I Messenger 6-4-21 by Cheryl Smith

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Established 2011 CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back. June 4, 2021

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Time to “Talk Shop!“ QUIT PLAYIN’ VINCENT L. HALL I said I wasn’t gonna talk about “Black-on-Black” crime ever again. Not because it doesn’t happen. Not because it’s not an issue that we need to address internally. Not because some white folks use it as a red herring. Anytime you talk about police murders, Republicans want to talk about how Black folks kill other Black folks. They fail to mention that those Black folk killing each other are not wearing badges and driving taxpayer-owned vehicles with “Protect and Serve” emblazoned on the rear quarter panels. Statistically, there is only about a 5%-8% difference between black-on-black and white-on-white and brown-on-brown crimes. For the most part, murders and serious assaults are crimes of passion and proximity. It seems that the old adage is true, “You only hurt the ones you love most of all.” Don’t get me wrong. I know that America is boiling over in white-hot anger right now. Radical Democrats are mad at “left-leaning” Democrats. Trump Republicans are furious at the original Republicans and any other white folks who are unwilling to publicly proclaim their hatred for niggers, nigger-lovers, Mexicans,

Gays, American Jews, Nancy Pelosi…You get the picture! Anger is all around. If you drive on the streets, you encounter aggressive behavior. If you pick up a paper in any major news hub, local headlines that used to bear the national news point to local shootings. What makes someone go to a party and unload on the guests indiscriminately? Nothing but anger. However, the issues of crime in urban areas across the nation give me cause to pause. We keep seeing unnecessary, unwarranted murderers, especially among young Black men. Recently, one young up-

standing Black man was killed. The decedent’s brother seeking to avenge his family’s loss killed someone else’s brother who was completely innocent. One mother, two major losses. It’s too much dammit! What’s even crazier to me is that the link that we used to connect between poverty and crime has become untethered. “Middle-class Negroes” are committing many of the sensational crimes we see now. These young brothers, for the most part, live much better than their parents and grandparents ever dreamed. We have lost our way. see TIME TO TALK on page 38

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INSIDE

I Was Just Thinking

Flewellen’s Reopens

To Be Equal

Everybody is beautiful on social media. I can prove it. Just look at the comments every time someone posts a new photograph of themselves on one of the social media sites. The parade of comments spill forth: “Beautiful!” “Looking good!” “Beautiful!” “Go girl!” “Beautiful!” “You look amazing!” and so on, and so on, and so on.

When Mary Flewellen founded Flewellen’s salon in the Spring of 1970 she had high hopes, but shortly after the launch her family suffered a devastating tragedy. Widowed with five children, she was forced to make some tough decisions which included what to do with her newly-established business.

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MY TRUTH by Cheryl Smith Publisher

Don’t start tripping about washing your hands When the pandemic hit in early 2020, we received mixed signals. One message that was constant was, “wash your hands.” Even before the mandate to wear masks, health officials were stressing the importance of washing your hands. The Center for Disease Control instructed, “To prevent the spread of germs during the COVID-19 pandemic, you should also wash your hands with soap and June 4, 2021

water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean hands.” I loved that directive because I have always wondered about people who didn’t wash their hands. Go into any restaurant and you’ll find signs instructing employees to wash their hands. The CDC gave explicit instructions: Follow these five steps every time. 1. Wet your hands with

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clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

Someone has to tell you, an adult, this? What the heck? Weren’t you raised right? Didn’t you learn at an early age to wash your hand when you finished your business? Someone really had to tell you to wash your hands after myimessenger.com

wiping your behind? Really? Which brings me to my truth. Yes, there were times when I didn’t act like I had hometraining. I did things -things that I definitely didn’t want my parents to find out about. But this washing my hands thing? Basic hygiene practices? Nah, Didn’t roll like that. No one has ever had to tell me to wash my hands but I sure as heck have had to tell people to wash their hands myimessenger.com

especially before coming into my kitchen. Actually to avoid cussing someone out, I made it a point of having an ice maker on the door of my refrigerator because then when someone came into my kitchen and wanted water, they never had to open the refrigerator door and I didn’t have to treat them like a child. So as we seemingly make our way to the other side of the pandemic, some things

we did before we will never do again and other things we never did before will become standard practice in our lives. Now if the CDC says you will no longer have to wash your hands, I’m going to have to call them wrong on all fronts. And sadly, just like how folks have fought the call to wear masks, there are probably some who are being irresponsible and not washing their hands.

Just the thought is disgusting! The CDC says, “clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.” Face it, washing your hands doesn’t just help with the spread of Coronavirus. It’s the right thing, the healthy, the decent thing to do! June 4, 2021

June 4, 2021

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Virtual world of all beautiful people Everybody is beautiful on social media. I can prove it. Just look at the comments every time someone posts a new photograph of themselves on one of the social media sites. The parade of comments spill forth: “Beautiful!” “Looking good!” “Beautiful!” “Go girl!” “Beautiful!” “You look amazing!” and so on, and so on, and so on. Beauty is such an arbitrary, eye-of-thebeholder quality. I was just thinking… How did it happen that we woke up one day and everybody is beautiful? And have we become so vain that we hungrily post our photographs online and wait breathlessly for the manufactured praises to begin? “Beautiful!” “Beautiful!” “Beautiful!” Ordinary-looking people (like myself) could post a new photograph right now and within the half-hour I would become a pageant queen – if I were to believe the lying, instant-gratification comments that would pop up. Through the ages, songs have given us countless lessons about beauty. The Temptations told listeners in the 1960s that beauty was only skin deep, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ray Stevens in 1970 crooned that everything is beautiful in its own way. The mellow voice of Nat King Cole in the myimessenger.com

Actress Halle Berry

Credit: Pinterest

Musician Mick Jagger

Actress “Gabby” Sidibe

Credit: Wikipedia

Credit: Pinterest

1950s, allowed listeners to hear him ask his Mona Lisa love interest “Are you warm, are you real Mona Lisa, or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?” He was referring to visual artist Leonardo De Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting. And in this contemporary decade, R&B/ soul vocalist Jazmine Sullivan captures the essence of what the social media craze of self-display and personal-adoration is all about. I WAS JUST THINKING BY NORMA ADAMS-WADE

In her 2015 song “Masterpiece (Mona Lisa),” the vocal artist spells out the poor self-images that many, particularly females, on social media have endured before gaining self-worth. Sullivan explained her motivation about writing the song in an interview with MusicXclusivesTV that later was picked up by www.genius.com, a site that explores the story behind song lyrics. “I’ve always dealt with self-image issues, as well as a lot of people – especially women…(and) young Black girls,” Sullivan said

Actor Idris Elba

Credit: Pinterest

in the interview. She said the song is about “me finally being able to accept and even love all the things about me and finding them beautiful. …It’s all about your own personal journey with yourself.” Everyone cannot be beautiful according to the rules of beauty and handsomeness that are applied to the likes of Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Taylor or Idris Elba. Some of us have unconventional looks such as rock & roll musician Mick Jagger and actress “Gabby” Sidibe who co-starred in the movie Precious. So, the next time I read all the “Beautiful!” comments posted with any new photograph someone posts on social media, I vow to understand a little better as I consider Jazmine Sullivan’s haunting lyrics: “As the sun shines on all of my glory My flaws don’t look so bad at all… Every part of me is a vision of a portrait of Mona, Mona Lisa Every part of me is beautiful And I finally see I’m a work of art A masterpiece.” 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

June 4, 2021

“BRAINHACK“ WHAT’S ON MILES’ MIND

MILES JAYE Recently a hacking gang by the name of Darkside hacked the Colonial fuel distribution system creating a panic and a weeklong fuel shortage on the East Coast. Darkside won a $5 million ransom for restoring the system. Think of hacking as the unauthorized accessing or seizing of a digital operating system or network. It’s hijacking someone else’s computer system. Imagine you’re on your computer, attempting to access word processing but for some reason you can’t. Someone else is typing a message to you. “We’ve taken control of your computer and shut you out. Nice bank account, nice pictures, nice contact list.” It’s scary stuff! Hacking is the primary tool or weapon of what’s now referred to as Cyberterrorism. Hacking can begin as innocently as misusing

Napster’s music sharing platform and making free long-distance phone calls, to crossing the line to identity theft by charging purchases to a stranger’s credit card, i.e. ordering pizzas. More ominous uses of hacking pose quite a serious threat to government agencies, military, as well as global corporations and monetary systems. Technically, the Cyberterrorist is capable of taking control of a nation’s banking, telecommunications and infrastructure, leaving essential means of daily living hamstrung. Imagine the C.I.A., F.B.I., D.E.A., N.S.A. D.I.A., NASA, and the Federal Reserve hacked. The brainhack I’m referring to is much more insidious than even a cyberterrorist could concoct. It’s the modern-day genocide -- 21st century eugenics. The brainhack would allow me to render an entire population threatless to anyone but themselves. First, a bit about the brain. Most of us are familiar with the left and right hemispheres of the brain

and their functions. What are somewhat less familiar are the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and the cerebellum. These three components of the beloved human brain perform or control specific functions or behaviors-- processing, analysis, cognition, recognition, memory, happiness, sadness, etc. In the 1900’s the frontal lobe region of the brain, found to be responsible for moods and behavior, such as depression, anxiety, and violence, was commonly treated with a procedure called the lobotomy, or psychosurgery-- the early brainhack. This was at a time when mental illness was misunderstood and barbaric; controversial treatments such as electric shock and the frontal lobotomy were common. The amygdala is associated with emotions such as fear and aggression. Cerebellum is associated with language, attention and focus, and motor skills or movement. These three regions of the brain develop at different rates, thus, the stages of human develop-

ment, the most compelling of which for the purpose of this brainhacking exercise is adolescence. If I can successfully brainhack this group by freezing their development into a terminal state of puberty, ages 13 to 23, I can not only predict, but control their behavior. I can render them intellectually and psychologically disoriented and emotionally and spiritually empty-- devoid of self-awareness and any viable or potent life force. The brainhack-- a mass lobotomy! Some characteristics of adolescence may be familiar to you. A negative sense of identity, a lack of impulse control, defensiveness, argumentative, isolated, self-absorbed, and prone to violence. Statistics show that 1 in 5 adolescents suffer major depression episodes and 1 in 6 contemplate suicide, at least once. Sound familiar? Have we been brainhacked? That’s what’s on my mind! Website: www.milesjaye.net Podcast: https://bit.ly/2zkhSRv Email: milesjaye360@gmail.com

Your Ad belongs here, Contact: 214-941-0110 June 4, 2021

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COVID-19 Vaccine Community Events Helping our neighbors get vaccinated against COVID-19

Call 214.820.4846 for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling. . Walk-ups welcomed . Ages 12 -17 (accompanied by a parent) . Adults 18 and older

Sentence case subhead here LOCATION

ADDRESS

DATE / TIME

Empowering the Masses Inc.

3314 Detonte Street Dallas, TX 75223

Saturday, 6/5/21 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Trinity Christian Worship Church

3300 Gus Thomasson Rd. Mesquite, TX 75150

Saturday, 6/5/21 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church

8131 Military Parkway Dallas, TX 75217

Sunday, 6/6/21 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Wesley Rankin Community Center

3100 Crossman A venue Dallas, TX 75212

Saturday, 6/12/21 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Concord Church

6808 Pastor Bailey Dr. Dallas, TX 75237

Sunday, 6/13/21 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

*Social distancing and masks required.

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June 4, 2021

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June 4, 2021

Flewellen’s reopens with celebration

Mary Flewellen

newly-established business. But Mrs. Flewellen discovered she was not alone. According to her daughter, Karon, the entire community rallied and supported the family during what her mom felt was her darkest hour. “The strength she gained from the community renewed

her commitment to further invest in the community, thus adapting the mantra, ‘building community builds business,’” said Karon, who is fondly known as “Kaye.” And Kaye has continued the legacy, which was celebrated by U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson who is

also a long-time friend, “client” and mentor. According to Ms. Johnson, she is proud of the Flewellen family and the work they have done in the community over the years. Flewellen’s Hair Salon was established on the corner of Lancaster and Overton and

Flewellen’s Grand Reopening Credit: Ed Gray

June 4, 2021

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Ed Gray and Kaye Flewellen

she used that salon to impact many people in the community by providing jobs, training, hairstyles, fashion show fundraisers, hope and inspiration.

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Mary was a woman of unwavering faith, but there was no doubt that she was a businesswoman as well. In 1977, she launched Velvet Touch haircare products which she maintained for several years before selling the company. That same strength Mary exhibited a half century ago is evident in Kaye today as most recently she also faced a challenge when earlier this year Flewellen’s Salon suffered significant damage and was shut down following a storm that ravaged the area; destroying many structures and causing several deaths. After extensive repairs and remodeling, on Sunday, the grand reopening took place with elected officials, family, friends and clients crowded inside, mirroring the support that her mom received. Kaye was praised for her efforts and support in the community. Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold represents the community where Flewellen’s Salon is located and she talked about Kaye’s efforts as a Blue Ribbon Task Force member. “She is loving and kind,” said Councilwoman Arnold.

“I am proud to have a strong Black woman to be part of my team and I applaud her for investing in our community.” The council member also went on to talk about the Flewellen influence on other businesses across the city, and students at area schools. From partnering with South Oak Cliff High School to bring Stella Fashion Shows to working with Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson to implement a drug intervention/prevention program, the Flewellen name was royalty around Dallas. “This family has made several deposits into students,”continued Ms. King Arnold. Since its inception, Flewellen’s has been committed to sponsoring and supporting events for the advancement

ern and Centers for Disease Control to fight against the disease; bringing awareness and helping dispel the stigma associated with the disease. As a genuine Christian full of God’s grace and love, her generosity not only extended in the city and community but also spanned the globe to help underprivileged children in South Africa. She was a primary contributor for an orphanage there which was established and named in her honor. Flewellen’s salon branched out to a West Dallas location in 1986, where Mrs. Flewellen continued to grow her brand and expanded her community outreach. In 1993, the matriarch retired, passing the torch to her children. but her flagship lo-

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

of the community. The salon has significantly invested in the community by providing jobs and training for many in the beauty industry. Flewellen’s community outreach didn’t stop there. In 2010, HIV exploded in the community. The zip code of 75216 had the 2nd highest percent of new cases in the country. Flewellen’s Salon offered support by partnering with the Dallas Urban League, City of Dallas, UT Southwest-

cation in Oak Cliff has withstood the test of time, serving as a beacon of hope and light. The Flewellens and the salon have received a number of awards and recognitions. Essence Magazine, in 1993, recognized Flewellen’s Hair Salon as one of the top 100 salons in the country. Although Mary Flewellen died in June 2019, the salon continues to honor her legacy by its steadfast commitment to building and supporting the community. June 4, 2021

June 4, 2021

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Greenwood Survivors during Tulsa Race Massacre Commemoration

Tulsa Race Massacre By VALERIE FIELDS HILL News Editor Texas Metro News

A group of Dallas women joined thousands of Oklahomans and others from across the nation in commemorating this weekend’s 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. On Friday, University of Texas at Arlington Adjunct Professor Pamela “Safisha” Hill, a Dallas resident, marched along North Greenwood Avenue in myimessenger.com

Tulsa with fellow members of the African Ancestral Society, whose peers are from Dallas, Houston, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. “It was very spiritual...very emotional,” said Dr. Hill, who drove from her home to Tulsa Thursday afternoon to participate in Friday morning’s march and other weekend activities. On Friday, many of Tulsa’s larger hotels downtown had sold out of rooms, Dr. Hill said, and some travelers were left looking for accommodations

100 Years Later

in nearby cities. Some of the travelers, she said, were Texans who flooded Tulsa to attend what some are describing as the largest commemoration of the race massacre in recent years. “There’s more people from Dallas here. It’s more of us,” said Dr. Hill, who teaches Diverse Populations, Theories of Human Behavior and other

courses in the School of Social Work at UTA. “I’m like ‘Where are the Tulsa people?’” African Americans in Tulsa and their regional allies from neighboring states – including a handful of social activists – have long commemorated the two days in 1921 when mobs of white men shot Black fathers, mothers and children and bombed their homes and busiJune 4, 2021

nesses, decimating the entire prosperous Greenwood District in Tulsa. However, the circumstances of the May 21, 1921 massacre remained out of Oklahoma school and history books and largely obscured from historical societies documentation. The killings of the estimated 300 people, property bombings and looting were never criminally investigated by Oklahoma law authorities. This year, the 100th anniversary of the massacre, Black Tulsans are joined by scores of white business owners, foundations and national corporations, who have poured millions of dollars into hosting commemorative lectures, sponsoring national discussions on race; building a Black Wall Street History Center; and putting on cultural and artistic events. Ladyclaudia Nelson, 71, of Grand Prairie, has attended commemorative events in Tulsa for decades. None have been as extensive as this year’s slate, she said. “It’s no longer a secret,” said Ms. Nelson, a retiree who drove alone to Tulsa late Thursday evening under severe and rainy conditions. She was energized, she said, at the sheer size of the 2021 schedule of activities. “I saw vendors today. I saw stages. I’ve never seen that before.” Dr. Hill said Tulsa’s city and business leaders may have underestimated the interest from members of the national media, historians, academics, attorneys, social activists and others in this year’s commemorations. Ms. Nelson said expanded media coverage of national conversations regarding race, restitution and reparations for past social injustices likely contributed to rising interest in the circumstances surrounding the June 4, 2021

Tulsa Massacre. “The media has been dynamic, It’s a force to be reckoned with,” she said. This weekend’s commemorative activities include Hollywood actors and activists who are participating to raise awareness of the 1921 Race Massacre – and to lobby Oklahoma and Congress for restitution for survivors. Three known Greenwood

Other activities were planned throughout the weekend and next week. On June 6, international composer, trumpeter and band leader Wynton Marsalis is scheduled to perform at the Tulsa Symphony. “The programs this year are extensive,” Ms. Nelson said, as she headed out late Friday to a speaker engagement. “We’ve always had the discussions

Dr. Safisha Hill (r) at Greenwood Cultural Center

residents, Hughes Van Ellis, who is 100 years old; Lessie Benningfeld Randle, 106; and Viola Ford Fletcher, Mr. Ellis’ older sister, who is 107; are the last living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The three survivors rode in a horse-drawn carriage down North Greenwood Street on Friday, leading the community’s Black Wall Street Legacy Festival kick-off march in which Dr. Hill and her fellow African Ancestral Society members participated.

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of reparations; but the namebrand people associated with it (this year) is wonderful.” The Tulsa Race Massacre occurred over two days, May 31, 1921 through June 1, 1921, and resulted in the decimation of more than 1,400 homes and businesses in Tulsa’s prosperous Greenwood District, which had become home to thousands of affluent Black residents and entrepreneurs. On the evening of May 31, 1921, mobs of white men shot, beat and killed Black men,

women and children, looted their businesses and set fire to 36 blocks of homes, churches, theaters, banks, groceries and other property in the Greenwood District. By most accounts, up to 300 African Americans were killed and buried in mass graves. Thousands of Black Tulsans fled the city never to return. The killings began when Sarah Page, a 17-year-old white elevator operator, accused Dick Rowland, 19, an African American shoe shiner, of “offending” her. She told police, according to media accounts, that Mr. Rowland had touched her, implying that she had been sexually assaulted. Rowland was arrested and the city’s two newspapers, the morning edition of the Tulsa World and the afternoon edition of the Tulsa Tribune reported the incident and, according to African American historians, inflamed racial tensions. The Tribune reported that a lynching would occur on the night of May 31. That night, scores of white men gathered at the city jail, became riled and some were deputized by the local police chief. For the next two days, the mobs set fires to structures and randomly shot and killed residents. Airplanes dropped bombs, survivors said, killing scores of residents and destroying the structures and buildings in the Greenwood District. “It was a travesty,” Ms. Nelson said. “A war was declared on another people. It was declared on U.S. residents.” “It’s heart rendering to hear them describe that,” she said, adding that she plans to drive the 284-miles from Dallas to Tulsa every year until Oklahoma’s state government and federal government acknowledge the atrocity and pays reparations to survivors. myimessenger.com

The Tulsa Massacre Exemplifies America’s Reluctance To Confront White Supremacism TO BE EQUAL MARC MORIAL

They killed an estimated 300 people. They inflicted serious injury on more than 800 people. They burned more than 1,250 homes to the ground, along with every church, school and business. They left 10,000 people homeless, and wreaked about $200 million in property damage in today’s dollars. Not a single one of the murderous white mob that obliterated the affluent Black neighborhood of Greenwood, Oklahoma, ever was prosecuted. Every insurance claim filed by a Black property owner was denied. Though it was covered extensively in newspapers at the time, the Tulsa race massacre, which happened 100 years ago this week, was nearly lost to history. Someone ripped an article about the arrest that triggered the massacre, along with half the editorial page, from the only copy of the May 31 Tulsa Tribune to be microfilmed. Even most Black residents of Tulsa never heard about the massacre when they were growing up. Oklahoma school began including it in their curriculums only last year. A century later, the Tulsa massacre is one of history’s clearest examples of America’s deep-seated reluctance to confront the legacy of white supremacism, and of the intense, enduring economic scars Black Americans bear to this day. The effort to suppress history that makes white Americans uncomfortable didn’t begin or end with the Tulsa massacre. The myimessenger.com

Jim Crow south of my childhood was steeped in the mythology of the Lost Cause – the erroneous claim that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, but against the encroachment of Federal power. A more recent manifestation is the alarmist backlash against the 1619 Project, the New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning examination of slavery’s role in shaping the American present. The University of North Carolina board of trustees went so far as to defy the recommendation of the university’s dean, chancellor, and faculty and deny tenure to

by force is to acknowledge that a massive debt is owed. The violence that raged for 24 hours in Greenwood ostensibly was triggered by an accusation – likely false, according to the 2001 report of the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission -- that a 19-year-old Black shoeshiner assaulted a 17-year-old white elevator operator. But many observers at the time suggested that white resentment of Black prosperity was the primary cause of the attack. The Chicago Defender reported in June 1921: Letters had been sent to prom-

“I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams,” she said. “I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history but I cannot.” — 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, survivor of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who conceived the project. Critical race theory, a decades-old academic concept which suggests that racism is embedded in American law and public policy, is white supremacy’s latest bugbear. The idea that America’s social and economic inequities are the result of deliberate policy choices – rather than differences in effort and ability -- is a dangerous one for those invested in preserving the status quo. As Adam Serwer writes in The Atlantic, it suggests that different policy choices could produce a more equitable society. It may be this fear, rather than the more commonly-cited factor of shame, that motivated suppression of the Tulsa race massacre. To acknowledge that the wealth of Greenwood was taken

inent men of the Race demanding that they stop extending the bounds of the district within which they were segregated. A rumor has been extant for some time to the effect that it was the desire of white industry or of private citizens to appropriate the lands which the Race had gained possession of. Since the area had become a segregated district to them, the value had increased and white speculators saw a chance for immense profits if they could only drive the inhabitants out. According to the 2001 Commission report, “At the time, many said that this was no spontaneous eruption of the rabble; it was planned and executed by the elite. Quite a few people — including some members of this commission — have since

studied the question and are persuaded that this is so, that the Tulsa race riot was the result of a conspiracy. This is a serious position and a provable position – if one looks at certain evidence in certain ways.” Whatever the true motivation, white Tulsans moved quickly to exploit the economic devastation and terror of Greenwood residents, swooping up their land for a pittance. A city committee proposed converting the land to commercial use, emphasizing the desirable racial segregation that would result: We further believe that the two races being divided by an industrial section will draw more distinctive lines between them and thereby eliminate the intermingling of the lower elements of the two races, which in our opinion is the root of the evil which should not exist. In its 2001 report, the Commission recommended payment of reparations to survivors and descendants of survivors but 20 years later they have not been paid. Hughes Van Ellis, who was an infant at the time of the massacre, testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee earlier this month. “We were made to feel that our struggle was unworthy of justice, that we were less than the whites, that we weren’t fully Americans,” he said. “We were shown that in the United States, not all men were equal under the law. We were shown that when Black voices called out for justice, no one cared. “Please, do not let me leave this Earth without justice.” Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

June 4, 2021

Rising from the Ashes

Photos and Story By SYLVIA DUNNAVANT HINES

After a hundred years, the souls of Black Wall Street are rising up to show a resilient people as Tulsa celebrates the centennial of the Greenwood community massacre. “There is an absolute through line between the past and the present not just for Tulsa but for America in general,” said Hannibal B. Johnson author of Black Wall Street 100: An American City Grapples with Its Historic Racial Trauma. “What happened to Tulsa in terms of the massacre is symbolic of the racial history of America. We know that in the run up for 1921, the year for the incident in Tulsa, we had the summer of 1919. This was called the red summer. Red which was indicative of the blood that was shed from Black people as the result of racial violence in America.” Last weekend Tulsa commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Black Wall Street Massacre which took place May 31 and June 1, 1921, when an angry white mob, which deputized by city officials, attacked Black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They burned the entire 35 square block area killing over 300 people and leaving thousands of people homeless. “The Black Wall Street Massacre stands out because of the magnitude of the destruction. Greenwood was a well-developed commercial community. There were mom and pop type shops, operations and service providers. The Greenwood District consisted of things like movie theatres, dance halls, hotels, barber shops, beauty salons, pool halls, rooming June 4, 2021

houses and restaurants. There was also a group of profession business such: as doctors, dentist, lawyers, and accounts. This was a well-developed Black business community that faced an economic detour. In other words, the reason that the community was successful was because Black folks could not engage with the white dominated community in downtown Tulsa.

Hannibal Johnson

Black Wall Street reflects the Story of a Resilient People They were metaphorically turned away at the gates. They had to create their own economical island within the Greenwood District, which was a 35 square block area, “said Mr. Johnson, whose has written four books specifically about the Greenwood District. According to Mr. Johnson the purpose of the book is designed to help people understand how the Tulsa of 2021 is different from the

I MESSENGER

Black Wall Street

Tulsa of 1921. The progress that has been made and the progress yet to be made. Booker T. Washington is credited for labeling the Greenwood District as the Negro Wall Street of America. This area in Tulsa has become prominent because many African Americans, moved to Oklahoma in hopes of gaining a shot at quick economic gains through the mining and oil industries. Over time that term was changed to a more modern more acceptable term Black Wall Street. “I consider the term Black Wall Street a misnomer. The Greenwood District is not a wall street in terms of banking or investment mecca. It was more of a Black main street. There were mostly small businesses located there,” said Mr. Johnson. There were damages of over $2 million in claims filed by the 60 businesses and over 1200 home owners who received mass destruction in the Tulsa Massacre. With the current rate of inflation that would be equivalent to about $30 million dollars today. However, experts say the true amount of the value for the destruction is unknown. “Outside of honoring the victims and descendants, and acknowledging one of the worst racially motivated events on American soil, one of the truly significant reasons why I have been a part of the Commission is the story of Black Wall Street, of entrepreneurship, and the circulation

of wealth,” said Clarence Boyd, Steering Committee Member, 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. “As a people, that is where our true power lies, and if we can tap into that mindset, the possibilities are truly endless. And Tulsa can be the center of that ecosystem.” Although the angry white mob of 1921 might have tried to erase the success Black Wall Street, author and historian Johnson feels that it had the opposite effect. “It is important to understand the whole story. The massacre is a chapter in a much larger narrative. The story is not the massacre. The story is the story of the indomitable human spirit. It is a story of some remarkable individuals who created and nurtured a community and resurrected a community after this event happened to them,” added Mr. Johnson. “That is the larger story. This courageous spirit still resides within the community today. One of the things that I have focused on in my work with the 1921 Tulsa Centennial Commission is of course telling the story and acknowledging our history but also cultivating the Black Wall Street mindset and that is the can-do spirit.” Johnson, a graduate of Harvard Law School has also served as an adjunct professor at The University of Tulsa College of Law. He has worked with numerous non-profits and organization in the Tulsa area. His book can be purchased on Amazon. myimessenger.com

Superb Women

May 2021

Dr. Thalia Matherson Dr. Thalia Matherson is an educator who skillfully bridged the worlds of education and community service. She spent more than two decades as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and district administrator in the Dallas ISD. Dr. Matherson served as President of the Dallas School Administrators Association and also took early retirement to become a sought after civic leader. With over 50 years as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., some civic service milestones include: Trustee - SMU; Huston Tillotson University alumni association; President, Dallas Retired Teachers Association and in 2015 she was inducted into the African American Education Archives and History Program’s Hall of Fame. A very active member of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Dr. Matherson is also a realtor; was named Woman of Year by the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance, 1978; and was also a member of the National Elementary Principals Association, Texas State Teachers Association and Phi Delta Kappa. She is also member of the Trinity Chapter of Links, Inc. We’re going to celebrate a special year this year on October 4, for this woman who has done so much for so many! Dr. Matherson leads with grace, charm, intellect and common sense -- the epitome of womanhood, sisterhood, service and love -- yes she is! Coffey Caesar Coffey Caesar is the principal broker for The Coffey Caesar Real Estate Firm. Coffey has had a distinguished career in fashion, finance and real estate marketing. Coffey graduated from University of Houston with a BA in Fashion Merchandising and Design. While at UH, she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and then she was off to live in Paris, France where she explored the world of fashion and the arts. Coffey traveled and performed extensively throughout Europe and Africa, visiting and living in France, Milan and Rome, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Ivory Coast, Nairobi, Kenya, Germany, and Switzerland; as a professional dancer and singer. Coffey spent over 20 years as a fashion model, modeling everything from clothing to doing print work on a variety of product and services. She actually should have had her legs and hands insured for millions because yes, they appeared in campaigns. Coffey leads a very Christ-centered life and she is always pleasant and supportive. A wife and mother; Coffey was recently widowed. She’s also a speaker and trainer. The South Oak Cliff graduate also attended the ASL School of Ministry and El Centro College. Coffey is classy, smart and absolutely beautiful! Bishop Vashti McKenzie When Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie served as the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, her historic election in the year 2000 represented the first time in the over 200-year history of the AME Church, a woman had obtained the level of Episcopal office. Bishop McKenzie was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the inaugural President’s Advisory Council of the White House Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She also participated in the Virtual Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service with President Joe Biden. In addition to attending Morgan State University, she is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, has a Master of Divinity Degree from Howard University School of Religion (M.Div.) and earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree (DMin.) from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. She is also the founder and chair of 10th Future Inc., a 501c3 non-profit that gives scholarships to students and grants for local church and community service projects. The National Chaplain for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Bishop is a wife, mother, grandmother, best-selling author, and the board chair of Paul Quinn College. There’s so much that can be said about this special lady. She is the epitome of womanhood. Bonnie Goodson Johnson Bonnie Goodson Johnson is so much more than an astute businesswoman and loyal friend to those who are so fortunate to call her their friend. Many may remember her for the beautiful restaurant that she owned in DeSoto, Mama Joe’s. Talk about great customer service, food, decor — Mama Joe’s was absolutely wonderful and you’re hard pressed to find anyone in the Metroplex who could make better macaroni and cheese or sweet potatoes! Mama Joe’s was her baby and she eventually moved to Red Bird Mall where more came to know and love the restaurant. People love Bonnie also because she is caring, always professional, supportive and just a joy to be around. Her business acumen is well documented and she has been around the table when some pretty hefty deals were made. A philanthropist, wife, mother and lover of animals, especially cats, Bonnie is the CEO & Founder at 1 Revised Plan. Hailing from Pittsburg, TX she studied at El Centro College. Real estate and helping aspiring entrepreneurs are just two of her passions. Bonnie believes in “Learning to see with your heart” and “looking beyond a person’s title and getting to know the person and his or her heart.” Bonnie has a beautiful heart, a brilliant mind -- more than enough to make her superb!

Sylvia Trent-Adams Former Deputy Surgeon General and Rear Admiral Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams is Chief Strategy Officer for the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. She served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (PDASH) from January 2019 through August 2020. A wife and mother, prior to joining the Public Health Service, Rear Admiral Trent-Adams was a nurse officer in the U.S. Army, with a clinical practice in trauma, oncology, community health, and infectious disease. The Hampton University alum began her extensive public health career in 1992 by joining the Commissioned Corps before ultimately retiring in 2020 from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps with the rank of Rear Admiral Upper Half. She also received a master’s degree in nursing and health policy, and a doctorate from University of Maryland. A current board member of AMN Healthcare, she has received the Meritorious Service Medal for leadership for her work on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and the International Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor given to a nurse. She’s also an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Superb Woman, thanks for your service! Kera Collier, DDS Dr. Kera Collier is a native of Oak Cliff, Texas. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Florida A&M University and Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in 2009. She is a member of the National Dental Association and the International Dental Implant Association. Dr. Collier takes pride in offering Quality Dental Care in a comfortable atmosphere to everyone she serves, from the young to the “young at heart.” Currently a member of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr.. Collier was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter at FAMU. When she is not practicing dentistry, Dr. Collier loves spending time with her family, serving with her Concord Church family, working out, and swing-out dancing. She loves Strawberry Ice Cream and her favorite entertainers are Fantasia, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu. The self-proclaimed “Karaoke Queen” loves the color purple. Talk about young, gifted and Black, Dr. Collier is a consummate pro. She has put in the work and now has her own practice, Indigo Dentistry, where you will see excellence at work. Dr. Collier gives you a lot to smile about. If you’re looking for a dentist, you need to check her out because she is after all, the BADST!

myimessenger.com

June 4, 2021

Tara L. Paige Tara L. Paige is an entrepreneur, business consultant and former educator who loves outdoor living spaces. The wife, mother and grandmother is the Founder and CEO of the eminent lifestyle brand The Patio Chic. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack and Jill of America, Tara has been featured in a variety of platforms, including: House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, Good Morning Texas, GMA, and Brides Magazine. Tara loves Black women. She says, “The fact is, we are almost always portrayed negatively; I wanted to use my prolific voice in the media and illustrate the benefits of keeping a positive mindset’. Tara started the Facebook group Black Women Who Love Outdoor Living Spaces, in April 2019, and today there are more than 200K members around the world. She said it is a community where Black women of all ages are “forming deep bonds by sharing outdoor décor and design inspiration.” With an engaging smile and adventurous spirit, just as when she was a child, Tara is providing an interesting, creative and engaging way to give women an outlet in an area where you don’t see many Black women leading. Tara is providing leadership. Monica Johnson Admittedly there was concern for Jill Louis in the Monica Johnson is an author, mentor, advocate, educator, motivational speaker, TED presenter and a business professional with vast experience in cost, tax, and operational management with United Parcel Service, a Fortune 100 company. Monica is the author of “Shift from Broken to Breathtaking – Don’t Let What Happens to You Break You. Let it Break Open What is in you.” She is a skilled, credentialed entrepreneur and highly sought-after speaker , with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of North Texas and a Master of Theological Studies from Dallas Baptist University. In 2018, she earned a Certification in Non-Profit Management. Monica is Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Monica Johnson Enterprises LLC, which includes the brands “That Girl is S.M.A.R.T”, Reclaim You (www.thatgirlissmart.com), the “OneWordMovement Charities”, a nonprofit organization and Publishing House for mentoring young girls. This wife and mother was recently honored by Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. - Psi Chapter. Yvette Blair-Lavallais Reverend Yvette Blair-Lavallais is the senior pastor of First Christian Methodist Evangelistic Church and her ministry is centered in the social justice narrative of the Gospel. Currently pursuing her doctorate degree, she is a Public Voices Fellow of the OPED Project, a 2018-2020 Fellow of the Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative Cohort, and a 2017 Academic Fellow of Princeton Theological Seminary’s Black Theology and Leadership Institute. A lover of the written word, Rev. Yvette is an award-winning journalist who is also a 2013 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Perkins School of Theology at SMU, where she served as president of the student body. Rev. Yvette was named the 2017 Woman of the Year by I Messenger Media/Texas Metro News, for speaking out and giving voice to the numerous clergywomen who’ve been victims of sexual assault in the Church. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a long time member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists, she received a bachelors degree journalism from the University of North Texas, after graduating from Justin F. Kimball High School. Rev. Yvette has extensive experience in media, corporate communications, public relations and non-profit management. Jennifer Nicole Martin Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska. What?! Jennifer Nicole Martin, a graduate of Paul Quinn College where she was a communications major, member of the Quinn Quill Newspaper Staff and National Association of Black Journalists and she was also initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, through the “Exquisite” Theta Theta Chapter. A loving and giving person with a cool sense of humor, Jennifer loves to travel and her passport is proof positive of her extensive exploits, in spite of the pandemic! A skilled professional and consummate professional, Jennifer is an excellent presenter because she is prepared, educated, talented and conscientious. When she’s not traveling she’s a communications exec with stints in corporate America, at UTSW and also working for non-profits. Jennifer loves life and lives it to the fullest. She also finds time to support others, as a volunteer. Whether it’s taking on an assignment to help fund scholarships, supporting HBCUs, or mentoring young teen girls; you can count on Jennifer for support. And you’re extra lucky if get to utilize her communications skills because she is all around, one of the best! Google “self-actualized” and you should find her picture! Jennifer doesn’t sweat the small stuff. She is going to enjoy this ride! Judge Aiesha Redmond Judge Aiesha Redmond is the Presiding Judge of the 160th Judicial District Court. Previously she served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in the Civil and Criminal Division, where she prosecuted a variety of felonies, claims, and civil matters. People always talk about her brains and beauty, because she is a scholar who knows the law, and she is gorgeous; but there’s so much more to this dynamic wife and mother who began her legal career as an associate in the Complex Commercial Litigation Division at Baker Botts, L.L.P. A graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University; Judge Redmond was a member of the Law Review, graduated 8th out of 210 and earned her law degree with Honors. Judge Redmond has been honored by the National Bar Association and received several awards for excellence in service. She has also earned an Exceptional Women in Justice and Education award and a Humanitarian award. A dedicated public servant, who graduated from Southwest Texas State University, the Dulles High School graduate has a commitment to equal justice for all under the law. Her public service extends beyond the courtroom. She is an active member of the American Bar Association and has assisted and mentored students with college and law school mock trials. Judge Redmond is a member of Disciple Central Community Church, where she spearheaded a female mentoring program. A dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Jack and Jill, Inc., J.L. Turner Legal Association, and the NAACP; she is also the reigning champion of the Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon! Judge Redmond is respected by her peers and those who face her in the courtroom. And with good reason. She’s superb! Dr. Linda Amerson Dr. Linda Amerson is an expert in hair loss and scalp conditions using holistic guidelines. She’s an educator, columnist, radio host, television personality, international lecturer, singer/songwriter, a doctor of Trichology and manufacturer of Dr. Amerson’s ™ Hair, Scalp and Skin Therapeutic Essentials, LLC. Hailing from Corpous Christi, Dr. Amerson is a magna cum laude graduate from the Accredited International Institute of Trichology in Madison, Alabama. Often featured on various syndicated television programs and radio broadcasts educating the public on hair loss and the importance proper nutrition plays in maintaining a healthy scalp, Dr. Amerson has an international presence and was featured on Colorful Radio London, England, with Elayne Smith’s weekly segment “Movers and Shakers,” and three syndicated radio shows. She’s in high demand because she is knowledgeable and focused on solutions and providing the best service and care for her patients. Dr. Amerson is in the community, every community as a source of support and inspiration. She is the CEO of LA’s Hair & Scalp Clinic where she offers “a microscopic hair and scalp analysis to give an accurate assessment of Alopecia and Scalp Conditions then recommend treatment.” Dr. Amerson has a smile that you can see, even when she’s wearing a mask! A giving heart and concern for mankind, she sheds light on so many issues and she also sponsors an essay contest, providing scholarships for students.

June 4, 2021

I MESSENGER

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Gloria Reed Austin Gloria Reed Austin hails from Brownwood, TX. She attended Brownwood High School, where she joined the band, drill team and the civic club. She loved reading and attending church activities. Gloria attended classes at Howard Payne College in Brownwood and El Centro College in Dallas before earning her real estate license at the George Leonard Real Estate Institute. The wife and mother is a co-founder of the National Cowboys of Color Museum in Fort Worth, TX. A mentor, civic leader and philanthropist, this member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is committed to spreading and sharing information about the history of the West that is inclusive of people of color. Concerned that African American youth, especially, needed to know about their history, that wasn’t being taught in school; she has dedicated her time, energy and resources to filing the void. In addition to the Museum, the Renaissance Cultural Center has her rubber stamp on it as she has been there since its inception, offering educational and cultural programs, scholarships, and other services to support the young, the old, and the poor within Fort Worth’s inner city. Gloria is committed and leads with love, sincerity and compassion, which is also exhibited through her work as a co-founder of the National Multicultural Western Heritage Foundation. Lajuana Barton Here she comes: High heels, long fingernails, a big smile! LaJuana Barton is the Chief of Staff! A long time public servant; this author, mentor, community servant, advocate and all-around wonderful person is Dallas’ finest. Also the president and CEO at L.D. Barton PR, she’s a fixer! A proud graduate of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, she majored in journalism/public relations at UT and she also attended Amber University (now Amberton). LaJuana has so many of all ages who call her “Ma Barton” because she has been such a source of support and inspiration for so many. For almost 30 years, she has been the administrator of the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program; where annually more than 100 students secure internships and participate in programming that helps them to become better servant leaders. She is well-respected because she is genuinely interested in the well-being of others and while she is a strong leader, she’s an even stronger and better team player. She gets the job done. There’s probably a hidden reason why some call her “Sunny.” We will just chalk it up to her disposition and love for mankind. Pick up her book, Faithful Remembrances, written with her mother, Patricia Barton. The book will help you deal with grief and having LaJuana in your life with make that experience more fulfilling. LaJuana is sunshine on a cloudy day! Dr. Renee Fowler Dr. Renee Denise Fowler attended the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc - Kappa Iota Chapter; a legacy she shares with her mother, two sisters, daughter and great niece. Dr. Renee has a Master of Biblical Studies (IFTGW – Minnesota Theological Seminary) and a Doctorate in Religious Philosophy (Tabernacle Bible College and Seminary). She is also a graduate of Dale Carnegie and many other certification programs. She’s a strategic Christian thought leader, speaker, trainer, coach and senior pastor of Destiny Pointe Christian Center. Dr. Renee also has a background in finance, having had a successful career in corporate America. Her extensive volunteer service includes serving on the boards of JB Dondolo, Inc., Opening Doors for Women in Need, Arlington Clergy and Police Partnership (ACAPP), and Destiny Empowerment Enterprises, Inc. For more than 30 years she has been a pastor. A best selling author, Dr. Renee is known for inspiring and uplifting women. She is the founder of The Life Empowerment Training and Development Institute, CEO of InSight Consulting and Founder of Rachel’s House (transitional living for women and families in crisis), Women of Influence, Inc. and Destiny Empowerment Enterprises, Inc. Dr. Renee’s life is a true testimony. She speaks to the inner woman in us all and is a beacon of hope, redemption, and triumph. Judge Tammy Kemp Tammy Kemp is the presiding Judge of the 204th Judicial District Court. Judge Kemp is a native of Wewoka, OK and earned a BBA in Finance and a Juris Doctorate from OU. She worked as an Assistant Attorney General and an Assistant Secretary of State for the State of Oklahoma, before relocating to the Dallas area. Conscientious, compassionate, and possessing the highest ethical standards, Judge Kemp is a member of the State Bars of Texas and Oklahoma. She has been a member of Concord Church for almost 30 years; where she serves as a Deaconess and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Already known for her judicial temperament and legal prowess; shegained national attention as the presiding judge over the Amber Guyger murder trial where the former Dallas Police officer “mistakenly” entered the home of businessman Botham Jean and shot him as he watched television. The jury found Guyger guilty of murder and sentenced her to 10 years. Judge Kemp is widely respected for her knowledge of the law and her integrity. She is fair and that’s what you want; whether you are innocent or guilty. You have to respect that! And you don’t want to mess with her!

Dorothy Burton Dorothy Burton is a speaker, podcaster, prolific author, inspirational lecturer, influencer, leadership trainer and facilitator of personal development, management and executive team empowerment. She made history when this wife and mother became the first African American elected to the Duncanville City Council; going on to serve four terms, including as Mayor Pro Tem. Dorothy received her Bachelors degree in Communication (Journalism) and a Masters Degree in Urban Affairs from UTA and a Masters Degree Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is a charter graduate of Dallas Blueprint for Leadership and former Chair of the Dallas Central Appraisal District Board of Directors representing Dallas County. In 2006, she was recognized as an Outstanding African American Alum of UTA and Dorothy is also a proud graduate of Leadership Texas and Leadership Southwest. A Graduate Teacher Diploma from the Evangelical Training Association, she is a member of Christian Women in Media Association (CWIMA) President’s Club. In 2013 she was one of the co-founders of Christians in Public Service, Inc. and today serves as the CEO. Dorothy is bold and faithful. She has a mind of her own and this member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc is loyal and committed. Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson ACTION is a verb, noun, adjective -- all of that when you are referring to Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson. When she says she is “busy,” don’t believe her because she is really understating her very existence. This woman is ALWAYS dong something for someone else! People should be calling to help her, not ask for anything because she is doing so much for so many. Minnie’s Pantry is a ministry of love and service to mankind. Dr. Jackson continues to excel in the field of journalism, especially in radio and television. Also a book author, Dr. Jackson is a motivational speaker and philanthropist. Jackson’s humanitarian work and tireless contribution continues to be embraced, supported and celebrated across the country and around the world, including: Ellen DeGeneres awarded the charity with $30,000; Steve Harvey gave Dr. Jackson the Harvey’s Hero award along with a gift of $25,000 from Hillshire Farm; Winner of the local Lady Godiva Fall campaign Profiled in Essence Magazine. Her charity was also featured in The Food Network national documentary called Hunger Hits Home. America fell in love with Dr. Jackson when her team became the first winners on the hit game show series, “The American Bible Challenge” and later as a contestant on Deal or No Deal. The money she makes helps to build Minnie’s Food Pantry. And we know how Oprah feels about her. The Queen of Talk, not only hosted a fundraiser, but she also made a hefty financial contribution. Dr. Jackson is a frequent red carpet host and recipient of numerous awards. Dr. Jackson also received the 2019 National Association of Black Journalists’ Angelo Henderson Community Service Award. She is taking care of communities, one mouth at a time.

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June 4, 2021

Marnese Barksdale Marnese Barksdale Elder is described as results-driven, kind, smart, compassionate, focused, loving, creative, dynamic, well, you get the picture. A senior VP at Parkland Health and Hospital System, she is about to retire but those who know her don’t think she’s slowing down one bit. She has also served as president of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and as owner and CEO of Mecca Management. Her portfolio is impressive, to say the least. She has held several management positions since she received a a Bachelor of Arts degree in Healthcare Administration from Fisk University in Nashville and an MBA from Texas Woman’s University. She was initiated into the Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1981. A graduate of Paschal High School, she’s a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Dallas Class of 2018, the Dallas County Small Business Enterprise Advisory Committee, the North Texas Commission Board of Directors and Visit Dallas Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Additionally she is a past president of Links, Inc.-Mid-Cities (TX) Chapter and a national chair of the organization, as well as a member of The Tarrant County Pearls Chapter, The Society Incorporated. Call her and say Happy Birthday! Belinda Ramsey Belinda Ramsey Cavett was crowned Ms. Texas United America 2010-11; and Ms. Texas Leading Women of America 2012-13. A world traveller, she’s the president and founder of Mothers Opposing Bullying (MOB). Belinda is an activist, philanthropist and supporter of worthy causes. She concentrates her time, resources and efforts on underserved and helpless children. She also has a fondness for playing games, good food and better friends, A wife and mother, Belinda is that sister everyone wants to have because she is supportive, compassionate, smart, sincere, honest and loving. She loves life and enjoys it to the fullest. You can’t bring negativity or bad vibes around her because the good in her will overpower it all. She loves children, thus her affiliation with The Colony Childcare. Belinda was also recognized on Drew Pearson Live as “Our Hail Mary Hero” of the week. She hosts a 5K, 10K, Fun Run and World Unity Festival & Concert in The Colony, TX to celebrate culture while discussing bullying education and awareness to save lives. Whether she is on the beach, working, gracing a red carpet, speaking to a standing only crowd or entertaining at home, Belinda is exceptional. She’s also an excellent bowler, and she has the trophy to prove it as she walked away with first place honors at the Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon. To know her is to love her! Rev. Danielle Ayers Rev. Danielle Ayers has a bio that when you read it, makes you feel like you just aren’t doing enough! Just saying her title “Minister of Justice” at the Friendship-West Baptist Church is enough to let you know the sister is bad! Rev. Ayers is a “justice seeker, author, preacher, and teacher.” She provides leadership to the following impact areas: economic justice, food justice gender justice, environmental justice, legal clinic, racial reconciliation, voter engagement, and immigration and also leads the church’s public policy and justice initiatives through education, mobilization and organization. Rev. Ayers serves as the co-convener of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. and as a delegate to the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race. She serves on President Jimmy Carter’s New Baptist Covenant Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Faith Cooperative Federal Credit Union. She received a BBA in Marketing and Economics from The University of Memphis and a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School. Rev. Ayers is co-author of To Serve This Present Age: Social Justice Ministries in the Black Church and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In the fight for justice, we feel better having Rev. Ayers on our side. De’Shon Edmond De’Shon Edmond was raised in Greenville, Mississippi, and relocated back home to Dallas, Texas at the age of 10. A graduate of Skyline High School Career and Development Center in Dallas she attended The University of Texas at Dallas and graduated from Northwood University with a BBA in Management before going on to earn MS in Human Resources and Training at Amber University (now Amberton). De’Shon worked as a Human Resources professional for 15 years with the last eight in International HR Consulting Management at Deloitte & Touche LLP, in 2009; she decided to pursue her desire to work with children as an educator. De’Shon went back to school, and completed the Post Accelerated Certification and became a Reading Specialist. The wife and mother attends Concord Church in Dallas and she is a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends. Tengemana Hill Knight Tengemana Hill Knight hails from Harlem and she attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She received her B.S. in Psychology (maybe that is why she is so cool!) and her M.Ed. - Counselor Education from Florida A&M University, where she was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST). Currently a counselor at Duncanville High School, Tengemana has a distinguished career as an educator and a community servant. She is a charter member of the Southwest Dallas County Alumnae Chapter of DST. A wife and mother, she is socially conscious and serves as a source of support and inspiration to so many women and children. Many know her from the grace and leadership she displayed as the First Lady of Lancaster, TX. Tengemana is a born leader, and a great team player. Just a few of the reasons why people love her so much! Nekima L. Horton Nekima L. Horton is president and CEO of The Veterans Coalition of North Central Texas. Hailing from Yakima, Washington, she received her Masters of Social Work from Grambling State University and Bachelors degree in sociology from Louisiana Tech. When UTA hired her in 2009, it was to make the campus tobacco free. If anyone could do it, she had the experience and proven track record. After all, for more than five years, she was the regional coordinator for the LA Campaign for Tobacco Free Living. As director of the Operation Healthy Reunions Program at Mental Health America, she focused on the mental health state of returning veterans and subsequently built the Coalition, with a vision of mobilizing “all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Noted for being a team builder, strategic planner and public speaker, she is member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and she is also a licensed agent at Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company. Margaret H. Jordan Where do we start when someone is so dynamic? Let’s start with Margaret H. Jordan being the first African American graduate of Georgetown University’s nursing program! She went on to receive her Master’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley. And she’s gone on to have other firsts! When she moved to Dallas to turn around a struggling health-care company, she became the first African American to head a major corporation in the area. A former director of several public companies, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the Mentor Corporation and the Eckerd Corporation, she is also a former director of the American Public Health Association and the American Hospital Association. Margaret has served on numerous community and professional organizations including the Dallas Museum of Art, International Women’s Forum of Dallas, James Madison’s Montpelier Foundation and the AT&T Performing Arts. Margaret is a very special woman who is greatly loved and appreciated, not just because she is kind and sweet, either. She is smart, considerate and a joy to be around.

June 4, 2021

I MESSENGER

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Pat Parrish Pat Parrish is the managing director and founder of Parrish Business Services, LLC. An adjunct professor at Dallas College, she holds master’s degrees in business administration and management form the University f Phoenix.A wife for almost 50 years, and a mother and grandmother, Pat is deeply entrenched in the business world and throughout the community. She is recognized as a performance-driven management professional with strong business acumen and 20+ years of extensive experience in diversity, equity and inclusion, supplier diversity, talent management, public administration, and management consulting. She helps CEOs and Senior Leadership accelerate their business and personal growth results with customized strategies for continuous process improvement. She has demonstrated success while improving Dallas’ diversity rankings from nonexistent to #1 in the U.S. by turning around the City of Dallas Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program and established relationships with key stakeholders. She is a servant leader; strong in business and community service having served on numerous boards and committees including Park South YMCA, Teens Reaching Teens Inc. and South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund Board. Behind that beautiful smile, is intelligence, love, commitment, sincerity and so much more. Bernice J. Washington This woman needs no introduction, but any time that she is introduced, you want to pay attention because it is always a splendid presentation! Bernice J. Washington is president and CEO of BJW Consulting Group, L.L.C. Internationally known, respected and loved, she is an astute business woman with impeccable communication skills. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and honors graduate of Southern University with a BS degree in Bacteriology/Microbiology, she earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A Certified Master Coach and member of the International Coaching Council, this dynamic woman has been a long time member of St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, Links Inc., and she has served on more than 20 boards; holding major leadership role, including Texas Healthcare Trustees, D/FW Airport and the Salvation Army. She specializes in management, leadership, and personal development. and is a faculty member at The Governance Institute - serving not-for-profit hospital and health system boards of directors, executives, and physician leadership. A motivational speaker, this wife and mother is also an author. She puts a smile on your face and brings joy into your heart. Sonya Bridges Sonya Bridges is the Strategic Executive in Informational Technology Services at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), actually she is the Assistant Vice President of Information Technology Services! Sonya is responsible for the strategy, development and implementation of applications, Business Intelligence, Data Management and Systems Integration. It is under her leadership that DFW Airport implemented the Official DFW Airport Mobile App. 2018 DFW Airport Leader of Diversity and Inclusion Award Recipient, she earned a BS in computer science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA and MBA from Texas Woman’s University. Sonya also holds technical certifications in executive management and telecommunications from SMU. Prior to joining DFW Airport, Sonya worked at TXU Energy, Hewlett Packard, J.C. Penney, Texas Instruments and Lockheed-Martin, in various progressive positions. She’s a “learner.” She says, “If you are willing to learn, then you are part of the conversation!” That’s right! She’s the total package — highly regarded and respected in and outside of the technology world. Check her out on Youtube, spreading wisdom. She’s engaging, knowledgeable, meticulous and she has the RIGHT attitude. She’s a visionary leader. She is absolutely superb. Alisa Allen More today than ever it seems we need Alisa Allen. The founder of Your Presence is Important Etiquette School, she is the National President of the The National Association of Urban Etiquette Professionals (NAUEP); the nation’s largest etiquette association serving urban communities. With almost 30 years of etiquette and protocol experience, Alisa is a certified etiquette instructor who could help all of us. She is a leader and well-sought after speaker providing etiquette and protocol training, Alisa is a member of the Potter’s House and a team lead in the Hospitality Ministry. A life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she is also an author. She attended Business and Management Center and Texas Woman’s University. You can review her Instagram page @alisa school of etiquette for weekly etiquette tips. Trust and believe you can’t go wrong, because home training is not so common these days and social graces seem to have become a lost cause. Just think… Alisa can help you with etiquette in dining, children/youth communication, civility, business attire/imaging and etiquette for social and media outlets. What? You haven’t reached out yet? Debra Brown Sturns Debra “Trish” Brown Sturns retired as an educator, after 32 years of service but she has definitely not retired from life. An active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Debra is a consummate and dedicated volunteer who gives her all. She is a philanthropist and patron of the arts who honors her commitments. She cares about the community and making all communities better. She has been a dancer or associated with dancing for most of her life. At Broad Street High School in Mississippi, she was a majorette and head majorette for her last two years. She was also a member of the Varsity Basketball Team at BSHS. She went on to Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). While working at Johnson Products in Chicago during the summers, she was a member of the Original Soul Train Dancers at MVSU, she won several Dance Competitions, was on the Campus Modeling Team and worked in the Public Relations Office for four years. After she moved to Dallas she danced with an African Dance Group for several years and she was the Drill Team Director for a DISD High School (Seagoville High), and she was the dance coordinator for Shelly Garrett’s Easter Pageant and the Miss Black Texas Teen Pageant. She was also the Local Entertainment Coordinator for Dallas KwanzaaFest from 1999 to 2009. Additionally she has volunteered for The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Mothers Against Teen Violence, MASS, and for more than 20 years, until COVID-19 changed our lives, she was the operations manager for the Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon. A long-time member of Concord Church, this past Teacher of the Year is the person you want on your team because of her skills, attention to detail and loyalty. But you’ll also tap into her leadership skills because she knows how to get the job done -- with a smile and a wonderful spirit! Tune in to Debra’s show on Saturdays at noon on BlogTalk Radio and Facebook Live, as she delves into the issues impacting society, providing in depth analysis and solutions, along with engaging and informative guests. You can call in to (646) 200-0459 or log on to the Texas Metro News Facebook Page. Daphne Jackson Hornbuckle Daphne Jackson Hornbuckle is the IT Manager for Charter Communications. She has also owned an IT consulting firm, Diamond Technology Group, LLC. The native New Yorker is committed to public service. A dedicated community leader and past President of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., Psi Chapter, she received the Outstanding Chapter President and Outstanding Chapter awards on both regional and national levels from 2014-2017. In 2016, she accepted the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce’s Connie Davis Roseborough Volunteer of the Year award for the chapter’s outstanding service and significant enhancements to the African American community. Daphne was inducted into the Third (2016) and Fourth (2017) Editions of Who’s Who in Black Dallas and has served on several boards. She currently serves on the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Hofstra University’s Women in Leadership Advisory Board. A member of the National Association of Parliamentarians, Women in Cable Telecommunications and the Dallas Society of Women Engineers, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Hofstra University. A team player and born leader, Daphne is loved and respected because she is loving, smart, beautiful, compassionate and honorable. A breast cancer survivor, Daphne is a dedicated woman of her word.

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June 4, 2021

MICKLE CAJUN KITCHEN 3203 W. Camp Wisdom Rd. Dallas, Tx 75237 Next Door to Java Lavender / Health & Nutritional Bar & Restaurant micklechickenllc@gmail.com 469.399.0007 Gumbo Ln.

LEGAL NOTICE Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for two permits 1. (BG) Wine and Beer Retailer’s and 2. (FB) Food and Beverage by Mr. Toby Mickle dba Mickle Chicken LLC. Trade Name: Mickle Cajun Kitchen to be located at 3203 W. Camp Wisdom Rd. Suite #3203, Dallas, TX 75237 [Dallas], [Dallas County], Texas. Officers of said corporation: are Mr. Toby Mickle / No Partners.

June 4, 2021

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Program recognizes leaders By CAROL MAYO and JENNIFER WIMBUSH The work of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., supporting minority males continues through innovative ZOOM activities planned for students in the Dallas metroplex area. Recently members of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter, in partnership with Project M. A. L. E., hosted a virtual 2020-2021 Closing Celebration for minority males. Both organizations offer mentoring programs targeting minority males in different age groups from kinder – 12th grades. The Closing Celebration, using the theme “We Are Our Ancestors’ Dream,” recognized students for attendance/participation, Leadership, Black History and Entrepreneurship competitive presentations. Students met monthly for educational experiences led by male mentors. In previous years, the monthly meetings have been in person. This year, relative to COVID-19, the sessions have been via ZOOM, with the overall objective to support the successful completion of students through high school. The sessions focus on the following areas: Education, Social Etiquette, Knowing Your History and Culture, Spiritual Health, and Healthy Lifestyles. A major emphasis for this year has been Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship. Facilitated by Austin Medley, the Youth Pastor for Concord Church (Dallas), to further promote the concept of entrepreneurship, two local high school students, owning their own businesses, offered inspirational messages. The first program presenter, Jarrod Jackson, a DeSoto High School student has established a myimessenger.com

E.M.B.O.D.I. students take a photo with “The Pie DUDE” following their Closing Celebration on May 15, 2021 (L to R Blake Jefferson, Kevin Robinson “The Pie DUDE”, Chase Mayo, Braylon Brown, Traelen Mays.

Project M.A.L.E. student, Benson Flowers, with his mom, Carriea Flowers, shows off his Comerica Swag Bag filled with a piggy bank and other items donated by Comerica Bank. Benson also won 1st Place in the kinder – 2nd grade category for the Young Entrepreneur’s Challenge sponsored by the Project M. A. L. E. Program.

Below, Landon Palacious, a 2nd grader at Harry Stone Montessori School has participated in the Project M.A.L. E. program since age 5. Landon displays other items students were awarded as incentives for their participation during the year.

Jarrod Jackson (center in red shirt) owner of J’s Pop Corn Shoppe in Mansfield, TX. Pictured with Jarrod are Carole Mayo, E.M.B.O.D.I. Chair; Dana Jackson, Jarrod’s mother; Chase Mayo and Mother, Ciceli Mayo.

popcorn business in Mansfield, “J’s Poppin.” The second speaker, Kevin Roberson, also of DeSoto High School, owns and operates “The Pie DUDE,” a business where he bakes, sales and distributes homemade pies. Following the drive-through celebration, students were able to taste samples of the products. During the Completion Award portion of the program, Mark Anthony Anderson of Cedar Hill High School was presented the outstanding leader award. With an emphasis on financial wealth students were required to establish the name and type of business they wanted to own in the future, create a budget, develop a marketing plan and identify

personnel needed to operate the business. “It has been refreshing to work with the students each month observing learning and growth experiences.,” said program mentor Jason Jackson. Members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority were on hand to present awards to the following junior and high school winners of the Youth Entrepreneur Challenge: Braylon Brown, a 6th grader from Lake Ridge Middle School placed 1st in the 6th – 8th grade competition with his “New to You Shoes” business, which takes gently-used shoes, that are restored and then resold. Josh Hurd, a junior at DeSoto High School who operates “J-Af-

fect Shirts,” was the 1st Place winner in the 9th – 12th grade competition. Kinder through 5th grade students did not participate in the program for junior and high school students, but did participate in a similar program for their age group. “We are thankful for the support of sponsors, and pleased to acknowledge the following program-contributing organizations American Legion Tommy Robinson Post 802, Comerica Bank, Dodd Education and Support Foundation, The Good News Class of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, Dallas and Lancaster ISD, and UNT-Dallas,” said Delta Sigma Theta president Dr. Andrea Hilburn. June 4, 2021

June 4, 2021

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June 4, 2021

Dr. Amerson adapts to Temporary Business Closure Dr. Linda Amerson, Board Certified Trichologist, has adapted to the temporary closure of LA's Hair and Scalp Clinic. We continue to offer our award-winning products to consumers. Our exclusive products are manufactured by a facility in Garland, TX. Premium quality natural ingredients are used to assist with dry, oily, itchy, flaky, inflammed scalps, as well as hair breakage, hair thinning and regrowth. Everyone may order from our website, and we will ship your product order to you. http://www.hairandscalpessentials.com We need your support. In addition, we offer Video Consultations globally! We will schedule an appointment, give a diagnosis, them make a recommendation. We are available to serve you in the comfort of your home. Call us today - 817.265.8854 http://www.hairandscalpessentials.com We need your support.

June 4, 2021

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Nena’s Finds Boutique A Uniquely Stylish, Fashionable Boutique for women of all Sizes! Ranging from Pretti and Petite to Pretti and Plus! Nena likes to be a bit edgy, blingy ... But she keeps it Chic with Sophisticated Style!

Nena’s Finds is your one stop shop for an Eccentric flare!

214.623.7314

nenafinds17@gmail.com Schedule your Sip n Shop, Trunk Show, Girls Nite Out or Wardrobe Revamp with Nena’s Finds today!

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June 4, 2021

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June 4, 2021

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Introducing

EAT ZONE Best Food in Town

South Dallas Zone

The Hidden Secret of OakCliff

A new on-demand, curb to curb service when and where you need it.

2 Burgers for $5 2 Pc Grilled/Fried Þsh

3003 E. Illinois Ave,75216

214-376-9663

Book your trip with the GoPass® app or call 214-515-7272. For information about GoLink – including fares, maps, hours of operation and more – visit

DART.org/GoLink June 4, 2021

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Virtual and liVe Community Calendar BLACK MUSIC MONTH MEN’S HEALTH MONTH HAPPY PRIDE MONTH June 3 Dallas Virtual Job Fair Looking for a job in Dallas? If you are this event is a must attend. 9 am-3 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com Small Businesses: Everything You Need To Know! Event by Community Tax Agency host Tawala Jefferson. Join Zoom Meeting https:// zoom.us/j/93140643208. 6:30 pm. CDT.

The Big Dance Dallas Black Dance Theatre at Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Ctr, 2301 Flora St. 8 pm12 am. Info: DallasBigDance.com. COVID-19 Vaccine Community Event at Empowering the Masses, Inc. 3314 Detonte St. Dallas. 10 am-1 pm. Call 214820-4846 for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling.

Girlfriends Night Out at Daq’s Luxury Daiquiri Lounge 8700 Preston Rd. Plano. 4-8 pm CDT. Tickets: daqsallfolks.com. Live with Carnegie Hall: Remembering Greenwood. Event by Carnegie Hall. 6:30 pm. CDT. Live on Facebook https://www. facebook.com/carnegiehall.

COVID-19 Vaccine Community Event at Trinity Christian Church, 3300 Gus Thomasson Rd. Mesquite. 10 am-2 pm. Call 214-820-4846 for COVID-19 vaccine appt.

June 4

Kier’s Hope Foundation 5k Run and Fun Walk at the Margaret Hunt-Hill Bridge. Reg. at 7 am. Race Starts 8 am. www.kiershope.com.

Carter Metropolitan CME, Ministry Drive-Thru at 4601 Wichita St. Fort Worth. 11:30 am.

June 6 The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. It’s thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news commentary. Join the call at 646-200-0459.

Music in the Park Event by Cedar Hill Parks and Recreation Department. Valley Ridge Park, 2850 Parkridge Dr. Cedar Hill 8-9:30 pm. Info: www.cedarhillTX.com/music.

All DAQ Jazz: The Perfect Date Night. Event by Daq’s Luxury Daiquiri Lounge, 8700 Preston Rd., Plano. 7-10 pm. Tickets: www.opentable.com/ restref/client

June 5 ELECTION DAY Cheryl’s World Presents “The Connections For Positive Priorities And Common Sense” with Debra Brown-Sturns. On Facebook.com/Texas Metro News and BlogTalkRadio.com. 12-2 pm. Join the conversation 646-200-0459. LOUISIANA CAJUN CRAWFISH BOIL. Event host LSU Alumni Association Dallas Chapter. Maple Landing, 5855 Maple Ave. #190, 2-6 pm.

June 4, 2021

The Jirah Nicole Show with Jirah Nicole Mickle. From 11:30 am-1:30 pm. CST Tuesday’s on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459. Zumba with Mildred, Tue & Thu at Pleasant Oaks Rec. Center 8701 Greenmound Ave. 6-7 pm. 214-670-0945. $5 class each.

June 9 I Was Just Thinking... with Norma Adams-Wade. 11 am -1 pm. CDT On Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Star Concessions Job Fair at The Glendale Shopping Center 4466 Marsalis Ave. Dallas 12-5 pm. Info: www.starcons.com.

From Marva with Love, with Marva Sneed. 11 am -1 pm. CDT, Fridays on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com. Join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Painting With a View hosted by Klairty and Khaos @ Lorenzo Hotel 1011 S. Akard St. 7-9 pm. Tickets: Eventbrite.com.

Happy Birthday to Joseph Abrams THE DOC SHEP SPEAKS SHOW! From 11 am. CST on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, @fnsconsulting, and You Tube @ docshepspeaks.

JAZZ IN THE PARK: A FAMILY PICNIC. Host Dallas Police Dept. at The African American Museum 3536 Grand Ave. 10 am-2 pm. Reg: Eventbrite.com.

George Floyd Week “Live Virtual Panel Event” Hosted by Next Generation Action Network. On Facebook Live: @nextgenaction/Facebook.com 7-10 pm. CDT.

June 8

Crawfish Festival. Hosted by City of DeSoto Parks & Recreation Department, DeSoto Chamber of Commerce at Desoto Outdoor Amphitheater Theater, 211 E. Pleasant Run Rd. 6 pm. Info: crawfishfest2021.eventbrite.com.

Ask Dr. Amerson with Dr. Linda Amerson.12 pm. CST @DFWiRadio.com, and Live on Facebook @DrLindaAmerson. Understanding Autism Virtual Class- Visual Supports for Families. Event by MD Kids Pediatrics. 12-12:30 pm CDT. Register: https://bit.ly/3xUs1yc

June 10 Racial Healing Book Club, Spring 2021 Event by South Florida PoC, 6-7:30 pm CDT. Event via Eventbrite.com. Managing Your Social Security Benefits Online. Event by AARP Programs 6-6:30 pm. CDT. Online with Facebook Live @Facebook.com/AARP Programs.

How Did Formerly Enslaved Families Choose Their Surnames? Hosted by Genealogy Adventures, Brian Sheffey, and Donya Papoose Williams. Online: bit.ly/3frcxt9. 3 pm.

Lyfe Jennings Red & Black Gemini Bash. Event by Lava Cantina The Colony 5805 Grandscape Blvd. Tickets: Eventbrite.com. 7 pm.

5th Anniversary Day Party, Feat: Front Cover and Soulful Soundz Party Band at Smoking Jacket Cigar Lounge, 1435 N. US-67 S. Fwy. Cedar Hill. 6 pm. Dallas Virtual Job Fair, Dallas Career Fairs. Job Fair Pro will be hosting a Virtual Job Fair online at jobfairpro.com. 9 am-3 pm. CDT. Reg: Eventbrite.com.

June 11 From Marva with Love, with Marva Sneed. 11 am -1 pm. CST, Fridays on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com. Join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

COVID-19 Vaccine Community. Event at St Philip the Apostle Catholic Church 8131 Military Parkway, Dallas. 3-7 pm. Call 214-820-4846 for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling.

June 7 DJ B-1 Alexander O’Neal Music appreciation. Event by DJ B-1 Planet Funksville Entertainment. Live: www.facebook.com/DJB1planetfunksvilleentertainment 7 pm. CDT.

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June 12 The Connections For Positive Priorities & Common Sense with Debra Brown-Sturns. On Facebook.com/Texas Metro News & BlogTalkRadio.com. 12-2 pm. Call 646-200-0459. COVID-19 Vaccine Community Event at Wesley Rankin Community Center 3100 Crossman Ave. Dallas. 10 am-2 pm. Call 214-820-4846 for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling. Open House for Model Townhomes made of Shipping Containers. Event by Habitat for Humanity - Collin County, 10 am-2 pm. 2060 Couch Dr, McKinney. AAHGS Willie Lee Gay Chapter Meeting & Presentation: Journey on Freedom Road. Event by Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Houston. Email: htown.aahgs. org for Zoom link. Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center, Presents the 2nd Annual “He’s My Hero Father’s Day Photo Shoot. Reg: https://bit.ly/3g1RE7X 10 am-2 pm. Stickball Tournament COMMUNITY OUTREACH at Sycamore Park 2525 E. Rosedale St. Ft. Worth Tickets: https://bit. ly/3wIVfi2. 10 am-6-pm.

June 13 The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. It’s thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news commentary. Join the call at 646-200-0459. COVID-19 Vaccine Community. Event at Concord Church 6808 Pastor Bailey Dr. Dallas. 10 am-2:30 pm. Call 214-8204846 for COVID-19 vaccine scheduling. 45th Church Anniversary DriveIn. Event by Friendship-West Baptist Church 2020 W Wheatland Rd, Dallas. 10 am. CDT. Tickets: https://bit.ly/2Spt7Bz Virtual or in person www.friendshipwest.org.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

For the Love of Southern Soul - Jeter Jones at Sway’s Room - Inside The R Lounge, 1175 N. Watson Rd. Arlington. 9-pm. Tickets: www.instantseats.com

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JOB FAIR | NOW HIRING JUNE 5TH, NOON - 5:00 PM GLENDALE SHOPPING CENTER Over 100 Positions Available | $12-$30 Hr.

Dallas Love Field & DFW International Airports Food, Beverage and Retail

Airport security badge required with hire FREE DART GoPass provided with hire Bring 2 forms of valid government ID for on-the-spot hiring Mask & social distancing at job fair required www.starcons.com EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Photo Credit: Eva D. Coleman

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June 4, 2021

www.grandpasecret.com June 4, 2021

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June 4, 2021

Time to Talk, from page 2...

We have lost our grip. We have lost our sense of community (Unbutu). We have flung the pearls of our pre-Jim Crow, Black ethos to the swine. Much worse, we have raised an iteration and breed of male toxicity unparalleled in its deadlines. We pick up guns to kill when we should pick up phones to call one another. Don’t panic, but our sh!t is in out the street. Malcolm warned us about this problem in his 1963 speech, “A Message to the Grassroots.” “Instead of us airing our differences in public, we have to realize we’re all the same family. And when you have a family squabble, you don’t get out on the sidewalk. If you do, everybody calls you “uncouth, unrefined, uncivilized, savage.” If you make it at home, you settle it at home; you get in the closet — argue it out behind closed doors. And then, when you come out on the street, you pose a common front, a united front. And this is what we need to do in the community, and in the city, and in the state. We need to stop airing our differences in front of the white man. Put the white man out of our meetings, number one, and then sit down and talk shop with each other. [That’s] all you gotta do.” I said I wasn’t gonna talk about black-on-black crime ever again. Not because it doesn’t happen. Not because it’s not an issue that we need to address internally. Not because some white folks use it as a red herring. I promised never to broach this subject again, but I see too much “uncouth, unrefined, uncivilized, and savage” behavior. Quit Playin’! It is time for us, a race of Black folks, to talk shop among ourselves. June 4, 2021

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Blue Miracle is about second chances AT THE MOVIES BY HOLLYWOOD HERNANDEZ

Sometimes you’ve got to come out of the blue to find a miracle says the tag line of the new NETFLIX movie BLUE MIRACLE and that’s exactly what we see in the film. Jimmy Gonzales plays Papa Omar who runs a home for homeless boys with his wife Becca, played by Fernanda Urrejola, in the Mexican costal town of Cabo San Lucas that is on the verge of foreclosure because of a huge debt owed to the bank. Omar enlists the help of a crusty old sea captain, played by Dennis Quaid, to help him and his boys win a huge prize in a fishing contest even though none of the boys have ever fished before and Omar’s has only fished once and it was a frightening boyhood experience where he almost

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drowned. Quaid does a great job playing the gruff old boat captain who has won the contest twice before. The Bisbee Black and Blue Fishing Tournament brings in some of the best fishermen in the world and the young boys had little chance of catching a marlin, much less winning the competition. They were hoping for a miracle. BLUE MIRACLE, based on a true story, is a great family movie with it’s inspirational story of a group of boys who go way past their limitations to compete against the professional fisherman. It’s also a movie about second chances and how the power of love can create miracles. I really enjoyed the movie. Blue Miracle is rated TV14 and lasts about 90 minutes. On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate the movie a LARGE.

June 4, 2021

ARRESTED

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 June 4, 2021

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