and,Rowlett Mesquite Volume 6, No.21 www.texasmetronews.com TEXAS METRO NEWS Free - Take One Richardson DS IN & E.Dallas ett ite on Fax (903) 450-1397 1 Year Subscription $45.00 as
Texas
MARCH 21, 2018
1 
Metro News
397 1 Year Subscription $45.00
MY TRUTH
By Cheryl Smith Publisher
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Part 1 Recently, I was challenged by a young lady. She was about 40 years old and enjoying a successful career in corporate America. She wanted me to tell her about Black leadership, specifically, what were the elders doing to train, mold and grow future leaders? Unfortunately her question was framed in a way that could have seemed like an indictment because clearly she felt that we weren’t doing enough. Now there’s quite a bit of blame to go around but I am hopeful that by having candid discussions we can move forward and build a stronger foundation. It begins with respect. The foundation in our communities has a crack that continues to widen and with the further erosion of our families and institutions that crack will never be repaired unless we bring respect back as the basis for all interactions. I asked some students if they cussed in front of their parents and I was amazed at the many who answered in the affirmative. Talk about shocked! I cussed in front of my mother twice and both times I was in my 50s. The first time, I said “Hell.� I was so shocked I couldn’t talk to her for about two days. It was only after I talked to my good- tithing friend Debra, from Concord Church in Dallas, and she assured me that Hell wasn’t a bad word. The next time, about a year later, I said “Dammit!� And as soon as the word slipped out of my mouth, I threw my siblings under the See TRUTH, page 11
Dallas’ Star By Hollywood Hernandez Entertainment Critic
Actress Ptosha Storey is a Dallas,Texas native who's making it big in Hollywood. She'll appear in Tyler Perry's feature film, ACRIMONY, alongside Oscar nominee, Taraji P. Henson. The movie opens March 30, 2018 in theaters nationwide. She can also be seen in the upcoming season of Fox's hit series EMPIRE starting March 28, in her recurring role as Chyna. And she is also in Tyler Perry's popular television series "If Loving You is Wrong" on The OWN Network. So how did this young girl from the projects of Dallas make it to the big time? The answer is an inspiring story that actually reads more like a Hollywood movie script than real life. In high school Ptosha auditioned and was See PTOSHA STOREY, page 14
Panel talks increasing diversity in the media and understanding of different cultures By Dorothy J Gentry Contributing Editor
A perpetual lack of awareness of different cultures, letting “laziness creep in� when understanding and dealing with different ethnicities and the on-going absence of nonwhites in the newsroom were all cited as reasons the media continues to have challenges with fair and balanced coverage of diverse communities. “There are huge misunderstandings of other people, other cultures, of people who are
Panelists discuss diversity at Society of Professional Journalists forum, moderated by veteran journalist Rebecca Aguilar
not like us,� said UNT Associate Journalism Professor Tracy Everbach, a former The Dallas Morning News reporter. “We need to open our minds and
infuse this (other cultures) into the newsroom and this is still not happening. “Naturally we gravitate to peoSee JOURNALISM, page 9
WOMEN’S HISTORY NEW FEATURE
Doc Shep speaks Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Artillery! The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018, has once again shined a light on the lack of gun control legislation in the United States. Congress has presented numerous proposals and counter proposals of gun bills -- that the bills should have been written in pencil. Years later no resolution has transpired on the regulating of guns that would possibly prevent school shootings. No worries Americans, President Trump has provided Dr. Felicia Shepherd a solution to this ongoing debate. President Trump’s solution is to permit teachers to carry guns inside their classrooms. As I reflect on my time as a former classroom teacher and school counselor, I feel I can honestly say if the current educators are anything like me it would not be wise to allow them to carry weapons into the classroom. As a classroom teacher, my organizational skills were not very good. So, because I would not feel comfortable keeping a loaded gun in my classroom, the bullets would have been kept in a locked box with the gun. Now where I placed the box, and key for See DOC SHEP, page 9 www.texasmetronews.com