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Teach them to Count! Back2Skool Series

QUIT PLAYIN’

BY VINCENT L. HALL

“What’s four plus four?” ”Jell-O.” But that ain’t his fault. That’s the mama’s (parents) fault. “Talk to your kid. ”Talk to him. ”If you said more words to him than, ‘Mommy (Daddy) be back’…” he might know something. – Chris Rock, “Bigger and Blacker “- 1999

For those who are counting, this is Week two in the Back2Skool series. We had to interrupt the second installment. Apparently, some leaders at the City of Dallas can’t count the cost of arresting minorities for small amounts of marijuana. Anyway…

After you teach your child to pray (Week 1), you must begin what I call “Cognitive Abilities Treatments” (CAT). It starts as early as their aptness to reach and touch. When your babies are young, they should press every elevator button and every light switch. Teaching “cause and effect” is essential, and it should not begin with a belt or switch. (Hint!)

Experts believe that by age two, your toddler should be able to count to 10. This exercise is a building block for memory, but by age three or four, you should introduce basic addition and subtraction. My suggestion is to introduce counting as early as 12-18 months, or as they can talk and point.

Visuals are a must. Age-appropriate toys strewn across the nursery or room are ok, but learning fixtures should be prominent. You can order toys, eating utensils, and flashcards with numbers and illustrations to reinforce your teaching objectives. Every moment is a teachable moment.

Although it may be annoying, monotonous, and a distraction from your favorite TV show, your job is to make learning fun. Count to 10, then to 20, and eventually to 100. First forward and then backward. The more you strengthen the memory muscle, the easier it is for your child’s teachers to add new arithmetic concepts.

Back in the day, one of the best mathematical devices was circulated by insurance salesmen/women. They would entice your parents to listen to their sales pitch by offering a tri-fold card with multiplication tables from one to 12.

Back then, Prudential, New York Life, and John Hancock never came to the hood. Obviously, those folks didn’t count our pennies. Atlanta Life, North Carolina Mutual, and a

few other debit insurance companies were all we were offered.

Later, incorporate games that help your preschoolers count. Hopscotch and Hide and Go Seek (5, 10, 15, 20), and Jacks are no longer in vogue. However, dominoes, cards, and monopoly still develop counting and reasoning skills simultaneously.

Educational television is required, and so is your participation. Set aside 30 minutes per day. You won’t forget it because your children won’t let you. Most children would bury that joystick in trade for time with you. COVID-19 lockdown will last for the rest of 2020, make the best of it.

Don’t ever fall for that foolishness that your child can’t learn. I’ve been backroom with “uneducated” brothers huddled around a crap table counting faster than calculators. Making bets, side bets, and calculating the houseman’s cut requires skills! Too many “smart” kids today can’t count change on a dollar.

Counting is a lifelong obligation. When you see a sign that says BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free), you should immediately deduce that the merchant is offering you 25% off. Counting allows you to make a value determination. Anything less than 40% off ain’t a bargain!

Teach your children to count objects. Then teach them to count as a member of the human race.

If they can’t count, they will always be a subtraction and never count for much. Their failures belong to you!

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

COVID-19, from page 1...

July 25 on how to expand Black entrepreneurship in the age of coronavirus, hosted by the Black Business Empowerment Commission (BBEC).

She said one of the biggest problems businesses were facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was a lack of access to capital. Although Sylvia’s was buoyed by the fact that it owned the property housing it’s headquarters, she said other business owners she knows have been victimized by predatory lenders and vulnerable to tax liabilities.

“We’ve been struggling,” she said, “and we know what it’s like to survive a pandemic. We’ve endured several.”

Although the town hall was focused on the challenges Black businesses faced during the pandemic, the topics were not all doom and gloom. There are opportunities to start or expand a business - you just have to know where to look, according to fellow panelist Michael Sutton, a civil engineer and president of Infrastructure Engineering.

Now is the perfect time for aspiring entrepreneurs to snap up a distressed business and employ qualified staff who have been let go because of COVID-19, but they must balance the natural inclination to hunker down with taking the initiative.

“This world has not seen what we can do yet as a Black business,” Sutton said. “COVID-19, we’re going to survive this. We’ll get through this, somehow, some way. We’re going to come up on the other side more intelligent, much wiser.”

Despite disparities in health, education, and over policing, African-Americans have a history of economic success - like Tulsa’s Black Wall Street - that must continue, said Regina Smith, founding member of the BBEC.

“The fact that we are in a position where our children may not inherit wealth from us is unacceptable,” Smith said. “I’m not accepting that for my grandson, and I don’t want us to accept it for any of our children or grandchildren.”

The Commission is working to highlight solutions to support Black-owned businesses, like master sole sourced no-bid contracts, government initiatives and certification that specifically support black business owners, back office support and workforce development said architect Zevilla Jackson-Preston, a BBEC co-founder.

“We are serious and diligent about what it means to empower Black business,” Jackson-Preston said.

Walter Edwards, the chairman of the Harlem Business Alliance and one of the founding members of the BBEC, said the pandemic has presented a chance to transform Black entrepreneurship in America.

“COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to rebuild this country,”the businessman said, “and rebuild it for ourselves.”

Woods-Black agreed. “We as a people have an opportunity to be really unapologetic about how we move forward,” she said. “Now is not the time for us to cower back, but to hold not only our electeds, but the corporations - where we spend out money - accountable and say this is what we demand.

Visit the BBEC’s website, www.bbecommission.org, for more information.

TEXAS METRO NEWS

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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.

Hill, Champion disrupting Sports World on New Show

By ALLANA J. BAREFIELD Staff Writer

Former ESPN TV hosts Jemele Hill and Cari Champion are taking their new show, “The Disruptors” to a whole new level when it comes to sports. The show premieres Aug.19 on Vice TV at 10 p.m.

For years the two have been admonished to “stick to sports,” but this show is so much more and a testament of doing the opposite of what critics want because the duo will be talking about more than sports.

Viewer will hear about a myriad of topics, such as politics, the pandemic, societal ills and the Election 2020, in addition to topics that encourage viewer to critically

Cari Champion & Jemele Hill

think about the state of the sports world.

For example, in the promo video, Champion asks Hill, “Is that racist,” referencing NFL teams to Uncle Ben.

These two Black women are challenging what people should think and going out of the boundaries to create content that resonates and makes an impact with their viewers. They are driving the conversation to move the sports world forward.

METRO BRIEFS

Tokyo-based Restaurant to debut in Dallas

By ALLANA J. BAREFIELD Staff Writer

Marugame Udon is on its way to Dallas. . This chain is based in Tokyo but it’s Carrollton location opens the end of August. On the menu you’ll be able to order various Japanese dishes, like udon noodles, robata grilled foods, plus tempura and katsu sandos.

The Marugame Udon chain first came to the U.S. about 10 years ago, opening a flagship location in Waikiki, Hawaii. The food became so popular that they then opened more locations in California. Marugame Udon serves a Sanuki-style noodle that is a thicker noodle which will be chew

Marugame Udon

ier. Also, the experience is exciting at this restaurant as you watch your food being prepared in front of you. If you’re not up to going into the store, then you’ll be able to order using a food service app.

Marugame Udon 3450 E. Hebron Pkwy Carrollton

My Truth, from page 1...

Founded in 2016 by Tara Robinson, BHA promotes “healthy hearts by advocating for people of color, primarily in underserved communities where there is little or no access to health care.”

So I am joining with the BHA as they launch National Little Black Dress Day with an online event “so that women from all over could wear black to save a life rather than mourn one.”

Tara, who is the CEO & Founder, of Heart 2 Heart Story, wants to educate us and help us to prevent heart disease. She knows we have to make lifestyle changes, reduce stress, possibly

change our diets and more. She knows what can happen if we don’t do better, because she suffered three heart attacks in one week!

As she dealt with her health issues, she and her husband founded BHA to help others.

Today, we’re being challenged like never before.

And yes, I know that every month is a pandemic month for Black people and every day we are faced with challenges.

So get ready, on September 1, and do a number of things: put on that little black dress, log on to www.blackheartassociation.org and read up on Ms. Robinson, BHA and what you can do to “combat poor heart health in the African American community” and make a donation if you can.

When anyone is working to make this world a better place, they deserve our support.

WHAT: Black Heart Association Little Black Dress Day

WHO: Black Heart Association

WHEN: Tuesday, September 1, 2020, All Day

WHERE: Worldwide on all social media platforms

WHY: African Americans are disproportionately impacted by heart disease. The mission of the Black Heart Association is to create temporal change (treatment) and tangible long lasting change (prevention) that magnifies the root of the problem.

We all know what is at the root, we also know that there are things we can do, like: eat healthy foods, exercise, smile, laugh out loud, dance, drink plenty of water, stay away from hormone in-duced foods, embrace your natural being, meditate, bowl, walk, read, pray and VOTE!

Okay, those are from me not Tara, but Tara and I are on the same team and we have work to do!

Thanks, Tara, for leading the way!

NAACP Authors Roundtable deals with issues

By MARVA J. SNEED Staff Writer

The Authors Roundtable was presented by Ed Gordon Media and the NAACP with Mr, Gordon was the moderator and the authors were: Tiffany Cross - Say it Louder!, comedian D.L. Hughley - Surrender White People, Loni Love - I tried to Change So You Don’t Have To, Bakari Sellers - My Vanishing Country, and President & CEO of the NAACP Derrick Johnson.

President Johnson spoke on voting. As he discussed the upcoming election, he talked about moving from power at the voting booth to policy change. “Voting is so important if we don’t vote we can’t complain. To make a change you must vote. Without it, we get the same thing.”

Ms. Love spoke about the protests and said they give everyone hope. “The protests and the Blackout Tuesday made corporations make changes in the way they do business.”

Ed Gordon

Mr. Sellers said, “We need to take care of our own before we go out to others.”

Tiffany Cross said, “We cannot operate in a place of fear.”

“Who should tell our stories,” D.L. Hughley asked, “We don’t need other people to tell our stories, we just need to be clear about telling them.”

In closing, Mr. Johnson left a strong message, “We settle our differences at the ballot box. Please get out and vote.”

Nancy Lieberman stresses COVID-19 Testing; Reveals Diagnosis

By ALLANA J. BAREFIELD Staff Writer

Nancy Lieberman knows importance of getting testing for the Coronavirus.

Two months ago, the Hall-of-Famer had COVID-19. She said she understands how easily it can spread if you’re not taking the necessary precautions like getting tested.

“It’s better to get tested than to get grandma or grandpa or your aunts and uncles or parents sick.”

To underscore the importance of testing, her Nancy Lieberman Charities offered free testing and food last Friday at the Oak Cliff YMCA to “help the kids, the families, and the Oak Cliff area.”

The testing was sponsored by WellHealth and the food from EveryoneEatz and took place after the unveiling of the new “Dream Court” basketball court in honor of former Texas Tech and NBA player Andre Emmett. The court is a branch of Nancy Lieberman Charities Dream Court and was donated in partnership with Toyota. Lieberman is a former WNBA player and a head coach of Power, a team in the BIG3.Emmett was a star player in the BIG3 when he was tragically killed outside of his home last September.

“It seems like the right thing to do not

only to open this court in Andre’s honor,” Lieberman said. “Andre would be really proud that we’re not only doing the court but feeding people and a lot of people don’t have access to Covid testing.”

Lieberman, who came to Dallas 40 years ago and lived in Oak Cliff, said she understands that this area needs resources.

“I’m not a doctor but I am someone who deeply cares about the southern sector, about the Black community, the Latino community, the Hispanic community,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can just to be good partners in life.”

As she monitors the response, Lieberman said her Charity may plan to possibly continue the testing and meal drive-thru service in the future.

“When I was growing up, I was poor, no father, no food,” she said. “People helped me when I had nothing.”