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QUIT PLAYIN’ by Vincent L. Hall
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ELECTION 2020
MY TRUTH
By Cheryl Smith Publisher
Spread LOVE
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2020 VOLUME X
Allred keep Congressional seat, looks to future
Speak the truth. Share your feelings. Show love. I have known Curtistene McCowan for over 30 years. Reflecting on many of our conversations, I realized we always expressed our feelings for and about each other. For that I am grateful because she is no longer here to hear me say how much love and respect I had for her. Which brings me to my truth. Last weekend citizens, friends
U.S. Congressman Colin Allred
By Allana J. Barefield Mayor Curtistene McCowan
and loved ones participated in a service honoring DeSoto first female Mayor Curtistene Smith McCowan, who died Wednesday, October 28. In early October she announced her lung cancer diagnosis during a City Council meeting on Zoom, she said. “Those of you who know me are also aware that I have an unusual amount of energy,” she said at the time. “So when I get tired or don’t put in the time and energy that I normally do on an issue, something’s up.” Her death came as a shock to many. “We’ve lost a great committed leader,” said U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), whose district includes DeSoto. The two were the only living African American females in the district to have schools named in their honor. “Her leadership spirit will be missed. Her influence and her leadership was felt in DeSoto, her first love.” A strong advocate of education, some say she had many loves and she was committed to her family, her faith and a life of service. In her 54th year of marriage, during an interview last December with Texas Metro News, she proudly stated that she and husband, Leon, had been married for 53 years. “I married my high school sweetheart,” she said, noting that there was no resistance to their nuptials because, “Leon was such a great guy.” She also shares a distinction with another elected official as the two were honored as distinguished alums of El Centro College, now Dallas College. Her fellow alum shared his expressions. “She devoted a lot of her time and service to the public,” said Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, adding that Mayor McCowan was a selfless leader, pointing out her service with Concerned Citizens of DeSoto, DeSoto School Board, City Council and even secretary of Dallas County Inland Port, to name a few. “She spent a lot of time serving.” And that’s how many will remember her. See MY TRUTH, page 7
Staff Writer
U.S. Congressman Colin Allred (D-TX) says he is ready to return to Washington after maintaining his seat with a sizable defeat over Republican challenger Genevieve Collins, representing Texas’ 32nd Congressional district. Allred earned 53.88 percent of the votes while Collins earned 44.33 percent, according to unofficial results by the Texas Secretary of State’s office. He earned 178,018 while Collins garnered 157,511 votes. Speaking to reporters on a Zoom call late Tuesday night, Allred claimed victory and said defeating COVID-19 would be a priority in his next term.
But, he said, he would need his constituents’ help. “When Americans work together, we can overcome anything and do great things for this nation,” Allred said. Collins sent a message, via social media, to her supporters Wednesday afternoon, conceding the race. “While we may have come up short last night, I am so proud of this campaign and will never forget the experiences traveling around the district and hearing your stories,” she tweeted. “It was my honor to be your Republican nominee and I have zero regrets. “I look forward to what comes next.” Allred also thanked support-
ers late Tuesday. “To all the volunteers, the self-organizers, and the families who support, thank you,” Allred said in a Zoom call, after 9 p.m Tuesday. “This is your victory, thank you for all that you do and
will continue to do for our community, here in North Texas.” Allred’s district includes portions of eastern Dallas, Garland, Richardson, Mesquite, and Park Cities. On Tuesday, supporter Jim McCormack of Frisco praised Allred for seeking a second term. McCormack, who was volunteering for Democrats outside of his own precinct, held a Biden-Harris sign at Collin County Community College that read, “Don’t stop at the top. Vote for every Democrat!” He said Allred, who played five seasons with the Tennessee Titans pro football team, had been effective in his representation of North Texas. “He’s an intellectual, I think a lot of people see Colin Allred as a former football player and don’t think about the fact that he’s an educated lawyer,” Mccormack said. Allred faced an uphill battle to hold on to the seat. Allred accused Collins of darkening his skin in her campaign ads. She also associated him with groups rioting and looting after protests of racial injustice.
Too close to call
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Davis wins Frisco school board seat Becomes the first African American to serve
By Eva D. Coleman I Messenger Media
Consistently ranked one of the fastest growing school districts in the nation, Frisco ISD has dramatically changed over the years. Yet, in some areas, things have remained the same. The lack of African Americans seated at the table of the Board of Trustees is one of them. According to Frisco ISD historical data, its Hamilton School served African American children from 1924 until a school board vote to integrate Frisco High School came on August 31, 1964. Now 56 years later, with
an enrollment of 4, defeating Amit over 60,000 stuKalra and Muni dents, the District Janagarajan. has an African The election American popwas moved from ulation of 11.2 the spring to Nopercent. Still, no vember, and acrepres entation cording to Davis, in top tier deciit has taught her sion-making has the power of enensued. durance. Entrepreneur “None of us exDynette A. Davis pected to still be has brought this running for our Dynette A. Davis long-standing respective offices phenomenon to an end. beyond May; much less have our As the first African American names on the ballot with presielected to the Frisco ISD Board dential candidates,” the DePaul of Trustees, she’ll serve in Place University alum and member
of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., added. While results were late coming in for several races, it was a fairly early night for Davis and her supporters. “I am thankful for the lessons learned; grateful to all of my supporters and humbled by the faith that voters in this great district chose me to be their next Frisco ISD Trustee,” said Davis. “The historical nature of my win has not been lost on me. It is an honor to make history as the first African American to be elected to the FISD Board of Trustees; however, it is profoundly sad that See FRISCO at page 3
School desegregation, busing left their good and bad marks I WAS JUST THINKING
By Norma Adams-Wade I ran across a 1976 news articles that described how Dallas prepared for one of the early chapters of school busing during the 1970s. 1976 was a pivotal year because of court orders that Dallas get really serious – this time – about desegregating its school system.
Remember, the federal Supreme Court some 22 years earlier in 1954 had ordered that all U. S. schools end the sham “separate but equal” method of educating Black and White students. The 1970s, this time, were to make racial integration a true mandated order. From 1954 into the 1970s, cities and school districts across the land pretty much made their own decisions about whether to desegregate. Districts dragged their feet, putting up creative
road blocks or just outand-out ignoring the Supreme Court order. Then slowly, school authorities beLinda Brown of the Brown gan to comv. Board of Education case. ply because Photo credit: Wikipedia of the power and might of federal government oversight and intervention.
I was just thinking about the human toll of that desegregation fight and the life-changing impact – good and bad – on young people who went through those struggles. I was just thinking of Linda Brown. In 1954, she was the 11-year-old youth at the center of the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that ended the law that protected segregated schools. Brown, who was born February See SCHOOL, page 5
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Virtual and liVe Community Calendar
National Gratitude Month Lung Cancer Awareness Month November 5 Arlington Job Fair. Host Job Fair Pro. At Holiday Inn Arlington NE-Rangers Ballpark, 1311 Wet N Wild Way Arlington. 11 am. Info: Eventbrite.com. My Red Hand My Black Hand, Presented by Cara Mia & Soul Rep Theatre. Streamed auto play. See the preview performance at 7:30 pm.- Indigenous People’s Day - For tickets: www.caramiatheatre.org or www.soulrep.org for tickets. Parkland Hospital, Walk-Up COVID-19 Testing Location: West Dallas Multipurpose Center, 2828 Fish Trap Road, Dallas. Tue-Sat 7:30 am-4 pm. Info: https://bit.ly/3eaRjPj Anti-Racism: A Public Professional Learning Community Webinar Series. Racialized Trauma, Mentoring and Counseling. 6-8 pm CST. Please RSVP/register: Eventbrite.com Coffee with the Coach, host Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce. 12 pm. Reg: info@baslchspringschamber.com.
November 6 Happy Birthday to Dareia Jacobs Student Art Contest Submission Dead line. Theme: My Life Matters. Cash Prizes. For info: www.urbanartsonline.com. Virtual Job Expo / Career Fair. Host JobsOffice.org. 11 am-2 pm. Info on reg: https://jobsoffice.org/jobexpo
The Truth about the VA Home Loan Benefit Seminar. Free online VA Loan Seminar. Register: www.alignedseminars.com 10 am CST.
Future Stars Event Series with Keynote Speaker James Roday Rodriguez. Hosted by Junior Players. Online Event 7 pm-8:30 pm. At http://juniorplayers.org/futurestars. Tickets: juniorplayers.org/futurestars The FREE COVID-19 Testing Site at Paul Quinn College 3837 Simpson Stuart Rd.10 am-4 pm. Food box giveaway from 10AM - 12PM or while supplies last. https://bit.ly/31anTfq.
November 8 Soul Talk Hosted by Denton Black Film Festival, (Art) o Photographer Online event, Free. Info: Eventbrite.com. Sunday Happy Hour, NABJ Media Related Task Force, with host Terry Allen, Guests: Michelle Pettis, PR & Fundraising Powerhouse and Je’ Wesley Day, NABJ Member expert journalist, & mixologist. 5:30 pm CST. Reg: https://bit.ly/2FOlwGG bring your best drink and enjoy the best in online networking! Black America Clothing Brand Fashion Show at Unique Visons Upscale Events 324 S. Hampton Rd. DeSoto. 7-10 pm. Tickets@Eventbrite.com. Iconic Sundays Pink Party in Support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Status, 2019 N. Lamar St. Dallas. 10 pm- 2 am. Tickets: Eventbrite.com Celebrating the Visionary Woman. Host DeMario Davis Pan African Connection at 4466 S. Marsalis Ave. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3dUuEqh
November 9
Leading Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity at Work and in Society. Speakers: Martin N. Davidson and Laura Morgan Roberts. 12-1 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com.
Marvelous Marriage Mondays at Friendship-West Baptist Church-register for Virtual event, online at friendshipwest.zoom.us/.../upcpcOmhqz4rqNU 7-8 pm.
Keep Your Distance - A Socially Distanced Comedy Show Vol. 8. Host KevOnStage. This Will Be a Live Show. Live Stream on YouTube. Tickets: Eventbrite.com. 6-9 pm. Valder Beebe Show KKVIDFW.COM FM 89.9 at 12 pm. ‘Good Bones’ on HGTV, stars; TWO CHICKS AND A HAMMER. Tad Starsiak LOTRIMIN Sponsor supported GET OUT TO VOTE .
November 7 Annual Women’s Expo by Petya Edwards 1-4 pm at Embassy Suites by Hilton, 13131 N. Central Epxy, Dallas. Tickets & Info: Petya Edwards 214-971-5005 office@pedwards.org. Tim Bae’s Comedy Tour Feat: Tim Bae at Hyenas Comedy Club 5321 E Mockingbird ln. Dallas. 7 pm. Tickets Eventbrite.com.
Happy Birthday to Virlinda Stanton
We Still Here. In the midst of loss and death and suffering, our charge is to figure out what freedom really means and how we take steps to get there. 4-5:30 pm CST. Reg: Eventbrite.com.
November 10 Attention future #Quinnites, we are providing Virtual Information Sessions for all prospective students and families. Every 7 pm. Sign up https://pqc-edu.squarespace.com/ Mental Health for Faith and Nonprofit Leaders. Virtual Email community@bigtex.com to Sign Up 9:30 -11:45 am.
November 11
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Ask Dr. Amerson Show at 11am CST Dr. Linda discusses healthy hair and scalp talk, and alopecia talk, on FB Live and DfwiRadio.com. Dallas Black Dance Theatre & Dallas Symphony Orchestra Unite in Concert Honors Lives lost to Racial Violence & Injustice at Mort Myerson Symphony Center 2301 Flora St. Dallas Info: www.DBDT.com or www.mydso.com. The Best of Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III 60th Birthday. 6 pm. Watch Live Stream on Fb Live, YouTube, Live Stream and Friendship-West Baptist Church. How to Be an Anti-racist-Featuring Ibram X Kendi. 8-10 pm. Online event. Reg: Eventbrite.com. bit.ly/nov11-kendi. Film Screening: Black Men in Social Work. There is a lack of research on Black Men in Social Work, a live event with discussion, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com.
November 12-15 The 16th Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair 2020 Virtual. Sponsored by the Law School Admission Council. 3-9:30 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com. https://nationalprelawdiversity.org/
November 12 Undesign the Redline Virtual Tour. Hosted by City of Dallas City Hall. Virtual event Tickets: bit.ly/3coKRD4. 11 am-1:30 pm. American Association of University Women with support from the Coca Cola Foundation, invites HBCU Alumni, faculty, and students. Know Your Value and Get Paid. 5–6:00 pm EST. Zoom Reg: https://bit.ly/3kuKsCp. National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum Presents Western Heritage Virtual Telethon Wrangler Presents at The Warehouse, 1125 E. Berry St. Ft Worth. 7-10 pm. Tickets: https://westernheritagemuseumtelethon.eventbrite.com
Andrew’s World with host Andrew Whigham III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join the call at 646-200-0459 In The Middle with Ashley Moss. “Talking about topics that Matter” Join in in Facebook/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio. com at 11 am-1 pm. CST. Mondays. Join the conversation call 646-2000459. 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 & Blog Talk Radio.com Join the conversation 646-200-0459.
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. The Bare Truth with Allana J. Baredierld. “Always Audacious, Accurte and Authentic” On Facebiik/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio. at 11 am-1 pm. CST. Thursdays. Join the call at 646200-0459 From Marva with Love with Marva Sneed from11 am -1 pm. CST, Fridays on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459.
COVID in Black, Episode 4: Faith & COVID-19 - A Pathway Forward. Hosted by Covid-19 Prevention Network. Reg: https://bit.ly/34JA9EZ. 6 pm. CST. Anti-Racism: A Public Professional Learning Community Webinar Series. Ethnic Studies and Anti-Racist Pedagogies 6-8 pm CST. Please RSVP/register: Eventbrite.com.
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
Ed Bell Construction Company An Equal Opportunity Employer
Our students benefit from the insights of legal educators as well as the input from legal practitioners.
November 2, 2020 Ed Bell Construction is a Dallas based heavy highway contractor doing business in the North Texas market since 1963. With clients such as TxDOT, Dallas County Public Works, and the Cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Richardson and Mansfield (plus many others), we have a strong backlog of work in the highway market locally.
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Available: multiple openings Rate: Negotiable Must have own transportation Years of Experience required will vary, from 6 months to 2 years (depending on position) Physical and Drug Screen Required Must have a Clear Background Must be at least 18 years old (CDL Driver, 21 yrs)
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Must APPLY IN PERSON at 10605 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75220 from 7am-11am Mon-Fri. Please visit our website: www.edbellconstruction.com/careers Or email your resume to: careers@edbellconstruction.com
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Hodges to build unity and relationships As part of the City of Grand Prairie's recently-passed "Resolution for Diversity, Inclusion, Justice,” the City has hired a Community Inclusion Director (former GPPD officer Gerald Hodges) to roll out a series of new inclusion initiatives for Grand Prairie residents and City employees. Mr. Hodges is part of the City Manager’s Office and will work in the community building unity and relationships; and in the city organization cultivating our environment that encourages and supports diversity and inclusion. He previously served In law enforcement for 13 years, eight with Grand Prairie Police as a School Resource Officer and detective, and five with another agency. Prior to law enforcement, Gerald spent nine years in the education and the social services profession. During that time, Gerald worked with drug prevention support groups from South Dallas to Highland Park, and was an assistant principal for charter schools in South Oak Cliff and Fort Worth. Gerald is currently on the Grand Prairie YMCA Board, the board for “Cops and Kids Fishing,” and the TD Foundation. Gerald has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Texas A&M University.
Frisco from page 1
in 2020 I am a first. “In the words of University of Minnesota Associate Professor, Dr. Rachel Hardeman, ‘While titles alone don't create change, the resources, institutional support and the right people to lead the work do.’ I, along with the other trustees, am committed to doing the work to keep moving FISD forward.’” Interestingly, Frisco ISD has seen a dramatic shift in its ethnic makeup, with Asian students comprising 31.3 percent of the Districts total student population and be-
www.grandpasecret.com
Gerald Hodges
ing in the majority at several of its 72 campuses. The District elected its first Asian school board member, Gopal Ponangi, in 2019. Davis completed her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently a Higher Educational Leadership, Doctoral Candidate at Concordia University. She recently earned the Women’s Entrepreneurship certificate from Cornell University. A member of Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society in Education, she currently serves on the board of directors for Her Future Teen Mom Empowerment in Chicago IL. She is committed to using her academic background and professional experience to “Changing the Face of Education.”
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George Carlin, America, and Trump!
QUIT PLAYIN
By Vincent L. Hall This column could get me in trouble for three reasons. First and foremost, I must admit that George Carlin, my favorite comedian of all, ain’t Black. Only two White dudes make my top 10. But you know it doesn’t take much to get your Black Card snatched these days. Secondly, Carlin’s mouth is about as filthy as mine. We do the kinda cussing that makes sailors blush! As a writer, my choices are to have good scripts fed to me in rhythm and context. Bernie Mac was right. The
average Black man can use Maryland Farmer (MF) 34 times in a two-minute conversation. The word takes on at least five contextual sides, and when adequately enhanced, it can be made funny five ways as well. But Carlin, like Richard Pryor and Deon Cole (Charles on Black’ish) writes jokes for profundity and uses profanity for color and catchiness. Here are a few short quotes by George Carlin that made me a fan early on: “If a man is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, what’s all the fighting about?” “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? Great writers/comics use satire and reality to make us laugh at others until we realize that we are actually laughing at ourselves.” In one of his last punch lines, before he died in 2008, Carlin forcefully challenged America’s best-selling
pitch. We claim greatness and preeminence over the world, citing the “American Dream.” Carlin transformed it into the nightmare that both Dr. King and Malcolm X proclaimed it to be. “It’s called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. Good, honest, hard-working people…these are people of modest means, continue to elect these rich @#$%^%$ who don’t give a ‘truck’ about them. They don’t give a Truck about you! They don’t care about you at all! At all, at all!” And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. That’s what the “owners” count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue “PRICK” that’s assaulting them every day. Because the owners of this country know the truth… It’s called the American Dream. Because you have to be asleep to believe it.” Now some of you are smart and by now you are wondering. I told you that this article could get me in trou-
he’s gonna lose. We fell for that trick in 2016. The only way to make “America Great,” is to realize that if half this nation has a dream and the other half has a nightmare, neither side can ever have what they want. Trump sold you a bill of goods. He used racism and every other hateful divider he could find to make you believe in a Dream that he ble for three reasons. I gave you the “Black Card” and “Filthy Language.” I didn’t give you point three. That method is called literary suspense. You give them the answers to the test and then make them wait. Anyway. The third reason this may cause me some unrest is that this was written specifically for you Trump worshippers: White, Black, Brown, and otherwise. It looks like
can never live. You can either go back to sleep or grasp the notion that all men and women are created equal, and all have certain inalienable rights. But no one possesses these rights until each of us does. George Carlin got it. Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, and award-winning columnist.
The Squeaky Wheel
WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE By Dr. E. Faye Williams
TriceEdney — An old axiom states that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In other words, no one knows, cares, or does anything about your pain or discomfort unless you are courageous enough to identify it. Weekly, I’m privileged to share my discomfort and the added benefit of sharing how I propose to deal with certain challenges. I find that being straightforward is an opportunity that
many neither have nor really want. Occasionally, I’m blessed with great appreciation for the character and generosity of others. Their behavior affords me the luxury of viewing my world through the lens of positivity for the betterment of humankind. They go beyond the call of duty to demonstrate selfless concerns and a spirit of hope with the endeavors they perform for the benefit of others. For two WNBA seasons, Maya Moore, of the Minnesota Lynx, left basketball to concentrate her efforts on releasing Jonathan Irons, a convicted Missouri man serving a 50-year sentence for burglary and assault. Introduced to Irons through a prison ministry, Moore believes that Irons, as a 16-year old, was wrongly convicted. Like many others, Irons was convicted without physical or DNA evidence. At 39, he’s only 23 years through a 50-year sentence. Moore states, “There are seasons of life when you run harder after certain things
than others. And so, I felt like the season was coming for me where I needed to run harder after criminal justice reform.” Members of major league sports have begun to use their voices and platforms to advocate for social justice. Although it took the deaths of several African Americans (George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Jacob Blake in Wisconsin - shot in the back in front of his 3 children, Rayshard Brooks in Georgia, Walter Wallace, Jr. in Philadelphia all just in 2020), to demonstrate violent, systemic racism, professional athletes have embraced the cause of justice in law enforcement. I must mention Coach Doc Rivers for his moving remarks supporting athletes saying, “It’s amazing why we keep loving this country, and this country does not love us back.” That statement encouraged many athletes to take action. I take great pride in the
commitment of our athletes and their participation in reshaping a variety of our cultural norms and imperatives. I commend Lebron James who, without question, was the greatest catalyst for challenging so many athletes to leave their comfortable circumstances to realize they could have been any of the above-mentioned tragedies. LeBron’s actions didn’t begin with these 2020 tragedies. He has always stepped out to help his community. He’s helped build transitional housing for homeless families and those struggling for a safe environment in which to live. He’s given resources for establishing a school for at risk students in his hometown. His foundation pays for services and programs students would not otherwise have. LeBron is not new to social justice, and he is a blessing to our community. He’s an in-person presence for causes he supports, and his social media outreach is
so massive that those wishing to silence him are overwhelmed. After seeing the worst of the “Rapper” community in the weeks preceding the November election, along came Common who joined the athletes and spoke up with intelligence not always common among rappers. We hear many well-deserved comments about Black women and our work related to voting, but many Black men also emerged to drown-out the voices of traitors. Lebron James, Doc Rivers, Common, Barack Obama, Stephen A. Smith, and Chris Webber have made us proud with their stepping-up in both social justice and voting arenas. I pray that this coalition will stay together to resolve the challenges which will remain after our election. Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women and host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-89.3 FM
Beyond the 2020 Elections
THE LAST WORD By Dr. Julianne Malveaux No matter what the outcome of the 2020 election, there remains much work to do. Our economy is wrong-sided, and we have to rightside it. Our tax code rewards the wealthy and penalizes others. Our regulatory system protects corporations, not people. Almost a hundred environmental regulations from the Obama years have been reversed. Schools have fewer protections than they once had. Workers have fewer protections, and unions are under attack. And the Supreme Court has been stacked to favor oligarchs, not everyday people. The very right to vote has been compromised with rules that marginalize too many people. It is my fervent hope that the Biden-Harris ticket will prevail in
this election, but even if they win, there is still much work to do. First, the coronavirus needs to be controlled. Mark Meadows, the 45th President’s chief of staff, says the administration will do nothing to contain the virus, and their wanton disregard of essential public health tenets (hand-washing, mask-wearing, social distancing) reflects their casual approach to the virus. A President Biden would tackle this issue, but he will need to be pushed to ensure that the process is egalitarian and that those who have suffered disproportionally, like Black folks, will get more remediation than those who have not so suffered. Economic recovery and economic expansion should be high on the agenda. Again, those who have suffered from covid and repressive economic policies need special attention. Biden-Harris must address the racial wealth gap, the relentless unemployment rate differential, and systemic poverty. Some of the employment situation can be addressed through an infrastructure improvement program. The American Society of Civil Engineers consistently grades our roads, bridges, water quality, and public buildings with substandard grades. The appropriate invest-
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ment of federal dollars would not only be good for employment but also for the economy. Our criminal justice system must be fixed, and federal initiatives to stop police brutality must be developed. Environmental issues must be vigorously addressed. Health care must be treated as a right, and it must be universal. The “do” list is long, and it may include expanding the Supreme Court’s size. It’s not court-packing, as some would suggest; it’s right-sizing something that has gone wrong. The point is that a Biden-Harris victory may be cause for celebration, but it is also an invitation for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work, not only at the federal level but also at the state and local level. I can hear my conservative friends already asking what all this will cost. We know the 2017 tax
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cut cost the Treasury trillions of dollars. We seem only to be interested in cost when we are looking at people on the bottom. There appears to be much less concern about programs designed to benefit the wealthy. Then, some of the work we have to do is to transform our mindset, decide what kind of economy we want, and then work to create it. That may mean a very different approach to our predatory capitalist system, and it may mean restructuring the system to make it more people-focused. It is a possibility! Now we know what it is like to live with a graft-centered leader who has thrown our nation under the bus for his selfish gains. We have the opportunity to learn what it is like to live with a more people-centered leader. Still, we should be clear that Bidden-Harris
leadership will be center-left predatory capitalism. They will need to be pushed, and we need to be prepared to push them. If we have learned nothing from the Obama years, we should have learned that a closed mouth won’t get fed. Black folk were so happy to have a Black president that we were reluctant to push him and his administration very hard. Much as we may like Biden-Harris, we must be willing to push them. When he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up.” Biden-Harris will move us closer to King’s dream, but they won’t take us all the way there. Not unless we push. We know what we have to do.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, media contributor and educator. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com.
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.
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Thinking from page 1
20, 1943, died March 25, 2018 at age 75. Her legacy is now enshrined in history. I was just thinking of Ruby Bridges. In 1960, federal marshals escorted then six-yearold Bridges to her first day at a New Orleans, Louisiana elementary school. The marshals were assigned to protect her from a mob of racist white parents and citizens who yelled and taunted as they objected to her attending their formerly all-white school. Bridges became the first Black child to integrate a formerly all-white elementary school in the south. Today, Bridges still is alive and active as a chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation that promotes racial tolerance and unity among youth and adults. Dallas youth and families also had many life-changing experiences during efforts to desegregate schools here. In 2015, three years before she died in Dallas at age 66,
Ruby Bridges in front of famous Norman Rockwell painting of her experience.
former Paul Quinn College English professor Dr. Mary Catherine Loving wrote a personal remembrance, sometimes painful, in The Dallas Morning News about Dallas school desegregation. She told how she lived in the West Dallas projects and graduated from nearby Pinkston High School more than a year before busing to desegregate Dallas schools began in 1971. But later in the mid-1970s, her siblings were on “the big, yellow buses that lined up like tanks to take
them far way” to once allwhite Dallas schools. One sibling in particular did not fare well. A younger sister, Shirley Hardaway, was bused to W. T. White High School where she regularly fought bullies who taunted her. Emotionally scarred by her experiences, the sister dropped out of school in 10th grade and died relatively young at age 53 in 2012. “My sister and others of her generation carried the weight of a city wrestling with its own
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2020
guilt about race, education and the Black body,” Dr. Loving wrote in the retrospective. “... It’s a shame that the city’s young, poor Black children carried the city’s burden on their shoulders.” But there also were some much-improved experiences in the key years of 1976. Then-Dallas school superintendent Nolan Estes drove a school bus himself on the first day of school to reassure parents. Monitors were assigned at key points throughout the first days to promote good behavior. And a friendly group of White volunteers stood waiting to welcome the mostly Black students as they came off the buses. I was just thinking, ...it stirs the heart to consider the things we go through attempting to make us all members of the same human race.
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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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?
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Big Mama shouted: “Don’t come for me unless I send for you!� Black Card By Terry Allen
It is written in John 6:44- “People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me brings them to me. I will bring these people back to life on the last day. “ In summary, it says by faith, as if God did not send you then you will not stop me on my journey to the end.
Just another lesson, my maternal grandmother gave me. She and other mothers of color stood their ground on uninvited gravity stepping in their path. African American women are the most powerful group of voters in America. In the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Black women voted at 74 percent as they invaded the polls. As I pay tribute to African American women, whose very actions rendered make or break outcomes of both elections, I am reminded of my praying Big Mama saying,� Don’t come for me unless I send for you!� No barriers will intimidate us.
This current election is showcasing actions that are deeply rooted in voter suppression. Unfortunately, the strategy for voter suppression was in place before the voting began. It looks as if it covertly began long just after the first election. Whatever the outcome of the election, we are going to have to provide a real deep cleansing of our American tapestry. The opposition to democracy has mastered strategies like slowing the mail; closing voting locations; purging voter registrations and, even worse, baiting the American citizens with F.E.A.R – fake expectations appearing real. During the debate, vice presiden-
tial candidate Kamala Harris said something quite profound as she responded to a question. She said, “They are coming for you!� Rather than become discouraged, I say to you, as I channel Big Mama, “Do not let them come for you!� I challenge you to change this moment to a movement. Please continue to collaborate to get our votes secured that have not been counted on or after Tuesday, November 3, 2020. So, whoever wins, let’s make them accountable to every citizen or we can send them packing using the tools of impeachment, recall, and civil disobedience.
Yes, this voter suppression is arriving during a time when we’re carrying the weight of racism and the deathly sting of racism on our shoulders. 2020 will be a year that we will want to never repeat. We cannot let the supremacist baggage of others stop anyone from seeking a real democracy. Take time to see how they are coming for you and send them back to their source. Please tell me how you will make our officials accountable, email me at Terryallenpr@gmail.com. Terry Allen is an award-winning multi-media journalist and owner of 1016 media
Breast Cancer Awareness At the Movies
Metastatic Breast Cancer
By Hollywood Hernandez
That Celebrity Interview By Valder Beebe October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We as women (men too) must be aware of this deadly disease at all times. I call Joy Jenrette my hero. Since I began as host of the Valder Beebe Show, over 20-years ago I have met fearless women who have stood up to cancer and the vicissitudes of life. Joy Jenrette, a patient, an advocate, shares her emotional story about living with metastatic breast cancer. Joy was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2008 and 2012, and with metastatic breast cancer in 2018. Metastatic breast cancer – also called
Time We've seen a number of documentaries lately where a person is wrongly jailed and seeking their release, but it's hard to gather sympathy for a man who is incarcerated for a crime that he actually committed. However that's what director Garrett Bradley does in the Amazon/Prime Video movie TIME. The movie tells the story of a Black couple who freely admitted to robbing a bank. Sibil Fox Richardson spent three years in prison for her crime, but her husband, who was the mastermind of the crime, received 60 years in prison with no hopes of parole or early release. TIME tells the story of the 20 years Mrs. Richardson raised a family on her own while fighting for the early release of her husband. The film consists mainly of over 100 hours of home movies made by Mrs. Richardson of her daily struggles raising a daughter and three sons who have no memory of their father. She was pregnant with one of the boys when her husband was sent to jail so she has one child who has never even met her father. This is a movie story about one family's struggle but it could easily be the story of thousands of families who are suffering with the same situation. There's a quote in the movie from Sibil's mother that could easily be the bottom line to this story, "It's easy for a black man to get into jail, but it sure is hard for him to get out." The movie has a run time under one hour and it is not rated. TIME won the director's award at The Sundance Film Festival and on my "Hollywood Popcorn Scale" I rate it a JUMBO.
stage IV breast cancer – is the most advanced stage of breast cancer. It is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other organs in the body, most often the bones, lungs, liver or brain. Joy has partnered with Susan G. Komen and is sharing important information for metastatic breast cancer awareness day on the Valder Beebe Show. In the middle of a pandemic, we don’t hear as much about wonderful charities like Susan G Komen and Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. But it may surprise many people to learn that more than 42,000 people in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer this year. VBS: I am so impressed with Joy’s resilience. Just a fact 42,000 women die from metastatic breast cancer each year in America, Joy lives with metastatic breast cancer which is
stage 4 breast cancer. JJ: I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer 12 years ago. I was in treatment, my doctor had a clear plan for us dealing with breast cancer. Once all that was done I wrapped it up in a neat bow and went about my life. Then about 4 ½ years later at an annual checkup (scans) I found that I had recurrence early stage breast cancer. Again I went through treatment with a plan. In about 2018 I had a per-
sistent couch for a few months for several months. I went to my Oncologist, she dug a little deeper and found that my cancer had metastasized. VBS: Joy, you are optimistic, resilient and buoyant. You’ve not had an easy journey yet you live your name, Joy. Help inspire my audience as they may be faced with a crisis in their lives at this time. JJ: I would like to relay that metastatic breast cancer is very different from early stage breast cancer. You don’t just get to go back to your life. You spend your time fighting ‌‌‌ Joy Jenrette complete interview‌‌ SoundCloud.com/valderbeebeshow ; ValderBeebeShow.com: YouTube.com/ valderbeebeshow: Global broadcasting platform: KKVI FM Radio, Streaming TV, Social Media, Print Publications (IMESSENGERS, Texas Metro News, and Garland Journal News).
Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow About the hair By Dr. Linda Amerson
Have you ever awakened one morning with your hair all over your pillow? If your answer is YES, you are not alone. In some cases cytotoxic drugs for chemotherapy are the cause, while in other cases, the cause is unknown. Many chemotherapy patients may experience Alopecia totalis, which is hair loss over the entire scalp. Chemotherapy treatments are synthetic drugs given at pre-arranged intervals to disrupt the cancer cells ability to grow. These cytotoxic drugs, via the bloodstream, travel through the entire body. In addition to treating the cancer, these drugs may cause
temporary side effects in rapidly growing cells, such as those cells of the blood, stomach and hair. Among these side effects may include hair loss, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and a reduced number of white blood cells. Chances of infection is increased. Cancer is a very complex disease. There are 150 anti-cancer drugs approved by the FDA, and more than 700 oncology drugs in late stages of development. As of October 2017, based on drug mechanism of action, these agents are divided into 2 groups: 61 cytotoxic-based drugs and 89 target based drugs. Hair loss may occur as early as 2-4 weeks after the first effective dose. Hair could fall out very quickly, in clumps, gradually when you comb or brush your hair, on your pillow, or in the shower drain. A patient’s scalp may experience these symptoms: heat, itchi-
Connie Louise Amerson-Garner
ness, tenderness, tingling, sensitivity, or develop pimples. Some facilities use ‘scalp hypothemia’. This technique includes scalp cooling caps applied on the scalp during chemotherapy treatment to help prevent hair loss. Research results show that cold caps are highly effective in 50%-65% of women who use them. When regrowth occurs, the hair texture is a different texture, and sometimes a different hair color.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with the statistics at 25.4%. Women should give themselves monthly breast exams and annual mammograms. There are two types of mammograms: film:screen and digital. Technology has allowed one more type: 3-D mammogram...which takes multiple images of breast tissue. Age 50 for women is the recommende d ag e to b e gin mammograms, unless women have a family history, an earlier age may be recommended by a physician. Take your health seriously. Free mammograms are offered during October. Special note: Connie Louise Amerson-Garner, my sister, lost her breast cancer battle in 2016. She is truly missed. Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, LA’s Hair & Scalp Clinic...817 265 8854...www.hairandscalpessentials.com
A real nice relationship ASK ALMA By Alma Gill Dear Alma, I am 35 and my sweet lady is 57. I love her and she loves me. Although we don’t go out much, we show our affection to each other in many ways. She and I both are homebodies. We live in different states, so our time together is special. She has a beautiful, spacious home. We have dinner, dance and watch movies. I’m a great cook, and I fix things around the house. We’re both avid readers and it’s a real nice relationship. Here’s the problem. We were at the bank and she was taking care of some business. At first I was in the car but noticed she forgot
something, so I took it to her. As I was walking away, I overheard her tell the teller that I was like a son to her. When I asked her about it, she said she lives in a small town and she really didn’t want the woman in her business. She said she really didn’t mean anything by it and asked me to drop it. I can’t get it off my mind. How do I confront her about this again? Like a son Dear Like a son, Dang! That was wrong‌and kinda creepy. Maybe she didn’t mean it. Ok – aaah, maybe she did. That’s worse than calling your second husband by your first husband’s name. Ok, that was me, LOL. She owes you an apology and a decent conversation at the very least. I’m sure hearing her describe you that way was shocking and
downright disrespectful. I know you’ve been bruised, and I can understand. You’re right; she needs to clarify. Now, lets cross this bridge for a minute and see what’s on the other side. Depending on where you live, older men with younger women are still more acceptable than older women with younger men. Older women are perceived to be improper or even desperate when taking on a younger suitor. Some view a few years as ok, but over ten is pushing it. (I don’t think Tina Turner would agree with this part of our conversation, since she just married her boo, 16 years her junior.) It sounds to me like you guys have a great companionship going on. Anything beyond that is questionable. Your personalities are similar, and if you believe that men and women hit their physical
peaks at different times, age wise you two are perfectly suited for one another. Like any relationship, it works as long as the two of you work at it. In my opinion, people are allowed to have various types of relationships. Or entanglements, if you ask Jada sorry, so not sorry Some are meant to last forever and some are meant to last for right now. Which one are you involved in? If you’re enjoying this journey, by all means, stick with it. Tell her how you feel. Tell her how uncomfortable you were to hear her describe you that way, and after your conversation, if she’s still embarrassed, that’s your cue to keep it moving. Unfortunately, unlike Stella, she’s just not ready, publicly, to get her groove back. Alma
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Spread LOVE: Mayor Curtistene McCowan remembered Continued from page 1 According to Texas State Sen. Royce West, Mayor McCowan’s death hits close to home. “We have lost a good person, a leader, caring person who in many instances put her family behind public service,” he said. “Curtistene will be missed. She loved her family, her community, her sorority, and fraternity brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. She lived a full life, a life well lived.” Those sorority sisters had been diligent with their prayers and calls of support, says Dr. Andrea Hilburn. She and Ella Goode Johnson are in a unique club with the Mayor; both having served as president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. As the current president, Dr. Hilburn fielded calls from members. “My phone is ringing off the wall,” said Dr. Hillburn. “The news was devastating. She wasn’t just our soror, she was a community leader too.” And despite all of her many duties, she still managed to be very active, attending meetings, providing support, and she “did her part, because she always had time for Delta.” Goode Johnson has also been on “Mayor McCowan watch,” as a twotime president who was a chapter leader when Mayor McCowan was initiated into the sorority. “It is with deep sadness and sisterly regard to have heard about the passing of my Delta Soror,” said the 31st and 43rd chapter president. “Mayor McCowan was a community leader who has built a reputation of being fair, just, dedicated and committed in all of her undertakings. “As the first female Mayor of the All-America City of DeSoto, elected in 2016, who also witnessed the naming of a school in her honor some years ago, she will be remembered for the many good deeds she did and how well she did them.” While some of her colleagues on the DeSoto City Council were still processing the news, a few shared their thoughts. “Mayor McCowan was a community giant, of which her love for family and community will go unmatched,” said the Honorable Nicole Raphiel, DeSoto City Councilmember, Place 3. “She was the engine that thought she could, and she did. She will be known as DeSoto’s greatest cheerleader. She saw the best in everyone she encountered and had an innate ability to love the excellence into you; and for that, I will forever miss her. My sincerest condolences to her beloved family and beloved City of DeSoto. Councilmember Raphiel’s expressions were echoed by fellow City Councilmember of Place 2, Kay Brown-Patrick, who said she was in complete shock and heartbroken. “My relationship with Mayor McCowan began well before I began my time on City Council, she was one of the reasons I elected to run for office,” said Brown-Patrick. “In my last conversation with her she stated she was counting on us to continue to move our great City forward. “Even in the midst of her battle she had DeSoto in her heart. She was an amazing woman of God with a heart of service, class, and love for all and she loved the City
and residents of DeSoto. Her legacy is unmatched and to say she will be missed is an understatement. Heaven gained a great one,” she added. A longtime member of Kirkwood Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where she served as Chair of the Trustee Board, Mayor McCowan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Dallas Baptist University and an Associates Degree in Business Management from El Centro College. She was employed by the Federal Trade Commission for over 32 years, and served as Senior Investigator for over 18 years. She retired from the federal government on January 1, 2005, after more than 32 years of service. Her service didn’t stop, as many point out. Taking a moment from Election 2020, Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Carol Donovan paid homage to Mayor McCowan, “We grieve her passing and we celebrate her life and leadership!” Ms. McCowan supported former DeSoto Mayor Carl Sherman, Sr. when he decided to run for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, and he was one of her strongest supporters. Rep. Sherman called her “the most gracious mayor we’ve ever had,” saying that unlike many leaders, “she was able to diplomatically bring both sides of the city together. There was an elegance and an eloquence about her.” Former Lancaster ISD Superintendent and CEO of The Impact Institute Dr. Larry Lewis shared his expressions upon hearing the news. “Curtistene McCowan was just an amazing woman of God. She loved her community, she loved her family, she loved DeSoto, and what a legacy she has left, but what a loss for all of us. I appreciate all the things that she did for me and with me. Wow, I just can’t believe it. She is so loved and then she loved everybody.” Her service and leadership is extensive and noteworthy. Her bio is a
testament of her lengthy service, which Sen. West referred to in talking about the “dash between the time you are born and the time you go home.” She has served on the DeSoto City Council since May, 2012, serving as Mayor Pro Tem from 2014 to 2016; during this same time period, she chaired the Audit and Finance Committee. Prior to winning a seat on the City Council, she served five years on the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, where she held the positions of Internal Audit Chair, Vice President and served four years as President. She served on the Executive Boards of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Best Southwest; Partnership and the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition. In addition, she serves as ChairElect of the Advisory Board for Methodist Charlton Medical Center and is a member of the Planning Committee for Methodist Health Systems, Dallas, Texas and the Board of Directors for the African American Education Archives and History Program. A founder of Concerned DeSoto Citizens (CDC) -- a 501 (c)(3) non-profit community service organization, she has served as president and in numerous other leadership roles since the organization was chartered in 1989. She is a past member of the City of DeSoto’s Charter Review Committee and the Dallas County Grand Jury. A graduate of the Leadership Southwest Class of 2015, she is often described as a passionate advocate for quality education for all students, and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of education at the local, state and national levels. On October 29, 2007, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to an unexpired term on the Texas Southern University (TSU) Board of Regents; in 2009, Governor Perry re-appointed her to a full six-year term (unanimously confirmed by the Texas Senate) where she served until May,
2015. Positions held during her tenure as a TSU Regent included 2nd Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Development and Legislative Committee and Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee. Mayor McCowan was the first AfricanAmerican elected to public office in DeSoto, when she won a seat on the DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees in 1990. She served two three-year terms as a School Board Trustee -- two of those years as president. Her skills and expertise were evident statewide, serving on numerous committees as appointed by the Texas Association of School Boards from 1990-1997. She served on the Statewide Panel on Student Skills and Knowledge for the Texas Education Agency from 1993-94. In 2000, she was elected as the Charter President of the DeSoto ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors and has served on the Executive Committee since that time. In recognition of her 30 + years of volunteer service and commitment to education, the DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously in January, 2007 to name a school in her honor. The Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School opened in August, 2007. The mayor was an active participant on the DeSoto ISD’s Advisory Council. She has also participated in the district’s One-on-One Mentoring Program, the Discipline Management Committee and the Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School’s Site-based Decision Making Committee. Ms. McCowan is a former interview panelist for the prestigious Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Internship Program, sponsored by Sen. West. In addition, Ms. McCowan has been an active and financial member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (“DST”) for 32 years. She is a Golden Life Member and has served in numerous elected and appointed leadership positions, including: President of Dallas Alumnae Chapter from 1999-2001; National & Regional Elections Committees,
2004 and 2005, respectively; Dodd Education & Support, Inc. Board of Directors, 2002-2011, Co-Chair of the 2003 Southwest Regional Conference; Southwest Regional Program Co-Coordinator from 2003-2005; Southwest Regional Social Action Co-Coordinator from 2005-2009; Southwest Regional Volunteer Services Co-Coordinator from 2009-2015; and the National Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair Committee from 2013 until the present. She and husband Leon R. McCowan, have two sons: Danny Sebastian (Angie) and Leon Curtis (Stephanie) McCowan. They are the proud grandparents of Tiana, Kirsten and Taylor McCowan. Reading about her wonderful life, I can only hope that many will be inspired to reach out and express their feelings to someone they love and admire; before it is too late! The Texas Metro News editorial team and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report; the latter as part of a collaborative partnership with Texas Metro News, that seeks to boost coverage of communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
Celebration of Life for the Honorable Curtistene Smith McCowan Repose will be Thursday, November 5 from 1 – 6 p.m. Funeral will be Friday, November 6 at 11 a.m. Both at: Kirkwood Temple CME Church 1445 Sunny Glen Dr. Dallas, TX 75232 Burial will be at: Holy Redeemer Cemetery 1500 S Westmoreland Rd. DeSoto, TX 75115 (procession route will likely detour to pass by McCowan Middle School) In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Curtistene S. McCowan Scholarship Fund administered by Concerned DeSoto Citizens Checks made payable to Concerned DeSoto Citizens P. O. Box 371 DeSoto, TX 75123 Or delivered to the president Pastor Curt Krohn at Faith Bible Church
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS A different kind of election night with support
By Ashley M. Moss Texas Metro News
Texans piled into polling sites across North Texas and the state, many expecting lengthy lines, warmer temperatures and potential voting challenges. Instead, voters walked into several North Texas polling sites, cast their ballots and walked out - all within minutes -- and with an added bonus, a meal; courtesy of Win with Black Women. The group of women from all industries, ages, and types of life experiences came together with a common goal focusing on trying to eliminate and reduce the impact of racism and sexism on Black women, particularly towards Senator Harris. Then, Win with Black Women became about securing victory, not just for the Biden-Harris Campaign but for Black women up and down the ballot. “This was part of elevating the power and agenda of Black women, fostering the power of this collective and working together,” said LeShawnda Larkin, of Dallas. “We’re not just supporting Senator Harris, but also women running in key markets (around the country). “We asked ourselves, ‘What else can we do,’ and the food truck idea came together just one weekend before Election Day. According to Larkin, feeding voters was not planned. “It was a way to encourage peo-
Rev. Danielle Ayers, Cecelia Criner, State Rep. Toni Rose and Dr. Vivian Bradley Johnson
ple to stay and vote if there were long lines. It was also a way to put money back into the (Black community).” At Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, voters were welcomed by food vendors, one serving free grilled Texas hot links, another serving barbecue sandwiches and a third serving hamburgers, chicken fingers, nachos and a flurry of fixings. “This was very hospitable,” voter KaDeidra Weatherall said, while standing in line at The ITIS food truck with her son Cedric and partner Chris Washington, all of Dallas. “It’s like they are giving back to us, while we are giving back to the world,” she said. “I appreciate it.” Voter Melvin Boyd, said he came to the polls Tuesday afternoon after receiving a call from a friend who told him food trucks were on site at Friendship-West. Had it not been for the meal, he would not have come to vote, he said. “I figured, if I’m going to come out here and wait, I might as well get something to eat,” said Boyd, 60, who said he was a first-time voter. “This encouraged me to come.” Other polling sites were not so fortunate. Arlington Police Department Media Relations Coordinator Tim Siesco said far fewer votDr. Vivian Bradley Johnson and Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III. ers than expected showed
up at polling sites there. The department fielded no calls Tuesday from election employees. “It has been quiet,” he said. “We think that’s because there was such large early voting turnouts that the polls were not that busy.” At the Junior League polling site in Southwest Arlington, House District 94 candidate Alisa Simmons stood outside greeting voters as they parked and walked across the lawn into the polls. “I think turnout is a little lighter today,” she said shortly after 4 p.m. “People heeded our request to take advantage of early voting.” Simmons said she had visited multiple polling sites in the city, beginning shortly after polls opened at 7 a.m. in Tarrant County. She noticed far fewer voters, she said, than the numbers she and other candidates had encountered at the polls during early voting. In Plano, police department Public Information Officer David Tiley, said that by 4 p.m Tuesday, the department had fielded no calls from election sites. He described the day as “very peaceful.” In Houston, members of grassroots organizations in the city’s 5th Ward, including the Black Panthers, supported community residents who were casting ballots by “patrolling” those sites. Some voters appreciated the extra security. “The Black Panthers were on their motorcycles near the polls to make sure the 5th Ward community was able to vote,” said Lena Jones. “I felt that it was for the safety of the people and to keep the peace.”
Back at Friendship West, Tamera and Jerry Jacob, owners of Holy Smokes!!! Barbecue, a Lewisville catering company, pulled a super-sized grill behind their pickup truck to the Oak Cliff church and parked it several hundred feet from the entrance. The waft of grilled meat could be smelled an eighth of a mile away. Jerry Jacob said he had watched television news accounts of voters waiting hours in line and anticipated waits at Friendship-West. He hoped to encourage voters to cast ballots despite potential waits. So, he and his wife determined they would offer ballot casters free, smoked hotlink sandwiches. “I was expecting on Nov. 3 it to be pretty crowded,” said Jacob, a U.S. Navy veteran. “(I thought) these people are going to be waiting two or three hours. I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”
The caterers served about 500 smoked hotlink sandwiches Tuesday by 2 p.m. Another vendor, caterer Dana Jackson, who owns Grand Prairie-based KC’s Experience, also served barbecue sandwiches to voters at Friendship-West. “I want everyone to get out and vote,” she said. “Early voting was great, but success for me is (everyone else) getting out to vote.” Dallas-area organizer Dr. Vivian Bradley Johnson said she and a coalition of peers from across the country raised nearly $40,000 to cater meals to be distributed at polling sites around the country, including in Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, DC., Detroit, Milwaukee, Wis. and Tallahassee, Fla. Johnson’s group, Win With Black Women, contracted The ITIS food truck to offer nachos, hamburgers and chicken tender meals to voters casting ballots at Friendship-West. “I wanted to help make an impact and I joined the group six weeks ago,” said Johnson, of Dallas. “We pulled this together in about 24 hours and raised close to $40,000.” “We wanted to do something so people would not have to worry about food while they were at the polls,” Tuesday, The ITIS food truck parked alongside the church and fielded a steady stream of orders. By 2 p.m., the chef said she had served nearly 200 orders when she had expected to serve that many throughout the entire day. Texas Metro News team members, led by news editor Valerie Fields Hill, contributed to this report.
Leola’s in Tallahassee, FL
Garland NAACP Unit’s
Annual Veterans Forum Honoring our Veterans, past, present and future! Join us by ZOOM November 7, 2020 ~ 11:00 A.M. to 12:20 P.M.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/82285845672?
Zoom Meeting ID: 822 8584 5672
Zoom Passcode: 788132
Information Session Presenters and Speakers NNNNN
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MR. RICKY MCNEAL
COLLIN ALLRED
DR. THERESA DANIEL
MR. SCOTT LEMAY
MS. MARSHA RODDY
Garland NAACP Unit President
Congressman
Dallas County Commissioner District 1
City of Garland Mayor
Decision Review Officer VBA Waco Regional Office
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DR. LATONIA W. ARRIS
SGTMAJ UCMC (RET.) JB EDWARDS
MS. CATHERINE SMITH
LTC.(RETIRED) STONNEL GREENE
Dep. Assoc. Director, Remote Sites, DAD/PC/RS
North Texas Health Care System
Texas Women Commission
Retired Veterans Center Manager (Retired)
“Several other specialist not pictured will also be on the forum” Information to be discussed:
Garland Veterans Hospital Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Veterans Benefits (medical, disability, and others) Veteran Support Group Locations Agent Orange Register VA regulations updates Question and answer session
For more information, please visit the Garland NAACP Unit Website.