Texas Metro News 11-10-22

MY TRUTH

By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER

A Dream Deferred

Harlem

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore—

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes

Another election has come and gone and there’s another one waiting around the corner!

Wednesday morning quarterbacking was in in full effect as everyone, yes, every one I talked to; had something to say.

If only.

Why?

WTH?

How?

What were they thinking?

If I woulda, coulda, shoulda Next time…

And I even got a few, I told you…

So what’s a person to do?

Which brings me to my truth. Some might say democracy is about to explode.

The Honorable Rev. Jesse Jackson, al most 40 years ago, told us to, “Keep Hope Alive.”

If you’re like me, you need a message today. You need a sign.

You need something that will help you get over the hump, because for me every day, not just Wednesday, has become “hump day” as I attempt to grow and bring others along with me.

As we prepare for the next election there has to be some tough, hard and insightful conversations.

Some people need to be hired, fired, retrained, educated, while others need to have a come to their inspiration meeting because things can’t keep going on the way they have been going if this world is going to get better.

Then too, there is a conversation that has to be had with that person in the mirror. Begin there and see what happens!

Midterm Election Returns

Hairstylists in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will receive the red carpet treatment at the Best of Salons Gala this weekend.

The inaugural blacktie event is at 7pm on Nov. 13, 2022, in The National Ballroom in The Thompson Hotel, 1401 Elm St., Dallas, TX.

Kaye Flewellen, creator and director, grew up attending and working hair shows

with her family. A salon owner, Kaye dreamed of revamping the hair show into a relevant and opulent industry

experience for today’s stylists. So, the gala will also include a dinner and award show.

According to Flewellen, hairstylists and other beauty professionals endured fear and hopelessness during shelter-in-place because of COVID-19. After a difficult period of time, she wanted to give beauty professionals moments to enjoy.

“I want to create an

Oscars for hairstylists,” the Dallas native said. “I want them to know we see you, we care about you, and you have not been forgotten.”

Flewellen said that Dallas hairstylists are at the cutting edge of fashion styles and trends, and she looks forward to providing them with an evening of glitz and glam. While the event will

You need to talk to

children about money

Money Talk

By Rodney A. Brooks

I never had a conversation about money with my parents. Never. Even when I applied to colleges I don’t remember talking to my mother about the costs and how I would pay. We knew she couldn’t afford to help me pay college tuition. I figured it out – I made it through four years of college with a combination of scholarships, financial aid and income from summer jobs.

I went off to college without ever knowing what things cost, like the mortgage or a car note. I didn’t even know how to open a checking account. But I had to learn - fast.

Please don’t think I’m blam ing my parents or any Black par ents for their lack of financial literacy or not talking to their five children about money. It was almost taboo back then to discuss such things, even with children. It still feels taboo to day for many Black families. But if you are not sitting down with your children and talking to them about money, finances and what things cost, you are making a big mistake.

Let’s start with a couple of startling statistics.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior Correspondent

When the National News paper Publishers Association (NNPA) removed the interim president and CEO tag from Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. in 2014, then NNPA Board Chair Cloves Campbell conveyed to the membership that the civil rights icon possessed the talent and contacts to make an immediate impact.

Campbell, the publisher of the Arizona Informant, also high lighted another of Chavis’ intan gibles from which Black-owned media companies would bene fit: energy.

Eight years later, and a decade after running the NNPA on an interim basis, Chavis has contin ued to display the kind of ener gy seen primarily in individuals less than half his age.

He’s also led the NNPA, rep

• The average Black family has a net worth of $17,000, onetenth of the average White family.

• Only 34% of Black Americans own stocks compared to 61 percent of White Americans, according to the Federal Re serve’s last survey. Stocks and retirement plans are the pri mary way Americans build wealth, so that accounts for a big part of the racial wealth disparities.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis

Kaye Flewellen

Dominique

Torres

Williams

Rafael Anchia

Clay Jenkins

Yvonne Davis

Nicole Taylor

John Creuzot

LaDeitra Adkins

Jasmine Crockett

Alisa Simmons

Sonja A. Brown

Marc Veasey

Venton Jones

Chavis Declares 'A Luta Countinua' As Black Press Set to Honor Icon

resenting the 195-year-old Black Press of America, to financial prosperity when newspapers and media companies univer sally struggle to keep the doors open.

Among the most recent ac complishments under Chavis, the Black Press finally received all-access to the White House.

It was Chavis leading a large contingent of Black Press pub lishers to Charleston, South Car olina, during the 2020 primary season where they met with can didate Joe Biden.

At the time, Biden trailed mightily in the polls and needed a victory in Dixie to survive. Cha vis’ interview with Biden went viral, the former vice president then received a crucial endorse ment from Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), won the primary, and his campaign rode the wave all the way to the White House.

He’s also brokered deals with or strengthened partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GM, Reynolds, AARP, API, and many others.

As he traversed the globe – in protective gear – during the pan demic, Chavis, by his actions and deft deal making, often re minded publishers, partners, sponsors, employees, and others of the catchy slogan he’s lived by since he was a wide-eyed 14-year-old serving in the South ern Christian Leadership Con ference under Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“A luta continua” – or “the struggle continues.”

Because of his dedication and steadying hand, the historic allBlack woman board of the NNPA unanimously has chosen Cha vis as the recipient of the NNPA Lifetime Achievement Award.

They will present the honor at a special gala during the NNPA’s annual midwinter training con ference.

With the theme, “Digital In novation, Training, and Engage ment of the Black Press of Amer ica,” the conference convenes on Feb. 1 at the brand-new Westin Beach Resort at Frenchmen’s Reef, Estate Bakkeroe, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

“I’ve very honored to be con sidered by the NNPA for this esteemed award,” Chavis re marked.

“I do believe that, if anything,

my life represents a life of a free dom fighter. However, I want to emphasize that accepting this ward in no way should be inter preted as saying that the struggle for freedom has been completely won.”

Chavis continued: “We’ve made tremendous progress in the last 100 years, but we still have a lot of progress and freedom to fight for.

“If I’ve learned anything over my last 75 years, it’s that when you win freedom to any extent, you must fight to preserve that freedom. You must fight to pro tect that freedom, endow that freedom, and sustain that free dom.

“Thus, I’m not willing to retire from being a freedom fighter. So, I accept this award as an incen tive to keep fighting for freedom for people of African descent, Americans, and those world wide.”

Chavis has a well-document ed history.

The leader of the Wilmington 10 political prisoners, Chavis is also renowned for his early fight for environmental justice.

In the 1980s, he coined the term “environmental racism.”

Chavis has advised many prominent politicians and en tertainers – many like Hip Hop and Business Mogul Russell Simmons, refer to Chavis as a mentor.

A former NAACP president, Chavis organized the Million Man March and co-founded the Hip Hop Summit with Simmons.

A younger generation of ad mirers still approaches Chavis in

awe of his appearance in the hip hop classic movie drama, “Belly.”

Many of all ages continue to revere Chavis as a civil rights leader and a reverend.

“Dr. Chavis has given mean ing to the words of Micah 6:8 in the Bible,” said San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Publisher Dr. John Warren.

Quoting the King James Bi ble, Warren said of Chavis, “And what does the Lord thy God re quire of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

Chavis has served the NNPA and “the people of this coun try with honesty, integrity, and selflessness, without looking for awards, recognition, or ac colades,” said NNPA Vice Chair and Atlanta Voice Publisher Ja nis Ware.

“Today, we celebrate a man who leads with heart, love for his God, and all people from all walks of life. He is truly a rare human being. One to go down in the annals of human history as special and one for the ages.”

NNPA Treasurer and Texas Metro News Publisher Cheryl Smith also praised Chavis for having “led a life of service.”

“He is a true servant leader who has his finger on the pulse of our people, our communi ties, and the world,” Smith as serted.

“I am so appreciative of his leadership, wisdom, and sup port,” she added.

NNPA Fund Chairman and Los Angeles Wave Publications CEO Pluria Marshall Jr. called Chavis a potent and stabilizing force.

“For more than ten years, Ben has been a potent and stabiliz ing force for NNPA and its non profit NNPA Fund,” Marshall insisted.

“He is a visionary consensus builder and community advo cate whose calm and deft com munication skills have helped make the Black Press an even stronger media force in Ameri ca.”

Marshall continued:

“From his longtime commit ment to civil rights to his ardent passion for equity and justice, Ben has consistently proven himself to be the consummate public servant.

“He is more than deserving of this lifetime achievement award, and I am pleased to en dorse his selection to this pres tigious honor.”

Chavis noted that those senti

“I’m thankful I’ve been able to use my pen as an instrument for freedom. I accept this award on behalf of the Chavis fami ly, a freedom-fighting family fighting for freedom worldwide for over 250 years.”

Westside Gazette Publish er Bobby Henry said it’d been some time since someone has stood on the shoulders of his tory makers to demand free dom, justice, and equality for all, particularly for Black peo ple after enduring suffering be cause of the fight.

“I am one to say, because of the strength, courage, and for titude of the Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the Black Press of America, the NNPA, and the world are better because of him,” Henry asserted.

“Congratulations, Dr. Chavis. A luta continua.”

While preparing for the con ference, Chavis said he was far from finished.

“When I came to this job ten years ago, I came with a sense of optimism,” Chavis recalled.

“Now, 10 years later, my opti mism has increased exponen tially because I see the poten tial of the Black Press. I’m very pleased to see so many young Generation Z journalists, writ ers, photographers, and con tent creators.”

“I think the future in this dig ital space … it’s not just that we should be in this space but leading the space forward. So, my optimism is still intact and has increased because I’ve seen not only the expansion and success of the Black Press over the last decade, but I’ve seen glimpses of the brighter future ahead.

ments mean a great deal.

“This award is particularly significant because it comes from my colleagues, fellow pub lishers, journalists, editors, and writers,” Chavis said.

“It reminds me of what James Baldwin reminded me of when he said the pen is mightier than the sword.”

“The biggest challenge is the economic and equity question. We must work on that to sus tain Black-owned businesses, particularly Black-owned me dia, economically and equita bly. That’s the next hurdle, and I will live out my years making sure that we don’t miss a beat in improving the economic eq uity of Black-owned businesses and Black-owned media com panies.”

For discounted resort rates for the NNPA Midwinter Train ing Conference in St. Thomas, and for more information, visit www.nnpa-events.com.

Atty. Ben Crump and Dr. Benjamin Chavis

Dr. Benjamin Chavis

Don Diego Performs At Youth Arts Organization Fundraiser Ball

By Elisabeth Treadwell

Faye Bryant and Ron Tibbs hosted their first Fall Jazz For mal Fund-raiser at Endeav ors Performing Arts & Spe cial Events Venue in Killeen, Texas benefiting Soul Arts At Endeavors Summer Youth Arts Program. The October 29th formal affair, which sold out in 21 days, opened with Killeen's songstress Michelle Marie and featured Dallas's award-winning Saxophon ist Don Diego and band. The after sounds were provided by DJ Jr. Vibes and Ron Tibbs was the Master of Ceremony.

Ms. Bryant, a now retired MSG, served 33 years in the Army. Her distinguished fian

ce Ron Tibbs is a Case Man ager at United Health Care and an independent Travel Agent. Both collaborated with owners of Endeavors Performing Arts and found ers of the 501cs Soul Arts Col lective, Monique Stone and Ursula Cimone to bring this event to fruition. Endeavors Performing Arts and Soul Arts Collective often partner in providing performing arts, music and dance opportuni ties to local youth.

Ms. Bryant, a sophisticated socialite in her own right and passionate supporter of orga nizations inspiring and men toring youth has longed to see elegant upscale formals and jazz music events here in

the Central Texas area. A New Years Eve Fundraising is next on the horizon and tickets are available now. A large per centage of the proceeds from

both events will go to ensure a successful 2023 Soul Arts At Endeavors Summer Youth Arts Program.

The fund-raising goal for the non-profit is to raise $10,000 by the end of the year. The vivacious couple, Tibbs and Bryant, raised $3,500 from ticket sales and sepa rate donations for the youth organization by the end of the night. For more informa tion on how you can donate to Endeavors Summer Youth Arts Program or the 2022 New Years Eve fund-raiser event at The Courtyard By Marriott in Killeen, Texas call 310.341.8036 or visit www. endeavorsvenue.com to get your tickets.

NTFB Teams up TOM THUMB / ALBERTSONS and UNT-DALLAS Food Distribution

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), along with the Uni versity of North Texas at Dal las and Tom Thumb / Albert sons, will provide nourishing food to community members in need through a public event on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. The public holiday food distribu tion will take place at the UNT Dallas Campus located at 7300 University Hills Blvd. in South ern Dallas from 9 a.m. to noon. Each family will receive approx imately 60 lbs. of fresh groceries at the mobile food distribution, including a Thanksgiving turkey for the first 250 families, thanks to Tom Thumb / Albertsons. The food distribution is one of more than 50 holiday food distributions supported by the NTFB during the month of November to provide food to the nearly 700,000 people fac ing hunger across the NTFB’s 13-county service territory. This includes more than 250,000 children, or one in every five in the region, giving the NTFB ser vice area the 4th highest level of food-insecure children in the country.

“Tom Thumb / Albertsons and UNT Dallas are joining forc es with the North Texas Food Bank to mobilize real change in providing food and hope for our neighbors. Our partners in this initiative operate with the heart of those we serve in mind and I am grateful for their com

mitment,” said Trisha Cunning ham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “As we work to address the growing issues of hunger and poverty in our community, we look for partners like these who stand ready to address this complex problem. Their generosity and initiative help advance our mis sion of bridging the hunger gap in North Texas during this criti cal time and beyond.”

Public Relations. “We are com mitted to addressing hunger in the communities where we live and serve and helping feed our neighbors in need by champi oning innovative programs and partnerships to help break the cycle of hunger.”

A long-time partner of the NTFB, Tom Thumb / Albert sons is committed to reducing food insecurity at the local level through its Recipe for Change initiative. As part of this plat form, it has raised more than $200 million to ensure neigh bors have the nutrition needed to thrive. The company donates millions of pounds of food each year to local food banks, pan tries and other agencies on the frontlines in the fight against hunger.

“We are pleased to collabo rate with the North Texas Food Bank and UNT Dallas in pro viding turkeys to help ease the financial burden that the hol idays present for many fam ilies,” said Christy Lara, Tom Thumb / Albertsons Director of

Mobile distribution partici pants do not have to register to pick up food but are required to have a vehicle unless otherwise specified. The food is distribut ed on a first-come, first-served basis. Although no identifica tion is required, the participants will be asked to share their name along with the size of their family and provide a zip code where their family resides to re ceive food. In addition, educa tional activity booklets on food nutrition will be available for children in Spanish and English.

Since the onset of the pan demic, UNT Dallas has served as a critical partner of the North Texas Food Bank, regularly host ing numerous mobile pantry distributions on campus along side NTFB. Each month UNT Dallas hosts a free, drive-thru food distribution to provide re lief to students and the southern Dallas community members in need of support.

“UNT Dallas is proud to join the North Texas Food Bank and Tom Thumb/Albertson’s to serve our community by pro viding holiday food on our cam pus,” said UNT Dallas President Bob Mong. “We are honored to be part of this team effort to help put food on our neighbors’ tables this holiday season.”

“The holiday season can be especially difficult for those who are already struggling to make

Bank and our feeding partners don’t just want to help provide necessities during the holiday season – together we’re helping people connect with the ones they love.”

For more information on the 50+ holiday food distributions taking place in North Texas throughout November go to ntfb.org/holidaydistributions. Interested individuals are en couraged to check the website regularly for updates to the schedule and to choose food distributions within the county they live. The food is distributed on a first-come, first-served ba sis and some of the distributing food pantries may ask for proof of residency to ensure they are distributing the food to resi dents who live in the counties they serve.

ends meet each month. With inflated food, gas and housing costs, our neighbors in every zip code are facing increasingly dif ficult choices every day - decid ing whether to purchase grocer ies or pay for other necessities such as gas, medicine or utili ties,” Cunningham said. “During the holiday season, food doesn’t just provide nourishment, it is a way for people to connect, cele brate and spend time with loved ones. So, when it is missing, it leaves a hole bigger than hun ger itself. The North Texas Food

In addition to the holiday dis tributions, neighbors seeking food assistance can get access to food in several ways. They can find mobile food distributions across North Texas at https:// ntfb.org/mobile-pantry/ or they can visit https://ntfb.org/ our-programs/get-food-assis tance/find-a-food-pantry/ to find a food pantry nearby that provides food and often other services. Neighbors can also contact the North Texas Food Bank to learn more about Se nior Programs and the Supple mental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Monique Stone, Ron Tibbs and Faye Bryant

Don Diego Bob Mong UNT-Dallas President

Will it Go Round in Circles?

By Vincent L. Hall

The online magazine “Ste reogum” posted a June 2019 article about one of my favorite musicians. Reading it led to me going back to do a review of the late Billy Preston and his mov ing musical catalog. His 1973 #1 hit is still in my groove cycle.

“Will it Go Round in Cir cles" is almost 50 years old, but its pressing question for Afri can-Americans is unanswered.

In the article, writer Tom Brei han parallels Preston and Stevie Wonder, who were contempo raries in more ways than one. Both were “child prodigies” with solid bonafides. Before he was 26, Billy Preston performed with Mahalia Jackson, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, and Sly & The Family Stone.

The self-taught keyboardist idolized The Beatles and even

tually co-produced with George Harrison. Preston, like Stevie, mastered the early stages of musical technology by playing the "clavinet." This instrument mimicked the sound of the gui tar. Stevie made the clavinet prominent in his hits Supersti tion and Higher Ground.

Both musicians are consid ered keyboard pioneers of sorts. However, the reason for my fas cination with “Will it Go Round in Circles" hovers around the lyrics.

“I've got a song, I ain't got no melody

I'ma gonna sing it to my friends

I've got a dance, I ain't got no steps, no

I'm gonna let the music move me around

I've got a story, ain't got no moral

Let the bad guy win every once in a while!”

Breihan gave us the backsto ry.

“Preston co-wrote “Will It Go Round in Circles” with his friend and regular collaborator Bruce Fisher, who got to quit his

job in the NBC mailroom when the song blew up. Preston had told Fisher that he had a song but didn’t have a melody. They made a joke out of that, and the joke became a song.

The “Will It Go Round in Circles” lyrics are all sil ly paradoxical lines about a story with no moral (“let the bad guy win once in a while”) or a dance with no steps (“let the music move me around”).

If you wanted, you could read this as Preston making a gnomic point about the eternal clash between expectations and reality. But when you listen to the song, it’s pretty clear he's just hav ing fun. It’s the sound of a bunch of killer musicians do ing whatever they want with a nasty groove and refusing to let the whole thing mean anything more than that.”

Billy Preston and his band were having fun, no doubt, but it was one of those hits you could listen to once and fall in love. Most chart-toppers became

standard because they domi nated the radio airwaves. That was the purpose and strategy of "Payola."

For those in the audience who are too young to understand,

hear it? Here it go! (In the spir it of In Living Color’s Calhoun Tubbs)

Will it Go Round in Circles was a lot of fun, but today it feels like a Black socio-political prophecy. Fifty years later, in our ex istence as African-Amer icans, we still go around in circles. We merged our pre-Civil Rights wisdom with the oppressor, so nowadays, the bad guy seems to win much more than once in a while.

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.

payola is the practice of bribing someone to use their influence or position to promote a par ticular product or interest. For example, record agents bribed disc jockeys knowing that if they spent enough money, any re cord could become a hit!"

So now you’re asking what the moral to this story is? Wanna

This latest election cy cle proves that we have forgotten the wisdom of our fore parents. We can't get away with what White folks get away with. We have to live lawfully. We have to respect the God of our ancestors. And without fail…We have to vote!

Billy Preston asks two central questions in the chorus of this now “Golden Oldie. Will it go around in circles? Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky? Stay tuned. That’s all I can tell you!

Black Press of America Plans Digital Innovation and Training Conference in St. Thomas

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and its 235 African Ameri can newspapers and media company owners, employees, sponsors, and others plan to converge in the beautiful U.S. Virgin Islands for the NNPA’s annual midwinter training con ference in February.

With the theme, “Digital In novation, Training, and En gagement of the Black Press of America,” publishers and others will link up to further strength en the 195-year-old Black Press.

Moreover, the always highly anticipated training conference takes place from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4 at the brand-new Westin Beach Resort at Frenchmen’s Reef, Es tate Bakkeroe, in St. Thomas.

The NNPA’s all-Black wom an executive board will count

among those greeting NNPA partners, sponsors, and guests.

All guests can take advan tage of a remarkable and re duced-priced resort stay by im mediately registering at http:// www.nnpa-events.com.

Chair Karen Carter Richards, the publisher of the Hous ton Forward Times, leads the

all-women executive board.

Janis Ware, the publisher of the Atlanta Voice, serves as vice chair. Fran Farrer, the publisher of The County News in North Carolina, is the second vice chair.

Jackie Hampton, the pub lisher of The Mississippi Link, serves as national secretary,

and Cheryl Smith, the publisher of the Texas Metro News, is the NNPA’s national treasurer.

NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. will receive the trade association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Representatives from long time NNPA partners General Motors, Reynolds, Pfizer, the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda tion, and Google News Initia tive also count among the invit ed guests.

Among NNPA’s highly-val ued sponsors invited to attend are AARP, Wells Fargo, Ameri Health Caritas, American Petro leum Institute, Comcast NBC Universal, In Our Own Voice –National Black Women’s Repro ductive Agenda, Compassion & Choices Action Network, and the NNPA Fund.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.nn pa-events.com.

Photo: www.nnpa-events.com.

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

Message from the Dallas Mayor

their lowest level since 2007, as major ethics reforms are being implemented, and as numer ous economic development and parks projects are in prog ress.

Dallas is the place to be right now. There is a reason the U.S. Travel Association called Dallas the "Comeback City" after the pandemic.

The State of the City address is required by the City Charter, but it's also a great opportuni ty to discuss accomplishments, challenges, and how to contin ue to build on this city's Big Dal las Energy.

pushed for policies to help Dal las families; and called for the city to assert itself more aggres sively as it competes regionally, nationally, and internationally for business relocations, tour ism, and increased economic activity.

Numerous plans and initia tives discussed in that speech became reality in the last year. Among them:

• The City Council approved the largest single-year taxrate decrease in four decades.

implementing public safety programs recommended by the Task Force on Safe Com munities.

• The Summer of Safety cam paign launched and promot ed successful summer pro grams that helped keep kids safe while they were out of school.

Soon, I will deliver the annual State of the City Address for the fourth time since taking office.

This year's address comes as the city’s violent crime rate con tinues to decline, as tax rates hit

Last year's address touched on the collaborative efforts to reduce violent crime; advocat ed for historic ethics reforms;

• The City Council passed the historic ethics reform propos al and fully funded the new Office of Inspector General.

• The City Council continued its commitment to hiring more police officers and to

• The City Council approved the formation of an Econom ic Development Corporation and continued to implement a new economic develop ment policy.

• The City Council approved a new convention center mas ter plan and voted to put a measure on the ballot to ex pand the Kay Bailey Hutchi

Oppose Kroger and Albertsons Merger

OUR VOICES

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.

Think the cost of food is high? Just wait.

Last week, Kroger announced plans to acquire Albertsons in a staggering $24.6 billion deal. If the deal goes through, it will merge the number one and number two stand-alone gro cery chains, which together op erate nearly 5,000 stores around the country and generate more than $200 billion in revenue each year.

If you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. Kroger and Albertsons are holding compa nies as well as brands. Kroger brands include Ralphs, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers and several more. Al bertsons operates under the names of Safeway, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Shaws, Pavilions, Vons and several others.

Well versed by their financial advisers, the companies’ CEOs are saying all the right things. The merger, they maintain, will allow major savings and effi ciencies, some of which they will reinvest, much of which they will return to consumers

in lower prices. And if you be lieve that, there is a bridge in the Utah desert that they’d like to sell you.

In reality, the merger will further consolidate the grocery store market. Right now, before the merger, according to the Na tional Grocers Association, five companies control a stunning 60% of all U.S. grocery sales. Af ter the merger, the combined company plus Walmart, by far the largest food seller, would control nearly 50% of the mar ket.

That kind of concentration will lead to the loss of jobs for workers, rising prices for con sumers and monopoly profits for the companies. Working families are already stretching to meet their food needs, as food prices are rising rapidly.

Eggs are up over 30% for the year; chicken over 17%, and coffee over 15%. As the Amer ican Economic Liberties Proj ect summarized, this merger “would be disastrous for market competition, small business es, and especially consumers’ pockets.”

There are a lot of factors hit ting food prices these days — the Ukraine war, drought in large portions of the U.S. and in China, an avian flu epidemic, and more. But, as David Dayan of the American Prospect re

ports, one contributing factor is that consolidated companies take advantage of the moment to raise their own prices and profits even more.

merger. What the companies are counting on is that conser vative judges will overturn the agencies and give the merger a pass. No question with billions

But workers’ wages aren’t driving inflation. What’s need ed instead is a concerted effort to straighten out supply chains (and bring more manufactur ing home), rebates to consum ers paid for by taxes on oil and drug companies that are driving prices up, and an aggressive an ti-trust effort to challenge the excess profits exacted by CEOs in concentrated industries.

Not surprisingly, a lot of mon ey goes into convincing politi cians to ignore large mergers. And a lot of money goes into grooming conservative judges to frustrate efforts to police merg ers. Sen. Bernie Sanders has called the proposed merger an “absolute disaster,” but few poli ticians are sufficiently indepen dent to challenge the big money behind the proposed deal.

Dayan quotes Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, who will head the merged company, saying that “a little bit of infla tion is always good in our busi ness” because “customers don’t overly react” — that is, blame the companies — to increases in prices.

Happily, Joe Biden has cho sen anti-monopoly advocates to lead the agencies that police mergers, like the Federal Trade Commission that oversees gro cery chains. The FTC head Lisa Kahn will surely challenge this

at stake, they will have the best lawyers in the world to wage the legal war.

This is part of a bigger story. Today, American wages aren’t keeping up with rising prices, while corporations — particu larly in industries dominated by a small number of companies — pocket record profits.

Reacting to inflation, the Fed eral Reserve is doing what it always does to lower prices — hike interest rates to slow the economy, throw millions out of work, and force wages down.

So, it is vital that this not be left to the politicians and the judges. Leaders of communities — particularly rural and urban communities with poor and lower wage families — should demand to meet with the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons to ex press opposition to the merger.

This merger will end with more parents unable to afford the food their children need. It must be stopped.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is president and CEO of the Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition.

A Kroger store in Shepherdsville, Ky., is shown here.

Photo: Ambrosia LaFluer via Wikimedia Commons

Carolyn Jordan with Mayor Eric Johnson

Give Light and People Will Find the Way

OUR VOICES

By Marian Wright Edelman

Earlier this year, members of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools team and other colleagues had op portunity to attend a training session near the plantation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where Harriet Tubman was enslaved and where she returned again and again after her own escape to lead others to freedom. The retreat’s theme was “Give Light and People Will Find the Way,” the title indomitable civil rights movement justice warrior Ella Baker used for one of her train ing workshops at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. This message is relevant to the CDF Freedom Schools program’s work today teaching young peo ple they can make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities, their country, and their world with hope, education, and action, and the same mes sage could also describe some of the inspiration the team drew from Harriet Tubman’s legacy.

During the retreat, they vis ited the Harriet Tubman Un derground Railroad National Historical Park in Church Creek, Maryland and sites important in her life, including the plantation where her family was enslaved and the dry goods store where

Dallas Mayor

from page 5

son Convention Center and improve certain Fair Park facilities — the Automobile Building; Centennial Build ing; Band Shell; Music Hall; Cotton Bowl; and the Coli seum — and to increase the hotel occupancy tax by 2% to assist with financing these projects.

• I named a new Workforce De velopment Czar to oversee new efforts to improve the city’s workforce.

• The City Council approved numerous economic devel

she was assaulted and suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child. She was standing inside that store when an enslaved boy ran in being chased by an over seer who ordered Harriet to help grab the boy. When she stood between the boy and the white man and did not move, the overseer hurled a lead weight at her head, leaving her bloody and unconscious. She suffered seizures, sleeping spells, and debilitating headaches the rest of her life, but also began ex periencing vivid dreams about God and visions and premoni tions about escaping slavery.

Seeing these places and the land where she had to travel and hide reinforced how difficult her mission was and how much courage and determination she needed to possess in order to survive.

Now, through the Nation al Historical Park, a state park and visitor center, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educa tional Center, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway, a 125-mile trail that includes waterways and safe houses she and others used as they fled towards freedom, these sites are preserved as a piece of American history that can teach and inspire young people today.

The importance and inspira tion of teaching history was also central in the message the CDF Freedom Schools team heard when acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford joined the

opment projects to increase density and development in southern Dallas and down town Dallas.

• The City Council voted to ease regulations on food trucks.

• The City Council began a sunset review process of city departments, programs, and regulations.

• The City Council voted to re start a micro-mobility (elec tric scooter) program.

• Dallas won its bid to become a host city for the 2026 World Cup.

This year's address will be delivered from the Briscoe-Car penter building at Fair Park. Looking forward to it, and hopefully you are, too!

retreat for a conversation.

Her books for children and young adults often revisit key moments and people in Afri can American history, and one of her most loved is the lyrical, beautiful Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-win ning book “Moses: When Har riet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson. During the meeting, she asked her listeners to con sider how Black history is often taught through a lens of en slavement and oppression.

She then challenged them to consider this question: “Who taught us to be free?”

She continued, “You can’t teach what you don’t know, and you don’t know what you weren’t taught.” She said as she

Five Mile Creek Greenbelt

The Trust for Public Land an nounced last week that it has secured $5.7 million in phil anthropic dollars to help fund the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt, a trail system that will extend across Oak Cliff and southwest Dallas.

This is a high-priority infra structure project that will capi talize on the momentum in this city. This planned trail can im prove the environment and the health, quality of life, and mo bility of residents in historically underserved and overlooked communities.

These donations from the Boone Family Foundation and Lyda Hill Philanthropies get the

wrote “Moses,” she was inspired by the parallels between Har riet Tubman and the biblical Moses, who both took it upon themselves to free themselves and their people, and she chal lenged CDF Freedom Schools leaders with a charge to take up that call — teaching the next generation how to be free.

These are crucial lessons. Teaching all children about our shared history by exposing them to books by excellent authors like Carole Boston Weatherford and others who are part of the CDF Freedom Schools curricu lum, and by taking them to visit important historical and cultur al sites like the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, are ways of giv ing children the light they will

city closer to this major win for southern Dallas.

This is a great partnership, and the push for city funding for this project is still ongoing. Stay tuned for more updates!

Honoring a local legend

Last week, I had the chance to honor Carolyn Jordan.

If you haven't heard of her, Carolyn is one of those every day heroes who make Dallas special. She dedicated 40 years of service to what is now called the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas — the organiza tion that gave me a scholarship to attend Greenhill School as a kid growing up in West Dallas.

Hundreds of children in this

need to be prepared to plot their own futures.

But this midterm election season reminds us yet again that many adults are fighting this idea today, and many are on ballots right now from school boards to statewide offices across the country.

Educate yourself about the candidates seeking to represent you and make sure you are pre pared with a plan to vote. Once again, we can never take any office or any election for grant ed. Children cannot vote, but they desperately need parents, teachers, and leaders who will be lanterns, not adults who seek to dim the light.

city's historically undeserved and overlooked communities were able to take advantage of opportunities and reach their full potential over the years with Carolyn's help and guid ance. They are better people for knowing her.

It was a true honor to host a special ceremony at City Hall to recognize her work and to ex press gratitude for everything she has done for me and for the children in Dallas.

Thank you again, Carolyn. And thank you to everyone who came out to recognize her out sized impact on this city.

Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Photo: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park

Metro Community Calendar powered

NOVEMBER

11

2022 Dallas HBCU Invi tational  5:00 PM –  Sat, Nov 12, 2022, 7:00 PM CST

Paul Quinn College  3837 Simpson Stuart Rd  Dallas, TX 75241

Tickets: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/2022-dallas-hbcu-invitation al-tickets-381336366337?aff=erellivmlt. This invitational highlights HBCU Women’s Bas ketball programs over two days! Look forward to action-packed college basketball supporting the women’s sport and culture! Four dynam ic HBCU women’s basketball teams will go head to head during at Paul Quinn College in historic gymnasium.

12

Bands of Hope 9th Annual Char ity benefitting Bryan’s House, at the DoubleTree - Hilton Hotel Dallas-Campbell Centre, 8250 N. Central Expy at 6:30pm www.bandsofhope.org

JANUARY 10

16th annual TASTE

OF BLUE Wine & Spirit Tasting, 8pm-11pm at Vouv, 4445 Sigma Road, Dallas.

www.sncfd.org/tasteofblue

19

THE FLORIDA CLASSIC

Orlando is the place to be for one of the largest HBCU Classics between two giants: Bethune Cookman University and Florida A&M University

The Legacy of Service Foundation in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Omicron Mu Omega Chapter presents the 2022 Image Award to Jill Louis and Randy Bowman, 12-2pm at the Dallas Arboretum

20

Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta So rority presents a Private Red Carpet Viewing of WAKANDA FOREVER AT STUDIO MOVIE GRILL - ARLINGTONHIGHLANDS, 225 MERCHANTS ROW IN ARLINGTON. $33.15 FOR ADULTS AND $22.50 - CHILDREN UNDER 12

Doc Shep Speaks Show! A fresh perspective, but still entertaining! Welcome to The Doc Shep Speaks Show!!!. Tuesdays at 11 am. CST Live on Facebook/@TexasMet roNews, @fnsconsulting, and You Tube Live @docshepspeaks.

Send your calendar items to editor@texasmetronews.com or call 214-941-0110

WORLD AIDS DAY!

3

The Viola’s House presents “Pathways to Redemption” Inaugural Black Tie Gala featuring Adrienne Ban field-Norris “Gammy” at 7:00pm in the Statler Hotel Grand Ballroom, Dallas.

NOIR

Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Awards Event

WWW.TEXAS METRONEWS.

The World According to Andrew on BlogTalkRadio.com 8 am.-10 am. CST. Sundays Tune in for thought-provoking, enlightening, informative, and entertaining news and commentary. Join the call 646200-0459 on Andrew’s World.

I Was Just Thinking with Nor ma Adams-Wade “History Class is in Session” Join in on Facebook/@TexasMetroNews and BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 am -1 pm. CST. Wednesdays. Join the conversation call 646-200-0459.

Honoring Elsie CookeHolmes and featuring special performer, R&B singing sensation, Eric Benet, at SMU.

NOVEMBER

National Hip Hop History Month

12

Unity Family Relationships and Building a Family Owned Business 12-week Workshop Series. Speakers Needed to Apply @ https:www.zwhjcoc. org/projects. Stage 1 Planning Meeting via Zoom 10 to 11 am. *** UNIVERSITY

as an All-American family’s life is turned upside down and inside out. All proceeds from this event will be used to continue to bring awareness to mental health.

Red Carpet 6 PM

Video & Live Panel Discussion 6:45PM Film Screening 7:30PM Website & Movement Launch 8:30PM

18

St. Philip’s School & Community Center presents the 7th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance “A Night

Under the Sea” at St. Philip’s - Snyder Activity Center, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dallas 7-9p.m. This event is open to the community. $35 for Daddy & Daughter and $7 for additional daughters

19

16th Annual TASTE OF BLUE Wine & Spirit Tasting 8pm-11pm at Vouv, 4445 Sigma Road in Dallas. The Elevated Tasting Experience is 6:30-7:30 pm

13

Hairstylists in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex will receive the red carpet treatment at the Best of Salons Gala, creat ed by the legend, Kaye Flewel len. The inaugural black-tie event is at 7pm in The National Ballroom in The Thompson Hotel, 1401 Elm St., Tashara Parker of WFAA is the evening’s host.

17

MyDearTheMovie.com.

A sneak peek of a new movie entitled “My Dear” written and produced by former Dallas Cowboy, Greg Ellis. This film tells the story through the eyes of a married professional football player and his daughter, Lilly. In “My Dear” the negative outcomes of untreated mental health issues are revealed

Dinner and Jazz Take a dash of Jazz, a Pre-Fixed menu, Wine pairings, a limited number of guests, and a featured musical artist... Hosted by Dinner four8.... Located at 1259 HARLANDALE AVE. Starts at 7:30

The Legacy of Service Foundation in collab oration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Omicron Mu Ome ga Chapter presents the 2022 Image Award to Jill Louis and Randy Bowman, 12-2pm at the Dallas Arboretum

20

Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority presents a Private Red Carpet Viewing of WAKANDA FOREVER AT STUDIO MOVIE GRILL - ARLINGTONHIGHLANDS, 225 MERCHANTS ROW IN ARLINGTON. TICKETS $33.15 FOR ADULTS AND $22.50 - CHILDREN UNDER 12

26

Dallas Comedy Club Presents: FONZO CROW- See Fonzo Crow LIVE at Dallas Comedy Club, Saturday Nov. 26th! Dallas native Fonzo Crow is on FIRE!.. Located at- 3036 Elm Street, Dallas,75226,US.. Tickets · $20 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM CST

DECEMBER 14

Washington-Lincoln Alumni Association

JINGLE AND MINGLE Christmas Luncheon

11:30 am - 1:30 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, 800 North Main Street, Duncanville at $35 Contact Veronica Mosley (214)415-7503

JANUARY

The MLK Comedy Kick-Off Corey Holcomb & Friends hosted by Tony Roberts at the Majestic Theatre

105.7 Smooth Winter VII featuring Fantasia and Joe, with Special Guest RC Gritz at Texas Trust Theater at Grand Prairie

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Jackie J'Rabbit and Jerrod B Kirby 6 years

Mr. and Mrs. Reed

Pastor Michael and Sabrina Greene

Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling 4 years

Anthony T. and Phyllis Sneed 43 Years

Sherry and Moondog Brinson

Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker 8 years

Eniko and Kevin HART

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffries 7 years

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon 20 years

LeRoy and Pamela Moses Vow Renewal 32 years

Ludacris and Eudoxie

Mr. and Mrs. Garcia 50 years

Grady and Teresa Carthon 1 year

and Mrs. Givens

Mr. and Mrs. Dewayne Greer

Omar and Keisha Epps 16 years

Mr. and. Mrs. Waters

Chuck D on Death of Takeoff:

"When Corporations Show Up God Leaves the Room"

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior Correspondent

As family, friends, and fans continue to mourn the death of Migos member Takeoff, the de mand for hip-hop to take a stand against gun violence has grown.

While many have expressed disbelief and anger that the shooting death of the 28-yearold, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, took place allegedly because of an argument over a dice game.

Fans on social media and the mainstream press have quickly tossed blame at everyone from Takeoff’s bandmate Quavo to clothing boss J. Prince Jr. and even to the slain rap star himself.

And as always, hip-hop has come under fire.

That’s no surprise to legend ary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, whom most recognize as hip-hop’s voice of reason.

In putting in a perspective as perhaps only the “Fight the Pow er” artist can, Chuck noted that any other industry that has seen as many fatalities as hip-hop would have addressed that issue long ago.

And Chuck doesn’t put the blame entirely on the artists.

“This curiosity of what is this hip-hop thing, what is this Black thing. The world always seems to want to know and mimic our greatness,” Chuck asserted in a 30-minute interview with the Black Press of America’s live

morning news program, “Let It Be Known.

“And if they can find a way to finance and have our people mimic us at our worst – the ste reotype that generalizes us as a bunch of murderous thugs and metastasize that over a 10-1520-year period as being normal, then we got a problem.”

He continued:

“I don’t blame the youth. You’ve got to blame some adults hiding behind the scenes, pied piping and pied papering all of this madness and making this kind of thing seem normal. Was there a shootout at a dice game? Yes. Were Black men involved in that circle? Yes. But it’s somebody pushing buttons and pulling le vers and not only doing so but they have been greatly enriched financially by these incidents.”

Takeoff’s death counts among a string of murders in the hiphop community over the past several years.

Other high-profile murders include PnB Rock, Pop Smoke, XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hussle, King Von, and Young Dolph.

“I was in college when Biggie and ‘Pac was killed and thought there was no way we’d ever ex perience anything remotely close to that again,” media per sonality Jemele Hill tweeted fol lowing Takeoff’s death.

“Now,” Hill continued. “It’s happening so frequently that you barely have time to recover before someone else is killed.”

Chuck noted that a large part of the argument about hip-hop deaths and violence comes from many who don’t consider all available facts.

“There are hundreds of thou sands of artists out there,” he said when asked whether the

limited view of what it really is. There is really no kind of edu cational forum that people can go to like in other aspects of life. Our arts and culture should be taught to us. If we don’t control our educational curriculum, we’re going to let corporations

deemphasized and abandoned by the U.S.A. during a tough fis cal time post-Nixon. Cats saw the emergence of hard drugs coming in out of nowhere. Guns coming out of nowhere, and cats wanted to get away from that, and they didn’t want to [rhyme] about that in the 1980s.

He concluded:

“You had MCs and rappers who adhered to those values and qualities. We could have “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five that talked about what’s going on, but they also made party records to not talk about things people saw every day.

younger artists pay attention to the old heads.

“Who do you count? Do you count the more successful ones because more people like them? When we start getting into fol lowers and likes, those algo rithms don’t add up to who we are as a people,” Chuck insisted.

He explained:

“I have ten stations on Rap Station (Radio). We play artists from the underground and un der-found. We play artists with a 10-15-year career, women worldwide and in more abun dance than in the United States.”

Chuck continued:

“If you only pay attention to what’s being washed up on your shores, you’re going to get a

teach us. And, whenever corpo rations show up, God walks out the door.”

In a recent podcast, Takeoff spoke about receiving his flow ers before he died.

“It’s time to pop it,” Takeoff said on “Drink Champs.”

“It’s time to give me my flow ers. I don’t want them later when I’m not here. I want them right now.”

Chuck said the life artists to day lead, compared to earlier hip-hop stars, is different.

“At the beginning of hip-hop, especially in the real beginning, cats wanted to get away from that,” Chuck recounted.

“They didn’t want to be in the Bronx. New York City had been

“There was a balance to at least try to bring good times into the picture. People often said Public Enemy bought a political message, but we came from the 1960s, so we remember a time of being broke but not broken.

“Many cats came from the 1970s doing hip hop in the 1980s and 1990s.

“We came from the Black Panther Party doing lunch pro grams, the Nation of Islam do ing things in the neighborhood. We remember Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X being as sassinated when they were liv ing people to us.

“On my birth certificate, it says ‘Negro.’ I remember being ‘Colored’ and ‘Black is Beauti ful.’ That’s a different period that has been kind of pushed under the rug in Americana.”

Migos Rapper Takeoff Shot Dead in Houston

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior Correspondent

The continued spate of vio lence against Hip Hop artists has claimed its latest victim and one of the genre’s biggest names.

Takeoff, one-third of the super trio Migos, died early Tuesday after being shot in Houston.

TMZ reported that the shooting occurred shortly af ter 2:30 a.m. with multiple wit nesses on scene.

“We’re told Takeoff and Quavo were there playing dice when an altercation broke out and that’s when someone opened fire, shooting Takeoff either in the head or near his head. He was pronounced

dead on the scene,” TMZ re ported.

The outlet posted footage from the scene where Qua vo and others are gathered around what appears to be a profusely bleeding Takeoff.

“Police tell us 2 other peo ple were shot and were taken to the hospital in private ve hicles. It’s unclear what their conditions are. Quavo was not injured,” TMZ reported fur ther.

Just a couple of hours before the shooting, Takeoff posted a

selfie from the bowling alley. Quavo had posted video earli er in the night, driving around Houston with Jas Prince, who was celebrating his birthday.

Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, was the youngest member of Migos. Quavo was his uncle and Off set his cousin.

They came together as a group in 2008 in Georgia and became multi-platinum hit makers, releasing “Versace,” in 2013, and “Bad and Boujee” in 2016.

Kirshnik Khari Ball, aka Takeoff

Kirshnik Khari Ball, aka Takeoff

Chuck D

Foundation announces $50,000

Gift to Paul Quinn College

The MARCH Foundation, a pri vate non-operating foundation, has announced a gift of $50,000 to provide scholarships for deserving students at Paul Quinn College, the nation’s only Urban Work Col lege and Texas’ first HBCU, located in Southern Dallas.

MARCH, which stands for Mutu al Alliance Restoring Community Hope, was launched to support the education of African Amer ican youth. Kenneth B. Jarvis, a longtime community business and civic leader, founded the group 25 years ago.

With its gift to Paul Quinn, MARCH honors its 25th Anniver sary, and demonstrates its com mitment to HBCUs and the grow ing number of students who need help with skyrocketing tuition.

“The MARCH Foundation is committed to investing in the ed ucation of Black youth,” Jarvis said, “and we believe that every act of philanthropy – even a small one –meets the needs of deserving stu dents, many of whom are first-gen eration students who otherwise cannot afford tuition.”

Paul Quinn President Dr. Mi chael J. Sorrell added, “We are grateful to the MARCH Foundation for their generosity in supporting our students. This gift not only provides a monetary donation which alleviates a cost burden to our students, The MARCH Foun dation has committed to fostering relationships with our students so they can see what is possible.”

March Foundation’s investment addresses a major issue confront ing students and their families who have seen college debt triple since 2007 and college costs at a four-year college double since 1990. The trend has only em phasized the importance of how completing a college education is more important than ever. A re cent Federal Reserve Bank of New York study showed that those with a college degree make on average $22,000 more than someone with a high school diploma.

Board Members – African Amer ican executive men, all of whom retired from United Parcel Service (UPS), initially funded MARCH with their personal funds. The foundation has distributed more than $2 million in grants and scholarships, impacting more than

2,000 students to date.

The MARCH Foundation be lieves that higher education is a passport to unsurpassed career pathways, according to MARCH Board Chairman Mel Smith. “We hope that our gift will not only en courage students to graduate, but also inspire them to give back lat er with their time, money and tal ents,” Smith said.

For more information or the op portunity to give to the MARCH Foundation, visit https://march foundation.org/donate/

For more information on Paul Quinn College and the opportuni ty to assist students with scholar ships and other opportunities visit http://www.pqc.edu/invest/.

About Paul Quinn College

Paul Quinn College is a pri vate, faith-based, four-year, liber al arts-inspired college that was founded on April 4, 1872, by a group of African Methodist Episcopal Church preachers in Austin, Tex as. The school’s original purpose was to educate freed slaves and their offspring. Today, we proudly educate students of all races and socio-economic classes under the banner of our institutional ethos, WE over Me. Our mission is to pro vide a quality, faith-based educa tion that addresses the academic,

social, and Christian development of students. Under President Sor rell’s leadership, Paul Quinn has become one of the most innova tive and respected small colleges in the nation and now serves as a model for urban higher educa tion. Fortune magazine recog nized President Sorrell’s work and the College’s transformation by naming him one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. President Sorrell is also a three-time award winner of HBCU Male President of the Year by HBCU Digest, was selected as 2018-2019 President of the Year by Education Dive and named by Time magazine as one of the “31 People Changing the South.”

You Need to Talk

cont. from page 1

Americans have retirement accounts with an average balance of $20,000 vs. 65 percent of White Americans who have an average balance of $50,000.

There are many reasons for these wealth disparities, and financial literacy only plays one part. Racism and discrimination have played a major role. But we must do a better job of preparing our children for a financial journey that we know will be difficult at best. And the best way to do that is to sit down with them and talk about money.

The finan¬cial lit¬er¬a¬cy gap begins ear¬ly in life, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s report, Financial Literacy for Youth. “White and Asian 15-yearolds, on aver¬age, have sub-stan¬tial¬ly high¬er finan¬ cial lit¬er¬a¬cy scores, while His¬pan¬ic and Black stu¬dents have sub¬stan¬tial-ly low¬er scores when com¬pared to their gen¬er¬al pop¬u¬la¬tion peers, as report¬ed in the 2020 U.S. Nation¬al Strat¬e¬gy for Fi nan¬cial Literacy.”

We know that some parents need classes in financial literacy themselves. But the basics of financial literacy is understanding the basics of money. And for children that might include understanding how much their par ents earn, how much they pay for the mortgage or rent, what the gas and electric bill is or what they pay month ly for those family cell phones. The more we talk to our children about money, the better they will understand life.

A friend who is a financial planner and who teaches fi nancial planning in an urban high school said he asked his class what things like cable television and utilities cost their parents, and they had no idea. Another friend who is an entrepreneur said not only did she know how much how mother earned, but her mom also made her write out the checks to pay the bills. That way she knew there was nothing left at the end of the month.

You may not be able to talk to your children about stocks and bonds, but you can talk to them about mon ey. And do what you can to ensure that they take advan tage of the financial literacy classes in high school or church.

If they learn about money, they will want to learn more. And the more they learn, the more they can teach their parents.

Rodney A. Brooks is a Texas Metro News Columnist and Senior Fellow at Prosperity Now. The author of Fixing the Racial Wealth Gap: Racism and discrimination put us here, but this is how we can save future generations, he has written for USA TODAY, The Washington Post and National Geographic.

The MARCH Foundation gifted $50 for student scholarships to Paul Quinn College in honor of the 150th Homecoming and the Foundation's 25th Anniversary. Pictured left to right: MARCH Foundation and Chairman Emeritus, Kenneth B. jarvis; Paul Quinn College President, Dr. Michael J. Sorrell; MARCH Board Member, Medford Turrentine.

Photo: Summer Island

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An Equal Opportunity Employer

October 1, 2022

October 1, 2022

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Canada.

Ed Bell Construction Company An Equal Opportunity Employer

Call issued to Support Black Businesses

Haynes: "Buy Black"

By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News

When Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, of Friend ship-West Baptist Church, announced 100 Days of Buying Black in acknowledging the 100th Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massa cre, we joined the movement. December 31, 2021 marked 100 days of featuring Black Businesses. and we decided that the struggle continues and we must also. So enjoy reading about more Black-owned businesses and please support.

BOLD ADDICTIONS

Bold Addictions creates smiles, conversations, and compliments with statement jewelry. Offering women’s clothes, shoes, jewelry & other accessories, Candy Bee took her boutique on the road doing home shows hauling things all across Illinois and Indiana. The one thing that stood out most was the jewelry; women would get styled by Candy and emphasis was placed on statement pieces. Helping women uplift their confidence. Check out website: https://boldaddictions.com/

PRYCE EDITING AND PROOFREADING SERVICES

Pryce Editing and Proofreading Services owner Jessica Pryce Ph.D. provides all the tools, guidance, and support that you need to accomplish your writing goals. Pryce says, “Being a writer has always been my dream, and if it’s also your dream — we can help.” Take a look around and explore the various services that Pryce offers on the website www.pryceediting.com. Email: pryceediting@gmail. com and follow Pryce Editing @pryceediting/facebook.

PINK YOLK PAINT & SIP ART STUDIO

TROI CLUSE OWNER

797 W Wheatland Rd. Duncanville, TX 75116 469-513-2731 Email: pinkyolk.diy@gmail.com

Pink Yolk Paint & Sip Art Studio is a Black-owned business established by a mother-daughter duo (Troi & Susan Cluse) in June of 2021, where they combined their love for people and art. Their Passion is creating “togetherness” through Art, by providing a warm and welcoming space where people can Gather, Create and have Fun! You can stop by the studio. They are open Thursday and Friday 7:30 -10 pm. Saturday 10 am-10 pm. and Sunday 1:00 -6:00 pm. Visit the website: www.pinkyolkart.com

LENA MAES COUNTRY CAFÉ

642 Uptown Blvd Suite 202 Cedar Hill, TX 75104 Telephone: 1-469-575-0105 Email: lenamaescc68@ gmail.com

Like many Masters, Chef Efrim’s interest in cooking began in his mom’s kitchen, In Miss Lena Maes kitchen, he learned and developed recipes and techniques he still uses today. The food is delicious and the customer service is warm and very welcoming. Chef Efrim is an experienced Executive Chef, Sous Chef, and Master Caterer. Check out the menu on their website: http://www.lenamaes.com/ home.html and stop by for lunch or dinner.

BREAKFAST BROTHERS

Breakfast Brothers Is a BlackOwned Business located in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Breakfast Brothers recipes and ingredients come from a generational background. The Breakfast Brothers All-Purpose Seasoning was created from a family background of consistency of taste. Breakfast Brothers has two locations: 130 E. Bardin Rd Suite #128, Arlington, TX 76018 phone 682-323-7584 and 3704 W Camp Wisdom Rd. Suite 110, Dallas, Texas 75237 phone 469-726-2374. To see what’s on the menu check out the website: https:// www.breakfastbrothers.com/

J AND J LOUNGE

On your next trip to Houston here is a great restaurant to try J and J Lounge where friends bring friends. J and J has been awarded one of the best burger restaurants in Houston. But they are more than burgers. They have a full menu with grilled and fried seafood, chicken dinners, fried and grilled pork dinners, salads, Tex Mex and more. They have online ordering and delivery orders (in the Houston area.)

3303 Lee St, Houston, Texas 77026

713-222-7104 Hours: Mon-Sat 11 am – 8 pm

CHEF CHES AT BONEFIRE GRILL & BBQ

Stop by BoneFire Grill and see what Chef Ches is cooking up. It’s a Classic American Grill with a Fort Worth TX Twist. Wings, Burgers, Tex Mex, and Breakfast. Perfect for your Sunday Football tailgate party. Located at 923 E. Seminary, Fort Worth TX, phone 682-499-8300. Follow Chef Ches BoneFire Grill & BBQ @https://www.facebook. com/WheresChefChes/.

DADDY BUTTER

Khalil Jackson Founder & CEO

DaddyButter is a Handmade, All Natural, Hair & Skincare made with love by dads. Each natural product is made with a different plant-based butter. The line was designed to redefine the beauty standard for black culture with a natural twist. In Jackson’s creation, he wanted to ensure that the cosmetic products he used on his daughters’ hair were healthy. Visit the website: https://www.daddybutter.com/

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

THE BLACK PRESS OF AMERICA IS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER NNPA is a trade association of the more than 200

African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. Since its founding 75 years ago, NNPA has consistently been the voice of the black community.

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, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.

Check The Black Press out at www.nnpa.org

MARQUETTE’S CREATIVE PARTIES & EVENTS

Marquette James owner

Marquette’s Creative Parties is a locally run Event Planning Service that specializes in bringing your dream event to reality! Marquette’s is a small business that produces big business results. Their specialty services include Weddings, baby showers, corporate events, all age birthdays, graduations, and so much more. Check out their website: https://www.marquettesevents.com/ to book your next event.

UNDER THA COVERS BEDDING SHEETS AND ACCESSORIES

Quality bedding, sheets, comforters, blankets and accessories. Designed to maintain vibrancy of color and exceptional softness, our collection will wrap your bed in luxe layers of simple sophistication. Affordable luxury you deserve. Check out the website: http://www.underthacovers.com/ or Email: info@underthacovers.com phone 972- 503-9856.

CUP O’ VIBES

Cup O’ Vibes is dedicated to quality. They pride themselves on providing organic, fair trade tea and coffee. They work with local dairy suppliers and bakeries to source the freshest, highest quality offerings. They also have gluten-free, vegan, and non-dairy options. Visit the location at 800 E Sublett Rd. Arlington. Visit the website: https://cupovibes.com/

HOLLYWOOD HAIR BAR

Hollywood Hair Bar and Hollywood Skin Bar was inspired by Tiffany Rose. After years of looking for the perfect beauty products that really worked and were formulated with all natural ingredients, she created products that performed. Get Exclusive Discounts, Plus Tips & Tricks on how to Grow your Hair with their hair growth serum and other products. Visit the website: https://hollywoodhairbar.com/ Follow them on Instagram @Hollywoodhairbar. Contact: 424-901-3629 or email: heylove@hollywoodhairbar.com

TURKEY LEG MAC

Specializing in Stuffed Turkey Legs featuring Wings, Catfish and Burgers and a Full Bar Experience. The Grand

opening reviews were great. One customer said, “It looks so awesome, The atmosphere is fantastic and there is enough TV for everyone, and a Great place to watch the game.” Located at 1436 US 67 Suite 200, Cedar Hill.

PHAT GIRLZ

BBQ & CATERING

Phat Girlz BBQ & Catering, Specializing in BBQ, Salads, Soul Food and whatever ELSE you like. We also cater BIG or SMALL events.

Next time you’re looking for some Good eats be sure to book them. Located in Cedar Hill at 107 S. Main St. phone 469-454-4040, and email: phatgirlzbbq@gmail.com

STUFF’D WINGS

Stuff’d Wings is a must on your next trip to Houston. They started out as a food truck and now they have a brick and mortar in Houston’s Midtown. They serve stuffed wings by the piece; You choose your stuffing and the quantity. Location: 401 Richmond Ave. Houston. Follow then on Instagram @Stuff’dWings To visit the Truck call 713-7021286 to get the daily schedule.

Website: https://www.stuffdwings.com/

DON MORPHY CUSTOM SUITS

Don Morphy Custom Suits designer and Founder Daniel Mofor. Every custom Don Morphy item embodies the character of its wearer, and the end result is a distinctive fit. Don Morphy is redefining modern luxury. Located at 1500 Hi Line Dr. Suite A, Dallas to book your showroom consultation or visit the website for a virtual consultation https://www.donmorphy.com/

MISS J’S CUPCAKES

Miss J’s Cupcakes owner Janet Roberts-Lyons. She works diligently to create your requested order of specialty cupcakes, pound cakes , cookies, and more with the freshest quality ingredients while baking and some old-fashioned techniques to ensure the highest quality. The goal is to serve the tasty desserts of your choice while teasing your palate with pops of Magical Flavor. Janet says, I Aim to make hearts smile thru satisfying their sweet cravings one person at a time! Visit her website: https://missjscupcakes.com/

FOWL LANGUAGE SEASONING

On the hunt for the perfect seasoning blend for fried chicken? Try Fowl Language Seasoning cause nothing says family dinner and comfort food like fried chicken. At Fowl Language, they take the hard part of getting the seasoning right out, so all you do is coat, and cook. If you are looking for the perfect dish to warm the bellies and hearts of your loved ones, They’ve got you covered. Visit the website: https://fowlspice.com/ Email: order@ fowlspice.com or Call: 469-354-0599.

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III

Dallas Wings Name New Head Coach

By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor

The Dallas Wings are hoping the fifth time is the charm.

The WNBA team on Monday announced the hiring of Latricia Tram mell to serve as the or ganization’s next head coach. It will be the Wings’ fifth head coach in five seasons.

She will be formally in troduced at a press con ference on Friday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. CST at Troy’s at Texas Live! in Irving. The press conference will also be available for fans via live stream on the Wings’ Facebook Page

Trammell joins the Wings after spending the previous four seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. She was part of a

staff that led a top-three defensive net rating for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021. Over the past four seasons, Los Angeles also saw four players named to the WNBA All-Defensive teams, including the 2020 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in Candace Parker. Prior to her time in LA, Trammell spent one season as an assis tant coach with the San Antonio Stars in 2017.

She replaces Vickie Johnson who was fired in September after two seasons despite the team finishing this past season with their best record since the Wings moved to Dallas in 2016 from Tul sa.

“I’m thrilled to be join ing the Dallas Wings and I am honored and excited

VICTORIOUS

Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Kristy Noble and Vice Chair Kardal Coleman released the following statement on Dallas County election results:

“It’s a good day to be a Democrat in Dallas County!

Last night voters flipped three county seats red to blue, resulting in a Dallas County government that’s nearly all Democratic (one seat remaining out of more than 40) and more reflective of our county. Congratulations to all our Democratic incumbents from federal, to Texas Legislature, to the county level who held their seats, the next generation of Democratic leaders including Jasmine Crockett and Venton Jones headed to the U.S. House and State House, and Andy Sommerman, Henry Curry, and Adam Swartz who won their races for county commissioner, constable, and justice of the peace.

When elected in 2021, we promised to grow our majority in Dallas County, and today’s new reality will mean real improvements in the daily lives of Dallas County residents—greater access to healthcare, affordable housing, safer communities, and broadband access required in 2022 and beyond for successful education, employment, and business.

These election wins are thanks to our coordinated campaign centering

cont. from page 1

to lead this talented ros ter,” Trammell said. “I’d like to thank Greg Bibb and Bill Cameron for their belief in me. The in vestment by this owner ship group in the success of the Wings, both on and

off the court, is incredibly impressive. I believe my coaching experiences at every level have prepared me for this opportuni ty and I can’t wait to get to work on behalf of this team, these loyal fans

Red Carpet

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strong Democrats, infrequent and young voters in multiple languages, working with allied organizations, strategists, Democratic clubs, precinct chairs, grassroots volunteers and donors, and our dedicated staff and interns. While we are still crunching numbers, we are heartened by news from the Dallas County Elections Department on 25-34 and 35-44 age groups turning out on Election Day. We thank all our candidates and their families for their commitment to improve our collective well-being and to uphold democracy. Much gratitude also to the hundreds of election judges, clerks, and voter protection workers, and our staff who recruited them, for providing a safe, secure, and friendly voting experience.

Although the statewide results are not what we hoped for, we ask Dallas County voters to not be discouraged, and to stay in the fight towards progress with us. Our fundamental rights are under attack from Republican extremists, but we won’t back down. We will continue to rise together.

As we look ahead to the next elections, gains made in Dallas County cement the importance of local control, growing our majorities, and collective power. We must work to strengthen our democracy from the school board to city halls across our diverse county, because all politics are local."

showcase hairstylists, it is open to the public and tickets are available through BestofSalons.com.

The evening’s host will be Tashara Parker, traffic reporter and anchor for WFAA TV. Parker launched the Bun Ministry movement after receiving backlash for a natural hairstyle she wore on-air. The movement celebrates, educates, and empowers individuals on their natural journeys.

The Best of Salons Gala will kick off a platform designed to

and the entire North Tex as community.”

Trammell has almost 30 years of coaching ex perience. She spent three seasons at the helm of Oklahoma City University where the team won backto-back NAIA National Championships in 2014 and 2015. Trammell was named NAIA Coach of the Year both seasons. Tram mell recorded a record of 85-10 over the course of her time at OKCU.

Prior to her time at Oklahoma City, she spent five seasons at Western State (Colo.) University and ranks third all-time in wins in the history of the program. Overall, she totaled a 150-86 (.664) collegiate coaching re cord. Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Trammel spent six years coaching

high school girls’ basket ball in Texas and Okla homa, tallying a 105-45 (.700) record.

“We are pleased to wel come Latricia Trammell as the head coach of the Dallas Wings,” President & CEO Greg Bibb stated. “Coach Trammell has proven to be a winner at every level of basketball she has coached, includ ing the WNBA. I have long admired the approach La tricia takes with coaching, which includes exhaus tive preparation, an em phasis on communication and relationships, and a continual desire to learn and grow her craft. I’m excited to watch Latricia lead our talented roster as we continue our oncourt growth in pursuit of a WNBA Championship.”

recognize and celebrate the talents of outstanding salons and stylists. Flewellen will introduce a quarterly online

and print magazine during the gala and it will feature local area salons and stylists, along with hair tips and techniques.

Photo: WNBA

Tashara Parker

Sorority holds virtual Election Prep Rally

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority focused on social action on Monday night during its Election Prep Rally. Everyone from past national presidents, honorary members and a Biden cabinet member discussed the importance of voting and taking others to the polls. President Elsie Cooke Holmes and others talked about women who have focused on educating and informing com munities about getting out the vote.

We’re hiring more great officers

Like Jamie

Jamie believes DART is history in the making! She also loves the high level of community engagement that come with being a transit police officer.