Texas Metro News 7-22-21

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• Vol. 9 • July 22 - 28, 2021

MY TRUTH

By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER

Why Superb Women?

As we were celebrating the election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, I told my team that 2021 was going to be the “Year of the Woman,” especially the Black Woman!

I believed that while many were celebrating this milestone, we were living in a false reality if we believed that everyone felt the joy that I was experiencing at that time.

With that in mind, I committed to dedicating considerable editorial real estate to uplifting Black women, who I believed were constantly under siege, especially by those we love the most.

I wanted to spread a message that we need to show love and empower people with love instead of destroying them with hate and disrespect.

With the beginning of Women’s History Month, in March, we began featuring Superb Black Women and I told you how I felt about the treatment of Black Women.

So, we began by saluting our Vice President.

It is important to note that these women are not chosen because of who they are married to, whose baby they gave birth to or who fathered them.

These women stand on their own merit. They bring their own receipts and they deserve to be recognized totally for their accomplishments.

Some of these women are degreed, some are not. And while some are considered to be “celebrities” ALL have done work worthy of celebrating.

Now once March was over, I couldn’t stop.

See MY TRUTH, page 10

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HOPE

Attorney and businessman Randy Bowman has a lot to feel proud about as he reviews the grades of students attending At Last!

The innovative educational support program for at-risk elementary schoolchildren in Dallas just completed its first term, and the results demonstrate that its model achieves significant academic gains for kids with the

Hon. Curtistene Smith McCowan

DeSoto City Council has approved renaming Meadow Creek Park the Curtistene S. McCowan Park.

AT LAST! sparks 21 percent increase in grades of most academically challenged students

most serious educational deficits and lifts performance across all levels of ability.

The AT LAST! boarding residence opened its doors to students in March and completed its first semester June 17.

Despite being in operation for only 14 weeks the “boarding experience” model achieved results from the first cohort that See HOPE, page 2

By Dorothy J. Gentry Contributing Writer

Founder and CEO Randy Bowman during At Last! program

Amir Windom creates partnership FAMU COACH visits Dallas Florida A&M Uniwith Jarvis Christian College versity (FAMU) Head

President Lester Newman and Amir Windom Credit: Carol Vig

Like at all HBCUs, leadership has been able to make great things happen for their students and great things keep happening for the HBCU located in Marshall, Tex., Jarvis Christian College (JCC).

Whether it’s bringing people of note like the late journalist George E. Curry, or commencement speak-

See PARTNERSHIP, page 16

Drew Pearson items to be auctioned

The play that launched “Hail Mary” into mainstream sports vernacular – the famed last-second prayer of a pass from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson lifting “America’s Team” to a 17-14 playoff win over Minnesota in 1975 – is a true 1/1 in the history of sports. Now, a first-of-itskind partnership between Ellipsis Digital LLC, Staubach and Pearson will present one of the most unique offerings yet in the world of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).

On August 21, Heritage Auctions, in conjunction with Ellipsis Digital, will auction the official NFT release by Staubach and Pearson

Football Coach Willie Simmons will visit with alumni, students and friends, Friday, July 23, 2021 at the Coach Willie Dallas Black Dance Simmons Theatre, 2700 Ann Williams Way, Dallas at 6p.m. FAMU recently joined the SWAC and they have a strong alumni base in the D/FW Metroplex.

TWO EDITORS

Maria Reeve Pic of NFL greats Drew Pearson and Roger Staubach Credit: Carol Vig

memorializing the play. The offering is part of Heritage’s 2021 Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction, set for August 21-22.

Katrice Hardy

Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle announced that Maria Reeve is the new executive editor and on Wednesday, The Dallas Morning News announced that Katrice Hardy would assume their executive editor post.

Read more at www.texasmetronews.com.

Civil Rights pioneer, Gloria Richardson, transitions

By Keka Araújo Black Enterprise

Gloria Richardson 1922-2021 Credit: Howard Univ.

Fearless civil rights trailblazer Gloria Richardson died peacefully in her sleep on July 15.

She was 99-years old. One of the most iconic images of the civil rights movement showed an unbothered Richardson

Women Educators discuss Balancing the Classroom, COVID and Motherhood

pushing a National Guard soldier’s bayonet away from her.

Richardson was a pillar in the Maryland Eastern Shore area and a leader and organizer of the Cambridge Movement. The Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee (CNAC) was established in See CIVIL RIGHTS, page 2

Like so many, Shanda Spears has struggled since the pandemic hit more than a year ago. So much so that her own personal self care has gone out the window.

“I think I have focused more on making the pandemic easier on other people and not taken care of myself during the pandemic,” said the married mom of a 22-year old son, Noah and 12-year-old daughter, Olivia.

“I have not practiced self-care and I think the stress has taken a real toll on me. I am having physical pain that I think is attributed to stress and I am having more stress headaches and muscle pain. I am not able to balance the need to make sure others are okay and still take care of myself.”

What makes Spears’ case so special is she is an educator balancing teaching students both in person AND on Zoom daily, motherhood, a husband with health challenges and elderly parents.

And she’s not alone.

When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit over a year ago the education system was profoundly disrupted across the country and world. The pandemic changed what classrooms and learning looked like. Students - if they were allowed back - wore masks all day, had to bring their own water bottles to school and in most cases, sat behind plastic and glass partitions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ask any teacher; the last 13 months have taken an emotional toll on teachers across the board.

Educators, in particular women teachers, were more likely to feel overworked and overwhelmed as a result of the pandemic mainly because they are also responsible for other duties at home including childcare, caring for elderly parents and maintaining the home.

See EDUCATORS, page 11

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• Vol-9

• July 22 - 28, 2021

BRIEFS

Hope

from page 1

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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.

WASH HANDS WEAR MASK

show major gains across the board, with the students seeing an overall improvement of almost 10 percent in their grade averages in their core classes. The results were even more impressive for students with the most ground to make up: Those coming into the program with the lowest grades notched an eye-popping 21-percent improvement.

AT LAST! achieved these gains despite COVID-related constraints limiting it from implementing its full program which provides crucial educational resources that are standard fare for the home life of students from more affluent families but often absent for under-resourced students.

AT LAST! is not a school.

Students participating in AT LAST! are called its Scholars-In-Residence.

They attend the schools chosen by their parents for daytime instruction but stay at AT LAST!’s resource-rich residence on school nights. There they receive tutoring, homework assistance, balanced meals, enrichment activities, and around-the-clock adult supervision in a spacious, secure residence designed specifically to enhance learning.

Civil Rights from page 1

1962. The organization fought to end segregation and racism inside the city.

Richardson was instrumental in the federal government taking action.

Although the woman was a fearless activist, she didn’t seek the limelight.

Her granddaughter, Tya Young, told the publication, “She did it because it needed to be done, and she was born a leader.”

“The Struggle is Eternal:

WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM The Scholars-In-Residence spend weekends, holidays and summers at home with their families, who remain the primary relationship for their kids throughout the year.

On the advice of experts like Parkland epidemiologist Dr. Carol Estelle and its CEO Dr. Fred Cerise, the program limited its initial participation to half its first-phase capacity – and also curtailed some of its planned educational enrichment components.

AT LAST! founder and CEO Bowman, a prominent local businessman and civic leader, hailed the results as proof that the lives and fortunes of at-risk youth can be improved by the innovative model.

“Large deficits among elementary school-aged urban students are nothing new, sadly, and most educators say their most difficult post-pandemic challenge will be reducing the accelerated deficits in kids who were farthest behind before the pandemic,” said the native of Dallas’ Pleasant Grove community. “AT LAST!’s results indicate that we can help those kids, and we want to meet more of them.”

The passion he feels is clearly evident s he talks about the future of At Last!

“We serve a community of good parents and grandparents that value education, believe in their

children’s ability to learn, and are willing to sacrifice to enable them to succeed,” said Mr. Bowman.

“They need additional resources to help them live their values, and that is where AT LAST! comes in.”

He also emphasized AT LAST!’s determination to address the broader needs of the child to facilitate academic growth.

“We put in a massive amount of planning, research, development and support-building for a few years and resolved that it would be a mistake to ignore the role a child’s complete wellness plays in learning,” said Mr. Bowman. “We partnered with The Essilor Foundation to ensure that every child had vision testing and eye glasses, and we are excited to add preventative dental care in the fall. Ultimately, I am delighted for our scholars, their parents, our staff and our incredible community supporters that all the effort is paying off in such a huge way.”

Mr. Bowman emphasized that AT LAST!’s leadership is not resting on its laurels. They are already hard at work reviewing and refining its components. They will expand to 16 Scholars-In-Residence in the fall, with available spots awarded by a lottery process.

Interested families should go to www.atlastboarding.com to learn more and apply.

Gloria Richardson and Black Liberation” author Joseph R. Fitzgerald expressed to AP that Richardson was instrumental in building the foundation of the Black Power Movement.

“I say that the Cambridge Movement was the soil in which Richardson planted a seed of Black power and nurtured its growth. Everything that the Black Lives Matter movement is working at right now is a continuation of what the Cambridge Movement was doing,” he said.

The Baltimore native also believed that Black people should defend themselves outside of peaceful protesting.

Richardson’s admission into Howard University at age 16 cemented her civil rights work in Washington D.C. It was the woman’s diligence that allowed her to meet with then-U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to negotiate the “Treaty of Cambridge.”

The treaty spawned a change for the Black residents of Cambridge.

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• Vol-9

• July 22 - 28, 2021

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Ethiopia Is Open for Unity, Business, Progress and Empowerment

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

With archaeological findings that date back to around 980 BCE, Ethiopia sits along the easternmost peninsula in Africa.

Not only does the culturally rich nation count as Africa’s oldest country, but some believe it’s the oldest in the world.

With a population of 112 million – roughly 70 percent of whom are 30 and under – Ethiopia has never suffered under colonization.

Moreover, unlike most others on the continent, Ethiopia has beaten back all attempts by would-be colonizers.

That and the many current reforms has Fitsum Arega, the Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States, beaming confidently with expectations about the future of his nation.

“There is economic reform, vast investment opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy,” Ambassador Arega told the Black Press during a meeting at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. “Ethiopia is an ancient country that takes care of its tradition and culture,” the Ambassador remarked.

“We have a youthful population, and that is the force for transformation.”

“There is economic reform, vast investment opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy,” noted Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the U.S., Fitsum Arega, during a meeting with the Black Press at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C. “Ethiopia is an ancient country that takes care of its tradition and culture. We have a useful population, and that is the force for transformation.”

Fitsum Arega, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the United States (left) and National Newspaper Publishers Association president and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Ambassador Arega continued: “We want to engage more in manufacturing which requires labor and skill.

Ethiopia has vast opportunities for textile and apparel manufacturing along the value chain, and we have the capacity to expand cotton production; we have power

that is all generated from green energy.”

“Winemaking is good because of our soil and because in the daytime it is hot and at nighttime, it is very cold. So that is good for fermentation, so as you see, we are coming up with so many opportunities.”

Ambassador Arega said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who just won another fiveyear term after a landslide election victory, have made reform their mission.

“The election was the first of its kind in terms of free and fairness,” the Ambassador stated.

He said with the expansion of educational opportunities, Ethiopia is poised to launch a large skilled labor pool to meet the demands of a diversified economy.

Among Ethiopia’s priorities are agriculture, manufacturing, energy, ICT, mining and tourism among others, the Ambassador noted.

“We have a home-grown economy reform program where we are enabling the private sector to play more of a role. In the past, the public sector played a big role.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Arega noted that Ethiopia had invested heavily in infrastructure and built the fastest electric railway. over rugged terrain.

“We want to build on democracy,” See OPEN FOR UNITY, page 13

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

The Movement for Justice Will Not Be Deterred OUR VOICES

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. The right-wing majority on the Supreme Court just undercut the Voting Rights Act again. Having gutted the section that required pre-approval of state voting laws to protect the rights of minorities to vote in Shelby v. Holder, Republican-appointed justices now have castrated the backup clause — Section 2 — which bans racial discrimination in election practices in Brnovich v. DNC. The result will open the floodgates even further to the wave of partisan laws that Republicans are pushing in states across the country to suppress the votes of African Americans and other people of color. The right-wing justices continue their assault on the meaning and power of the Voting Rights Act, a triumph of the civil rights movement that Justice Elena Kagan, writing in dissent, noted represents the “best in America.”

The reaction against the civil rights movement continues. Every movement for equal justice under the law in this country has been met with a brutal reaction.

When reformers tried to limit the spread of slavery into new states coming into the republic, the slave states seceded, launching the Civil War, the deadliest war in American history.

After losing the war, when the federal government began reconstruction to free the slaves and guarantee equal political and economic rights to all, the reaction was brutal, with lynching and terrorism — led by the Ku Klux Klan and others — spreading to suppress the newly freed slaves.

In the end, segregation — America’s version of apartheid — spread through the South and the hope of the civil rights amendments was crushed. Now, after the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act and the election of Barack Obama, the reaction has been fierce.

Across the country, Republican legislators have sought to make it

harder for African Americans and other people of color to vote.

The long lines that mark inner-city voting sites are a graphic demonstration of the success of those efforts, for many people can’t take the hours off from work to cast a ballot. In each era, the lawless reaction — and blatant violations of the Constitution — have been ratified by disgraceful decisions in the Supreme Court.

The court ratified segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, inventing the doctrine of separate but equal — a concept that existed only in the judge’s imaginations, not in the realities of any of the former slave states. Voter suppression following the civil rights movement was ratified in Shelby v.

Holder and now in Brnovich vs. the DNC, that have essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.

The so-called “conservative” justices on the Supreme Court are rewriting the laws passed by Congress to serve their own partisan purposes. Now the excuse is to limit voter fraud, even though there is no evidence of such fraud other than in the ravings of partisan politicians. This struggle will continue. Clearly, Republicans across the country have decided that rather than seeking to win the votes of African Americans and other peoples of color, they would rather pass measures to suppress their vote — from discriminatory changes in voting practices, to gerrymandering of districts, to (most dangerously) empowering Republican legislatures to overturn the results of an election. Once more people of conscience must stand up and organize to protect the right to vote and to counter those who would suppress it.

Once more, right-wing justices have written another shameful chapter of judicial ignominy that must simply be overturned. Once more Congress must act to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to counter the brazen efforts of the court’s right wing to neuter it.

Once more, those standing in the way of equality under the law will find that the movement for justice will not be deterred.

Another Dick Gregory!

QUIT PLAYIN’

By Vincent L. Hall Martin King was right. Centuries of oppression and second-class citizenship cannot be hushed away.

We needed more than a whisper to plead our cause. That must be why the Lord sent us a brilliant Black Prodigy named Richard Claxton Gregory.

Showtime apparently understood how profound our brother was and has recently released a documentary entitled “The One and Only Dick Gregory.” This is how they describe the 113 minutes odyssey featuring America’s greatest soothsayer and griot.

“Feature-length documentary examining activist, a pop-culture icon and thought leader Dick Gregory, whose work as a selfdescribed ‘agitator’ shaped a generation demanding justice. As a renowned Black comedian, Gregory had a platform to take on the most incendiary battles of hunger, gender equity, and civil rights – stirring trouble and making headlines in the service of social justice.”

The film also includes a few artists Dick influenced, including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Wanda Sykes. Writer and Director Andre Gaines does an excellent job of telling the storyteller’s story.

The internet is full of Dick Gregory’s lore and laughter, but he left a lot right here in Dallas, Texas.

Thanks to my close proximity to my editorial boss Cheryl Smith, I had an audience with him on lots of occasions.

There was one very memorable TalkBack Liberation radio appearance with Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.

It was just before the ball dropped to introduce 2000, the new millennium. It was a crazy time.

American capitalists were in rare form, and y’all was buying everything from extra insulin to computer insurance for fear of what might happen. Some of y’all still got potted meat, peanut butter, and a bundle of one-dollar bills in your stash!

Dick Gregory declared that 2000 would unleash the “Age of Aquarius.” Some of you are old

enough to remember that 1960’s hit.

“When the moon is in the Seventh House…And Jupiter aligns with Mars. Then peace will guide the planets…And love will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.” The Age of Aquarius has always held a modicum of mystery in the astrological sciences.

“Three hundred years of humiliation, abuse and deprivation cannot be expected to find a voice in a whisper.”

— Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can’t-Wait.

Dick Gregory pronounced profusely that in the Age of Aquarius, there would be no more mysteries. Anything you conspired to do in the dark might just as well be done in broad daylight. Dick laughed about the cultural saying that a “Hit dog would holler.” He said that in the Age of Aquarius, you might see the dog get hit!

Either by happenstance of circumstance, Dick’s messianic message marked the beginning of an age when social media and social outlets would replace crystal balls and Ouija boards. “There ain’t no use to ducking and hiding now, it’s all going to come out, and everybody’s going to know about it.”

If you were ashamed of whom you were with, where you were going or how your hypocritical

habits might look…you better quit because, in the Age of Aquarius, all of your secrets were going to be laid bare before the world. Your paramour would be no more, and your giftedness can’t hide your shiftiness.

At the last Don’t Believe the Hype Bowl-A-Thon he attended, he dropped another bombshell. Dick Gregory told us hurricanes prove the power of the Black Woman.

My mouth dropped. He whispered the words, but the voice of his admonition was so loud until it thundered.

Dick explained that all hurricanes start at the exact spot in West Africa where the slaves were placed on the ship. Not almost there, the same place. Hurricanes stay underwater and follow the same route as the slave ships. No slave was offloaded until they reached the Caribbean.

No hurricane jumps above the water until it reaches the Caribbean.

A hurricane catches this country and comes all the way up the East Coast to Maine. Maine is close to Canada, but Canada never had a Hurricane. Canada never messed with Black women, and that’s why they don’t get hit. The storm turns North and heads outward. Hmm! We have suffered at least 402 years of humiliation, abuse, and deprivation.

We don’t need another whisper.

We need another Dick Gregory!

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

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• Vol-9

Your Feelings CAN Fail You FAITHFUL UTTERANCES

By Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew As I get older, I recognize that feelings are real and yet, they can be dangerous. Our feelings, if unchecked, can wreak havoc and confusion.

Just last week, I received a voicemail from an angry lady. She was livid about something that happened to her and spewed frustration about what others had done. I immediately called her back and she began to apologize for being in her feelings and reacting too quickly.

I called to inform her that it wasn’t something I was responsible for and after listening to the situation, I immediately informed her that she needed to reach out to a totally different entity.

She continued to apologize after realizing that she had gotten upset without having clear information. She’s not alone—it is commonplace to witness individuals immediately respond based on how they feel.

Many of our decisions are rooted in how it makes us feel. We immediately respond often without thinking things through and truly assessing what is going on. Relationships have been destroyed, trust broken, and jobs terminated because of the need to respond.

If more people paused and thought of the consequences of their actions, they might be more apt to do things differently.

According to Dr. Bryn Farnsworth, “…feelings are the conscious experience of emotional reactions.

Originating in the neocortical regions of the brain, feelings are sparked by emotions and shaped

by personal experiences, beliefs, memories, and thoughts linked to that particular emotion.

Strictly speaking, a feeling is the side product of your brain perceiving an emotion and assigning a certain meaning to it.” Your feelings become thoughts which can then become an action— they are all connected.

Assumptions are the worst because they lead us down a path of no return because we can assign the wrong meaning to the emotion we are experiencing.

Without having complete information and knowledge, we can make decisions that have far reaching consequences that began in our thoughts and our emotions.

In Luke 15:11-32, we see an example of a young man who thought he knew more and requested his inheritance from his father. He probably allowed his feelings to validate his decision and instead of staying in a place of stability and comfort, he squandered his finances with no where to live. “17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.” His feelings based in bad thinking resulted in destructive consequences.

When we make rash decisions, we are like this young man.

Instead of consulting God (represented by the Father in this passage), we allow our feelings, bad information, and other people’s opinions to sway us into choices that are not in our best interests.

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We make assumptions that others have it better than we do and if we just do it ‘our’ way, things would be better. So much grief could have been avoided if he had spoken with his father first. Are you talking to God about your emotions and feelings before acting?

Are you allowing the presence and Word of God to inform your decisions, your feelings, and your thoughts before reacting or seeking the advice of others?

The Bible speaks about emotions and their power.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

(Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV) It is okay to experience our feelings because they are a gauge. We cannot allow our feelings to control us in such a way that we make decisions that harm us and others. It’s not that you don’t pay attention to how you feel. You should but you cannot allow your feelings to be the sole indicator in your decision making. It is about listening to God to direct you, seeking wise counsel, and taking an inventory of what is going on objectively.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

Our emotions and feelings are real. They are data. And just as data doesn’t tell the entire story, your feelings don’t either.

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.

• July 22 - 28, 2021

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Once Upon a Time WAKE UP AND STAY WOKE

By Dr. E. Faye Williams Once upon a time, there was a country called the United States of America. In the history of humankind, it was a relative newcomer.

The United States was hypocritically established under a set of principles and laws that, upon their face, were worthy, but impractical to implement given the mindset of many of its citizens. Even the author of its most important documents, who exalted the God-given freedoms of MEN, enslaved men, women, and children, and ignored the rights of white women.

Essential to its Declaration of Independence, the U.S. affirmed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These were empty words for enslaved persons. Comprising 25% of the U.S. and a third of the Southern population, their dehumanization was codified in the Constitution as threefifths human. They were denied rights given by God and, for most, the only man-given right was the right to work for free — no life beyond enslavement, no liberty, and no pursuit of happiness.

Nearly 90 years after declaring independence and 150 years before that, the U.S. established itself as world economic power on the backs of enslaved persons. Even after the emancipation, extra-legal maneuvers allowed former slaveowners to re-enslave formerly enslaved in a status that recreated systemic slavery.

At a snail’s pace, social consciousness, mass guilt, and economic necessities eased the difficulty in the progression toward achieving various social amenities. In every U.S. war, enslaved persons and their progeny were allowed to fight and die for national interests. In percentages no less than that of whites, Black “citizens” made productive contributions to the national good.

For their entirety in the U.S., Blacks and other “citizens” of color

learned about the value of the vote.

After all, the U.S. was a democracy operating on the premise of “majority rule.” Although they were locked out of the voting process by extra-legal procedures like counting beans or bubbles in a bar of soap, or by the indifference of futility and frustration, they witnessed and took note of the power and influence that others derived from voting.

Taking note led to action, and Blacks and other citizens of color began to pursue an equal measure of participation and reward. It looked like their efforts would bear fruit until an Orange Ogre appeared spouting “Grievance Politics.” This Orange Ogre convinced a small, but active group that their lives were being unfairly imposed upon by people of color, or folks who spoke a different language, or folks seeking a better life in the U.S.

The Orange Ogre convinced his followers that the remedy to their frustration of seeing others enjoying the fruits of the U.S. was to reject the principles of democracy which had shaped it and brought any greatness it had achieved. Under his tutelage, they developed alternate realities where truth and facts do not matter. He taught that the undemocratic theft of elections and the unfair retention of power were means to a positive end. And the world would, once again, be the great place for those not cursed with abundant melanin.

This fairy tale is far too similar to our own reality. It’s not amusing or frivolous. We are at a historic crossroads and our children’s future is in the balance. Whether straight facts or fairy tales, you must understand the significance of the problem. Our voice and our right to vote are being challenged into oblivion. YOU must accept a sense of urgency that is proportional to the threat. You must beware of that “great” place to which the Orange Ogre wants to return.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Contact her via www. nationalcongressbw.org.

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

What is Fantasy?

WHAT’S ON MILES’ MIND

By Miles Jaye Fantasy is fiction, the imagining of things not real, things that are improbable or impossible.

Fantasy is an idea with no basis in reality. Make-believe is a child’s fantasy.

Creativity is the artist’s fantasy. Vision begins as fantasy. Daydreaming is fantasy. Hope is fantasy. Nightmares are fantasy.

To desire is to fantasize. To covet is to fantasize. To wish is to fantasize. To lust is to fantasize.

Fantasy is belief in that which does not yet and may never exist. Fantasy is illusional or delusional pie in the sky.

Equality is fantasy, justice is fantasy, and peace is just a dream-- make believe.

The Nigger is fantasy. It’s not a real thing, it’s someone’s fantastic nightmare. The Nigger is a boogeyman created to justify fear, paranoia and brutality. We’ve been convinced that it’s real… but it’s not. There are only good and bad Black men, women, boys and girls. The Nigger is Frankenstein-- he’s not real.

The American social, political and economic dynamic is predicated on the existence of a Nigger class, but the Nigger is a fictional monster, absent any function but to generate fear and justify brutality. America has a long and uninterrupted history of creating boogeymen, who, if not destroyed, will wreak havoc on and bring destruction to the American family and the American way of life-- the American dream.

Cowboys and Indians is an American classic depicting courageous red-blooded Americans fighting to protect the land against the savage Nigger class-- the Indians. Today, it’s Muslims, Mexicans and Asians who join the Black population in this underclass. It is we, who are collectively undeserving of respect and decency much less kindness and caring from our neighbors. It is we, who are collectively undeserving of justice and equality much less inclusion and access to our institutions. So, we continue to wish and dream.

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s well-intended slogan, “Keep hope alive,” innocently but perfectly portrays the impotence with which we see and address our

lot in this, our unintended homeland.

Is keep hope alive not inherently powerless? Is keep hope alive not inherently helpless? Don’t give up the dream?

Don’t give up the fight? Don’t despair?

Then what’s left? Keep marching, keep praying, keep waiting on the dream?

In Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Son,” Walter Lee pleaded to Mama, “Now you tell that to my boy tonight when you put him to sleep on the living room couch. You tell it to him in the morning when his mother goes out of here to take care of somebody else’s kids, and you tell it to me when we want some curtains, or some drapes and you sneak out of here to go work in somebody’s kitchen. All I want is to make a future for this family. All I want is to be able to stand in front of my boy like my father was never able to do to me.”

That was Walter Lee’s dream! He went on to say, “I want so many things Mama. It’s kinda driving me crazy.”

Wishing, waiting, dreaming and fantasizing can take its toll. Helplessness can drive you crazy.

He said, “Money is life!” We teach our kids luxury cars, expensive jewelry, and designer clothes are life.

King famously declared, “I have a dream, that one day my four little children will be judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” He would still be dreaming, but “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun, or fester like a sore - and then run?” Harlem by Langston Hughes. Today, we judge not by character but by Kors, Chanel and Gucci.

James Baldwin debated, “Until this moment, there is scarcely any hope for the American dream, because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence, will wreck it.” The monster, the creation, Frankenstein will bring the whole house down, laboratory and all. That’s the nightmare!

I too wish! I too dream! I wish there were a true, direct, and unfettered through line between freedom, potential and opportunity. I wish I didn’t have to dream that one day things would be as they should be right now.

I wish it had not been necessary to spend a lifetime wishing. Nina Simone sang, “I wish I knew how it would feel to be free. I wish I could break all these chains holding me.” That’s my fantasy!

That’s what’s on my mind!

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

IN MEMORIAM

Byron Keith Brown, Sr. May 13, 1955 - July 9, 2021

Byron Keith Brown, Sr. was born on May 13, 1955, in St. Louis, Missouri. He transitioned to eternity with his Lord on July 9, 2021, in Richardson, Texas.

Byron graduated from East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. He went on to attend Illinois State University where he majored in Medical Records Administration. In 1977, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and began his career at Medical City Hospital in Dallas, Texas. After working there for 15 years, Byron pursued a career change which led him to enjoy a longtime career in management at American Airlines where he was highly respected by those he managed and by corporate leadership. After 25 years of dedicated service, he retired in 2020 and became a full-time caregiver to his parents.

At Illinois State University in 1976, Byron met the love of his life, Comfort Denise Hopson. The two married in 1980, and three children were born to their union - Miya R. Brown, Marcus K. Brown, and Monica S. Brown. Byron and Comfort enjoyed a lifetime of happiness. A model husband who loved his wife for 41 years like Christ loves the church, Byron affectionately called his wife, “My Niecy!” Everyone witnessed and knew the love he had towards “His Niecy”, and all witnessed her love and dedication for him. They were best

friends and “a team” with an exemplary respect, honor, and support of each other which was evident to all who crossed their path.

Baptized during his college days, Byron remained a faithful member of God’s church throughout his life.

For 15 years, Byron served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park.

He later joined the body of Christ at North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship where he served for over 25 years until his transition. While Byron was not called to preach the gospel as a preacher, he delighted in working the ministry of service. His empathy and care for others was deeply rooted from the lessons and example of his parents for whom he deeply cared.

Byron was an encourager with a giving spirit. He was known for sending daily and weekly inspirational texts, and he consistently called to check on his family, friends, and especially the elderly. His generosity will forever impact the lives of many. Even upon his transition, he gifted someone with improved vision through being an organ donor. Byron’s incredible gift of friendship and thoughtfulness will be fondly remembered and treasured.

Among many hobbies, Byron loved to travel. With his wife and family, he enjoyed traveling to places around the world, including Australia, France, New Zealand, Italy, and China,

to name a few. He was also a marathon runner.

After he no longer ran, he coached others to run in marathons. He often used a runner’s training to teach life lessons. His personal mantra was “Run your own race!” In the 1980s, Byron launched the Dallas Striders Club, a running club to inspire others towards running and walking. He also organized church health fairs and was an advocate for health and fitness as part of the wholeness for body, mind, and soul. He could also be quite the “cutup” and was known to “pull your leg and talk noise!”

Those left to cherish precious memories and continue his legacy of service and love include his wife, Comfort Denise Brown; four children - Byron K. Brown, Jr. (Rasheedah), Miya R. Brown, Marcus K. Brown (Ashly), and Monica S. Brown; eight grandchildren - Faith Jones, Jada Jones, Makayla Brown, Madison Brown, Kendall Green, Devin Simms, Rashad Brown, and Bry’Lynn Brown; great-grandson, Quincy White, Jr.; parents, John Lee Brown and Loretta Ora Lee Brown; fatherin-law, Pastor Clarence W. Hopson (Lennis); and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Alliance for Greater Works, a 501c3 tax-deductible organization very near and dear to Byron and Comfort and in which they served.

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

7

Special Session bills toe the company line OUR VOICES

By Sen. Royce West The so-called election protection or election fraud bill is not the only example of Texas legislators toting the water of a deposed and disruptive former leader of the free world.

A quick comparison of the Special Called Session agenda can be called the platform for the re-election campaign of the state’s top elected official, which can be seen as parroting the marching orders or grievances of the 45th POTUS. SB5, on the agenda and now approved by the Senate, was reintroduced during this Special Session. It was SB12 during the Regular Session.

The bill would threaten the ability of social media platforms to reject or remove what they consider as objectionable or false information from their sites. SB5 and SB12 considers that such

would be censorship.

Sound familiar? Could be because of recent lawsuits filed in Florida by a disgruntled user whose accounts were closed and access banned by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a list of social media platforms following the events of January 6, 2021 when hundreds of “visitors” and “tourists” overran the nation’s capital with malicious intent toward members of Congress and the former vice president.

The lawsuits claim that the social media mega platforms violated the plaintiff’s First Amendment Constitutional rights by blocking, then closing his accounts; effectively censoring his right to free speech.

But the courts have ruled consistently that the First Amendment provides free speech protections against government censorship, not private entities, while also protecting the editorial judgment of media entities.

Their basis is a unanimous, 1974 U.S. Supreme Court decision authored by none other than Chief Justice Warren Burger, which included that, “…the First

Amendment does not permit the government to usurp the role of editors in deciding what ought to be published.”

Earlier this month, a Tallahassee federal district court judge blocked implementation of a law passed by the Florida Legislature this year, where fines could be imposed on social media platforms for exercising editorial judgment in their decisions to restrict content from political figures that they felt violated company policies.

Judge Robert Hinkle made further distinctions favoring social media entities by saying that they are less responsible for content carried on their platforms than newspapers.

But the new law, he said, targeted “ideologically sensitive cases” where the social media companies should be allowed to exercise the same editorial judgement as news entities.

SB12 and SB5 took a different approach, designed to avoid First Amendment implications.

Instead, the bills would create strict procedures that must be

implemented by social media companies.

Violations of the procedures would expose them to civil liability. SB5 allows a company to reject content that would violate its acceptable use and illegal content policies. It permits posts to be banned that contain violent content that would threaten protected groups as defined by federal law.

It includes that a social media platform can censor “unlawful expression” or other expressions that are prohibited by federal law.

But the plain language of SB5 prohibits censorship of “the viewpoint of the user or another person” or “the viewpoint represented in the user’s expression or another person’s expression.”

In other words if the content does not promote violence or depict acts of sexual exploitation or abuse of children, a user can post whatever they wish; truth be damned!

SB5 would require social media companies to post their use and complaint policies and produce and post a quarterly

transparency report on those policies. Companies would also have to notify a user when any content is removed and the reasons for its removal. The user would be allowed to appeal the company’s decision.

That said, social media entities bear great responsibilities to prudently manage the hundreds of millions of posts daily; a world of their creation. Critics say they could have done more to prevent open discussion on their platforms leading up to January 6.

The U.S. Surgeon General has now called on these global influencers to help silence rampant misinformation that impedes the ongoing fight against COVID. But a law that will chill efforts to make sure that dangerous lies don’t continue to bombard undiscerning subscribers is in itself reckless.

Whose fault is it when followers, without question, zealously attach to their leader?

Royce West was first elected to the Texas Senate in November 1992.

He represents the 23rd Senatorial District on behalf of the citizens of Dallas County.

OBITUARY Joe Kirven passed away on July 5th, 2021 at the age of 90. He graduated from Booker T Washington High School and earned an athletic scholarship in football and track from Wiley College where he graduated with a Bachelors in Science. After college, Kirven started his own business with only $500. He built ABCO Maintenance Company into a million-dollar company, acquired J & S Chemical, and acquired real estate investments.

He was the youngest president of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and was appointed to the Dallas City Council and ran for the Dallas School Board. He served as a Special Assistant to Governor William Clements, a groundbreaking appointment where he steered black candidates to appointments on Texas state commissions. He liaised between the Governor’s office and Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M University, and all Texas HBCUs. He worked on minority business issues with two US Presidents. In 1968, The Texas Chamber of Commerce named him as one of “Five Outstanding Young Texans,” and in 1972 Ebony magazine named

Joe Kirven

him as one of the Outstanding Businessmen of the Southwest.

He was a trustee and deacon of the St John Missionary Baptist Church and involved in many civic activities.

He was the first Black member of the Board of Trustees for the Hockaday School in Dallas and a member of the Board of Regents of the University of North Texas. He was most proud of his endowed scholarship at Wiley College. He was also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Devoted to his family and friends, Kirven helped countless people obtain jobs. He was a true pioneer and inspiration to all. He is preceded

in death by his parents Lafayette Kirven and Derutha Kirven and siblings Lafayette Kirven, Jr., Howard Kirven, (sister-in-law) Mary Lou Kirven, sisters Alverine Taylor, Helen Waurine Spencer, and Jessie Mae Johnson. Joe Kirven is survived by his wife Gloria Kirven of 63 years, his daughter Josette Valtierra, her husband Gregory Valtierra III, and his grandsons, Gregory Valtierra IV, Michael Valtierra, and many friends and relatives. He will be missed by all. Services will be held July 24, 2021, 2PM at Laurel Land Funeral Home. Visitation will be on July 23, 2021 from 4 PM to 8PM at the same location.

Masks are strongly encouraged by the family.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Wiley College for the Joe Kirven Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to Wiley College and note the Scholarship Fund in the memo (Mail to: Wiley College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 711 Wiley Ave., Marshall, Texas, 75670) or contribute digitally via https://www. wileyc.edu/donate in memoriam to Joe Kirven.

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

Virtual and liVe Community Calendar

Minority Mental Health Month UV SAFETY The Black Church Month JULY 22 Happy Birthday to Jihad Muhammad

The Connection with Debra Brown-Sturns.

Guest: Gail Phills On Facebook@TexasMetroNews & BlogTalkRadio.com. 7-8 pm. 646200-0459.

Next Level Business Hour. Host LiftFund US (DFW Women’s Bus. Center) at 6-7 pm CDT. Online at: https://bit.ly/2VDXupT. Cardio Dance Party! Main Street Garden Park, 1950 Main St. Dallas. 7-8 pm.

AMOC Presents: Amplify at Arts Mission Oak Cliff, 410 S. Windomere. 8-9 pm. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3xyS5yp.

The Zan Holmes Outreach Center “Food Saved Me”: Health & Wealth Lunch & Learn at Food Saved Me, 535 S. Nolen Dr; #400, Southlake. 11 am. CDT. www.foodsavedme.com.

JULY 23-24 Desperate For Jesus Women’s Conference, at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Worship Center. 23rd-7 pm & 24th-9 am. Visit ocbfchurch.org/watchparty.

JULY 23 From Marva with Love, with Marva Sneed.

11 am -1 pm. CDT, Fridays on Facebook Live/@ TexasMetroNews, and BlogTalkRadio.com.

Join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Jam to Give - Rob Holbert Band/ Cedar Hill Shares, at Hillside Village, 305 FM 1382 #590. 7-9 pm.

Happy Hour Fridays Live DJ. Host Off The Cuff, 2901 Elm St. 5-8 pm. RSVP: offthecuffdallas@gmail.com Key’s 50th Chocolate & Champagne Souree.

Host Keisha Williams-Lankford at 316 Cooper St, Cedar Hill 7-10 pm.

Full Moon Meditation, “The Spirit Within.” Host Spiritual Unity Movement. 9 pm. CDT. Online: us02web.zoom.us FAMU Athletics Strike Tour 21, host Ann Williams, at Dallas Black Dance, 2700 Ann Williams Way. 6 pm.

JULY 24 Love, Dating and Kingdom-Marriage, host The Temple of Restoration. 6-7:30 pm. CDT. Reg: https://bit.ly/2TRDvn5.

In Remembrance of Santos Rodriguez 2021, host Santos Vive, at Pike Park (Little Mexico neighborhood) 8:30 -12 pm.

NWHM Presents: The 2021 Summer Educators Institute, host National Women’s History Museum. Reg: https://bit. ly/36tgRno 8 am. CDT. Enlighten Tours Food Festival at Reverchon Park, 3505 Maple Ave. 11 am-6 pm. Vendors email: enlighten@enlightenmentapp.com.

My College Life Safety Fair, at Dallas Police Headquarters, 1400 Botham Jean. In-person workshop. Contact: Ms Foster; 214-671-4035. 10 am-12:30 pm. Reg: https://bit.ly/3B3Nh67.

JULY 25 The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. It’s thought-provoking, informative, & entertaining news commentary. Call in 646-200-0459.

West End Association Outdoor Market, Host The West End, 607 Corbin St, Dallas. 1 am-5 pm.

Texas Voter Suppression 101 Forum Facebook Live. Host DFW Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Moderator Cheryl Smith 3-5 pm. CDT. Info: http://www. deltasigmatheta.org/

DFW/ABJ Summer Media Meet & Greet, at N’awlins Sports, Seafood, Daiquiris, 1400 High Line Dr. 6:30-9 pm. RSVP bit.ly/dfwabjsummer2021.

Happy Hour Fridays Live DJ. Host Off The Cuff, 2901 Elm St. 5-8 pm. RSVP: offthecuffdallas@gmail.com

“Dallas Love Field’s Lead with Love” Live. Feat: Veletta Forsythe Lill, Benjamin Espino, Viola Delgado. 12:30 pm CDT. On the Love Field’s Facebook and YouTube page.

JULY 28-AUG 1 Global Water Center’s Mobile Discovery Center at Grapevine Mills Mall, 10 am-7 pm. globalwatercenter.org.

JULY 28

Hepatitis Awareness Day I Was Just Thinking with Norma Adams-Wade. From 11 am -1 pm. CDT On Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com. Join the conversation at 646-200-0459.

Wine Down Wednesday with National Recording Artist Andre Cavor. Facebook Live. @andrecavor.com. 6-7 pm. CDT. Drop-In Hours with Dr. B! Online Event. Hosted by Not A Host.

Reg: us06web.zoom.us 5 pm. CDT. Coffee with the Mayor, host City of Duncanville at D.L. Hopkins Senior Center, 206 James Collins Blvd. 8:30-9:30 am. CDT. In-person or via Zoom https://bit.ly/3wEqJFv.

West End Association Outdoor Market. Host The West End, 607 Corbin St, Dallas. 1 am-5 pm.

JULY 29

Dallas County Justice Tour. Host Democracy Tool Box. At Saint Rocco’s at Trinity Groves, 3011 Gulden Ln. #100. 3-6 pm. RSVP: https://bit.ly/3B35UXM.

The Connection with Debra Brown-Sturns.

On Facebook.com/@TexasMetroNews & BlogTalkRadio.com. 7-8 pm. 646-200-0459.

SUNDAY FUNDAY POP-UP EXPO. Host HypeGirl Pop Up Events DFW Free• At 360 E Beltline Rd. Desoto. 1-5 pm.

Delta GEMS Informational Session, host Eastern Panhandle Alumnae Chapter. 5:30 pm. CDT. Online: us02web.zoom.us.

Info: Carla Hunter at levernhunter@comcast.net.

JULY 26 $300 Poker Tournament at Texas Billiards Grand Opening 6651 Watauga Rd. #117.Watauga. 7-10 pm. ahlpoker.com.

CCBCC Business Blueprint Program - Now Accepting Applications by July 26, 2021 The program begins August 14, 2021.

APPLY HERE: https://bit.ly/bizblueprint2021 Job Training: Bank Works Free Training by Dallas College At Mountain View. Mon, Wed. & Fri. 9am-4pm for 8 wks. Contact: Elishima Myles; 214-860-8550. Apply: https://bit.ly/3xJ5NP2.

JULY 27 THE DOC SHEP SPEAKS SHOW! From 11 am.

CST on Facebook Live/@TexasMetroNews, @fnsconsulting, and You Tube @docshepspeaks Uncorked - Wines of the World Tower Club - 1601 Elm St. 48th Floor Dallas 6-7 pm. RSVP: 214-220-0403.

Small Business Savvy – Market Research & Competitive Analysis, host SBA. Reg: https://bit.ly/3eDJHWU. 11 am.

SoulJazz Thursdays Feat: Natural Change Band. Host Sandaga 813, 813 Exposition Ave. 8 pm-12 am. sandaga813.com.

JULY 30-31

Fedoras & Cigars: 4Tarrant Meet & Greet, host MarQ Clayton for Judge County Criminal Court 7 at Fedoras & Cigars, 12853 Cabela Dr, Fort Worth, 5:30-8:30 pm.

JULY 31

Quentin Moore and The DaxTones Live at Ridglea Theater, 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd. 7 pm. Eventbrite.com.

AMOC Presents: Amplify at Arts Mission Oak Cliff, 410 S. Windomere. 8-9 pm. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3xyS5yp.

4th Annual SECC Inc. Back-to-School Backpack/School Supply Giveaway. 10 am-1 pm. Info: 214-997-4240.

Mesquite ISD Drive Through Back to School Event-at Mesquite High School, 300 E. Davis St. Mesquite. 8 am-11am.

Reg: https://bit.ly/36xPicQ. DFW Small Business Expo at Music City Mall Lewisville, 2401 S. Stemmons Fwy. Eventbrite.com.

Rapper’s Delight Family Comedy.

By Fran Harris Filmmaker/Writer/ Producer/Director, at Bishop Arts Theater, 215 Tyler St. 5:30-7 pm & 8-9:30 pm.

32nd Texas Black Invitational Rodeo, Presented by African American Museum, at Fair Park Coliseum at the Grand Entry Parade begins at 6 p.m. fairparktix.com.

AUGUST 1 The World According to Drew, host Andrew Whigham, III on BlogTalkRadio.com 8-10 am. It’s thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news commentary.

Join the call at 646-200-0459.

SUAF-Dallas Vendor Pop-Up Day Party, Host Southern University Alumni - Dallas Chapter. The Daiquiri Shoppe, 816 Montgomery St, 1-7 pm. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3yNOBZ6.

Morris Day and The Time, El DeBarge & Klymaxx. Host Ryman Auditorium Nashville.

Free-Online Event Tickets: TicketSmarter.com.

7 pm. CDT.

Women Winning in Ministry, host Dr. Jasmin Sculark. It’s an online event. 6:30 am-12 pm CDT. Reg: iamdrjazz.org.

Fantasy Draft Party at Tower Club, 1601 Elm St. Dallas. 6 pm.

Info: 214-220-0403.

JULY 30

BLACK LIVES MATTER

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

Jam to Give – All Funk Radio/ Cedar Hill Shares, at Hillside Village, 305 FM 1382 #590. 7-9 pm.

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Join us at the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center at Juanita J. Craft Recreation Center for Diabetes Education Classes to learn the skills needed to manage your diabetes.

Diabetes Education classes: • • •

214.865.3060

4500 Spring Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210

BSWHealth.com/HealthandWellness

• July 22 - 28, 2021

9

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY AT THE MOVIES

By Hollywood Hernandez

Director Malcolm D. Lee, who directed Girl’s Trip, Night School, and The Best Man, tries his hand at his first animated feature and creates a movie that has all of the elements of the previously mentioned films, but is set in an animated world. He gets a top-notch performance from Lebron James, the reigning King of Basketball and Don Cheadle, the Academy Award-nominated actor, who plays a computer algorithm named Al G. Rhythm. Cheadle is the bad guy who kidnaps Lebron’s son and makes King James team up with all of the Looney Tunes characters to play a game against a fantasy team whose powers were created in the computer.

Bugs and crew are a scream! They bring plenty of that Looney Tunes magic to the movie with plenty of fun little puns that will keep you laughing. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but there’s a lot of contemporary culture references that will keep you giggling.

Besides Cheadle, young Cedric Joe, as Lebron’s son Dom, has the biggest part in the movie. He’s a young man who prefers designing video games over basketball., which causes him and his father to constantly be at odds. The riff between father and son makes him decide to play against his dad in a video game he designs with Al G. Rhythm.

With the help of the Looney Tunes, Lebron discovers that his son needs a father who supports his passion, rather than a basketball coach. The two mend fences and in the end, Dom decides to join his father in an attempt to come back and defeat The Goon Squad.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is a great family film.

It’s funny, heartwarming, and mostly it’s a movie about a family’s love for each other. It is a winning combination. It’s rated PG for cartoon violence and a martini drinking granny. On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate the movie a LARGE.

The One that Got Away ASK ALMA

By Alma Gill Dear Alma, I’ve been married for over 10 years and I’m very happy with my husband and two kids. My husband is very kind to me.

My kids are very well behaved and we have a good life. Before I got married I was in love with a man who said he would never get married and he didn’t want any kids. I always hoped that he didn’t mean that and would marry me but he never did. After more than a year and a half, we broke it off and I met my husband and got married. After I got married I would see him from time to time and he stayed in touch with my brother. When he and my brother would go out, he would always ask about me to see how I was doing. Recently my brother told me that he said he should have married me. I know you’re gonna think I’m crazy but I can’t stop thinking about him. I think we need to have a conversation because I have so much I want to say to him. I am trying to figure out my best option. I could email him or reach out on Facebook. I was thinking I could ask him to meet me. How should I contact him in a way that’s the most respectful?

Name withheld Excuse me, did you say respectful?

What exactly is respectful about a married woman trying to reconnect with an ex? Because that’s basically all you’re trying to do. You wanna know how I know – cause I thought the same thing. And when I did, I asked my BFF Neasy about it. Yep, I wanted to contact my old “here he comes, I can’t breathe” high school crush named Poopie.

Girl, it was a crush like no other, LOL. Like you, I was happily married, life was good, and all I wanted to do is

let him know just how much I truly loved him. I did my best explaining and exasperating my heart and soul to Neasy and you know what she asked me: Why? Yep, just that simple. So now I’m asking you. Why? What if he misunderstands your actions? Is it worth your marriage, the love of your husband, the happiness of your children? If he wanted to marry you, he would have.

Ain’t no truth in shoudda, cudda, wudda.

Stop romanticizing over what you wish could have happen and live in what is happening. What is happening is that you have a loving husband and father to your children. If circumstances were the other way around and your husband wanted to have a conversation with an ex, girl pleez, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

You’d be accusing him of all kinds of disrespect!

Turn your twinkle toes towards what’s real and watch the video, live version of Whitney Houston, “All the Man I Need” and fall back in fabulous love with your husband. My favorite is the one with her in a beautiful red gown, Kirk Whalum’s on the sax. It’s the concert she did for our troops. Girl, rewind it two or three times if you need to.

All the romance and attention you’re looking for is already living inside your home. You just need to breathe new life into it. Let that other man go, that conversation and action of sharing words, just isn’t worth the risk of losing your happy home. I never contacted Poopie and I’m perfectly fine with that decision. Give it some time and you will be, too. If not, go find a BFF you can confide in, who’ll keep you on track named Neasy!

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.

My Truth from page 1

Which brings me to my truth!

I had so much fun finding out so much about so many dynamic women of all ages -- the oldest has been 100 years old and the youngest has been 21!

From time to time there will be one who has transitioned and others from across the country or around the world.

What they all have in common is RECEIPTS! They are Superb!

I hope you get as much joy out of reading about these women as I did writing about them. And guess what? They didn’t have a clue that they were being featured and I didn’t ask for information, or pictures.

We do our homework and sometimes a reader will send a nomination in. Surprisingly, every name that has been sent in was already on the ever-growing list!

When will it end? I haven’t a clue.

It brings me so much joy.

I’m already thinking of other ways to celebrate Black women, to share love and

Mother

also enlighten and inform.

Join me in spreading joy.

You can nominate someone by emailing me at editor@ texasmetronews.com.

Also encourage people to like, click, share and subscribe.

As we celebrate Black Women here, how about if we also celebrate all women?

For everyone, whoever you are, let’s make a pledge that since it was your heart that pumped simultaneously with the heart of a woman; you will never, ever disparage a woman.

Black women have been called so much, good and bad. We celebrate them and call them SUPERB! I hope you will too.

Some will ask, “why superb?”

To them, I say, “why not!”

And my response is not a question, if you get my drift!

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

11

Women Educators discuss Balancing the Classroom

Spears Family

Continued from page 1 The challenges of teaching in-person or online have stretched educators to their limits.

According to a report from Fidelity Investments and The Chronicle of Higher Education, after nearly a full year of either putting themselves at risk in a classroom or struggling to reach students remotely, many now say they may change careers or simply quit.

“Teachers have been feeling the brunt of how drastically this pandemic has changed our world,” said Colin Sharkey, executive director of the Association of American Educators, a national professional association.

“The demands that are put on them are off the charts.”

And Spears knows this firsthand. The 14-year English/Language Arts/Reading teacher at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, felt torn between meeting the needs of her students and of her own youngest child.

“As a teacher, I felt like my students needed me at school. I teach 6th graders and I feel like they have missed out on some milestones in education and growing up. I am experiencing this as a mother as well,’ she said.

“My daughter is a 6th grader just like my students. They missed the end of their 5th grade year, their 5th grade graduation from elementary to middle school. I

Photo Courtesy

think there are grades/ages that the school side of the pandemic has been harder on.”

Spears also watched her son, Noah, miss out on his college senior activities at SMU where he played football on an athletic scholarship. He missed his final season on the field, senior game and May graduation, although they did have a ceremony in late August.

“I think these things had a big mental impact on students. As a mom, it was especially hard to watch both of my kids miss out on these activities,” Spears said. “As a teacher, I felt even more empathy for my incoming students. This was one reason I felt like I needed to be at school for my students.”

COVID brought about a number of worries for Spears: worried about her daughter being in a classroom with students that might get Covid or be a carrier of Covid; worries about her health or her getting sick; worries about her elderly parents being exposed and getting sick and worries about her husband, Will, who is in the end stages of renal failure.

“I have been constantly worried about myself or my daughter bringing home Covid from school.”

Adding insult to injury, Spear applied to work from home and was approved - but not notified until it was too late to accept the approval.

“I was not contacted by HR or admin at my school to let me know I was approved to work from home until the day before my students returned to the classroom. At that time, I felt it was too late for me to make preparations in my classroom so I made the decision to stay in the classroom in-personIt,” she said.

“It was very disheartening that not one person in admin let me know that I had the option to stay home and protect my family until it was too late.”

So she returned to school and has been teaching all year. Yet she remains cautious and concerned more than a year into the pandemic and with vaccines out and states easing up on or entirely lifting precautions.

“I am still afraid of a family member or close friend being exposed to Covid. I think people are prematurely easing up from CDC guidelines for health and safety and the result is added stress that I internalize,” she admitted.

“As a Christian, I have spent many hours praying for the safety of my family and friends. I do think that God has protected my family and I think I am able to keep a good attitude at school because of the strength God gives me.

I haven’t really turned to anyone for help. I talk to my husband about my concerns and I pray constantly.”

Karonda Davis, an educator “I have learned to be a more for eight years, experienced patient and grateful mother and COVID-19 from an even more person throughout this panchallenging perspective. The demic. Things do not always math teacher and Spears’ col- happen as we want them to, league at Lady Bird Johnson, but all things work out for the was on maternity leave when good,” Davis said. the pandemic hit.

“I have learned to focus on “I felt helpless; I was stuck what is most important and that in my home for a long time be- is my relationship with God, cause I was already on mater- my family, friends, and my colnity leave and then everything leagues with whom I work beshut down right as I was about cause it keeps me grounded.” to return back to work,” she As she continues to juggle dairecalled. “I felt scared for my ly, Spears said she has learned new baby and my family, and I her strength as a woman and missed my students. I was un- has discovered her true passion able to say goodbye to my stu- for helping others. dents that were heading to high “I have been through the last school and it made me feel cut 14 months and taken only one off from my job as an educator. day off work. In my 14 years Davis received help from working in education, I have those closest to her; her hus- never had a better attendance band who is also in education, record,” Spears said. “I think and her mother. “I am so grate- that my students need to know ful for my husband that I am available because he has realfor them every sinly been so supportgle day and I think ive and an amazthat passion created ing leader in our a big strength in me household during to show up every day the pandemic; being and greet them with the voice of reason, a smile and let them being the brave soul know they can truly that made sure we count on me to love had groceries and and care for them.

Karonda Davis supplies, and he was “I have learned the sense of calm during this that my own children see me pandemic. as a strong woman who really Her mother has been “super cares about others.” helpful” David said, watching Both women offer advice for now 16-month-old Brandon mothers who are also educators while his parents are at work. and are still struggling with the “We are blessed to have him in changes the pandemic brought the safest environment while we to their lives. are at work.”

Spears advises those educaDavis said she handles the tors still struggling to “lean on pressures of being an educator, God for strength. You have to wife and mom during a still-on- take time to take care of yourgoing pandemic by prayer, fo- self. You have to let your stucusing her time and attention dents know that even in a time on her family, and “being as of confusion and stress, they can present as I can in my career truly count on you.” and various relationships. I am “My advice is to pray or medifocusing the most on what I can tate in order to maintain a sense control so that I do not feel so of peace within yourself, stay achelpless as when the pandemic tive and involved in your comfirst began. I am leaning on my munity or career, and to focus faith and being grateful for what on what you can control; your is actually happening in my life.” attitude, your faith, and your reBoth Spears and Davis said lationships,” said Davis. they have learned a lot about “We cannot change that we themselves as mothers and edu- are in a pandemic but we can cators throughout this pandem- choose to love on each other and ic; knowledge that will serve be appreciative for what we do them the rest of their lives. have right now.”

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Dallas Wings Players Named First-Time WNBA All-Stars

By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor

“Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale and forward Satou Sabally was named as first-time WNBA All-Stars and played in the league’s All-Star Game on July 14th in Las Vegas.

Ogunbowale and Sabally played for Team WNBA that took on the USA Basketball Women’s National Team on Wednesday at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The 17th Annual WNBA AllStar Game was broadcasted live on ESPN. Ogunbowale, the reigning

WNBA scoring leader, is in her third season in the league. She was drafted to the Wings out of Notre Dame and is currently fourth in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 20.3 points per game and leads the Wings with 56 assists. She is second in threepoint shooting with 42 threepoint shots (as of July 5th).

Sabally, the second overall selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft, is currently averaging 13.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounds, averaging 6.1 rebounds per game. She has also improved her three-point shooting in 2021 and is currently shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.”

TEAM WNBA

(Co-Head Coaches, WNBA Legends Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson) PLAYER

TEAM

YRS.

POSITION ASG

HT.

BIRTHDATE

COLLEGE/ COUNTRY

DeWanna Bonner Liz Cambage Kahleah Copper^ Dearica Hamby^ Brionna Jones^ Jonquel Jones Betnijah Laney^ Arike Ogunbowale^ Candace Parker Satou Sabally^ Courtney Vandersloot Courtney Williams^

Connecticut Sun Las Vegas Aces Chicago Sky Las Vegas Aces Connecticut Sun Connecticut Sun New York Liberty Dallas Wings Chicago Sky Dallas Wings Chicago Sky Atlanta Dream

11 4 5 6 4 4 5 2 13 1 10 5

Frontcourt Frontcourt Backcourt Frontcourt Frontcourt Frontcourt Backcourt Backcourt Frontcourt Frontcourt Backcourt Backcourt

6-4 6-8 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-0 5-8 6-4 6-4 5-8 5-8

8/21/87 8/18/91 8/28/94 11/6/93 12/18/95 1/5/94 10/29/93 3/2/97 4/19/86 4/25/98 2/8/89 5/11/94

Auburn Australia Rutgers Wake Forest Maryland George Washington Rutgers Notre Dame Tennessee Oregon/Germany Gonzaga South Florida

4 4 1 1 1 3 1 1 6 1 3 1

USA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM (Head Coach Dawn Staley)

PLAYER

WNBA TEAM

Ariel Atkins^ Sue Bird Tina Charles Napheesa Collier Skylar Diggins-Smith Sylvia Fowles Chelsea Gray Brittney Griner Jewell Loyd Breanna Stewart Diana Taurasi A’ja Wilson

Washington Mystics 3 Seattle Storm 17 Washington Mystics 10 Minnesota Lynx 2 Phoenix Mercury 7 Minnesota Lynx 13 Las Vegas Aces 6 Phoenix Mercury 8 Seattle Storm 6 Seattle Storm 4 Phoenix Mercury 16 Las Vegas Aces 3

^ denotes first-time All-Star selection

YRS.

POSITION ASG

HT.

BIRTHDATE

COLLEGE

Backcourt 1 Backcourt 12 Frontcourt 8 Frontcourt 2 Backcourt 5 Frontcourt 7 Backcourt 4 Frontcourt 7 Guard 3 Frontcourt 3 Backcourt 10 Frontcourt 3

5-8 5-9 6-4 6-1 5-9 6-6 5-11 6-9 5-10 6-4 6-0 6-4

7/30/96 10/16/80 12/5/88 9/23/96 8/2/90 10/6/85 10/8/92 10/18/90 10/5/93 8/27/94 6/11/82 8/8/96

Texas Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut Notre Dame LSU Duke Baylor Notre Dame Connecticut Connecticut South Carolina

YRS denotes number of seasons completed entering 2021

ASG denotes number of All-Star selections including 2021

T E X A S

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Open for Unity from page 3 Ambassador Arega declared, noting that everyone is proud that the African Union continues to headquarter in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The Ambassador, who twice met with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., said the Black Press of America help must tell Ethiopia’s story of reform and prosperity.

But there have been some disappointments.

“I went to Congress to discuss the GERD issue, and one of the congressmen opened a New York Times article [quoting just one farmer in Egypt], who complained about what we are doing,” Ambassador Arega demurred.

“We’ve been sending many Op-ed pieces, press releases and other statement to the mainstream press to ensure a balanced perspective, but so far most of the stories have been one-sided.”

Dr. Chavis announced, “I am so very pleased to state on-the-record that the Black Press of America via the NNPA is now in the process of establishing a strategic media partnership between the NNPA and the Ethiopian Press.

“Our two trade associations will work together henceforth on economic sustainability interests, international media relations in print, digital and social media, and on sponsoring mutual trade delegations between the United States and Ethiopia with specific focus on Black-owned businesses in America and in Ethiopia.

“This will be another answer to the centuries-long prayers of all people of African descent for global unity, progress and empowerment.”

The dam was named the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) because it was designed to bring about the economic renewal of Ethiopia, Ambassador Arega told NNPA Newswire.

In an op-ed, he wrote that the GERD would be the largest hydropower dam in Africa.

When completed, it is expected to generate more than 5,000 MW installed power generation capacity and will have more than two times the capacity of Hoover Dam. The total capacity of the reservoir is 74 billion cubic meters to be filled over several years. It will cost nearly $5 billion to complete the dam, Ambassador Arega continued.

The GERD has now reached 81 percent completion, including 98.5 percent of civil, 55 percent electromechanical, and 55.3 percent of the hydroelectric structure.

“Ethiopia generates 85 percent of the Nile River flow, but colonial-era and postcolonial agreements on the Nile, to which Ethiopia was not a party, have given Egypt the disproportionate amount of water while giving Sudan a lesser amount,” the Ambassador wrote.

“These agreements gave zero water allocation to Ethiopia. Egypt today wants to keep the old colonial arrangement in place in one form or another.”

According to a 2018 World Bank report, “About 70 percent of the population in Ethiopia live without electricity.”

The GERD aims to provide access to electricity to more than 60 million Ethiopians and provide affordable electricity to the service, industrial and agricultural sectors.

“It also aligns with Ethiopia’s green development ambitions as it represents a sustainable socio-economic project replacing fossil fuels reducing CO2 emissions,” Ambassador Arega continued.

“Therefore, for Ethiopia, building the GERD is not a matter of choice, but an economic and developmental necessity and the way out of poverty for a nation of 112 million people.”

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Biz Markie, Clown Prince of Hip Hop, Dies at 57

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor

The world is mourning the loss of rap legend Biz Markie who passed away Friday at age 57 at a Baltimore hospital.

Lisa Respers France, senior writer for CNN confirmed the Hip-Hop icon’s death.

Nicknamed the “Clown Prince of HipHop,” Biz Markie gained fame through his collaborations with Big Daddy Kane and Marley Marl. Born Marcel Theo Hall, the Harlem born rapper burst onto the scene with his classic 1988 album “Goin’ Off,” which featured the hit songs, “Nobody Beats the Biz,” “Vapors,” and “Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz.” Biz Markie formed the legendary Juice Crew with Marley Marl and released the album on the Cold Chillin’ rap label under the guidance of legendary hip-hop DJ, DJ Mr. Magic.

In a 2008 interview with Hip-Hop A3C, the rap legend said, “When we did pick the Juice Crew, it was about people being different and dope in their own way.”

Always in on the joke, the beloved rapper created a persona of a happy go-lucky jokester and kooky rapper with funny and clever lyrics and videos like “The Vapors” amid a sea of rap personas wrapped in machismo and conflict.

Biz Markie’s collaborations gave HipHop some of its most iconic hits. Biz followed up “Goin’ Off,” with 1989’s “The Biz Never Sleeps,” album which produced the iconic hit, “Just a Friend,” which went platinum.

Biz Markie lamenting over a love interest openly cheating on her boyfriend while singing loudly and off-key was pop culture gold, catapulting the beloved rapper into the pop culture stratosphere.

There was even a popular dance named

Biz Markie performing. Taken at SXSW 2016.

IN MEMORIAM Always in on the joke, the beloved rapper created a persona of a happy go-lucky jokester and kooky rapper with funny and clever lyrics and videos like “The Vapors” amid a sea of rap personas wrapped in machismo and conflict. Biz Markie’s collaborations gave Hip-Hop some of its most iconic hits.

“The Biz” and “The Biz Markie.”

The good times wouldn’t last forever.

Biz Markie was sued for his follow-up 1991 album, “I Need a Haircut,” by musician Gilbert O’Sullivan, for sampling his 1972 hit song, “Alone Again,” on Biz’s song with the same name.

In what would become a landmark case, O’Sullivan won the lawsuit changing the way samples were licensed in rap music going forward. Biz Markie learned from the experience, naming his next album, “All Samples Cleared,” as a nod to the game changing Hip-Hop in the process.

In 2009, Biz Markie appeared in a

Credit: Daniel Benavides / Wikimedia Commons

Radio Shack commercial parodying his smash hit, “Just a Friend.”

Over the years, Biz Markie continued to work as a producer and traveled the world as a DJ, DJing sets or parties for celebrities, many of whom were close friends like Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

In 1999, Biz Markie was featured on Will Smith’s song, “So Fresh,” along with rap legend Slick Rick and appeared in the music video directed by Jada Pinkett Smith.

Over the years, Biz Markie appeared on numerous television shows and films including The Meteor Man, Men in Black II, “Eve,” “Crank Yankers,” “Empire,” “Yo Gabba Gabba,” “Sharknado 2,” “Mad TV” and “Black-ish.”

In recent years, Biz Markie suffered from diabetes and had been hospitalized for the past few months following a stroke. In early July, it was reported and confirmed the Hip-Hop legend had been moved to hospice care, after false reports of his death surfaced online.

Hall is survived by his wife Tara Hall, who reportedly held his hand as the rapper transitioned. The “Clown Prince” is now the “Crown Prince” of Hip-Hop. Biz Markie was 57.

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• July 22 - 28, 2021

Jason Kidd, Nico Harrison introduced as new Mavs Leadership

done the things we needed to do to get on with our lives. I’m a woman of faith so I’ve spent a lot of time on my knees and a lot of time praying to get to where I am right now, where I can actually talk to you about this.

“My heart goes out to anyone, anyone who has suffered at the hands of another person. What I can do is continue to pray for them,” Marshall said. “I can’t give any advice because I don’t know their circumstances. I know my circumstances.”

To this same question, Kidd answered: “This (domestic violence) is a serious matter. The first step is you have to get help.

If you don’t get help, nothing changes. So you have to get help.”

By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor

“Well, I guess this is hello Dallas for the third time,” said Jason Kidd to a packed audience Thursday afternoon at American Airlines Center.

And with that, the former Dallas Maverick and Hall-of-Famer was introduced as the Mavs new head coach.

“What a dream come true.

What an incredible journey; to be drafted, to win rookie of the year, to win a championship and then to come back to be the head coach,” said Kidd.

“I am so happy. I am a kid in a candy store because this is a dream come true and if anyone out there tells that you dreams don’t come true, let them come talk to me.”

Also introduced was Nico Harrison, the franchise’s new general manager and president of basketball operations. He called his new job a homecoming. The former Nike executive lived in Dallas when he first started with the company back in 2002.

“This city is amazing. My roommate from college is from here and two of my teammates that I played with overseas live here, so I feel like Dallas is home,” Harrison said. “I’m really excited to be here and to be back home.”

Harrison said his approach as GM of the franchise “is simple.

It’s going to be about servant leadership that kind of empowers the team and the staff to be at their best. And I believe that is essential and super important.

“Communication too.

Communicating often.

Communicating truthfully. I think that’s a very important ingredient,” he said. “And then the culture; creating a culture that everyone wants to be a part of.

The fans want to be a part of, the staff wants to be a part of and the team wants to be a part of. I think if you have those three ingredients you’re going to win. I really do.”

Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall and Mavs owner Mark Cuban were also in attendance.

“We are excited to welcome J-Kidd and his family back to Dallas,” said Cuban. “He possesses a winning mentality that carried him through a Hall of Fame career

NEW ERA Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Nico Harrison, Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall and Jason Kidd

as a player and has helped him successfully transition to the NBA’s coaching ranks.

“We are eager for him to get to work and lead our franchise and talented young players into the future.”

CONTROVERSY Despite the hires intending to signal a new era in the franchise, Kidd’s hiring in particular has met with some controversy due to past issues including domestic violence allegations and a DUI. Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse in 2001 after he was accused of hitting his now-ex-wife Joumana. Per a report in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, quoting the New York Times, ESPN, and Associated Press, in 2007, Kidd filed for divorce accusing his wife of “extreme cruelty.”

A petition later filed by his wife alleged Kidd “punched, kicked or choked her, once giving her a concussion by striking her with a candlestick,” The Associated Press reported.

The hire is also troubling because of the Mavs history of sexual harassment in the workplace – detailed in a 2018 Sports Illustrated article that led to a front office shake-up and the hiring of Marshall who instituted a zero-tolerance policy for all team employees for both the office and basketball side of the organization.

On Thursday, Kidd’s past issues hung like a thick wall of fog during the press conference and while he, Cuban and Marshall spoke about it in general terms, they did not go in depth on the matter.

“We talked about his past,” Marshall said when asked about her conversations with Kidd upon his hiring. “We talked about some of the history, and he walked me through his journey, which I will call it a journey. He walked me through that. And at the end of that process, I very much felt like we were doing the right thing. I didn’t feel like we were undermining our zero-tolerance policy or our values or our code of conduct at all.”

When asked directly if she sought outside advice or council before hiring Kidd, Marshall said she did not. She told media assembled during the press conference that she vetted Kidd herself and then discussed the Mavs’ code-of-conduct.

“The Dallas Mavericks have a set of values—character, respect, authenticity, fairness, teamwork, and safety, both physical and emotional safety,” Marshall said.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct, sexual harassment, false allegations, or anything that puts our employees in danger. If you don’t adhere to our code of conduct and our values, you don’t get the benefit of enjoying employment at the Dallas Mavericks.”

Kidd talked about his journey

Credit: Dorothy J. Gentry and Dallas Mavericks

over the past 20 years since his incidents, which included counseling, and said he thinks it’s important to discuss what happened.

“I think it’s very important to one, be comfortable to talk about it. Because no one is perfect and to be able to talk about mistakes so someone else can learn from is big as a parent, as a coach, as a teacher.

These are the opportunities that we need more of. If we shy away from it, it doesn’t help the situation.

“I’m not one to shy away from the situation. The journey that I’ve been on has not always been perfect, but we learn from our mistakes,” Kidd said.

“Understanding God is great and that given the opportunity to prove yourself, to learn from your mistakes, to have the opportunity to talk about it.”

When asked what she would tell victims of domestic violence who “are heartbroken about this decision (to hire Kidd), Marshall, a victim of domestic violence herself, said she could only speak for herself.

“I can tell you what I have told myself and what I have told myself when I have been in pain and what I told myself when I thought about what my mom and my siblings have gone through is it’s inappropriate, it’s not right what we went through and we have gone throughout our own journey.

“We’ve gotten counseling. We’ve

The new faces of the Mavericks franchise are ushering in a new era after a surprising end to the 2021 season.

Kidd succeeds Rick Carlise, his former coach who spent 13 years with the team. He resigned early this month after GM Donnie Nelson – who hired him – was let go after 24 seasons.

Kidd, who was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, begins his third stint in Dallas after spending eight of his 19 seasons as a player with the team and helping the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title.

The 10-time NBA all-star and two- time Olympic gold medal winner joins the Mavericks after most recently serving two seasons as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was part of the franchise’s 2020 NBA championship season.

Harrison joins the Mavericks after spending the last 19 years at Nike, where he most recently held the title of vice president of North America basketball operations.

In his role, Harrison supervised Nike’s basketball brand managers and worked closely with many of the brand’s star players, including Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

He replaces longtime general manager Nelson.

“I’m excited to be back here in Dallas,” Kidd said. “I know we have the best fans in the country and I can’t wait for the opportunity to raise another banner here.”

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Amir Windom brings expertise to Jarvis, cont. from page 1 er Jamie Foxx; President Lester Newman is opening up the world to his students and the presence of Grammy Award-Winning Executive Amir Windom is just par for the course.

Mr. Windom has been teaching courses at Jarvis for the past two years and he is now partnering with JCC to bring his experience, a network of business leaders, and high-profile creatives to the campus to reach more students interested in the various fields of entertainment.

In addition to exposing students and executives, Mr. Windom will teach a master class, and also help in the creation of an Arts and Entertainment Institute at Jarvis.

“My partnership with Dr. Lester Newman and Jarvis will help build the Jarvis brand,” he said. “And my motivation is in our campaign slogan, Don’t Forget About Us, which means we have to help the smaller HBCUs with the needed resources to help students build careers.”

During a recent visit to Dallas, Mr. Windom talked about the wonderful experience he has had teaching at JCC and the respect he has for the work that Dr. Newman is putting into the growth of the school, student, faculty and staff. The two have a mutual respect that it evident

Jarvis team of Edwards, Dr. Newman, Dr Pruitt; Willis Johnson and Amir Windom.

when they discuss the school and one another.

“We are excited about expanding our partnership with Mr. Windom. It is great to have someone of his caliber to interact with and teach our students the entertainment business, conduct the Master Classes for students and community members who are interested in the entertainment industry and help lay the foundation for an Arts and Entertainment Institute at JCC,” said Dr. Newman. “A concerted effort is being made to enhance our academic offerings to make the college more appealing to students” There will also be Masterclasses in Sports Marketing and Cybersecu-

rity in addition to the Entertainment Master Class.

A native of Atlanta, Mr. Windom is perfect for teaching the Entertainment Master Classes, having worked with some of today’s biggest stars including Bruno Mars, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Lupe Fiasco, and Trey Songz; to name a few.

He is currently a television and film music supervisor, producing and playing music, creating original scores and designing creative strategies for major film companies such as Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Lionsgate Films.

His projects include feature films including Despicable Me 2, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, Why

FAMU Rattlers Cheryl Smith and Amir Windom at JBJ Management.

Did I Get Married 2, and television shows Bigger and Being Mary Jane to name a few. His love for marketing has allowed him to assist in creating marketing campaigns for Coca-Cola, Puma, and ESPN. Last year, Mr. Windom made history as part of a collective that launched Black News Channel, the first major television network that airs 24-hour news and original programming that specifically catered to the African American audience.

The network is viewed in over 80 million homes and devices through Direct TV, Comcast, Dish, Charter/ Spectrum, Roku, Amazon Prime, and others.

No stranger to HBCUs, Windom

is a graduate of Florida A&M University and was honored with their prestigious “40/40” award which is presented to alumni under the age of 40 who have made outstanding achievements in their careers. He was named one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s 50 Top Business and Modern Man and was penned as a Top 40 under 40 music executive by Billboard.

He is a featured speaker around the globe and on numerous colleges and universities including Harvard University, University of Southern California, Howard University, New York University, South Africa Music and Entertainment Symposium, and the Grammy Foundation.