May 6th. The WNBA is throwing their support behind the Phoenix Mercury center Griner in their own way. Via WNBA Official Release The WNBA announced plans to acknowledge the importance of Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner to the league. During the 2022 season, which tips off on Friday, May 6, Griner’s initials and jersey number (42) will be featured along the sideline of all 12 WNBA courts. “As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.” The below image demonstrates the design of Griner’s initials and jersey number that will be placed on each WNBA court. The league also announced today that the Phoenix Mercury have been granted both roster and salary cap relief so that it can carry a replacement player until Griner, who will be paid her full salary, returns home and is ready to get back on the court. As previously announced by the Mercury, philanthropic initiatives recognizing Griner and modeled after her contributions to the Phoenix community will take place across the WNBA during tip-off weekend into the 2022 season. Every WNBA market will support BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive, which is in partnership with the Phoenix Rescue Mission. Griner founded the initiative in 2016 to support the homeless population. “In conjunction with the league, the other 11 teams, and those closest to BG, we will work to keep her top-of-mind as we tip the 2022 season,” said Jim Pitman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Phoenix Mercury. “While we await her return, our main concern remains for her safety and well-being. Our fans will miss her impact on the court and in our community, and this gesture of including her initials on every court and our BG’s Heart and Sole Shoe Drive activation in every market are for them and for her.” Here’s hoping the State Department’s involvement expedites Griner’s safe return home.

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cont. from page 1

hear people say, “YOLO” or “you only live once.” I contend that every day is another day to live and also to make each day better than the one before; or you can at least make the attempt. And this brings me back to “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.” I remember reading the book, “Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren. If you’ve lived a life of purpose, your mantra can be “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” because you will have left an

impact that remains long after you have said your last goodbye. Try keeping a daily, weekly or monthly log of your comings and goings. What do you spend the majority of your days doing? Now if you are retired or experiencing impaired health, these are variables that must be taken into consideration. Those of sound body and mind, well, you can get to evaluating and then coming up with a plan of how you are going to ensure that your time on this earth has meaning or value. Or did you just take up space, existing until you don’t?