Texas Metro News

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OUR HBCUs! Remembering E Michelle Bryant ER E! H R Raglon OW EA

G PL WE PEO R 3/27/58 - 10/14/19 OU

MY TRUTH

By Cheryl Smith Publisher

Love is...

Sunday night I’m usually preparing for the next week, getting things together and making sure I am ready to go out to battle another one. Yes, it’s a battle and there’s always something that needs to be addressed and I take the position that, if not me, who? And that’s why I was out at a prayer vigil for Atatiana Jefferson, murdered in her Fort Worth home. Which brings me to my truth. I went to Florida A&M University for a couple of reasons. One I will save for another day, and the other reason was to become a journalist. I wanted to do great things as a journalist and while some teachers/counselors tried to sway me to other institutions of higher learning, my love for my people and the desire for an HBCU to get the credit for my works, along with the other reason, led me to the highest of seven hills in Tallahassee, FL. Interestingly, before I made sure my financial aid packet was finalized, I had joined the school newspaper staff. Yes, FAMU was where I needed to be and the FAMUAN staff was where I would cut my teeth in the journalism world. Sure, I wrote a little something in junior high and high school; but taking those journalism classes from Dr. Thelma T. Gorham, Dean Robert Ruggles and then-Professor Hawkins, among others, well it was where the tough got tougher! Fast forward, to another century. I am a publisher. I don’t think that I would have believed my professors if they had told me that everyone does not love their people or the Black Press as much as I do. I wanted to tell the stories of my people to my people and I just knew they would appreciate and respect my work. Never for a moment did I think that because I chose Black; whether it was Black College or Black Press, that Black people would think less of my talents and works. Well, guess what? There have been the challenges. There have been the Black people who if I try to give them my paper to read they act as though I am trying to give them a life-threatening disease. Still, I try not to get disheartened. And what gets me through and gives me the strength, desire and will to continue? Good question, Faith, Love, those valiant soldiers without swords whose shoulders I stand on, and that desire to plead our own cause. And then there are the many who do appreciate and support the Black Press. They warm my heart and make me smile as I prepare to fight another day!

I Messenger

I Messenger

August 10, 2018

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Volume 6, No.21

www.texasmetronews.com

Texas

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TEXAS METRO NEWS MARCH 21, 2018

JOURNAL Police officer murders womanDallas’ Star WWW.GARLANDJOURNAL.COM

GARLAND JOURNAL

JUNE 20, 2018

Garland

Don't Believe the HYPE!

MY TRUTH

By Cheryl Smith

CELEBRITY BOWL-A-THON

MY TRUTH

BY CHERYL SMITH

A perspective on education Millennials and the Classroom: What we Face and Fear as Educators

1

MeTro News

VOL XVII ISSUE 21 JUNE 20, 2018

Publisher

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

By Hollywood Hernandez Entertainment Critic

Part 1

WOMEN’S HISTORY NEW FEATURE

Doc Shep speaks Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Artillery!

NOT AGAIN! Publisher

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

BY BETHENY SARGENT

When you have a good thing, you’d better hold on to it and treat it right. Isn’t that the recurring theme in a number of “love” songs? In preparation for the 24th annual Cheryl Smith’s Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon there were some moments of hesitancy. You see, in 1995 at the first scholarship fundraisers, comedian/activist/ humanitarian/nutritionist and all around good person Dick Gregory stood by my side encouraging peo-

Betheny Sargent

Tulisoma honors

A letter to Jerry Jones

Lady EMMA Rodgers

ple to support my efforts. Along with rap group Public Ene-

In an article by former Principal, Kristen Barker, she talks about how she hired six brand new, straight from college educators for the upcoming academic school year. She mentions how they were Millennial and Generation Y teachers who were basically needy, required attention and expected much. Mrs. Barker gave some imperative feedback, but I just could not

help but to wonder what kind of principal she was? It seems Millennials can never catch a break from being the source of every generation (before us) complaints. Millennials do what make sense! If what we are involved in does not make sense, we move on until it does…Makes sense? While I’ll admit, our work ethic could use a little fine tuning, we work hard just the same. The majority of my educational career has been teaching in charter schools that serve underprivileged students coming from impoverished and low-socioeconomic backgrounds. My very first year of teaching was a test of faith. I was a 4th grade English Language Arts and Reading teacher. For those who are not aware this is a STAAR testing grade and subject. I remember feeling overwhelmed and overworked to say the least. Feeling these things made me want to give in but I knew I had pupils relying on me. What I found most baffling was how rare it was for those to ask questions and challenge the status quo. I knew there were complain-

Eric Men

ing, helicopter parents and micromanaging administrators waiting on my demise, but I could not afford to let them see me sweat. My principal at the time definitely had a part to play in that. For the record, I am not bashing my former principal or any other principal for that matter. This is a true testament of my experience in the classroom as a millennial educator. Wanting to know if there were any other millennial educators that

felt the same as I did. I surveyed other millennial educators in the surrounding Dallas area, here is what I learned. Cameron Burwell, 26, a second year high school Chemistry teacher at R.L. Turner in Carrollton - Farmer Branch District, says one of his biggest challenges he faces in the classroom is that he is treated as an older peer. “I am relatively close in age to my students. What I ask my students to do is almost a suggestion.” Even when asked about classroom management and support Burwell holds the students accountable and says that ownership falls on the student when it comes to education. Another challenge Burwell mentions is student engagement. “I actively feel I am competing with my students’ phones.” Burwell mentions that most of the games/social media platforms students are interested in compete for their attention. When students come into the classroom, they expect the educator to compete as well.

See EDUCATION, page 5

Recently, I was challenged by a young lady. She was about 40 years old and enjoying a successful career in corporate America. She wanted me to tell her about Black leadership, specifically, what were the elders doing to train, mold and grow future leaders? Unfortunately her question was framed in a way that could have seemed like an indictment because clearly she felt that we weren’t doing enough. Now there’s quite a bit of blame to go around but I am hopeful that by having candid discussions we can move forward and build a stronger foundation. It begins with respect. The foundation in our communities has a crack that continues to widen and with the further erosion of our families and institutions that crack will never be repaired unless we bring respect back as the basis for all interactions. I asked some students if they cussed in front of their parents and I was amazed at the many who answered in the affirmative. Talk about shocked! I cussed in front of my mother twice and both times I was in my 50s. The first time, I said “Hell.” I was so shocked I couldn’t talk to her for about two days. It was only after I talked to my good- tithing friend Debra, from Concord Church in Dallas, and she assured me that Hell wasn’t a bad word. The next time, about a year later, I said “Dammit!” And as soon as the word slipped out of my mouth, I threw my siblings under the See TRUTH, page 11

Actress Ptosha Storey is a Dallas,Texas native who's making it big in Hollywood. She'll appear in Tyler Perry's feature film, ACRIMONY, alongside Oscar nominee, Taraji P. Henson. The movie opens March 30, 2018 in theaters nationwide. She can also be seen in the upcoming season of Fox's hit series EMPIRE starting March 28, in her recurring role as Chyna. And she is also in Tyler Perry's popular television series "If Loving You is Wrong" on The OWN Network. So how did this young girl from the projects of Dallas make it to the big time? The answer is an inspiring story that actually reads more like a Hollywood movie script than real life. In high school Ptosha auditioned and was See PTOSHA STOREY, page 14

Panel talks increasing diversity in the media and understanding of different cultures By Dorothy J Gentry Contributing Editor

A perpetual lack of awareness of different cultures, letting “laziness creep in” when understanding and dealing with different ethnicities and the on-going absence of nonwhites in the newsroom were all cited as reasons the media continues to have challenges with fair and balanced coverage of diverse communities. “There are huge misunderstandings of other people, other cultures, of people who are

Panelists discuss diversity at Society of Professional Journalists forum, moderated by veteran journalist Rebecca Aguilar

not like us,” said UNT Associate Journalism Professor Tracy Everbach, a former The Dallas Morning News reporter. “We need to open our minds and

infuse this (other cultures) into the newsroom and this is still not happening. “Naturally we gravitate to peoSee JOURNALISM, page 9

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, has once again shined a light on the lack of gun control legislation in the United States. Congress has presented numerous proposals and counter proposals of gun bills -- that the bills should have been written in pencil. Years later no resolution has transpired on the regulating of guns that would possibly prevent school shootings. No worries Americans, President Trump has provided Dr. Felicia Shepherd a solution to this ongoing debate. President Trump’s solution is to permit teachers to carry guns inside their classrooms. As I reflect on my time as a former classroom teacher and school counselor, I feel I can honestly say if the current educators are anything like me it would not be wise to allow them to carry weapons into the classroom. As a classroom teacher, my organizational skills were not very good. So, because I would not feel comfortable keeping a loaded gun in my classroom, the bullets would have been kept in a locked box with the gun. Now where I placed the box, and key for

Several hundred citizens from across the state, and some who flew in from the Bahamas, gathered in Fort Worth on Sunday night to show their support for the family Cof Atatiana Jefferson HERYL SMITH, PUBLISHER (28), who was Pmurdered Saturday ROUD FAMU GRADUATE morning by a Fort Worth police officer. Aaron Dean (35) tendered his resignation on Monday morning and was later arrested around 6:00p.m., charged with murder. He was being held on a $200,000 bond at the Tarrant County Correction Center, before bonding out, late Monday. While the gathering was peaceful and organized, it was clear that emotions were high as many expressed being “tired” of the constant “assaults.” City leaders issued apologies to the

I MESSENGER MEDIA L.L.C.

TEXAS METRO NEWS GARLAND JOURNAL

By Norma Adams-Wade

Speaking truth to power WWW.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Coincidentally, this column was written one day BEFORE Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson, 28, an innocent Black woman, in ESSENGER HERYL S ORLD her own home, around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 12. A neighbor had WWW.MYIMESSENGER.COM WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM made a non-emergency call to police requesting a wellness 320 SOUTH R.L. THORNTON FREEWAY, SUITE 220 DALLAS, TX 75203 214-941-0110 check on the home because the front door had been open for some hours and the neighbor had not seen the occupants for a while.] TEXASMETRONEWS.COM

IM

Atatiana Jefferson

family and civil rights Atty. Lee Merritt spoke about the senseless murder of Ms. Jefferson as he blasted the Fort Worth Police Department for a history of injustices. A multi-ethnic gathering of men,

WWW.GARLANDJOURNAL.COM

C

’ W

Former FW Police Officer Aaron Dean

women and children; that included activists Rev. Michael Bell, Democratic Party Chair Deborah Peoples, Min. Lee Muhammad and Brother Malikk See MURDER page 6

Jarvis brings classes to Dallas Special to Texas Metro News Jarvis Christian College President Dr. Lester C. Newman, the Jarvis Board of Directors, Executive Cabinet, faculty and staff welcomed alumni, students, elected officials and the Dallas community to their new instructional site at RedBird Mall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception. Dr. Newman invited the audience to explore the many programs at its newest location and join its community. “This is a very exciting time at Jarvis Christian College, where

I WAS JUST THINKING...

See DOC SHEP, page 9

www.texasmetronews.com

By Cheryl Smith

VOL.8 NO. 5 October 16, 2019

Businessman Roland Parrish and President Dr. Lester C. Newman

the rich heritage of the past is evident but where innovation and growth are inevitable,” he said. “As a historically Black, liberal arts college, Jarvis is a

family-oriented community, dedicated to developing innovative, servant leaders in various fields of study, and equipping them with the skills to make a tangible difference in their lives and in the lives of others, whether locally, nationally or globally.” More than 100 guests toured the new facility which houses classrooms, a conference room and offices for instructors, recruiters and administrative staff. “We will offer degree completion programs in areas of Criminal Justice, Business Administration and Religion,” said Dr. See JARVIS, page 3

Dr. Haynes, addressing issues in nation’s capitol. Courtesy - Friendship West

I was just thinking about fear this week. And I was thinking about power. My brain has been reeling, trying to make sense of the fear -- and power -- that coil around each other and explode in violent outbursts, leaving someone or many dead, maimed or emotionally scarred in this contentious world we live in. A lot of the coiling of fear and power has happened during clashes between police and Black citizens across the land. See THINKING, page 4


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