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• Vol. 9 • April 8 - 14, 2021

MY TRUTH

By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER

Superb Black Women Black women. The way the walk, talk, think, stretch a dollar, feed a community, make a boo boo all well, pray, move a mountain, fight off demons and so much more. When no one is at practice, sitting beside the hospital bed, posting bail, ready to battle a drug dealer or going without so you can have; it’s a woman.

When you think about the uses and abuses over time; it appears everyone feels like they can take stabs at the Black Woman. The attacks have been so blatant and commonplace that you have women taking on the ways of the oppressors and becoming just as damning, if not more.

Which brings me to my truth.

Earlier this year, I said that this was the year of the Black Woman.

March is Women’s History Month and it is important to support our women. But not just in March.

We need to recognize women We began celebrating women in our daily e-newsletter (subscribe at editor@texasmetronews.com) at the beginning of March. Then on March 2, we began focusing on women, locally and nationally, as well as internationally. We’re looking for women of all ages and celebrating who they are and what they do.

Some people are household names and others you may have never heard of; we want to share their stories and we’re doing it ALL YEAR LONG! Do you know someone we should recognize? Send us their name and how we can find out more about them. Email us at editor@texasmetronews.com.

Now we don’t tell that we’re recognizing them and this is not a money making ploy. It’s simple, we just want to spread something these ladies need more of than anything: LOVE! Check out our March SUPERB Women on pages 8-9.

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What We Learned from Day 1 of Derek Chauvin Trial

By Nekima Levy Armstrong From the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Derek Chauvin

It was previously believed that Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

During opening statements of the Derek Chauvin murder trial, the state prosecution team made clear that Chauvin actually kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. This was not a split-second decision on Chauvin’s part.

He did not fear for his safety.

This was torture, as evidenced by the smug look on Chauvin’s

face at the time and the fact that he even appeared to bounce on Floyd’s neck as bystanders pleaded with him to release Floyd.

Chauvin’s defense team plans to present evidence that he acted within the scope of the training that he received through the Minneapolis Police Department. In other words, his defense lawyers will argue that he was trained to subdue criminal suspects using the dangerous technique that he used on Floyd.

The prosecution team has made clear that they plan to refute Chauvin’s assertion by calling

Minneapolis Police Chief Arradondo to the stand. The Chief will likely testify that Chauvin did not act in accordance with departmental training or protocols when he pressed his knee into Mr. Floyd’s neck for a grueling 9 minutes and 29 seconds.

During opening statements, Chauvin’s defense team attempted to cast blame on bystanders who were present during the deadly encounter; claiming that the crowd grew increasingly large and angry, and called officers bad names.

Defense counsel claimed that See CHAUVIN TRIAL, page 11

No appointment Biden calls GOP voter suppression proposals ‘sick’ in first press conference needed at Parkland’s

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

In his first news conference since taking office in January, President Joe Biden declared that American voters elected him to fix the most pressing problems facing the country.

“I got elected to solve problems, not divide,”

President Joe Biden

Biden remarked to the media gathered inside the White House on Thursday, March 25.

President Biden

“What I’m worried about is how un-American this whole initiative is,” President Biden said of GOP-led initiatives around the country to suppress or revoke voting rights to many, particularly individuals of color. “It’s sick. It’s sick,” the President added.

emphasized his goal of fully reopening schools for K-8 students, immigration. He noted that the $1.9 trillion

American Rescue Plan has allowed more than 100 million residents to have already received $1,400 deposits into their bank accounts.

“That’s real money in people’s pockets bringing relief instantly, almost,” the President noted. “And millions more will be getting their money very soon.”

See BIDEN, page 5

Noted attorney, legislator, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings transitions Congressman Alcee L. Hastings, died Tuesday prior he was the first African American from Florida since the post-Civil War era to be elected to the United States Congress.

As a senior leader in the Democratic Caucus, Hastings served in the 116th Congress as Vice Chairman of the powerful House Rules

Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (known as the Helsinki Commission), Senior Democratic Whip, and Dean and Co-Chairman of the Florida Congressional delegation.

Rep. Alcee Hastings 1936-2021

Throughout his lifetime, Hastings has championed the rights

of minorities, women, the elderly, children, and immigrants.

Born in Altamonte Springs, Florida, he attended Florida’s public school system and graduated from Fisk University. in 1958. He then earned his law degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

See HASTINGS, page 5

Ellis Davis Field House vaccine site

Parkland officials announced that beginning yesterday, Wednesday, April 7, individuals over the age of 16 can receive a COVID19 vaccination without an appointment between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday – Saturday at Parkland Health & Hospital System’s drive-through location at Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 S. Polk St., Dallas, 75232. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. The Ellis Davis Field House is open to those with an appointment from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday – Saturday. The location is closed on Sundays.

Specific hours designated at drivethrough location Also during the Black COVID Task Force Meeting hosted by Dallas Councilman Casey Thomas on Tuesday, he announced that if you are 65 and older, you don’t have to register for the vaccine, just go to Fair Park.

For additional information about COVID-19, visit www.parklandhospital.com/covid

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• Vol-9

• April 8 - 14, 2021

T E X A S

MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU CAN USE

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

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

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The Seven Last Words of George Floyd

By John Thomas III Editor, The Christian Recorder The commemoration of Good Friday is a solemn and holy event for Christians. We cannot get to the resurrection of Jesus Christ without traversing through the crucifixion, death, and burial of God’s only begotten son.

One of the dividing lines among Christian traditions is the context of Jesus’s Passion and death. When we separate Jesus from His worldly environment and circumstances— being persecuted as a Jewish teacher by a foreign empire and betrayed by compatriots who were threatened by His message and witness—we lose sight that Jesus, both fully God and man, was gruesomely murdered.

The 9 minutes and 29 seconds that turned the collective stomach of the world have been seared into our shared consciousness and the legacy of this watershed moment is still playing out.

In the same way that we cannot allow our faith to be sanitized, we cannot allow the death of Mr. Floyd to be stripped of the circumstances of institutional racism, poverty, and White Supremacy that led to his brutal death at the hands of one who

was charged to serve and protect.

It is customary on Good Friday to commemorate the seven last words/sayings of Jesus Christ in solemn worship. In that spirit today, I encourage us to reflect upon the seven last words of George Floyd based upon the police bodycam transcript.

1. Mama, mama, mama!

“When George Floyd called for his mother, he was calling for all of us,” said a friend of mine who is the mother of a young Black son.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He looked to His mother, Mary commending her to John’s care. We can only imagine how Mary felt to see the life slowly leaving her son’s body. In his last moments, Mr. Floyd cried out for the woman who brought him into this world as he realized he was being ripped out of it.

2. Please, man.

When Jesus was on the cross, He appealed to His tormentors to quench His thirst. Mr. Floyd appealed to the humanity of his tormentor to save his life. He was already on the ground and restrained. He was not a threat. This plea echoes the signs of the 1960s strikes when workingT:5" class Black people asserted their

dignity by simply saying, “I am a Man!” It also echoes the appeal of Sojourner Truth for persons to see and value her humanity by saying, “Ain’t I a Woman?” In the eyes of his murderer, however, Mr. Floyd was not a citizen—much less, a human being.

3.You’re going to kill me, man!

Mr. Floyd told his murderer that he was dying and pleaded with him to stop. As the trial goes on, we are hearing the damning testimony of persons who all say they know they witnessed a murder. An assassination perpetrated by White Supremacy at the hands of the police. How many times have we heard deadly force being justified because of a perceived threat or a need to stand one’s ground?

4. I can’t believe this.

Mr. Floyd’s disbelief that a transaction with an alleged counterfeit bill could cost him his life at the hands of someone who he had worked with. The shock from emergency personnel who clearly saw the signs of distress yet were not allowed to render assistance. The horror of rookie police officers out on their training patrol witnessing a superior crushing the life out of a restrained suspect. We all cannot

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believe the cruel brutality of White Supremacy—yet it plays before our collective eyes daily with its deadly consequences.

5. Tell my kids, I love them.

Mr. Floyd had a life before he became a martyr, a slogan, and a t-shirt image. He was a friend, a son, and a father. Behind every victim of racism is collateral damage— grieving children, a heartbroken community, the lost potential of what could and should have been.

Even though his death has become a symbol of the cost of institutional racism for Black people, Mr. Floyd was a real man with real people who mourn him and were robbed of his presence in their lives.

6. I’m dead.

Between 1920 and 1938, the New York branch of the NAACP hung a flag outside of its office emblazoned with the words, “Another man was lynched today.” In 2015, the flag was revived and updated to say, “Another man was lynched by police today.”

Jesus’s death was a public lynching complete with a gambling show.

The world has borne witness to Mr. Floyd’s lynching—many anguished, others cheering, and some nonchalant—in the same way that the spectators watched Jesus hang His head on Golgotha as the sun set.

7. I can’t breathe!

The most well-known phrase that embodies how White Supremacy has strangled the life out of Black people globally through the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Maafa), colonialism, apartheid, segregation, and a litany of other terms associated with White Supremacy and anti-Blackness. It was first seared into our memories when we watched Eric Garner have the life choked out of him. On May 25, 2020, over 600 years of global anti-Blackness were distilled into a single moment when a white cop literally ripped the spirit out of a Black man. We remember that Jesus committed His spirit to God as his lungs collapsed from the crucifixion.

Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray, Philando Castille, Bothan Jean Janisha Fonville, Mr. George Perry Floyd, Jr., and Jesus.

As we commemorate one who paid the ultimate price for our eternal salvation, we must also remember those who daily pay the price of the legacy of the brutal and inveterate violence of White Supremacy.

Our prayer to make it “on Earth as it is in Heaven” is only as good as the witness and daily steps we take to make sure that Jesus, George Floyd, and so many others have not died in vain. Amen.

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• April 8 - 14, 2021

Public Policy and the Republican Party OUR VOICES

By Dr. John E. Warren Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper It is an established fact that public policy is the result of ideas that start with people, who create interest groups. Interest groups usually form on both sides of an issue, and issues give birth to proposed rules and potential laws that reflect the prevailing views growing out of the initial issues with its pros and cons.

The United States Constitution never provided for political parties as we know them today. The party system we have today associated with our government now operating in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate is the by-product of a 1787 battle over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the two factions that grew out of the conflict over how powerful the federal government should be.

Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury,

developed a movement known as the “Federalists” who wanted a strong central government.

On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, advocated for “States Rights.”

The Federalists coalesced around business, and the “States Rights” people around an agrarian (rural) society.

This bit of history is important today because we are faced with a Republican Party no longer committed to “Protecting and Defending the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic,” but preserving and protecting their own interest in spite of the Constitution and the 13,14 and 15th amendments that provide equal protection under the law and protection of the rights of all.

When we understand that political parties are the result of battles over issues that compete, such as who should be able to vote and how those in power may limit the rights of others, then we have reached a point that requires public policy, reflected in proposed legislation, that must

not be blocked.

We the people, following the Constitution, which does not require a “Republican Party,” have the ability to vote out of office all those elected officials who have decided to follow a Republican Party mantra that votes “political party” instead of the will of the people; or those who refuse to allow a discussion of ideas followed by a reasoned vote based on the issues and not party loyalty.

We the people in every state must look at who is running for office next year; we must look at all 43 of those states that have voter suppression laws totaling over 253 legislative proposals and we must organize just as “Black Votes Matter” in Atlanta has done.

We must follow their examples and bring pressure on those corporations that support those elected officials advocating the voter suppression laws and we must continue voter registration to ensure that we the people outnumber Republican interest by 2022.

We can make public policy more important than the Republican Party. Let’s get busy.

Kill the Trend!

QUIT PLAYIN’

By Vincent L. Hall Many of my fondest childhood memories were framed at the Church.

I had the pleasure of living much of my formative years with my grandparents, specifically the Reverend Zechariah Alexander Peter James John Figures, known to the public and his fellow pulpiteers as Z. R. Living in the Goodwill Baptist Church’s parsonage just 60 feet diagonally from the steps of the sanctuary taught me a lot. Anything I didn’t glean from Papa’s strap, I learned by watching the people who came in and around the perimeter of the Church.

Most of the “well-trained” pedestrians who strolled the streets paid strict obeisance to the stature and the church grounds’ sanctity. If a smoker walked by, he extinguished his cigarette and resumed his puff sensation after he was well beyond the front door.

Likewise, winos, jickheads and drunks, secured their serum safely in their posterior pockets as they made their sinful procession toward home or some den of ill repute.

It was not enough that their liquor was hidden in pint-sized paper bags; they eased by as if the church walls impaired God’s vision.

Of course, Rev. Figures had taught us that God was omnipresent and omniscient, so we knew these sinners were paying their respects.

God had the “whole world in his hands,” and it was just his “Amazing Grace” that allowed those sinners to live. I was not smoking and drinking then, but I knew I was a sinner, too, just a different kind.

The Church; every Church in our community was sacred. You would have thought Jesus could see you from each picture frame. It was the place where I learned what it means to be a “gentleman.”

Our mothers had a healthy disdain for heathens and took stringent measures to see that we did not fall among the brood of them.

Once we were in Church, we could not chew gum, talk, or fidget. My mother scolded me often for having the nerve to put my hands in my pock-

et as I stood for prayer. She deemed it disrespectful to do anything that did not reverence God or his Holy Temple.

Reverend Figures was even worse.

He never condoned clapping as a matter of applause or keeping the beat of the music. He could never have accepted the instruments and “worldly music” that dominate today’s church services. God was God, the world was the world, and never the two were twain.

There were several occasions when I despised my rigorous religious regimen. I grew weary of attending Sunday School, Worship Service, and three o’clock Teas with all the older women.

The mints, peanuts, punch, and cookies were good. However, in the back of my mind, I knew we still had B.T.U. (Baptist Training Union) ahead of us at six post meridiem.

All that good religion came rushing back to me the other day as I heard the news that another young Black man was gunned down.

Which one? Pick one! Similar murders are happening among our Brown brothers. What have we become? What are we teaching this generation?

My childhood has long since been gone, but some images do not die. I finally rid my subconscious of that “White Jesus” that “Lorded” over the walls of seemingly every Black Church.

Nevertheless, I cling to the Ten Commandments, and “Thou Shall Not Kill” is chief among them.

America does not have the answer for the growing issues of men and violence. Young men of all races seem less inhibited about taking another life.

We politicize their espoused beliefs, but frankly, whether they quote Trump, Farrakhan, or The KKK is less critical than their propensity to use lethal force as an option.

Church and religion cannot solve all our problems, but we need to kill this trend.

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

So Why Should I Be Ashamed?

FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

By Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew Shame and guilt are two powerful emotions. I think many of us have experiences from our childhood that shape who we are because of those moments of being laughed at, bullied, or even violated by others. If we are not careful, those emotions drive us to cover them up with addictions to food, sex, overspending, or other self-destructive behaviors.

Guilt is about behavior. Shame is about how we see ourselves. We can change behavior but what happens when we don’t feel that we can change ourselves?

One of the first examples of shame was in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Genesis 2: 25 states that “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” The serpent comes, twists what God said and based on inaccurate information, they made a decision.

They went against God’s command and ate the fruit. In Chapter 3:7, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me— she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

Shame did not enter the lives of Adam and Eve until they were aware that they were exposed. In their discovery, the immediate response was to hide. They covered themselves and instead of addressing their vulnerability of being naked, they covered it up.

God was obviously fine with their

nakedness/vulnerability because they were created that way. Yet, we can see this as weakness instead of seeing it as the opportunity for freedom.

For many of us, we do the exact same thing. We cover up our shame with layers of other issues that keep us weighted down and unable to really address what we are feeling.

Isn’t it interesting that instead of taking responsibility, Adam blamed Eve for his decision?

Shame often keeps us from looking in the mirror, afraid of what we’ll see or experience when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. We also hide not only from ourselves, but we hide from God. We allow our shame to keep us from being in relationship with God because we feel worthless, unacceptable, and dirty.

Scholar Brene Brown researches guilt, shame and vulnerability. She says that shame is an “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.”

We experience “uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. When we feel dark emotions—when we feel grief or shame or fear, scarcity, disappointment—we feel risk and uncertainty, and we feel emotionally exposed and raw. But vulnerability is also the birthplace of love, joy, belonging, trust, intimacy, creativity, and all of the good things.”

Vulnerability isn’t a bad thing.

What would have happened if Adam had been honest about what occurred instead of hiding and blaming? What would have occurred if they both remained in their initial state, naked and without shame?

God wants us to be in that space of openness and willingness to commune even when we want to retreat away from the pain. It is within those moments of transparency with God and with ourselves, that we can experience a deeper relationship.

We can also change the narrative from one that the serpent gives us filled with inaccuracies about ourselves to one that is liberating, freeing, and honest.

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the host of the Tapestry Podcast and the author of three books for women. She is also the Vice President of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas. To learn more, visit drfroswa.com.

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Biden

from page 1 He also reminded the media that, in just 58 days, his administration met its goal of 100 million vaccine shots into Americans’ arms in his first 100 days.

“The goal now is to get 200 million shots in the first 100 days,” the President continued.

With Republican state legislators around the country pushing bills to suppress voter rights – particularly for those of color, President Biden would not commit to abolishing the filibuster.

However, he said he agreed with former President Barack Obama’s assessment that the filibuster is a relic of the Jim Crow era.

“What I’m worried about is how un-American this whole initiative is,” President Biden said of GOP-led initiatives around the country to suppress or revoke voting rights to many, particularly individuals of color. “It’s sick.

It’s sick!”

He continued.

“This makes Jim Crow look

Hastings from page 1

Known to many as “Judge,” Hastings distinguished himself as an attorney and civil rights activist. In 1979, he became the first African American Federal Judge in the State of Florida, when President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the bench.

He served in that position for 10 years.

In 1992, Hastings was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he established himself as an outspoken leader for making our country safer and more secure.

He has worked to protect women and vulnerable populations, fund Head Start and other education programs, and provide family and medical leave to all workers. Hastings has also worked to strengthen Social Security, protect the rights

• April 8 - 14, 2021

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like Jim Eagle. This is gigantic, what they are trying to do, and it cannot be sustained. I am going to do everything in my power to keep that from becoming the law.”

He added that the GOP does not have the support of traditional Republican voters.

“The Republican voters I know find this despicable,” President Biden objected.“I am talking about voters. And so, I am convinced that we will be able to stop this because it is the most pernicious thing.”

The President declined to offer his strategy short of pushing for the elimination of the filibuster.

He seemed flustered by one reporter’s question about whether he has decided to run for re-election and whether he believed he would have to face his predecessor, Donald Trump.

“My expectation is to run for re-election,” President Biden stated. “My predecessor,” he added with a sigh, “I don’t think about him. I don’t even know if there will be a Republican Party.”

He immediately shut down a question about whether Vice President Kamala Harris would again run with him in

2024.

“She’s doing a great job,” the President authoritatively responded. “She’s a great partner. I certainly expect her to [be on the re-election ticket].”

The President said about half of K-8 schools have reopened for full-time learning, which puts him on track to fulfill his goal of opening the majority of K-8 schools in his first 100 days.

“We’re really close, and I believe in the 35 days left to go, we’ll meet that goal as well,” President Biden said.

In the more than onehour news conference, the President reiterated his desire to unite the country and hope for bipartisan cooperation.

However, he warned that his administration and Democrats would go it alone if necessary.

“I think my Republican colleagues are going to have to determine whether or not we want to work together or decide that the way in which they want to proceed is to just decide to divide the country,” President Biden said. “I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to move forward and take these things as they come.”

of voters, create tax incentives for small businesses, provide job training for displaced workers, ban assault weapons, and advocate for environmental protections to keep Florida safe for future generations.

Hastings has also distinguished himself on the world stage and has become one of the most respected voices in international affairs. He is known throughout the world as an expert in foreign policy.

In 2007, Hastings became the first African American to Chair the U.S. Helsinki Commission, an independent U.S. government agency created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the landmark human rights and democracy-building treaty signed in Finland the previous year.

Again, serving as Chair, Hastings continues his work in the areas of human rights, economic development, and parliamentary diplomacy.

As Vice Chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, Hastings is an expert in House Floor procedure and the legislative process.

Furthermore, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, he led Congress’ oversight of matters associated with the inter-branch relations of Congress and the Executive. He is also the former Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).

Hastings is the proud recipient of numerous honors and awards bestowed on him from organizations both at home and abroad. His governing philosophy is simple: he passionately believes that progress and change can be achieved through mutual respect and understanding, and that individuals and communities can see beyond the limits of parochialism,enabling them to better appreciate each other.

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Man is more a concept than a gender WHAT’S ON MILES’ MIND

By Miles Jaye How has something so seemingly simple become so confusing and complex? When I was growing up there was no confusion about a man, who one was and what it meant to be one. The Marlboro Man, the policeman, reverends, doctors, lawyers, judges, Hoss, Little Joe, Adam and Ben Cartwright and Walter Cronkite-- John Wayne and Shaft.

A father was a man, a soldier was a man, a gangster was a man. The one in charge, running things, was a man. A Pope was a man, a mafia Don was a man, a General was a man, a boss was a man. Martin was a man, Malcolm was a man, Ali was a man, Frazier was a man, Sidney Poitier was a man. The President was a man, the Vice-President was a man, the trash collector was a man, mail was delivered by a man.

There was the assumption of strength, power and leadership that defined a man. Man was created in the image of God. Man was brave, adventurous, ingenious, inventive, creative and artistic. Man ruled kingdoms and harnessed the power of wild animals to do their bidding in fields of war and the power of other men in fields of cotton and sugar and tobacco.

Man is brutal and savage. It was in Genesis, the very first book of the Holy Bible, that man slayed his own brother. Man betrayed and disobeyed God Himself by eating from the Tree of Life. Man brought us Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and

all that we worship today. Man brought us laws, customs and traditions observed and in practice for thousands of years, in every corner of the planet earth.

Now man ventures into the cosmos to claim whatever is there.

A Pharoah is a man, a King is a man, a Czar is a man, an Emperor is a man, a Caesar is a man, Genghis Khan was a man, Kublai Khan was a man, Saladin Ayyubi was a man, Chaka Zulu was a man. King David was a man, Abraham was a man, Moses was a man, Jesus Christ was a man, Muhammad was a man.

Paul Robeson was a man, Othello was a man, James Baldwin was a man, Richard Wright was a man, Duke Ellington was a man, Billy Strayhorn was a man, Count Basie was a man, Adam Clayton Powell was a man, A. Phillip Randolph was a man, Medgar Evers was a man, George Floyd was a

man. Marvin Gaye was a man, Richard Allen was a man, Marcus Garvey was a man, Frederick Douglass was a man, W.E.B. DuBois was a man, Jackie Robinson was a man, Langston Hughes was a man.

With so many examples of what it is to be a man, how could we fall so far from what a man is?

Today, man is more a concept than a gender. Adam represented man, not an individual, but a man. From the ground, from the dirt, from clay, from ashes he came and to ashes he did, and we shall no doubt return. Man is not swag. Man is not charisma. Man is not a six-pack-- neither Ali nor Frazier wore a six pack into the Championship ring. Man is not neck chains and face tats. A man is not his bag. A man is not his power, or his politics, a man is his word, and his beliefs, and his practices.

A man is his soul, his mind, his heart. A man, rich or poor, is deeply connected to the ground he walks upon and the sky overhead that he sings to and prays to.

A man honors the land, ground, dirt, and soil toiled for generations. A man’s ancestors live with him in his spirit. A man’s hands should touch the earth and the sand, cool still waters, oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. A man should reach to the and the heavens by day and the stars by night for peace and tranquility. A man may possess lust, pride, gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth and greed-the Seven Deadly Sins, but a real man seeks his God for forgiveness and goodness. A true man knows that the most beautiful of musical tones is that of atonement.

A man with a humble heart will always trump, outlast and outdistance a man with the hardest

of hearts, even if it is only his legacy that survives the battle. Brutal men, drunk with power ran America for the past four years.

They ruled with hatred, hostility, xenophobia and racism. They exhibited no signs or evidence of compassion and tore America apart at the seams. Men desperate to maintain power violently attacked the Capitol buildings in Washington, D.C. and gained only infamy for their troubles.

I’m hoping and praying that better men will prove better leaders, better stewards of this experiment they call Democracy, better keepers of the land, the peace and the people, and I’m thanking God for providing woman to make man’s work more tenable.

That’s what’s on my mind.

Website: www.milesjaye.net Podcast: https://bit.ly/2zkhSRv Email: milesjaye360@gmail.com

BLACK LIVES MATTER! AND THIS WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF EVERYONE REALIZED THIS!!!

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• April 8 - 14, 2021

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Virtual and liVe Community Calendar National Financial Literacy Month Alcohol Awareness Month Autism Awareness Month Now-4-30-21 Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson hosts the Congressional Art Competition for any high school student. Digital Submission: bit.ly/3utJPOf. Info: Susan Zeb at 214-922-8885.

April 8

1974 Henry Aaron hits his 715th home run Ready, Set, Go - Design Your 2021 Action Plan! Session II. Online at: AARP Michigan. Reg: https://aarp.cvent.com/ Ready48 10-11 am. CST. Delta Sigma Theta Arlington Alumnae presents Financially Free with DST. Reg: http://bit.ly/390FYzI. 6:30-8:30 pm. CST. AARP presents African American Family Research, Dallas.

Feat: Pamela Bailey of Big Family Search. Online event, register at: bit.ly/3mlrapS. 6-8 pm. CDT. Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce presents Let’s Get Connected. Hosts: Darry Brewer and author, Stae Hall and owner of iSALT. Reg: https://bit.ly/2PFJqsC. 7-9 pm. CDT. Eventbrite.

Sandra Day O’Connor Institute For American Democracy presents Constitution Series: Equality And Justice For All feat: Dr. Carla Hayden. Online: oconnorinstitute.org 12-1 pm CDT. UNT Dallas School of Business presents COVID-19 Vaccination Forum. Reg: Eventbrite.com. 2-1:30 pm CDT. Dallas Jazz Piano Society hosts Rising Stars of Jazz. Online at: youtube.com/c/dallasjazzpianosociety. 7:30-10 pm. CDT.

April 9

Paul Robeson born in 1898 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.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9 - 2021 CANDIDATE FORUM. Live Stream on Facebook.com/nearsouthside. 6:30-8 pm. CDT. Dr Stacia Alexander LPC-S presents a Power Peace Prosperity Masterclass. Reg: www.PowerPeaceProsperity.com 7 pm. CDT. R&B and Chill @ PepperSmash, 7200 Bishop Rd. Plano - After work on Fri. 6-10 pm. Tickets RandBnChill.eventbrite.com.

World Vision, Big Thought, and State Fair of Texas presents Combating COVID Learning Loss Through Summer Learning Experiences. Reg: https://bit.ly/2PTCZCy. 10 am.-2- pm.

April 10-11 Traders Village presents Big Mamou Cajun Fest at Traders Village, 2602 Mayfield Rd. Grand Prairie. 11 am-5 pm.

April 10 1975 Lee Elder was the first Black to play in a Masters Championship Howard County Unit of National Association of Parliamentarians presents Parliamentary Law Day. Online Tickets: hcu.pld.eventbrite.com. 8 pm. CDT. “Black Laughs Matter” Virtual Comedy Show. Host Terry Dorsey. Feat: Dawn B. Online. Eventbrite.com 10 pm CDT. GLOW # 12 | DJ PLAYBOY B-day Bash | feat PLATINUM KIDS from NYC at Heroes Lounge, 3094 N. Stemmons Fwy. 4 pm-3 am. Tickets: Eventbrite.com.

Chris Howell Foundation, Winter Relief Drive. Tarrant County College-South, 5301 Campus Dr. Fort Worth. Free at Eventbrite. com. 9 am-1 pm.

Sean Paul: Live from Jamaica Virtual Concert, Event by ATLNIGHTCLUBZ.COM. Tickets: atlnightclubz.com. 3 pm. CDT. The Urban Market at Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery, 509 W. State St. Garland. 9 am-4:30 pm.

April 11 1881 Spelman College in Atlanta GA Opens The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news & commentary. Join at 646-200-0459.

An African American and Latinx History of the United States. Event by Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. Online: tinyurl.com 2 pm CDT. Neo Soul Sundays feat: Melodie Nicole at Lava Cantina, 5805 Grandscape Blvd. 4-10 pm. Tickets: maturepartycrowd.com.

Turtle Creek Conservancy Second Sunday at Turtle Creek Park, 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas.

5-7 pm.

Pan African Connection presents Drum Circle, at Pan African Connection, 4466 S. Marsalis Ave. Free. 2:30-4:30 pm.

April 12 Happy Birthday to Lisa Turner

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Iota Lambda Zeta Chapter presents Mental Health Mondays Segments Part II. Virtual Reg: iotalambdazeta.webs.com. Live on Facebook/Iota Lambda Zeta 6-8 pm.

Marvelous Marriage Mondays at Friendship-West Baptist Church. friendshipwest.zoom.us/upcpcOmhqz4rqNU 7 pm.

April 13 THE DOC SHEP SPEAKS SHOW! From 11 am. CST on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, @fnsconsulting, and You Tube @ docshepspeaks The Jirah Nicole Show with Jirah Nicole.

From 11 am-1 pm. CST Tuesday’s on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com. Join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce presents Commons grounds for a bipartisan conversation with Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27.)Reg: https://bit.ly/3cPu3ar. 10 am- 11 am CDT. Next Wave Strategies presents Deborah Peoples for Mayor, Let’s Move Fort Worth Forward Virtual Fundraiser. Online: www.mobilize.us.

6-7 pm. CDT

April 14 I Was Just Thinking with Norma Adams-Wade. From 11 am -1 pm. CST On Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Ask Dr. Amerson with Dr. Linda Amerson.12 pm. CST @DFWiRadio.com, and Live on Facebook @DrLindaAmerson.

April 15 Happy Birthday to Andrew Whigham III Corey Holcomb LIVE stand-up comedy at Addison Improv, 4980 Belt Line Rd. #250. 8-9:30 pm. Tickets: improvtx.com/ addison/comic/corey+holcomb.

Emerging Leaders of DeSoto presents City Council Candidate Forum. Moderator: Judge Sasha Moreno. Live on Facebook @EmergingLeadersofDeSoto. 6:30 pm.

Louis A. Bedford IV, Civil Rights Attorney presents, Knowing & Defending Voting Rights. Panel: Sen. Royce West, D.A. John Creuzot, and Honorable Erin Nowell. Reg: https://bit.ly/3fo3afj 6:30 pm CDT.

April 16 From Marva with Love, with Marva Sneed. 11 am -1 pm. CST, Fridays on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com. Call in and join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Hustle & Poetry presented by S3T, at Java Lavender Coffee & Music Lounge, 3207 W. Camp Wisdom Rd. 7 pm-1:30 am.

Tickets: l.facebook.com/l.php.

SPRAGGA BENZ Live! Feat: Tony Materhorn, Super Twitch, Jazzy T & FYAH STHAR! At Heroes Lounge 3094 N. Stemmons Fwy. Eventbrite.com. 10 pm-3 am.

April 17-18 DBDT: ENCORE! RISING EXCELLENCE PERFORMANCE 4-17, 7:00 pm – 4-18, 11:59 CDT On-Demand Virtual Performance Info: www.DBDT.com

April 17 Ft Worth Zydeco & Blues Festival Feat: Fat Daddy, Step Rideau, Jabo, Little Jimmy, Donyale Renee, Rue Davis & Ms. Tess at The Ranch House, 3534 ED. Berry St. 2-10 pm.

Tickets: JimAustinOline.com.

Chucks & Cocktails Day Party 2021, at Sandaga 813, 813 Exposition Ave. Tickets: Eventbrite.com 3-8 pm.

Spring into Sexy: Get Fit 5K. Online: raceroster.com. 8 am CDT. Reg: BlackGirlsRun.com 2021 Meet ‘N Greet DeSoto DEMS at Grow DeSoto Marketplace (parking lot) 324 E. Beltline Rd. Masks Required. 10 am12 pm. Info: Tongee Flemming 469-430-9961.

April 18 The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join at 646-200-0459.

Tongee Flemming presents Virtual Candidate Forum, DeSoto City Council & School Board via Facebook.com/ DeSoto City Council. Email: desotoprecinct3616@gmail.com

BLACK LIVES MATTER

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• April 8 - 14, 2021

OUR SUPERB WOMEN

Kamala Harris

She’s our Vice President!

ENOUGH SAID! VR SMALL Her name is “Small” but there’s nothing small about her heart and commitment.

VR Small is a Navy Veteran. VR Small is the founder and CEO of the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center in Dallas, Texas. An alum of Lincoln University of PA, she had the Center built to help Veteran women and women military spouse-owned businesses get what they need to help them start their business or grow their business. It has an incubator, so at least six Veteran women can have office space until they can afford market value leasing for office space.

The Center has conference rooms and a break room. VR developed a program called the Next Level Business Transformation, it was given to five women, four Veteran women owned businesses and one military spouse-woman owned business.

She also formulated a strategic alliance with the Homeless Veteran Services of Dallas (HVSD), which manages the Veteran Transition and Resource Center (VTRC) facility owned by the Veteran Administration. She’s been an adjunct professor and also served on Rep. Victoria Neave’s Sexual Violence Task Force and on the advisory committee of the Center for Women Entrepreneurs at Texas Woman’s University. VR, thanks for your service, THEN and NOW! Edna Pemberton When people speak of Edna Pemberton, they speak of her heart, passion, commitment, service, faith and love.

Affectionately called, “Mrs. P,” her story in The Dallas Morning News spoke volumes about her: She was born in Chicago in 1948. She was the youngest of nine children, and, as a toddler, was forced into foster care after her mother died. Everything she owned in her early years had belonged to someone else first. Her first foster father couldn’t get her to talk. Frustrated, he put her arm in bleach to force the issue. She was removed from the house, but the burn scar stayed with her for the rest of her life. She met her husband, DarNell Pemberton, in a Chicago church when she was a teen. They married, and they had four children.

When Pemberton’s sister died giving herself an abortion, the Pembertons added six more children to their family.

Yes, her heart is huge, and pure. She probably would have taken six more children, if need be.

A faithful member of Concord Church, she also worked to establish the Friends of Red Bird Airport and she has worked with numerous groups and individuals, elected officials and community organizers in efforts to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The recipient of numerous awards for her humanitarian efforts Mrs. Pemberton has a positive and uplifting personality that makes her a joy to know and work with. AND, she and the Barack Obama, yep you know him, Mr. President, shared the stage together.

Lynne Coleman Lynne Coleman is Senior Director, Product Development and Design, Global Product Services and Operations for JCPenney; the company she has worked with for more than 25 years, starting as a Manager Trainee. A graduate of Florida A&M University, where she was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ms. Coleman hails from Miami, Florida and this wife and mother is a very active member of the D/FW FAMU National Alumni Association, Jack and Jill of America and the Chi Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Well regarded for her business acumen, pleasing and loving personality, and commitment; Ms. Coleman is about taking care of business, lifting as she climbs and exhibiting excellence wherever she goes and whatever she participates in.

Demetria Bivens Demetria Bivens is a business development consultant specializing in corporate partnerships, business strategies, and contract management. She is the founder, president and owner of DLB Consultants and in the construction business, a industry dominated by males, Ms. Bivens has gained a reputation for being well-prepared, knowledgeable and experienced. With over 20 years of experience, Ms. Bivens strives to educate and develop contractors to successfully perform in the construction industry.

She also serves as executive director of the National Association of Minority Contractors, Dallas-Fort Worth, Inc., where she utilizes her more than 25 years of successful, award-winning construction experience. A wife, mother, grandmother and guardian; Ms. Bivens is a consummate professional with impeccable work skills, a pleasing personality and strong interpersonal and community relations skills. Her efforts on the Mansfield Commission of Arts, Minority & Women Business Enterprise Advisory Committee and Leadership North Texas helps glean a little information into how she does so much for so many. She’s also fun-loving, passionate about life and loyal to those who she deems deserving.

Tammy Thomas In addition to being a financial services representative at McDonald Group, Tammy Thomas is a special education teacher for Dallas ISDSarah Zumwalt Middle School.

She graduated from Texas College with a degree in political science and Pre-Law and she received a Masters degree from Walden University.

Ms. Thomas has a testimony worth sharing; one that will make some shut up and vow to do better because she suffered traumatic injuries in an accident and was in a coma only to come out and be told she’d never walk again.

After her body went through a “reboot,” she said “re-learned how to talk, write, walk, and cook … everything.”

A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Ms. Thomas began crocheting, as a way to cope.

The items she made, including hats, scarves and blankets, she donated to the homeless, domestic violence survivors and cancer survivors.

That “ministry” grew and she formed the nonprofit, SAG3. The organization is doing so much to help so many and it takes so little to help this superb woman. Hopefully people will embrace her cause and find ways to help her help others at www.sag3nonprofit.org.

Angela Willis Angela Willis is the Founder of the Road to Economic Empowerment Enterprises, Road to Economic Empowerment Training and Events, LLC (R2EE) and a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty.

R2EE Training and Events is a consulting firm that offers advice, mentorship, and training in cultural diversity, ethics, and leadership. Its focus is in leadership building and changing the culture from a human resources management approach.

Ms. Willis wants to provide a foundation for young companies, women, and men to build upon, grow, and produce economically so they can complete their assignment in life and empower others. She offers Financial Education Seminars and an Alzheimer’s & Caregivers Financial Health Symposium.

For over 15 years Ms. Willis, who proudly hails from Oak Cliff and attended Dallas Baptist University, has focused on girls in their teen years.

A member of the Society of Human Resources Management, National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, Housing Initiatives Committee, McKinney Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Council of Realtors - SW Chapter; this Skyline High School graduate is also a member of Sweet Fellowship Family Center.

Marguritte S. Johnson Marguritte S. Johnson is passionately intentional about BEING the CHANGE that she desires to SEE in the world TODAY! She serves the community as a social activist and Executive Director of Stand 4 Sisterhood and Pro Activism Inc. Ms. Johnson recently launched 4CORE: an intergenerational mentoring network for girls and women committed to advocate for one another and pay it forward. She is also CEO of MSJ-PRO Services,LLC - a consulting firm specializing in formations, filings, and funding strategies for both non-profit and for-profit entities. Ms. Johnson officiated as Executive Pastor for 10 years at LIFE Intl’ Ministries and since 2018 has served on the advisory board for DISD Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Academy. In 2020, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Christian Counseling.

Ms. Johnson influences the community as a speaker, author, public notary, certified mental health first aid responder, content creator and credentialed mediator.

Cheryl Polote-Williamson You are seeing the fruits of years of preparation, laboring and faithfulness as nationally acclaimed multi best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker and executive producer, transformational speaker, and certified success coach Cheryl Polote Williamson star shines brightly. Ms. Williamson is the CEO and Founder of Williamson Media Group, LLC, and Cheryl Polote

Williamson, LLC, where her knowledge, expertise, and resources connect others to their purpose and, she is also Founder and CEO of Soul Reborn, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that has supported more than 10,000 disenfranchised, under-served, and previously incarcerated women.

And you can be sure we’ll be sharing it all!

In addition to being an author, she is also the publisher of a magazine. What is equally impressive, however; has to be her love that she displays and spreads wherever she is. She is uplifting and endearing, a builder and a motivator; who believes in lifting as she climbs. A graduate of Shaw University, among her many affiliations, Ms. Williamson is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, The Links Inc (Mid-Cities Chapter) Jack and Jill of America (graduated out), The Walker’s Legacy Group , Soul Reborn Charitable Outreach, Christian Women in Media, Non-Fiction Author’s Association, Black Women In Media and DallasFort Worth Association of Black Journalists.

LeTitia Owens LeTitia Owens is a superbly divaish woman who is a joy to be around. She’s vibrant, talented, resourceful, intelligent, beautiful and oh my, she can sing! She also has a journey that is worth sharing because she definitely does not look like what she has been through! Her works have been celebrated and she is a recipient of several awards. Ms. Owens went from being homeless to being a blessing for the homeless. She also started an organization that helps people in need, Where Are You? You can find her in the streets, feeding the homeless and spreading joy. She studied education at Texas Woman’s University and her portfolio includes a dynamic person who in addition to being a philanthropist, has also perfected her skills as a make-up artist, radio host and event planner. She serves on the board of the Citizen Homelessness Commission for the City of Dallas.“Titia” is also a national recording artist who has performed with Kirk Franklin, Mint Condition, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, and Prince...to name a few. And still further, she is a designer and her creative juices are always flowing!

Natalie Jenkins Sorrell Natalie Jenkins Sorrell is the first lady of Paul Quinn College, the oldest liberal arts HBCU west of the Mississippi River. It’s a role she graciously and gracefully navigates as she interacts, supports and mentors the students while also building relationships with alumni, faculty staff, and yes, possible funders. A graduate of Spelman College and Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, she’s a heavyweight in the business world. Ms. Sorrell is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for the $3.4 billion Employees’ Retirement Fund (EFR) of the City of Dallas. Additionally she has years of board service including with the Dallas Metropolitan YMCA, Parkland Hospital and on the Advisory Board for the endowment of St. Phillip’s Academy in Dallas. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she is also active in the community through the Dallas Chapter of The Links, Inc. Tonya Veasey Tonya Veasey is the president and CEO at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF). For more than 20 years, Ms. Veasey has provided counsel to top corporations, nonprofits, public entities and elected officials in issues

management, crisis communications, corporate social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion strategy. In 2006 she founded Open Channels Group (OCG+), a purposedriven full-service communications and marketing agency based in Fort Worth. She was honored by the Fort Worth Business Press as one of 2017’s Great Women of Texas. A recipient of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce 2009 “Quest for Success” award, as well as the 2007 Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce Madame C. J. Walker Award, she was recognized as the City of Fort Worth’s 1999 Woman of the Year in Public Service. She earned an Executive MBA at Texas Christian University and a bachelor’s degree from Paul Quinn College. She’s a born leader and don’t be surprised if she ends up in the White House!

Vicki Meek Vicki Meek is a nationally recognized artist, hailing from Philadelphia.

When you talk of fierce, fearless and undeniably creative, you have to have Vicki on your mind. Her works are in the permanent collections of the African American Museum in Dallas, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Paul Quinn College and Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Connecticut. She was awarded three public arts commissions with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Art Program and was co-artist on the largest public art project in Dallas, the Dallas Convention Center Public Art Project. She was selected as one of 10 national artists to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Nasher Sculpture Center with the commissioning of a site-specific installation. In addition, this independent curator writes cultural criticism for her blog Art; Racenotes (http://artracenotes.blogspot.com) and Dallas Weekly. She retired in March, 2016 as the Manager of the South Dallas Cultural Center and is currently a full -time artist and COO of USEKRA: Center for Creative Investigation in Costa Rica, a retreat founded by Elia Arce. Check out www.vickimeek.com Dareia Tolbert Jacobs Dareia Jacobs is a TV & radio personality, author and educator who has worked in media and communications for more than a decade.

She has served as a radio personality for one of the nation’s top inspirational radio stations, Heaven 97 KHVN, and she recently joined Philly’s Favor 100.7 FM, out of Philadelphia.

As an educator, she is a transformational and inspirational conduit for students who have a lack of motivation for learning.

Dareia graduated with a B.A. degree from Lane College where she set her sight on excelling in the Mass Communications field. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Charismatic, witty, outspoken and a charming socialite on and off the air, Dareia received a commendation from Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for her many achievements in radio broadcasting and was honored as a 2016 Who’s Who in Black Dallas inductee.

Married to Pastor Bishop Eli Jacobs of Resurrection Body of Christ Church in Dallas, Texas; she loves creating memories with her husband-best friend, and being a new mommy to baby, Eli Jr.

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WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM Dr. Keisha Williams Lankford Dr. Keisha Williams Lankford is a Cedar Hill Independent School District Trustee.

An active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., she is an educator and community leader with a passion to inspire and motivate others, she strives to demonstrate how to overcome obstacles and provides the guidance that is needed. A consummate professional and leader, as the Founder and Director of The Avenue P.R.C. & Co Director of Lankford Avenue, she is dedicated to improving the quality of life for others. She and her husband have organized several events that positively impact the community in the areas of education, parenting, emotional, mental and physical health. An advocate for many, she has a beautiful personality and a loving, giving spirit.

Cynthia Trigg Cynthia Trigg is the superintendent and founder of Evolution Academy Charter Schools, for inclusion.

Cynthia founded Evolution Academy Charter School in 2002, opening the first campus in Richardson.

She has since expanded and opened campuses in Houston and Beaumont, Texas. She has also been on the forefront of technological advancements in student learning. Since the inception of Evolution Academy, she has used advanced technology to help students accelerate learning. A visionary, she also rolled out an online learning platform one year prior to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic and enrollment in the online program is open to high school students across the state of Texas. This wife and mother cares. She partnered with the Sprint’s 1 Million Project Foundation to bridge the gap and provide free wireless devices and 10GB of high-speed wireless data access per month for nearly 800 high school students who didn’t have access to the internet at home so they could participate in online learning.

Katrina Pennie Harrison Pitre Katrina “Pennie” Pitre is the President and CEO of Skyline Ranch and Banquet Facility.

Pennie has an outstanding record of service in this community. She has served on the board at St. Phillips School and Community Center, American Heart Association, Dallas County Foster Care and the Dallas International Street Ministries. A graduate of Bishop College where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Pennie has a degree in Marketing and Marketing Management.

A consummate professional, she also attended the University of North Texas and worked in sales at Neiman Marcus. Pennie is a joy to know and she is widely respected.

Dr. Dorothy Irene Height When the name Dorothy Irene Height, is spoken, it is spoken with reverence. Height, a Delta, began as a caseworker for the New York City Welfare Department before transitioning to a career as a civil rights activist, leading the struggle for equal rights for women and African Americans.

Dr. Height joined the National Council of Negro Women at the behest of Mary McLeod Bethune, also a Delta. She brought unsurpassed growth and modernization as the 10th National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated from 1947 – 1956. Height continued to serve humanity

in various capacities for the next 50 years, leaving a legacy that will live on forever.

CHERYL WATTLEY When you walk into a courtroom and you see her, you’d better make sure she’s on your team or you are definitely on the wrong side of the law and history!

Cheryl Brown Wattley joined the inaugural faculty of the UNT Dallas College of Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where she served on the faculty from 2006 through 2013 and was Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Education.

Professor Wattley graduated from Smith College, cum laude, with high honors in Sociology.

She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University College of Law, where she was a Martin Luther King, Jr. fellow and recipient of the Community Service Award.

Professor Wattley continues to work with Centurion Ministries, a non-profit organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, devoted to the vindication and liberation of persons wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. Through Centurion, she served as one of the attorneys for Kerry Max Cook, a former Texas death row inmate. Professor Wattley represented Richard Miles in his release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ultimate exoneration. She continues to work with Mr. Miles as a board member for his nonprofit organization, Miles of Freedom. For over 20 years, she and Centurion Ministries battled for the exoneration and release of Ben Spencer, a high profile wrongful conviction case in Dallas.

Mrs. Ann Williams Now here’s one for the history books, for sure. Mrs. Ann Williams is a real jewel. She started the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in 1976 and it has become Dallas’ largest dance company and the nation’s fourth largest African American dance company. She started it with the simple goal of inspiring minority children to see themselves as professional dancers; but the theatre did so much more. It gave many young boys and girls, “purpose,” and “hope.” When many had no where to turn, the theatre doors were open to them and helped shaped many a life. What a blessing! She is also a founding member of the Dance Council of North Texas, the Advisory Board of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and The International Association of Blacks in Dance. A proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University and the first African American to earn a Master of Arts Degree in Dance and Related Arts from Texas Woman’s University, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Trinity Chapter–The Links, Inc., The Society, Inc.–Dallas Chapter, Charter 100, Dallas Chapter Associates of Jack and Jill of America, Lifetime member of NAACP, The Dallas Holidays Bridge Group, Bridge Interest Group, and the 13 Hearts Bridge Club. There’s so much more that can be said about this gracious, classy woman, who is absolutely SUPERB! Honorable Marcia Fudge The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge is the 18th and current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. She is a committed public servant who brings a hard-working, problem-solving spirit to Congress and to the task of creating jobs, protecting safety net programs, and improving access to quality public education, health care and healthy foods. First elected in 2008 to represent the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.

Additionally, she remains a steadfast advocate

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to strengthen and preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

She has served the people of Ohio for more than three decades, beginning with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. She was later elected as the first African American and first female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, where she led the city in shoring up a sagging retail base and providing new residential construction.

The Honorable Maryellen Hicks The Honorable Maryellen Hicks is a trailblazer. Named by the Houston Area Bar Poll in 1999, 2001, and 2003 as the number one Judge including District, Texas Supreme Court and Federal Judges, she was honored as an Outstanding Alumnae by Texas Woman’s University and the Texas Tech School of Law; recognized as “Woman of the Year” by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

She is the first African American and first female justice on the Texas Second Court of Appeals; first and only African American female to serve as a State District Judge in Fort Worth, Judge of the 231st State District Court, 1983-1993; First African American Probate Court Master in Tarrant County, first African American and first female Municipal Court Judge and Chief Municipal Court Judge for the city of Fort Worth.

A member of the National Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, and former director of the Judicial Section; she was a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and is currently a mediator and arbitrator in private practice and a Retired Visiting Judge for the state of Texas She received a bachelors degree from Texas Woman’s University and this past President of the Black Women Lawyers of Tarrant County was the first African American to earn a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Texas Tech University School of Law. She served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Campaign for Human Development and AIDS Outreach Center; as co-chair of the Sister Cities Africa Committee.

Judge Hicks hosted “Speak Out” talk show on Soul 73 KKDA Radio Station, for 22 years. She is the founder of the African-American Summit for Peace, Justice and Equality and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Chums Inc., and Lone Star Sistas, A Golden Heritage Life Member of the NAACP, she is also a Federated Club member serving the Odessa Social, Civic and Arts Club, of which her mother was a founder.

Matrice Ellis Kirk Nothing pretentious about this lady. She’s the real deal with a heart that is pure and spiritually grounded. A wife, mother, executive, lover of the Arts and community service; Matrice graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics and she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Links Inc. Matrice chairs the AT&T Performing Arts Center and is a board member of the DFW Airport Authority. Her early career was as an officer in commercial banking at MBank, the vice president of the Office of Management and Budget at Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and leading the Dallas office of investment banking firm Apex Securities. She is currently Managing Director at RSR Partners.

Erika Nicole Johnson We are celebrating this young lady, Erika Nicole Johnson, because she is absolutely adorable, respectful, kind, compassionate, spiritually grounded and loving. She is also super talented! We must celebrate ALL accomplishments of our young.

If you haven’t read her story, check out the links below in the latest editions of the I Messenger Media publications. Here Erika (center) is with her sister and mother. All women have worn the Miss Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University crown. The past year has been challenging and the Coronation on March 7, 2021, should have taken place in October 2020. We can still show her love and the showering of gifts that she would have received at a different time in history. Her cash app is $erikanxcole Let’s show her some love.

Claudette Colvin On March 2, 1955, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested when she refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

She was inspired by school lessons on the Constitution during Black History Month.

She said, “…as a teenager, I kept thinking, Why don’t the adults around here just say something? Say it so that they know we don’t accept segregation? I knew then and I know now that, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, ‘This is not right.’ And I did.”

Summer Faussette Summer Faussette is Comerica Bank’s National African American Business Development Manager supporting its ongoing commitment to building strong relationships with African American business leaders, entrepreneurs and communities across all markets. These responsibilities are an extension of Faussette’s current role as Vice President, External Affairs Arizona.

As National African American Business Development Manager, Faussette will collaborate with Comerica’s African American Business Resource Groups, Chief Diversity Officer Nate Bennett, and Chief Community Officer Irvin Ashford, Jr. on building external partnerships with African American nonprofit organizations across the bank’s national footprint.

A veteran of more than 17 years in the financial services industry, Faussette will continue to oversee Arizona’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities, which include CRA volunteerism, civic and community relations, internal and external CRA strategic planning, and fostering community partnerships and investments.

Eva D. Coleman Fort Worth native Eva D. Coleman is the SUPERB Woman of the Day. A former Miss Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School (89-90) Eva is an awardwinning journalist and educator.

In addition to being named Teacher of the Year by the Student Television Network (STN), she was named journalism educator of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

She is the first high school educator recipient in the history of the award.

Eva has impacted numerous students during her 17-year tenure in Frisco ISD, including teaching roles at Frisco High School, Lone Star High School and the Career and Technical Education Center.

The Lifestyle and Culture Editor for I Messenger Media, Eva is the President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists, a member of the NABJ (former national convention chair), and Ivy Leaf Reporter for the Omega Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Eva was appointed to the Texas Education Agency’s Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Industry Advisory Committee and the STN Board of Directors as the Southwest Region Director.

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Sarah Bright Smith Mrs. Sarah Bright Smith is a gracious, loving, kind, compassionate woman who is a joy to be around. A graduate of Florida A&M University, she was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and her line sister was Mona Humphries (BAILEY), who went on to become National President of the organization.

A life member of the FAMU National Alumni Association, Mrs. Smith has lived a life of service and she is still very active today.

Dr. Vivian Bradley Johnson Dr. Vivian Bradley Johnson is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Parkland Hospital Systems and a proud graduate of Florida A&M University (FAMU), where the names Bradley and Johnson are legendary.

Frederick Johnson, Sr., a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, was a leader on campus, graduating with a MBA. Vivian served as Miss FAMU her senior year, in 1981 and from there the royal dynasty was launched. Frederick II (you may recall seeing him on the Bachelorette as he tried to capture the heart of Rachel Lindsay), graduated with degrees from both FAMU and FSU the same semester; all while serving as Mr. FAMU. Then here comes Michelle Marva who followed in her mom’s footsteps and was crowned Miss FAMU in 2017. And if that wasn’t enough Black History, here comes Erika, the baby of the bunch; who will be crowned Miss FAMU on March 7, 2021 (a little late because of COVID-19).

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Links, Inc., Dr. Johnson is a former Vice President of the D-FW FAMU National Alumni Association. She and another FAMU Rattler were the inspiration behind the formation of the Dallas Metroplex Council of Black Alumni Associations.

LaToyia Dennis LaToyia Dennis Author, national mom advocate and social influencer LaToyia Dennis recently launched Melanin Moms Media, a national digital advertising and marketing firm specializing in connecting women of color to national brands. The Dallas Baptist University and University of Dallas graduate started Melanin Moms Media to connect mom bloggers and influencers of diverse racial backgrounds to their target audiences.

“There are an estimated 85 million mothers in America, and we are creating an opportunity for brands to partner specifically with moms of color to influence the world,” said Dennis.

“I decided the time was right to start a company that pulled my experience, expertise, and passion together to help moms of color influence the world,” she added. “My mission is to help moms live a life of purpose, fully engaged, and financially free.”

Melanin Moms Media is free to register and open to mom influencers, bloggers, and service providers worldwide. Women control between $5 - $15 trillion in worldwide spending and are responsible for 85% of all consumer purchases. One in five Americans are women of color, which is 20.3% of the US population. “There are an estimated 85 million mothers in America, and we are creating an opportunity for brands to partner specifically with moms of color to influence the world,” said Dennis.

“Melanin Moms Media is holding a space for brands to partner with us to create and implement quality campaigns, captivating digital content, event activation, and brand engagement using moms of color influencers to reach moms of color consumers.” https://melaninmomsmedia.com

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Godzilla VS Kong AT THE MOVIES

By Hollywood Hernandez If you like Old School Monster Movies, you’re going to love Godzilla VS Kong. The two iconic monsters battle it out in a new film that is a sequel to two movies, 2014’s Godzilla King of The Monsters and 2017’s Kong Skull Island.

Back in 2010, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to both monsters and for nearly 10 years they’ve been developing a movie with the two titans as adversaries. The film was originally to be released in 2019 in theaters but was, of course, delayed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kong gets the majority of the film’s screen time.

When the movie starts, he’s back on Skull Island and being constantly monitored by a company’s team of scientists.

Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) is the head of the Kong observation team and her adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a young deaf girl who develops a special bond with Kong, is communicating with him through sign language.

The observation team decides to use Kong to lead them to Hollow Earth, a legendary space that lies at the center of the earth.

They face all kinds of creatures inside Hollow Earth and with Kong’s help, they escape to find some type of emergence going on that leads both Kong and Godzilla to Hong Kong for an epic showdown.

Armed with a giant battle ax, found in Hollow Earth, which is made of one of Godzilla’s dor-

sal fins, the two titanic monsters wage battle in the streets of Hong Kong; doing destruction to the entire city.

The fight scenes between the two monsters are epic and made me wish I could have viewed the film on the big screen. All of the movie’s CGI effects and the film’s cinematography are amazing. The movie is well worth the wait.

In the end, Godzilla and Kong have to team up to defeat a robotic Godzilla-looking creature with the fate of the

world laying in the balance.

The movie ends with the possibility of a sequel in the Monster Universe.

It just depends on how the film is received by the movie-going public.

(Which has been good so far. It made over $9 million on its opening day in theaters.)

The movie will be shown on HBO Max for the entire month of April and is also currently showing in movie theaters. It’s rated PG-13 for some creature violence; which may frighten small children, and has a run time of 113 minutes.

On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate Godzilla VS Kong a LARGE.

Single Dad Needs Help ASK ALMA

By Alma Gill Dear Alma, I’m a single dad who recently relocated with my job. I’m raising my 11-year-old daughter alone. Her mom passed away 4 years ago. After my wife passed, I decided to focus on my daughter and do my best to raise her alone. I meet and date women but none of them seem to understand I am not interested in getting married. They all think my daughter needs a mother. I don’t have a problem with that, because I know that’s my decision to make. I’m aware there are some things she needs to learn from a woman, but my question is, are there any programs offered to girls to need support from women? Please don’t say the church, been there done that.

Raymond W. Hi Raymond, Please accept my sincerest condolences to you and your sweet daughter. I appreciate your emailing me. That warms my heart. I think this situation is much easier to resolve than you think. Yes indeed, there are some organizations you can explore for your daughter. Of course the Girl Scouts is what first comes to mind. May I suggest along with checking out various

organizations, that you talk to her and find out what she’s interested in.

Does she like to dance or play a sport? Once the two of you figure that out, get her involved.

If she’s participating in something that she loves, she’ll make friends quickly and begin to open those doors of communication. Unlike boys, girls talk to each other about everything.

Once she finds her favorite BFF, she’ll be fine.

Ok, I’ll stay away from mentioning the church as a resource, LOL. I hear you without speaking a word about that one, LOL. You can also check out local sorority chapters. They usually offer mentoring sessions during the school year as well as summer programs. I participated in The Delta Teen Lift Program as a preteen; Google and see where they are in your area. It’s sponsored by Delta Theta Sorority, Inc. Don’t worry Daddy, you’re on the right track.The unconditional love you have for your daughter is really all she’ll need. The love, support and guidance she receives from you will propel her to reach for the moon while she’s dancing with the stars.

Alma Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma.

No appointment needed at Parkland’s Ellis Davis Field House vaccine site DALLAS – Beginning Wednesday, April 7, individuals over the age of 16 can receive a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday – Saturday at Parkland Health & Hospital System’s drive-through location at Ellis Davis Field House, 9191 S. Polk St., Dallas, 75232. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Parkland Health & Hospital Ellis Davis Field House is open to those with an appointment from 7:30 System, Department of Corporate a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday – Saturday. The location is closed on Sundays.

Communications 5200 Harry Hines For additional information about COVID-19, please visit www.

Blvd., Dallas TX 75235, 469-4194400, www.parklandhospital.com parklandhospital.com/covid

BIG MAMA SAID,

MY BIG MAMA SAID PRAY FOR THE PRIVATE MIRACLES AND SHOW AND BE READY BLACK CARD

By Terry Allen She never spoke badly of anyone at all, she always would take the high road no matter what was being said about others during her inner circle talk. Yes, my Grandmother, Lucille “Big Mama” Allen, during her lifetime instilled so many lessons in all of us.

This one was hard one for me to execute and she knew it. She repeatedly said find the good in all people and that would be enough! Over my lifetime I finally knew what she meant.

I stopped to observe her words in the conversation she had with her church sisters. When they ‘discovered’ information about another person she would always interject the negative comments with a “high road.” I recall one of their conversations when a member of the small community got an eviction notice on her door.

One of the Church Sisters would lean back, roll her eyes and with a certain amount of authority say, “You know Sister So-and-so got an eviction notice and her husband left her over two months ago.”

All of the church sisters would go in on what they knew and you would hear one sister comment on the philandering husband. You would then hear one say he flirted with her, as if that empowered her during the gathering.

The comments were never supportive! No one said “poor child” or “I feel so bad for here”. Even

though they used many words from the Bible, none of them were – “Let’s pray for Sister Brown” or “I hope God intervenes with a miracle.”

Yet as I sit there following the Big Mama Rule“Children should be seen not heard”, I heard Big Mama call out each of the other sisters with several questions: Evie can you make that peach cobbler this week for ten people?

What about you Rosetta can also give us 2-3 of those special cakes? And Charlene, “can you get Joe to give us some ribs for say our entire bible group?”

She begins to ask each and every one to complete a task? Her last question was always about time. “What are you all doing Saturday at noon?”

They all agreed then they asked, “Lucille what is this for?”

She stood up on the porch and said, “we are going to have a picnic bake sale fundraiser for Sister Brown to pay her rent.”

She reminded each church sister what was done for them, the reason it was done and how we all pitched in! She found the good in them.

Big Mama made each one of them remember how they received help as well as how the church family helped them. In closing, she then pushed them to reward others with the power to give back.

FYI, she received Church Mother of the Year for three years in a row, uncontested! Big Mama, I get it now. Find the Good in Everybody.

Recognize Their Soul. You Will Be Rewarded. I do it every day- do you?

Terry Allen is an awardwinning multi-media journalist and owner of 1016 Media.

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Black Women’s voices take center stage at United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

(Atlanta, GA) — Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute (IBWPPI) hosted the panel discussion “Promoting the Safety and Security of Women of African Descent” recently during the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

The panel convened experts and world leaders to speak on the exploitation of Black women and girls in the underground human trafficking world and other forms of violence.

Speakers included: Rasheeda S. Liberty, International President, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc; Barbara A. Perkins, IBWPPI President and CEO; the Honorable Paula Cox, Former Premier of Bermuda; Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens, historian and professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Michellene Davis, Health Equity Strategist/ President & CEO of M.D. Clarida Drew, LLC; Ouleye Ndoye, human rights activist; and Teresa Stafford, Chief Programs Officer, Cleveland

Rape Crisis Center.

In the United States, there are more than 600,000 to 800,000 people being trafficked annually across international borders and 40% percent of sex trafficking victims are Black women and girls.

The panelists discussed the vulnerabilities of Black female trafficking victims, gaps in services and public policy, and the historical context of the oversexualization of Black females dating back to the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

These elements coupled with poverty, racism, and a wide array of social determinants feed into the vicious cycle of human trafficking.

International leaders and activists promoted strategies for grassroots action to inform, prevent, and address violence against women including intimate partner-based violence, physical and mental abuse. IBWPPI shared with attendees their position paper “Slavery by Another Name: The Epidemic of Black Female Trafficking Victims in the US and Abroad.”

“Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. is proud to be a part of such powerful work to amplify the importance of protecting women and youth for nearly 100 years,” said Rasheeda S. Liberty.

“As we amplify, our sisterhood acts to ensure that women of

African descent are protected in healthcare, education and financial equity policies “The issue of human trafficking as it pertains to Black women and girls is largely an issue of not being seen, heard or valued. The International

Black Women’s Public Policy Institute’s goal is to change that,” said Barbara A. Perkins.

“Humanizing and centering the voices of Black women is our collective call to action, regardless of where they are because Black women matter.”

Chauvin Trial

eling medical expert testimony regarding the exact cause of death of Floyd. It is likely that multiple doctors will testify during the trial, as expert witnesses. Prosecutors will use medical testimony in an attempt to show that even with drugs in Floyd’s system, and his pre-existing medical conditions, the cause of his death was Chauvin’s knee on his neck.

Defense attorneys will attempt to use medical evidence to infer that Floyd’s consumption of fentanyl and other alleged substances, coupled with an underlying heart issue, and a (bogus) medical condition called “excited delirium” are responsible for Floyd’s death, and not Chauvin’s knee.

The defense team will attempt to put Floyd on trial and argue that he is responsible for his own death. Defense attorneys have already made note of Floyd’s weight and height,

in comparison with Chauvin’s weight and height. They will claim that Floyd injured his own nose (which was bleeding) and body as a result of a struggle with officers in the backseat of a squad car. They will also argue that Floyd refused to follow officers’ orders from the moment they encountered him in his vehicle. They will argue that he resisted arrest and that officers used the level of force reasonably necessary to subdue him.

Now of course, no reasonable police officer would draw a weapon on a person and use deadly force because of their use of an alleged counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.

Cup Foods had no business calling police over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill and could have identified a more humane and appropriate way to address the situation. It is not a secret that Minneapolis Police have a reputation for engaging in

excessive force, deadly force, over-criminalization of Black residents, and harassment of those they deem to be “undesirables.”

Once Cup Foods made the unwise decision to call Minneapolis Police, the call should have been de-prioritized in light of the more serious crimes taking place in the city. And it certainly should not have taken five officers to come upon the scene for such a minor infraction that should have resulted in a warning, at best, or a citation at worst.

Instead, the 911 call, in this case, became a death sentence for an unarmed Black man and father who pleaded with officers for his life and called out to his mother for comfort and relief.

From where I sit, this trial is a formality.

We all saw what happened.

We all know why it happened.

Derek Chauvin must be held ac-

countable under the law for the murder of Floyd.

Nekima Levy Armstrong is a civil rights attorney, former law professor, activist, legal scholar, and national racial justice expert. She is the founder and owner of Levy Armstrong, PLLC Law Firm & Black Pearl, LLC Consulting. In 2017, she was named 100 People to Know by Twin Cities Business. In 2016, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Governor’s Commission on Martin Luther King Day. In 2015, she was named one of “40 Under 40” by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. In 2014, she was named a “Minnesota Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer and recognized as one of “50 Under 50 Most Influential Law Professors of Color in the Country” by Lawyers of Color Magazine.

This article originally appeared on the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

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the behavior of the bystanders diverted the attention of the officers away from Floyd.

Two bystanders testified about what they witnessed and/or documented regarding Chauvin and the other three officers’ conduct who aided and abetted Chauvin. It is important to keep in mind that bystanders were attempting to stop the police from murdering a Black man in broad daylight. Were it not for the bystander video the world might not know what really happened to Floyd. The crowd of bystanders exercised a great deal of restraint by trying to reason with the officers, rather than getting physical.

Both the prosecution team and the defense alluded to the fact that there will likely be du-

IBWPPI President Barbara A. Perkins

Health Equity Strategist Michellene Davis

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and International Black Women in Public Policy Institute raise concerns about the epidemic of Black Female Trafficking Victims

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Moving Testimony emerges as Texans address Voter Suppression Bill HB6 AUSTIN, On Thursday, Texans shared their testimony on Republican voter suppression bill House Bill 6 in the Texas House.

Together with its corollary in the Texas Senate, Senate Bill 7, HB6 represents the worst voter suppression legislation our state has seen since Jim Crow.

House Bill 6 would put up barriers to voting by mail and force elections officials to allow disruptive poll watchers in polling places -- clearing the way for discriminatory voter intimidation.

With Republicans across the South launching an all-out assault on voting rights, the bill is a flagrant attempt to silence the voices of Black and Latino voters.

After traveling from all over the state last week to talk about how House Bill 6 will affect their communities, Texans were prevented from sharing their testimony on the Republican voter suppression bill.

Democrats and voting rights allies quickly organized a citizens hearing, headed by House Elections Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, so that Texans could make their voices heard.

Texans once again drove from far and wide to speak at the Capitol, sharing moving testimony about the harm this voter suppression effort will do to communities across Texas.

Here’s a selection of the testimony Texans: Rose Clouston, Voter Protection Director, Texas Democratic Party: “I assure you the poll watcher provisions are solutions in search of a problem…. Our poll watchers are trained to observe the election to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and that every eligible voter can cast a ballot.

And that’s the thing that we’re missing from a lot of this conversation. We’ve centered the poll watchers, not the voters. And we’re concerned about [the poll watchers’ rights], but really the rights we give poll watchers are in service of the voters and in service of the election themselves, making sure that the eligible voters that are there are able to vote. And I think that this conversation has been really derailed, focusing on the wrong thing.”

James Slattery, Senior Staff Attorney, Texas Civil Rights Project: “Texas has long been a multi-racial state; it has not been a multi-racial democracy.

Rep. Jessica Gonzalez

Photo Courtesy Rep. Gonzalez

Cassandra Carter, representing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.: “We believe this bill meets the classic definition of voter suppression…. We recognize that these tactics are not as blatant as the beatings, lynchings, jailings and intimidation used in the past, but while subtle, they are just as dangerous to communities of color. Our ask is simple: we want fair, accessible and free elections for all eligible Texans.”

Isabel Longoria, Harris County Election Administrator: “As the person in charge of actually running elections in Harris County and a former House staffer, I can tell you House Bill 6 would not help us make the elections safe or accessible….

This bill is rooted in a lie: the false and dangerous idea that our elections are rigged and Texans are cheaters, while failing to address real opportunities that could expand voter access, things like online voter registration, user friendly mail ballot designs, and mandated state trainings for poll watchers.”

Linda Jan Lewis on behalf of the Texas NAACP: HB 6 is “a racist assault on baby boomers” who are the majority of those serving as our poll workers. “This bill is going to provide free range for people to come to insult, to intimidate, to watch over, and to actually put in jeopardy” most of our election workers. “There are people saying they will not work in [upcoming] elections because at $10 an hour, they don’t want to be in a position to pay a fine or go to jail if they make a mistake.”

Nina Perales, Vice President of Litigation, MALDEF: HB 6 “invades the privacy of limited English proficient voters who have the right to assistance in casting their ballots… and would invite vigilantism by poll watchers, who would be allowed to remain in the polling place even if they were intimidating voters and interfering with the casting of ballots…. The history of voter intimidation in this state is of AfricanAmerican and Latino voters.

There is no question about that. And many people will be deterred from voting if they think someone is going to follow them around a polling place and watch them vote.” She also detailed violations of federal law.

Jeffrey Clemmons on behalf of Austin College Student Commission and Huston–Tillotson University NAACP: “Some of the provisions in the bill, I think, are going to make college students less likely to want to be things like poll workers, or even show up to the polls…. [Instead,] we could implement a robust civic education [program]…. That would go much further and a longer way to instill confidence in our elections in our young people and people across the state of Texas.”

Lauren Sullivan, Young County Election Administrator: “I might be looking for a career in used car sales because it sounds like they may have a better reputation than election administrators,” after hearing the 18 hours of testimony on HB 6. “Please remember, in making legislation that targets some of these things that you see in large, very urban counties... They’re often quite detrimental and quite hard for rural counties…. Rural counties have a hard time adhering to things that Harris and Travis and Dallas County can do. We don’t have the funding. We don’t have the people. We don’t have the room in our courthouses.”

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NABJ President calls for News Companies to provide Coping Resources during Chauvin Trial As the trial of Derek Chauvin becomes a central focus of the news cycle, we urge news companies to provide resources to Black journalists and communicators to help them cope with the emotional trauma of covering, rewatching and hearing the testimonies of George Floyd’s death.

For many reporting on this story, they must work hard to balance the reality that Floyd could have been them or their loved ones while also maintaining their professionalism, as they report the facts. Covering the trial may also trigger trauma tied to past experiences and previous stories of Black citizens harmed at the hands of police.

We urge our members to take advantage of coping and mental health resources made available by their companies and health plans or to request such resources if they are not readily available. We also remind members to turn to one another and the NABJ Family for comfort when things get too heavy and revisit our Coping and Safety

Dorothy Tucker

Photo Courtesy

Resources link (which includes past mental health and coping webinars) to help with dealing with the various emotions they may be feeling. The link is here: https://nabjonline.org/blog/ resources-for-coping-and-safety/ Our prayers and thoughts are with all journalists who are carrying a huge responsibility in this defining moment in our nation’s history.

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May 1st opening day debuts with first ever Black Heritage Celebration The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents the return of the international blockbuster exhibit ZimSculpt, a world-renowned collection of hand-selected, modern Zimbabwean stone sculptures. As the signature event of Summer at the Arboretum, ZimSculpt runs from May 1 to Aug. 8.

To celebrate the opening day of ZimSculpt, the Dallas Arboretum hosts the first ever Black Heritage Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day is filled with events surrounding ZimSculpt, cooking demonstrations and Black-owned businesses showcasing and selling their crafts. From 2 to 4 p.m., the Don Diego Band performs jazz and R&B. ZimSculpt features the talent of several contemporary Zimbabwean artists with more than 100 hand-selected, exquisite sculptures artfully displayed throughout the garden. These contemporary pieces, created by the Shona people of Zimbabwe, are carved from various types of serpentine and semi-precious stone, often weighing tons, and can be as large as seven feet tall.

ZimSculpt is passionate about promoting the work of some of the finest Zimbabwean sculptors. Therefore, as part of the exhibit, guests are welcome to watch artists and sculptors Passmore Mupindiko and Brighton Layson demonstrate their artistry daily as they carve statues with chisels, hammers, files and sandpaper. (More information about the sculptors can be found at the end of the

Summer at the Arboretum Features the Popular ZimSculpt, an Exhibition of Contemporary Zimbabwean Stone Sculptures

release.)

According to Jim Ryan, Dallas Arboretum board chairman, “After their popular success in 2017, we’re excited to welcome back ZimSculpt to showcase the magnificent contemporary sculptures that fit perfectly in our garden setting. The statues have been described as strong and delicate, stark and complex, contemporary and exquisitely handmade. We invite you to see them this summer.”

Visitors may purchase any of the sculptures on display in the garden, as well as the ones created by the onsite artists in The Marketplace, which is located in the Dallas Arboretum’s Pecan Grove. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the sculptures and items in The Marketplace supports the Dallas Arboretum.

ZimSculpt is supported in

part by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.

Tickets must be pre-purchased online or by calling 214515-6615. Wearing a face covering is required for all guests five years of age while visiting the Dallas Arboretum, unless medically unable to do so.

About the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 3-12 and free for Arboretum members and children two and under.

There is an additional cost of $3 per person for entrance into the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. On-site parking is $15; pre-purchased online parking is $8. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum. The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.

WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.

For more information, call 214.515.6500 or visitwww.dallasarboretum.org.

Meet the Artists Passmore Mupindiko

Passmore Mupindiko started carving in wood in 1992 after his father passed away. As he developed these masterful skills, he transitioned to carving and working with stone in 1998. He continued to improve his knowledge of care, maintenance and carving of stone at the Tengenenge Arts Community. His main subjects in stone are leafbowls, slender Guinea fowl, shells and leaf heads.

Mupindiko has also taught sculpture workshops on the coast at camps for children and adults to learn step-bystep the art and uniqueness of Zimbabwean stone carving and maintenance.

Since 2004, he has toured with ZimSculpt. He serves as a vital support role to this culturally unique exhibit by installing, polishing, caring, removing and packing the fragile Zimbabwean stone sculptures.

Brighton Layson

Brighton Layson, who began his career in engineering, began sculpting in 1999 when he worked as his brother’s assistant sculptor at Gwindingwi Sculptors in Zimbabwe.

He started making sculpting tools and is now a major supplier of these tools in the art industry.

Along with other sculptors, he formed the Tafara Mabvuku Art Association (TAMAA). In 2014, he was invited to join renowned Dominic Benhura’s Studio.

Using nature as his main inspiration, Layson believes stone sculpture and care for stones reflects what an artist feels, thinks and sees. Since 2019, he has toured, presented and provided support for various ZimSculpt exhibitions.

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WNBA celebrates 25th Season

15

New theme, logo and more highlight landmark season

By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor

There’s a saying that “you can’t be, what you don’t see.”

Sydney Colson knew she wanted to be a professional basketball player when she saw women playing on TV. “I grew up in Houston and watching the dynasty that was the (Houston) Comets and seeing those women dominate like that fueled and inspired me to want to keep working to play in the WNBA one day,” said Colson, who plays in the WNBA for the Chicago Sky. The WNBA was founded in 1996 with eight teams and a mission to uplift, encourage and showcase women athletes in the sport of basketball.

“Playing with and against some of the best basketball players in the world is obviously going to make you a better athlete, but there’s also much to be said about playing in a league of grown women who are intelligent, outspoken, courageous, and down to ruffle some feathers,” Colson continued.

“Not that we all have it figured out, but it’s empowering to be around fearless women who have a grasp on who they are and what they want in this life.”

Over the years, despite challenges and setbacks, it remained steady and steadfast. It eventually grew to 12 teams, all while giving young girls dreams and hopes that one day they too, can be a part.

Those fearless women who make up the WNBA are now celebrating its landmark 25th season.

advisory council made up of legends of the league.

Additionally, all 12 WNBA teams will host specially-themed events and fan promotions all to celebrate ways its players have shattered expectations and have stood at the forefront of advancement, inclusion and social change for 25 years.

“We are celebrating a quarter of a century of the impact the WNBA has made on sports and society, and on generations of young and diverse athletes,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

The new advisory council for the 25th season is comprised of women’s basketball pioneers and WNBA legends including: four-time WNBA champion and four-time WNBA finals MVP Cynthia Cooper, WNBA champion and founder of Electra Beverages Fran Harris, two-time WNBA champion and three-time MVP Lauren Jackson, two-time WNBA champion and three-time MVP Lisa Leslie, WNBA All-Star and current ESPN reporter and

Head Coach Lindsay Whalen and Teresa Weatherspoon, five-time WNBA All-Star and New Orleans Pelicans Assistant Coach The council will meet periodically to help generate innovative ideas on how to grow the game and its fanbase.

The W25 The League will select and honor its greatest players since its inception with the W25, who will be selected based on their overall contribution to the league and community. WNBA fans will also have the chance to vote on their favorite players.

WNBA Social Justice Established last summer, the WNBA Justice Movement, led by the League’s Social Justice Council, will continue to lead work in the community to combat racial and gender inequality, promote advocacy for LBGTQ+ rights, and champion reform in systems where injustice persists.

YEAR 25 Highlights of Year 25 include a new campaign theme Count It - a new 25th season commemorative logo which will be displayed on the courts, new team uniforms and new game ball, and a 25th anniversary

during the second half of the season and the playoffs.

New WNBA Outfitting and Game Ball for 25th Season Leading up to the start of the 25th season, Nike will celebrate the league’s athletes with new uniforms and the official Wilsonbrand WNBA high-performance game ball will be unveiled.

THE CELEBRATION Among the highlights of the 25th season are:: WNBA 25th Season Advisory Council

analyst, Rebecca Lobo, four-time WNBA champion and three-time MVP Sheryl Swoopes, four-time WNBA champion and current University of Minnesota Women’s

WNBA 25 Greatest Moments The WNBA’s 25 Greatest Moments will also be determined during the season and the moments ranked from No. 25 through No.1 and unveiled

WNBA Commissioner’s Cup: This season also marks the debut of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, described as a “competition within a competition” featuring player prize pools. Engelbert said it was born out of the League’s collective bargaining agreement, with the players and League creating this additional revenue model and asset as a way to drive more interest in the WNBA. As the WNBA prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, its identity is that of a League rooted in defying expectations and excelling in the face of adversity.

It’s a League that means a lot to its fans and its players and it has every intention on being around for another 25 years.

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