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City Council approves Post-Disaster Consumer Protection Measures When disasters strike, such as the Dec. 26 tornado, storm victims sometimes fall prey to fraudulent contractors and price gouging.

During their Jan. 5 meeting, the Garland City Council amended City Codes to require building permits for residential roof repair of more than $2,000 and to establish registration and bonding requirements for residential roofing contractors. These amendments are intended to provide additional consumer protection from fraudulent contractors.

The City of Garland has established a mobile permitting center in the damage zone, located at Bobtown Road and Kelso Lane. The center will begin operation on Thursday, Jan. 6 and will operate 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This convenient service will allow those trying to rebuild to confirm their contractor is registered and to obtain necessary building permits.

"We want to make the rebuilding process as simple as possible for these folks," said Garland Building Official Jim Olk. "We know that most contractors are honest and value their good reputations, but this service will also help us weed out unscrupulous fly-bynight operators and protect our citizens."

City Council also adopted an ordinance prohibiting price gouging during the current state of disaster in Garland. The ordinance prohibits such activity surrounding pricing for items such as groceries, construction materials and services, automotive repairs, rent for hotels or other temporary housing, medical supplies and other essential goods and services.

The City has received complaints of price gouging in the general area of the tornado damage. Individuals who have been victimized by price-gouging may contact the City Attorney's Office at 972-205-2380 to file a complaint. Although the City cannot recover damages on behalf of victims, we can investigate and prosecute price gougers.

#GarlandRecovers Tornado Update

On Dec. 26, an EF4 tornado struck in south Garland, leaving heart-rending destruction and even death in its wake.

Garland residents and generous neighboring cities quickly jumped into action to help those faced with recovering from the storm. Donations and support have come from near and far.

A disaster resource center has been established at Granger Recreation Center in Garland. This center serves those in need of goods and services, as well as those who want to volunteer or donate to help others.

The City of Garland will begin removing stormrelated debris on Monday, Jan. 4. This process will take up to 10 weeks. Debris haulers will make at least two complete passes through the storm damage zone during that time. For questions about what types of materials can be picked up, check the website or call 972-205-3366.

Other regular trash/recycling routes are impacted by storm damage. Check the website regularly for updates and waste disposal options. Many pets were separated from their families . Visit the Garland Animal Services “Lost Animals� page to look for missing pets.

Journal Garland JANUARY 6, 2016

www.garlandjournal.com Available at newstands in Garland, Plano, Balch Springs, Seagoville, Rowlett, Mesquite, Richardson, East and North Dallas

Texas Trooper who arrested Sandra Bland indicted and fired

Sandra Bland Brian Encinia, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, was recently hit with two pieces of bad news. A grand jury announced they were going to indict him on perjury charges over Bland’s arrest. The DPS also announced they planned to fire Encinia over the perjury charges.

Encinia violently arrested Bland, a Black Illinois woman, in an incident that was captured on dashcam.

She was found hanged to death in a Texas jail cell three days later.

Encinia’s statement in a one-page affidavit was one of the reasons why the grand jury decided to indict him, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Encinia said he pulled Grand out of her Hyundai to “further conduct a safe traffic investigation.� But the dashcam video clearly showed him struggling with Bland and threatening to “light her� up with his taser.

Bland also accused him of slamming her head to the ground. “They (the grand jury) just didn’t believe it,� said Special Prosecutor Darrell Jordan. He added a warrant

Garland PD hiring The Garland Police Department is accepting online applications for police officer recruits through 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15. The next entrance exam will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. To view a job description, see a complete list of qualifications or to apply, go to GarlandTx.gov. For experienced officers, there also is a lateralentry program available. Questions about becoming a police officer?

Contact Officer Jones at 972-487-7358 or visit GarlandPolice.com.

City Council Updates

The Garland City Council Members’ year-in-review video updates for their respective districts are available on the City’s website. These annual updates are an opportunity for each council member to share highlights of the previous year with their constituents. All district updates may be viewed through Video on Demand on each council member’s page at GarlandTx.gov.

January Special for Pet Owners

Neuter your male cat or dog for only $20 anywhere Texas Coalition for Animal Protection is available, throughout January. The program is generously funded by PetSmart CharitiesŠ. Appointments are required, and these specials fill up quickly! Call 940-566-5551 and mention the Happy Neuter Year special. Please note a current rabies vaccine is required or may be purchased for $5.

for Encinia’s arrest would soon be issued.

After the indictment was announced, the DPS said they would begin the termination process against Encinia, who joined the department in June 2014.

In July 2014, Encinia pulled Bland over for an illegal lane change and then violently dragged her out of her car, because she refused to comply with his orders. DPS Director Steven McCraw said Encinia violated police procedure during his encounter with Bland. According to The Texas Tribune, the DPS and Encinia are immune to a federal lawsuit under the 11th amendment.

In December the grand jury decided not to indict anyone for Bland’s death. But like many Black families, Geneva Reed-Veal, Bland’s mother, has taken her fight to the civil courts. She has filed a wrongful death case in federal court. Reed-Veal is suing the DPS, Waller County and the two jailers who oversaw her daughter. ReedVeal claims her daughter was denied her constitutional rights and that contributed to her death.

Although a medical examiner ruled Bland’s death a suicide, her mother expressed frustration at the way the investigation was handled. The Bland family has also requested an independent autopsy. “Right now the biggest problem I have is the entire process,� said Reed-Veal at a press conference. “It’s the secrecy of it all.�

However, Reed-Veal is not the only person unhappy at the way Bland’s arrest was handled. State Sen. Rodney Ellis said both Waller County and the state of Texas need to review how law enforcement officers were trained. “This includes police training in de-escalation

Disaster Resource Center to remain open until Sunday to aid Tornado victims

The Disaster Resource Center, located at Granger Recreation Center, 1310 W Avenue F, Garland, will be open until Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 at 3 p.m.

The Center, open daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., provides a convenient central location giving volunteers, residents impacted by the tornado, and local agencies, a place to connect.

Since the Center’s opening, more than 700 families have been assisted.

Operated by the Cities of Garland and Rowlett, along with Dallas County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), the center serves three functions: Volunteer Reception Center (VRC): Volunteers register and are referred to local agencies to assist in the relief effort.

Donations Management: Service organizations, with an established donations plan in place, receive and distribute donated items to disaster victims.

Client Disaster Services Center: Residents impacted by the tornado can gain access to a multitude of available resources including supplies and services.

Go to GarlandTx.gov for updates, or follow “City of Garland, Texas Government� on Facebook or @GarlandTxgov on Twitter.

Officer Encinia orders Sandra Bland from car. techniques and community policing. It means policies like pre-arrest and pre-trial diversion, prohibiting arrests for minor offenses like Class C misdemeanors, and encouraging greater use of Texas’ cite-and-release statute,� he said. “It means protecting defendants’ constitutional rights by appointing counsel at the earliest stages and expanding and funding public defender offices.�

Back in Illinois, local residents have not forgotten Sandra Bland, who was known as a social justice activist. The Chicago Tribune recently reported the DuPage African Methodist Church, where Bland grew up, is naming its annual diversity institute after her this year. The Sandra A. Bland Diversity Institute will teach children ages 5-18 about civil rights and how to get involved in their local communities, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Amoud tours devastated Garland area

Chairman Mohamoud Egal and Br. Abderraoof assess the volunteer situation in Garland, TX . Amoud will be helping the tornado victims with relief supplies inshaAllah.

Amoud Foundation toured the devastated areas of Garland/Rowett, TX where a tornado left 11 people dead and over 1000 homes destroyed or damaged on Dec 26, 2015. Members of Amoud are sending supplies to the victims to help them recover.

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JANUARY 6, 2015

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2016 MLK Parade and March planned for Garland Parade and March on Saturday, January 16th

By Gwendolyn H. Daniels The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Garland, Texas unit will host its 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. parade and march on Saturday, January 16, 2016, beginning at 10:00 A.M. 

MLK Commemorative Program in Garland – Saturday, January 16, 2016 Immediately following the MLK parade and march, Garland’s NAACP will host a commemorative program celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. The event will be held in the Granville Arts Center, 300 N. Fifth Street in downtown Garland at the site where the parade ends. Garland’s 100-plus voice MLK Citywide Youth Choir led by clinician Reuben Lael Griffin will be in concert. This event is free and open to the public. 

MLK Parade Route in Garland – Saturday, January 16, 2016

MLK Youth Extravaganza on January 17, 2016 - Granville Arts Center in Garland

Parade starts on Dairy Road @ Garden Drive (near Embree Park), Garland, Texas, 75040 It proceeds north on Dairy Road to Highway 66 (Avenue D) West (Left) on Highway 66 (Avenue D) to First Street North (Right) on First Street to Highway 66 (Avenue B) West (Left) on Highway 66 (Avenue B) to Fifth Street North (Right) on Fifth Street to Main Street West (Left) on Main Street and circle the City Square to Austin Street Parade ends at the Granville Arts Center, 300 North Fifth Street in downtown Garland (75040)

Youth groups from area churches and the Garland ISD will showcase their spiritual talents in praise dance and athletic talents in step routines on Sunday afternoon at 300 N. 5th Street, downtown Garland, 75040, beginning at 4:00 P.M. Admission is free and the MLK Youth Extravaganza is open to the public.

For more information on these events, please contact the NAACP Garland unit at 972.381.5044, voice box #5, or visit the NAACP Garland unit’s Web site at: www.garlandtxnaacp.org.

The 2016 theme for Garland’s celebration is: “PURSUING KING’S DREAM IN 2016” and Mr. Scott Herzog, regional director for H&R Block, will serve as the parade’s MLK grand marshal.

Repair the World Launches Act for Racial Justice on MLK Weekend

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National Campaign Will Engage Thousands of Young Jewish Adults in Learning and Volunteer Service New York, NY – Repair the World, the only organization devoted exclusively to engaging young Jewish adults as volunteers, has launched a special national campaign, Act for Racial Justice on MLK Weekend. Combining two pillars of Repair’s engagement strategy, Act for Racial Justice offers the opportunity to host a Turn The Tables Shabbat Dinner on January 15th –resources will help facilitate substantive questions and dialogue—followed by numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the weekend addressing racial injustice.

“Around the country, thousands of young Jewish adults will mobilize on MLK Weekend to address the serious gaps that still exist in this country because of race,” says David Eisner, CEO of Repair the World. “Jewish teachings and values drive many to engage and help others. Repair is committed to offering paths to meaningful social action based on these rich traditions.”

Act for Racial Justice includes national partners like Moishe House, URJ, and BBYO. Young adults interested in hosting a Shabbat Dinner, finding Act for Racial Justice volunteer opportunities, or becoming Repair the World Movement Leaders—the individuals who create volunteer projects—can learn more here. Repair the World also is facilitating a series of online conversations in which Jewish leaders will interview Civil Rights activists of today. Follow these interviews on Repair the World’s website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages with hashtag #AmplifyVoices.

METRO

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U-Haul and Urway car care offer convenience for Crowley movers

Brief filed U.S. Supreme Court in support of Abortion Rights in Texas

CROWLEY, TEXAS — U-Haul Company of Texas is pleased to announce that Urway Car Care, Inc. has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Crowley community.

Urway Car Care at 1609 N. Crowley Road will offer U-Haul trucks, towing equipment and support rental items.

Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; and on-call Sunday.

After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience.

Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling (682) 233-6328 or visiting http://www.uhaul.com/Locations/TruckRentals-near-Crowley-TX-76036/044540/ today.

Urway Car Care partners Kelvin and Shern Smith are proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and selfstorage to better meet the demands of Tarrant County.

U-Haul and Urway Car Care are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.

Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. F ewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.

Urway Car Care is a great place to become U-Haul FamousÂŽ.

Take your picture in front of a U-Haul product, send it in and your face could land on the side of a U-Haul truck.

Upload your photo through Instagram using #uhaulfamous, or go to www.uhaulfamous.com to submit photos and learn more.

(Washington, DC) - Twelve Black women’s Reproductive Justice organizations, led by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Whole Woman’s Health, et al., v. Kirk Cole, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, et al., highlighting the devastating impact of the clinic closures on Black women in Texas. “Women’s clinics across the country provide critical health care for women,� said Marcela Howell, executive director of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. “Politicians who pass these types of laws do not care about the health and wellbeing of women. They are only interested in stopping access to abortions.� “We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will see right through this sham and uphold our constitutional right to access all reproductive health care services, including abortion care,� she added.

The amicus brief further details the devastating health outcomes Black women may experience as a result of the Texas clinic shutdown law. Prior to the enactment of HB2, there were more than 40 clinics providing reproductive health care, including abortion services. Today, only 19 of these clinics remain. Because of these cuts “the reproductive health care of the more than 725,000 reproductive-aged Black women living in Texas� is in jeopardy.

Not only has the Texas clinic shutdown law added significant travel and longer waiting periods for women seeking abortion services, but it has also impacted access to other reproductive health services, such as family planning, prenatal care, maternal

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health care, and breast cancer screenings. “Black women already face systemic barriers to quality, affordable reproductive health care, this law just exacerbates that harm,� added Howell. “The law’s practical effect is barring Black women in Texas from exercising their legal right to an abortion.�

Joining In Our Own Voice in the amicus brief are 11 Black Women’s RJ organizations: The Afiya Center (TX), Access Reproductive Care-Southeast (GA), Black Women for Wellness (CA), Black Women’s Health Imperative (national), New Voices for Reproductive Justice (PA), SisterLove, Inc. (GA), SisterReach (TN), SisterSong – National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (national), SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! (GA), URGE – United for Reproductive and Gender Equity (national), and Women With a Vision (LA).

Background on the case: The case challenges two provisions of the 2013 Texas law HB2, which threatens to reduce the number of clinics in Texas to fewer than ten, inflicting lasting harm on women in Texas. The first provision requires all abortion providers to obtain local hospital admitting privileges, a medically unnecessary mandate that has already closed more than half of the clinics in the state. The second provision requires every reproductive health care facility offering abortion services to meet hospital-like building standards as an ambulatory surgical center (ASC), which can amount to millions of dollars in medically unnecessary building updates.

Case history: Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole (formerly Whole Woman’s Health v. Lakey) Following a lawsuit brought by the Center for Reproductive rights on behalf of Whole Woman’s Health and several other Texas health care providers in April 2014, a federal district court blocked the the ambulatory surgical center requirement and the admitting-privileges requirement. On October 2, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stayed that decision and allowed the law to immediately take effect. The majority of the clinics had to shut their doors.

However, on October 14, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the federal court injunction, allowing many of the previously closed clinics to reopen their doors while the state’s appeal moved forward. On June 9, 2015, the Fifth Circuit’s final

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decision once again upheld the state restrictions in substantial part, this time threatening to shutter all but 10 abortion providers in the state. Once again, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in to block the Fifth Circuit’s decision and allow the clinics to remain open while the legal challenge continued.

The case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Annie’s List-endorsed legislators passed 80 new laws on broad topics AUSTIN, TX - On January 1, 2016, 4 new laws authored by 4 Annie’s List-endorsed legislators will take effect; 76 new laws have already been enacted. The new public policies taking effect on 1/1/2016 include: HB 3610 by Rep. Nicole Collier (HD-95 Fort Worth) recognizes the struggles and contributions of African American Texans through commemorative Juneteenth license plates.

HB 706 by Rep. Jessica Farrar (HD-148 Houston) increases access to solar or wind-powered energy devices.

HB 1510 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson (HD-141 Houston) provides landlords with protection against liability solely for renting or leasing to someone with a criminal record. This new law therefore increases housing opportunities for formerlyincarcerated individuals and helps them provide for themselves, their families and their communities.

HB 127 by Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon (HD-120 San Antonio) provides recognition of the bravery and service of Texas veterans who have received Commendation Medals through the issuance of commemorative license plates.

 

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JANUARY 6, 2015

EDITORIAL

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Malveaux: My wish list

Happy New Year! January first and second are the days when most think of the “new� year, yet with the first Monday in January falling on January 4, that’s probably when most people will return to their desks with focused energy and ready to go. Post-its and scrawled notebook paper will trumpet “new� resolutions.

Eat less, relax more, volunteer, tithe, save, all that good stuff. Some will even compose a bucket list of things they’d like to do before the end of their lives.

Others will have a list of wants and wishes, both realistic and unrealistic. My wish list focuses on public policy, since better public policy means a better 2014.

I WANT JOBS, JOBS, JOBS FOR BLACK PEOPLE. With the last reported official unemployment rate for African Americans at 12.5 percent, and the unofficial rate exceeding 25 percent, I’d really like to see some more jobs in the African American community. Joblessness leads to poverty leads to all kinds of maladies. While the stock market is soaring, is it too much to ask for a little job creation? Don’t Republicans, also, represent unemployed people? Help me, somebody. By the way, I’d like more jobs for everyone, but first things first.

And while we’re at it, why not fairer (and more equal) wages. There is talk of raising the minimum wage to $10 or more by 2015, and some states are already moving to wage levels even higher. More than half of those now earning the minimum wage are raising children. If their employers don’t pay enough for them to live on, the government will end up subsidizing their employers’ (and them) with programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and Section 8. Ooops! Those programs are being cut as well. What is a poor person to do in a nation that is both hostile to poor people and also absolutely needs them?

I want President Obama to say “Black� or “African American� sometime other than Black History Month. And I’d like him to say it enthusiastically, not

LAST WORD

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux

Dr. Malveaux is an author, economist, lecturer, activist and President Emerita of Bennett College for Women.

I want President Obama to say “Black� or “African American� sometime other than Black History Month. And I’d like him to say it enthusiastically, not reluctantly. His December 4th speech on poverty issues in Washington, D.C. went a long way toward addressing the concerns (education, housing, poverty) of the least and the left out, but his lips won’t be permanently puckered in a putrid position if he managed to give his most loyal constituency a shout out. reluctantly. His December 4th speech on poverty issues in Washington, D.C. went a long way toward addressing the concerns (education, housing, poverty) of the least and the left out, but his lips won’t be permanently puckered in a putrid position if he managed to give his most loyal constituency a shout out. I guess I’ve been wishing for this for the past five years; I guess I’ll be wishing for the next few. (And don’t tell me that President Obama is president of everyone.

He doesn’t cringe when saying Latino, women, or GBLT).

I want our Congress to think long-term and provide more dollars for education, and for HBCUs, especially, because need more resources; most colleges that enroll fewer than 1,500 students with small endowments can use help. Many of these institutions are tuition-driven which means that cuts in financial aid, in Pell grants or Parent-Plus loans cut these colleges hard. Cutting education while suggesting the labor force should be more skills based is like eating your seed corn while hearing that food must be saved for less plentiful times.

I WANT CONGRESS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. As soon as another program is mentioned, recalcitrant Republicans and blue dog Democrats start worrying about cost. Here’s a thought – cut everything related to military spending except pensions. Or, how about getting rid of some of the hundreds of millions dollars spent on pork. What would happen if colleges such as Harvard and Yale (really, I’m not hating) got smaller grants or were required to partner with smaller schools when they get research grants, channeling a few dollars to those schools who really need them, and to the students who need ore research opportunities.

I want Obamacare to work well. If affordable health care is part of the Obama legacy, then I want it to work, really work. It will take time for the president to live down the computer debacle, and heads should have rolled in response to the faulty rollout of the program. By the end of the first quarter of 2014, Obamacare should be working seamlessly, and people should really be able to see a difference because Obamacare exists.

Bottom line – I’d like joy, peace, and economic justice by whatever means necessary. Happy New Year!

Tired of suppressing myself to get along with white people

By Priscilla Ward From George Curry Media

I met my new roommates on Craigslist.

Two white, one Chinese. Together we represented Portland, Florida, China and (with me) D.C., and as we moved into our apartment in Bed-Stuy last fall, I was excited for the potential of cross-cultural exchange.

We had a get-to-know you powwow on the rooftop. We talked about ourselves, what brought us to New York. It was a warm evening in September, a couple of weeks after Michael Brown was shot, and somewhere in the mix I brought up Ferguson, hoping to spark a “conscious conversation.� Then it happened. The nightmarish response. “What’s happening in Ferguson?� one of my white roommates asked. “I heard some kid got shot or something like that.�

The words clamored in my ears. How could he not know?

Weren’t his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds flooded with opinions and hashtags? I’m sure he meant nothing by his statement. We’re all ill-informed from time to time. But as I stood there, awkwardly not saying a word — while hundreds of words ran through my head — it was a reminder of how much I would have to suppress in order to get along with my white male roommates in our tiny four-bedroom apartment. This place I would call my home for a year.

It hasn’t always been like this for me. I’m a girl with a fro,

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raised in the place once known as “Chocolate City.� I grew up part of a black nuclear family, was home-schooled, then became part of of the mini-Historic Black College Experience at Temple University. After arriving in New York, I became an intern at Essence, a magazine so safe I likened my boss to an aunt. Those settings were as comfortable as my grandma’s cooking on any given Sunday.

I longed to crawl back to my tiny black universe. A place where I could create a sense of peace, identity and acceptance, a place where I could sit there, trying to untangle my fro and make sense of what it means to be an African-American woman in this country, rehashing our history while facing present pain. But life happens, and most of us can’t stay in our own utopias forever.

Now I faced a new reality. The brief conversation on the roof that hot September night lasted much longer in my head. I sent myself into a 200-year-old tizzy, reckoning with outdated ideas on race, tampering with prejudice and stereotypes. I became enslaved by my emotions.

I started to worry about all the other things I might have to explain: My hair, the food I eat, why I like Miles Davis, Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye. Maybe I should have considered it a teaching opportunity. But I wasn’t feeling generous. I was all twisted up inside, ablaze over racial dynamics and anxious what other minefields my roommate might stumble upon. I hoped he wouldn’t say something really ignorant, causing me to just snap and go off on an angry rant. Then I’d have to make my living situation salvageable by pocketing my black rage, putting on my best smile and telling him, it’s all love.

I wanted my home to be a refuge, a place where I could be wretched when I wanted, walk around in my bonnet, fry

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chicken and sing real loud to Aretha Franklin’s R-E-S-PE-C-T. Suppressing my blackness every day is exhausting.

Back at Essence, we used “sister girl language,� but since then, I’d faced tougher environments. I briefly worked at a (now-defunct) women’s fashion website, where I was one of the only black people. I would pitch ideas that mattered to me, like how to do natural hair, only to see them ignored, shuffled to the side or diluted like apple juice in order to be made palatable to mainstream “whiteness.�

I was tired of catering to everyone else’s comforts. How much of my day-to-day experiences as a black woman do I have to filter? I replace “hey girl� with boring hellos. I eat my leftover fried chicken outside the office. In order to have some common point of identifiable communication, I pretend to care about Taylor Swift, or white movie stars on their I’ve-lost-count remarriages and those other white pop stars I could not care less about. “Oh yeah, she’s cute,� I tell them. “Yeah, that’s cool.�

As summer turned to fall and then winter, I continued to be dumbfounded at the way, for some white people, the killing of Michael Brown just didn’t resonate. They didn’t feel the need to pay attention. I guess some white people do act “real vanilla� and only understand the realities of their own universe. Like running around drunk in Santa costumes in the name of SantaCon while “The Millions March NYC� launches in response to the non-indictment verdicts. That’s real.

In December, when the Eric Garner verdict came out, I became loaded down with more emotional baggage than

See PRISCILLA WARD, page 14

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PERSPECTIVES

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HALL: Get yo’ boy!

Quit Playin’ Vincent Hall Vincent L. Hall is an author and award-winning columnist.

Whether you read the editorial “White people, come get your boy’ or “How Donald Trump destroyed the Republican Party in 2015,” the message is resonating. Donald Trump is the best gift Democrats ever received and the worst nightmare that the GOP could ever have dreamt.

This thesis is fortified by hearing the national opinion in high fidelity stereo from two polar Black voices.

Two divergent Black voices like the crass comedian of current events, W. Kamau Bell and the Washington Post’s genteel voice of reason, Eugene Robinson.

Let’s start with my hope-to-die W. Kamau Bell from the margins of Salon.com. “Donald Trump isn’t a Republican issue or a rich people issue or a human issue.

Donald Trump is a White people issue. Whenever Ben Carson says

batshit crazy nonsense, Black people rise up, and let him know that he needs to STFU. Whenever Raven-Symone pops off, we put her cap back on.

We even handled Rachel Dolezal for you. Yes, we also make jokes and come up with clever memes and hashtags, but at the core of all that is that we are letting these people know that they are embarrassing us as Black people.

It is time, White people, for you to finally step up and recognize that you also (even more so) have a responsibility to your race. It is up to you to silence Donald Trump.

Don’t just insult him and make fun of him. You have to connect it to your race. Recognize that he is embarrassing you as a White person. Stop acting like Trump isn’t the pinnacle and the result of America’s history and tradition of White supremacy. And again, P.S.: simply put, White people; come get your boy.”

Now let’s channel over to the

cleverest newsman to ever carry a meat cleaver. Eugene Robinson has better skills than Uncle Ben Carson when it comes to making surgical incisions without leaving ugly scars.

“The Republican Party promised

— with nods, winks and dogwhistle toots — to change all of this and make everything the way it used to be. In practice, however, party leaders were compelled to deal with the world as it actually is. Hence, for example, the establishment’s view a couple of years ago in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.

“Enter Trump, who has the temerity to point out that the party establishment says one thing but does another.

He launched his campaign by calling the GOP’s bluff on immigration: If the 11 million people here without documents are really “illegal,” as the party loudly proclaims, then send them home. Other candidates were put in the position of having to explain why, after claiming that President Obama was somehow “soft” on immigration, their position on allowing the undocumented to stay is basically

J A N UA R Y 6, 2015

5

the same.

“Similarly, many leading Republicans were careful not to offend the “birthers” who denied Obama’s legitimacy as president.

An unabashed birther long before he was a candidate, Trump still refuses to say whether he accepts the proven fact that Obama was born in the United States. Trump has given voice to the ugliness and anger that the party spent years encouraging and exploiting. He let the cat out of the bag, and it’s hungry.”

Let me marry these missives and meld the two as one mild invective; White people better get they Boy before the Republicans are ruined forever.

The GOP has mastered the art of positing ugly subtleties, symbolisms of superiority, slimy signals and just out right outrageous xenophobia. Donald Trump is delivering the unfiltered GOP message; he just traded the Ronald Reagan soft pitch for David Duke hard ball identity politics.

A great theologian once said; “The greatest tragedy in life is to already be where you’re going.”

If the GOP doesn’t confront Trump, that tragedy will become their reality.

JOHNSON: Reducing gun violence From the Capitol Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Issues Statement in Support of President Obama’s Executive Action to Reduce Gun Vi olence Washington, DC - (Tuesday, January 05, 2016) – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson released the following statement in response to President Obama’s executive actions to reduce gun violence and make American communities safer.

“Today President Barack Obama took a courageous and much-needed step to help curb America’s problem of gun violence,”

said Congresswoman Johnson.

“The President has used his legal authority to issue executive actions that will strengthen gun safety laws in this country – without infringing on any lawabiding individual’s right to bear arms.

The President’s decisive actions today will strengthen background checks, protect communities through better enforcement, improve mental health services, and fuel research to make guns safer.”

The executive actions announced by the President today will make significant progress in the ongoing struggle to curb gun violence: · Toughening background checks nationwide: The President’s executive actions provide new guidance on existing

federal laws, clarifying that any individual in the business of selling firearms must obtain a license through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and therefore conduct background checks on prospective gun purchasers. These actions also include new measures and resources to make the background check system more efficient and effective. · Protecting communities with bolstered enforcement: The executive actions take new steps to promote smart and effective enforcement of our gun laws – including a proposed increase in funding for more ATF agents, greater resources for tracking illegal online firearms trafficking and strengthened domestic violence outreach efforts. · Improving mental health services: The President is proposing increased investment to expand access to mental health care.

Further, the executive actions remove barriers that prevent the reporting of relevant mental health information to the background

check system. · Driving new research into gun safety: The executive actions direct the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security to conduct or sponsor research into new technology to make firearms safer.

“I will continue to support common sense gun laws that do not infringe on the rights of responsible gun owners,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “It is time for Congress and our Republican leadership to build on the President’s important steps to curb gun violence and allow gun safety legislation to be discussed and voted on. To start, Congress should pass the bipartisan King-Thompson legislation to strengthen background checks and close dangerous loopholes, so that criminals, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill don’t have easy access to guns. The President has done his part – and now, Congress needs to finish the job.”

Wishing you the best in 2016!

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JANUARY 6, 2015

NEW FEATURE

DAYES: Ask Pam about healthcare Question I often get this question from Medicare beneficiaries on whether they should sign up for Obama Care insurance through the Federal Marketplace Exchange even though they’ve turned age 65, eligible and {or will be} receiving Medicare?

Answer Under Title 1 of the Affordable Care Act aka Obama Care - Americans without insurance coverage are able to choose the insurance coverage that works best for them in a new open, competitive insurance market – the same insurance market that every member of Congress is required to use for their insurance. The insurance exchange will pool buying power and give Americans new affordable choices of private insurance plans that have to compete for their business based on cost and quality.

If you have a Marketplace health plan, you can keep it until your Medicare coverage starts. Then, you can cancel the Marketplace plan without penalty.

You have the option of keeping your Marketplace plan – but I don’t recommend doing this because if you’ve been getting premium tax credits or other savings on your health plan that you’ve bought through the Marketplace, these savings will end once your Medicare Part A coverage starts. So you’d have to pay full price for the Marketplace plan.

If you believe your situation is unique or complex – or just need more information, I recommend consulting with a Licensed/ Certified Health Agent.

Medicare Annual Open Enrollment: October 15th thru December 7th.

2016 ACA /Federal Marketplace Exchange Open Enrollment period: P A M E L A J. D A Y E S is a Licensed & Certified Health Insurance Agency serving North Texas area. She is passionate about learning and gaining knowledge in the area of HealthCare reform. She is devoted to passing on that knowledge in particularly to the Senior Market. Her expertise is in making Medicare clear and understandable.

I look forward to answering your questions.

Email questions to askpam@med-supps.com Follow me: Twitter: pjdayes Facebook: askpamdayes

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An Unfair Request

Ask Alma Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans over 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@yahoo.com.

Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma.

Dear Alma, I’m a single mother supporting my three children with no help from my exhusband.

I am thankful to have a great job that I like very much.

I referred my BFF’s husband to the company who has since become a regular employee and he is very happy here as well.

Once you pass the 90 day probation, the employee who referred you is given a referral bonus. My friend’s husband recently approached me and said boldly in my face that he expects me to split the money with him.

Needless to say, I was shocked. My BFF has a full time job and they know it’s just me caring for my kids.

I’m not sure how to handle him and maintain our friendship. What should I do?

E.S., Jackson, Miss.

Dear E.S., Double-check your forehead. Did you miss seeing “sucker” tattooed between your eyebrows when you washed the sleep from your eyes this morning?

LOL. Now, double, double-check the conversations between the two of you, replaying them in your mind’s eye.

Did you fist bump on an agreement in advance?

You know how it goes when you’re fast talking, excited and all. For example, when discussing the vacancy, did you jokingly say, “If you get hired, I’ll split the bonus with you.” That’s the only reason I can see him expecting a few coins heading his way.

In all honesty, I don’t get the feeling that’s what happened here. You didn’t mention it did, in your very detailed email.

Seems to me, you feel like you’re

caught between a rock (your BFF) and a hard place (her husband), not wanting to disturb the friendship.

That’s kool, I understand. This incident isn’t a reason for this friendship to be shaken. If anything, he’s trying to take advantage of the relationship. Because he is your BFF’s husband, dismiss him.

You owe him nothing!

Don’t allow him to manipulate and get you all in a tizzy. Stand tall, shoulders straight, pumps pointed forward, ready to deal with him directly.

Say it once, you don’t even need to practice. This should come off as sweet as pineapple pie. Repeat after me “I’m not splitting any money with you.”

That’s it, don’t ever discuss it again.

You don’t owe him a reason, excuse or justification for your response. Nope, nada, nothing.

Let me remind you that in this economy, jobs are tough to come by.

The best reference anyone can have is an employee, who’s a friend that already works for the company.

His act of appreciation should be nothing more than, “Thank you for helping me get a job,” cause that my friend, is priceless.

Alma

CALENDAR January 8-9 Four brothers are back by popular demand! CUSP 'THE POLYMATH,' DA BEAR, AWAJI JOHNSON, OBBIE WEST hits the stage again this season, rippin' and rappin' like the poets of the 1960's Cultural Revolution. Sharing their personal experiences while honoring four distinguished poets, the brothers words are penetrating and smooth and so is the jazz. They've got a word for the ladies!

Friday and Saturday, January 8 & 9, 2016 @ 9pm Clarence Muse Cafe Theater Dallas Convention Center Theater Complex To purchase tickets, call TBAAL Box Office at 214-743-2400

January 9

Comedian Lavell Crawford performs at the Majestic Theatre.

Call 888-929-7849 FOR TICKETS

Merri Dee at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters 10a.m.

January 11 This month's topic: "Bank on It" BB&T's Financial Literacy Workshop Starts at Noon Banking Services and Employee Benefits for Small Businesses With economic development in mind, BB&T has partnered with the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce to provide FREE education and financial literacy to take pre-existing businesses to the next level. BB&T recognizes that the heart of the community is small business and in order for it to grow, small businesses must grow.

In this workshop, you will get an overview of Basic Business Financial Services designed to show how they work for small businesses. Attendees can expect to learn: Presented by: BB&T's Community Development Team Cost to Attend: FREE to Chamber Members, Non-Chamber Members and the Oak Cliff Community. RSVP is required.

Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce "Community Development Room" 1001 N. Bishop Ave. Dallas, TX 75208 (214) 943-4567

January 15 Fred’s Entertainment Pays Homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mr. Harry T. Moore The Pan African Connection 8:00 PM Until 4466 South Marsalis Ave @ Ann Arbor Dallas, Tx. 75216 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Juanita Wallace Founder of 100 Black Women of America, Speaking on Mr. Harry T. Moore: Mr. Gary Brown (Mr. Harry T. Moore is the founder of the first branch of the NAACP in Brevard County Florida) Special Guest: Mr. Lee Alcorn and Family African Drumming by Baba Kwasi Doors Open at 7:00 PM PLEASE DRESS IN ALL WHITE HEAD TO TOE Student With ID $9.00 ($33.00 at the door). General $15.00 ($33.00 at the door). VIP $27.00 ($33.00 at door) Go to Payment Page on www.fredsentertainment.com And click on Buy Now Contact: Fred A. Ghaffar at 214-607-6445

w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . co m Damon Williams at 9p.m.

January 20 Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Festival. Parade begins at 10a.m. featuring Grand Marshal Tom Joyner, with Festival to follow in the Automobile Building in Fair Park.

January 21

Oak Cliff Chamber for its Annual Awards & VIP Reception, "Spotlighting the Cliff."

Featuring Master of Ceremony, Rep. Rafael Anchia, the Awards Ceremony will recognize the best Oak Cliff businesses, organizations and individuals in 2015 for their achievements, community contributions and milestones. Bishop Arts Theatre Center 215 Tyler Street, Dallas, TX 75208

Jan. 21-Feb. 13 Garland Civic Theatre presents the hard-boiled mystery, "The Man with Bogart's Face"

by Andrew J. Fenady. Full of twists, turns, intrigue and deadly danger, this play's heart is a loving tribute to the private eye mysteries rooted in classic Hollywood film noir. "The Man with Bogart's Face" will run Fridays and Saturdays, Jan. 22-Feb. 13 at 8 p.m., with Sunday performances on Jan. 24 and 31 at 2:30 p.m. There is a Thursday performance on January 21 at 7:30 p.m. Granville Arts Center Small Theatre 300 N. Fifth Street Tickets: $22 at GarlandArtsBoxOffice.com or 972-205-2790.

January 23 and 24 The USA Film Festival announces the schedule of events for the 32nd annual KidFilm® Festival taking place Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24, 2016 at the Angelika Film Center, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. All programs will be presented FREE to the community. KidFilm is the oldest and largest-attended children’s film festival in the United States, featuring an entertaining, educational, and diverse line-up of new and classic films for both children and adults.

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February 14

12th Annual Dallas Blues Festival featuring Latimore, Sir Charles Jones, Theodis Ealey, TK Soul, Shirley Brown, Cupid, Bobby Rush Sun, Feb 14, 2016 - 6:00PM Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie 1001 Performance Place Grand Prairie, TX 75050

February 17

DBCC Power Lunch Bill J Priest Institute 1402 Corinth Street Dallas 75215 1-3pm February 17, 2016 Understanding the RFP &RFB Process

February 20 February 26

UNCF Masked Ball at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Call 972-234-1007 for tickets.

New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church will host its 11th Annual Raymond B. Spencer Scholarship banquet on February 26th 2016, at 7:00 p.m. at the Fort Worth Hilton Hotel. The Featured keynote speaker will be Dr. Rev Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D., a civil rights leader and new generation trailblazer. Dr. Warnock is the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, the church home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February 27

JD Lawrence presents Martin, Malcolm and Me at the Majestic Theatre. Call 888-9297849 for tickets

March 2

January 30

DBCC Power Lunch!

Bill J Priest Institute 1402 Corinth Street Dallas 75215 1-3pm March 2, 2016 How to do a Business with DART

Nontombi Naomi Tutu the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, will speak at 1:00PM at The Black Academy of Arts & Letters (TBAAL) 1309 Canton Street Dallas, Texas 75202 (Corner of Canton & Akard St).

MaDea’s on the Run - Two shows 3p.m. And 8p.m. At the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Call 888-929-7849

March 12

John McCaa WFAA-TV News Anchor will act as Master of Ceremonies.

April 2

As Americans finish out the month of celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a month that has been preceded by unprecedented politically divisive hate speeches with no let up it appears until January 2017 when presidential elections are complete.

Many are questioning what can be done to get America back to its well known mantra of "a land of people yearning to be free!"

HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL 8 p.m. Majestic Theatre The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center and AEG Live announced Herb Alpert and Lani Hall will perform at the Majestic Theatre

Ms. Tutu a person who grew up in racist South Africa's Apartheid government system will speak to how her father and other anti-Apartheid heroes fought to change that system making it a model for the world that perhaps America too can learn from. Come join the discussion! Tickets $10 call 214-743-2400

in downtown Dallas. Center Members get access to the best available seats. Call Membership Services at 214-978-2888 or go to www.attpac.org/support to join. Center Membership presale began Tuesday, September 29 at 10 a.m.

Ticket prices for Herb Alpert & Lani Hall range from $76.75 to $36.75 and can be purchased, beginning on October 2 at 10 a.m., online at www.attpac.org, by phone at 214-880-0202 or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Information Center at 2353 Flora Street (Monday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.).

February 3

DBCC Power Lunch!

Bill J Priest Institute 1402 Corinth Street Dallas 75215 1-3pm February 3, 2016 Understanding Government Contracting

********

February 10

Black Music Civil Rights Movement Concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St, featuring Tony Terry and Rahsaan Patterson.

Student performance 10am on Friday. Public Performance 730pm on Sunday

Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, running February 10th - March 6th. All evening performance for this show will start at 7:30 at the Undermain Theatre

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February 13

Friday and Saturday Comedy at the Muse Theater at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, featuring

J A N UA R Y 6, 2015

AMOUD FOUNDATION ANNUAL FUNDRAISER at 6:30 PM

The Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) will celebrate the 9th annual Appetite for Advocacy Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Brené Brown on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 12 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 N. Olive Street. A VIP sponsor reception will be held following the luncheon in a private room at the Sheraton from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

The luncheon highlights the importance of education and child abuse awareness in the community. Proceeds support DCAC’s work in improving the lives of abused children in Dallas County and providing national leadership on child abuse issues. This year’s event is co-chaired by Paula Richmond and Megan Steinbach

May 7

Woman of Strength Ministry, Inc Mother's Day Luncheon Back by Popular Demand!!

Ed Johnson, III

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JANUARY 6, 2015

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Scenes from KwanzaaFest 2015

LIFESTYLE

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J A N UA R Y 6, 2015

DFW-ABJ Annual Mixer honors media giants

The Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists recently held its annual mixer sponsored by AT&T, American Airlines and the Don’t Believe the Hype Foundation.

Many are unaware of the invaluable work of our members but you’re going to hear more from us in 2016 as we celebrate 35 years.

We have the Urban Journalism Workshop that begins in January and we want all of your help as we train aspiring journalists.

We have scholarship applications, along with membership applications for DFWABJ. We also will be doing a community access forum - How to get into the News without Committing Murder. There’s our Griot Awards that will be revamped and our 35th anniversary celebration. Check out our website www.dfwabj.com and our facebook pages for meeting dates and events.

Our new calendar comes out in two weeks.

At the event we collected clothing and money for Minnie’s Pantry. Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson continues to feed one mouth at a time. Those who haven’t written a story or reported on her, please help spread the word when someone like Dr. Jackson is doing such great things.

We honored some wonderful people presenting them with Honorary Lifetime Membership in DFW-ABJ: Demond Fernandez, a stellar reporter and active member is a mentor, who believes in our youth. One of his stories won a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Award this summer.

Mollie Belt couldn’t be with us because of the wake for her husband, Atty. James Belt Jr. Our prayers are with the Belt Family. A former Community Service Award winner for the National Association of Black Journalists, the Dallas Examiner has won numerous awards and this past summer the Dallas Examiner won two Salute to Excellence Awards. We also observed a moment of silence in honor of James Belt, Jr. John McCaa is a former president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators (now Journalists) and the Press Club of Dallas. He has been at WFAATV for over 25 years and he is a long-time member of the National Association of Black Journalists. This year he received his Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Bob Ray Sanders is the dean of area

journalists! Bob Ray recently retired as an editor and columnist with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He excelled in convergence, because before we knew anything about the word -- he was writing for newspapers, reporting and producing shows for television and hosting a radio talk show. He also taught at the collegiate level.

Robert Mong is the editor emeritus of the Dallas Morning News and he had a brief retirement before assuming the helm as the president of the University of North TexasDallas. Bob is a friend to aspiring journalists and prior to his appointment at UNT, I was called asking my thoughts about him at UNT and I talked candidly about the commitment I saw from him, decades ago and right up to today. Bob Mong cares about young people and he cares about the world we live in.

We’re excited that he’s continuing to make a difference in the lives of others.

Norma Adams-Wade is one of the 44 founders of NABJ. There are no words to adequately address all of the contributions that Norma has made to journalism, society and this world. Her words have touched the lives of millions and although she could be retired and on an island, she continues

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to share her wealth of information with the world. In addition to life membership in DFW-ABJ, Norma we are flying her to NABJ’s National Convention this summer in Washington, DC, where she will join other NABJ founders.

Guess what?

DFW ABJ is about scholarships and one of our stellar Urban Journalism Workshop participants received a scholarship. Jershayla Johnson is a freshman at the University of Houston and she is a born leader.

To close out the program Clarence Hill Jr., Dallas Cowboys beat reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a strong member of DFWABJ and NABJ, also serving on the Sports Task Force led a discussion with one of the greatest Florida A&M University Rattlers of all time, former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton.

It was a great event and we are making a nice contribution to Minnie’s We are also looking forward to a great year in 2016. Join us!

Cheryl

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JANUARY 6, 2015

SPIRITUALITY

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Promises, promises Spiritually Speaking

by James A. Washington

Spiritually Speaking….

For a moment I’d like to think through this thing called covenant. I understand the dictionary definition as you probably do also. However, let’s take a look at it biblically. The fact is God made a covenant with His people. Today, that means you and me. In essence He’s made us a promise. Now if you’ve lived as long as I have, you’ve had many people make promises to you that (1.) they have no intention of keeping and (2.), they failed miserably while trying to keep said promise. A third reality would be that he or she could have cared less about keeping a promise they made to you. Perhaps you are one of these promise breakers rather than a promise keeper. I know I’ve broken a promise or two in my day. But the subject here is God and I’ve got to assume that if anybody keeps His word, it’s got to be God. Therefore it stands to reason and faith that we should take to our graves the covenant promise God made to Abraham, aka, us. It’s the one Jesus came to fulfill. Jesus’ new covenant, as a matter of fact, replaces the old one. Remember the operative concept here is promises.

Now if I’ve got the concept down and the importance associated with keeping one’s word, then I need to be more careful in the promises I make and to whom I make them. It appears the foundation of spiritual belief is wrapped up in a simple promise.

To Noah, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you green plants, I now give you everything.” Genesis 9:3. To Abraham, “As for me, this is my covenant with you…..you will be the father of nations….I will make nations of you and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for generations to come, to be your God and the God of the descendants after you…..I will be their God.” Genesis 17:2-8.

To Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant then out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine, you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…..”

Exodus 19:5. From Jesus to the disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood… for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes….. 1 Corinthians

11:25-26. Remember this is God talking about His promise to us. Have you made any promises to Him lately? What about to yourself about Him, or to someone who loves you or to someone whom you love? Have you kept them? Are you a covenant breaker or a covenant keeper? Do you believe you when you talk? Do you speak the truth when you do?

There is a saying we’ve all heard about speaking the truth into existence. What about this one? Be careful about what you ask for. You see this covenant thing had a powerful beginning. A promise is downright godly. It has to be. The first one came from God to us through Adam and Eve. It kind of gets all caught up in words and the power of words and the understanding of words; God’s words, your words and more words. They have incredible power, if we could always understand them in the context of covenant. They are really vehicles to communicate with each other and the original covenant maker. A reality for all of us is that we are accountable for our words and thereby our actions. My obligation then is to emulate God almighty in a manner befitting His divine order. “So shall my word be that goes forth out of your mouth…” Isaiah 55:11.

This covenant is a wondrous thing because God keeps His word. The more we understand this, the more scripture opens up and reveals the true nature of God. If I am made in his image, honesty should be the stuff of which my promises are made. Truth is the essence of life and faith in God’s word and is unshakeable. Hopefully, others can demonstrate their faith through their words. You can accomplish a lot with the right words at the right time. It’s all about that truth thing. It does set you free and it has the added value that as long as you speak the truth, you don’t have to remember it. A lie on the other hand, well…

May God bless and keep you always.

Do you know this man?

POLICE have not apprehended Pookie the serial rapist.

We know he has attacked members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and there is a $5,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers.

If you have ANY information, PLEASE call Crime Stoppers

Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE?

Will it matter when it is your sister, mother, aunt or grandmotheror maybe YOU?

LIFESTYLE ‘AFROPOP’ TELEVISION SERIES TAKES ON IMMIGRATION Smollett hosts season eight of the documentary series —Season eight of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange opens with an unflinching portrait of life as an immigrant, as concerns about illegal immigration and refugees reach fever pitch in America and across the world. The documentary series leads off Monday, January 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on WORLD Channel with director Ditte Haarløv Johnsen’s Days of Hope. The season premiere follows three African immigrants who brave it all for a better life in Europe. Jussie Smollett, star of the hit FOX TV show Empire, serves as eighth season host for the series, which is produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and co-presented by American Public Television (APT), AfroPoP takes on important issues facing the global black community, and here it is especially on point. Episode one of the series, Days of Hope, puts a face—or three—on the immigration issue, showing the lengths to which brave souls will go to better their lives and their families’ dire circumstances.

But the dangerous journey these individuals take is nothing in comparison with the horrors they face in their adopted countries.

“The scale and sheer numbers of immigrants from Mexico and Central America as well as the Syrian refugee crisis overshadow any conversation about immigration from other communities of color, where the human rights concerns are just as critical. “ said NBPC Director of Programs and Acquisitions and AfroPoP Executive Producer Kay Shaw. “The opportunity to broadcast a beautifully told story about the plight of West Africans facing the same risks and challenges is a reminder that the issue is global,

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multi-faceted and multi-racial.”

New episodes of the five-part series premiere weekly through February 15. The show continues with: Directors Jérôme Guiot and Thierry Teston’s Pan! Our Music Odyssey (January 25), a joyful celebration of the melodious steel drum. The film explores the magical instrument from its development in Trinidad to its celebration around the world, as bands from across the globe gather to compete in the ultimate steel band competition: Panorama.

Pablo García Pérez de Lara and Marc Serena’s Tchindas (February 1), which transports viewers to São Vicente in Cape Verde. There we meet Tchinda, a transgender woman who is so cherished that her name has become synonymous with LBGT people in the area.

The documentary follows the celebrated character, out and proud since 1998, as she and her cohorts prepare for the beloved annual carnival.

N’Jeri Eaton and Mario Furloni’s First Friday (February 8), which heads to Oakland, California—a city with a reputation as one of the most dangerous in America—as it works to rebrand itself through its successful First Fridays monthly street festival. The murder of a young Black man sends the city reeling, threatening the very survival of this community celebration and, perhaps, the town’s very renaissance.

A shorts program (February 15) celebrating youth and the hope they both possess and inspire—with films from the west and east coasts of Africa. Nosarieme Garrick’s My Africa Is, set in the bustling, modern city of Nairobi, introduces viewers to dynamic youth envisioning a new Kenya—designers, inventors and musicians changing the face of their communities through innovation and entrepreneurship. Terence Nance and Blitz the Ambassador’s Native Sun helps viewers see Ghana through the eyes and dreams of an eight-year-old in search of his father.

AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is produced by Angela

Tucker and directed by Duana Butler.

For details on AfroPoP, visit www.blackpublicmedia.org. APT distributes the series to the full public television system in February 2016. Viewers may find out when and where to watch, by checking local listings or online at www.APTonline.org.

Jussie Smollett stars as Jamal Lyon on the hit series Empire from producer/director Lee Daniels. His role allows him to blend his acting, singing and songwriting skills in the high-octane family drama, which is a historic hit on FOX. Smollett’s feature film credits include The Mighty Ducks, Rob Reiner’s North, and Alex Haley’s Queen. He also appeared in the telefilm A Little Piece of Heaven,opposite Cloris Leachman, and starred with his five real-life siblings in the network comedy On Our Own. Smollett recently appeared on Revenge and The Mindy Project, and was seen in the independent film Ask Me Anything.

He received rave reviews for his portrayal of Magnus, a gay medical student hosting his college friends in New York City, in the 2012 film The Skinny.

Smollett will next be seen in the new WGN thriller Underground in 2016 and he is currently recording his album, described as a mix of pop and soul with alternative hip-hop beats.

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) is committed to enriching our democracy by educating, enlightening, empowering and engaging the American public.

We support diverse voices by developing, producing and distributing innovative media about the Black experience and by investing in visionary content makers. NBPC provides quality content for public media outlets, including, among others, PBS and PBS.org and BlackPublicMedia.org, as well as other platforms, while training and mentoring the next generation of Black filmmakers.

Founded in 1979, NBPC produces the AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange documentary series and manages NBPC 360, a funding and training initiative designed to accelerate the production of important Black serial and interactive content.

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IN MEMORIAM Author, Psychiatrist Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, 80 Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, a psychiatrist whose ideas about racism and society sparked years of debate and controversy, died on Saturday, January 2nd, at age 80.

Often described as Queen Mother of Black Consciousness, Dr. Welsing became famous for her work, “The Cress Theory of ColorConfrontation” in 1974 and later published the controversial The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors in 1991.

Welsing was born March 18, 1935 to Dr. Henry Cress, a medical doctor, and Ida Griffen, a schoolteacher, in Chicago, Ill. She attended Antioch College and graduated with her bachelor’s in 1957. She earned her doctorate at Howard University in 1962.

According to Blackamericaweb.com, Welsing joined Howard’s faculty as an assistant professor of pediatrics after working in the Washington, D.C. area as a psychiatrist.

It was during this tenure when she published her essay, “The Cress Theory of ColorConfrontation and Racism (White Supremacy).”

In that essay, Welsing put forth the idea that racism was a worldwide behavior – and that whites’ status as a global minority feeds a fear that leads to oppression and violence.

In a 1974 TV appearance with William Shockley on Tony Brown’s Black Journal, Welsing said: “I think that… even though most white people are not consciously understanding their problem in genetics, they are certainly aware that they are genetically dominated by people of color – that’s why there’s the statement that one drop of black blood makes you black. Because people of color have the genetic capacity to annihilate white people.”

According to Welsing’s account, Howard decided to not renew her position with the school after the publishing of the paper. She then began working with Department of Human Services and worked over two decades as a psychiatrist, mostly with children.

She was acclaimed for her work.

The Isis Papers expanded on several of Welsing’s ideas around whites feeling threatened by the scope and reach of Black people around the globe, even down to the size of genitalia. The seminal book also explored the Black family structure, AIDS and the crisis of Black male and female relationships. In The Isis Papers Welsing wrote: “The whole of white culture is designed to say that whites have [certain] qualities.

Everything possible is done to demonstrate this. First, you have [only] white players, then blacks come in, but a white has to be the quarterback. Western culture has to project white supremacy. When blacks succeed athletically, whites are forced ‘up against the psychological wall’ because white youngsters are ‘brought up to believe a white has to be superior’.”

Welsing specialized in child and general psychiatry and her books were the basis for measuring the damage of racism in America and the world. In calling for strong families and role models in the Black community, Welsing wrote, “Children are the only future of any people.”

Singer, Actress, Author Natalie Cole, 65 Singer Natalie Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat “King” Cole who carried on his musical legacy, has died.

Multiple Grammy-winning recording artist Natalie Cole was just 8 years old when her father, legendary crooner Nat King Cole, recorded his first album in Spanish, scoring an unexpected international smash in 1958. Her father’s foreign-language success was a culturally captivating experience for little Natalie, who got to travel outside the country for the first time with her famous father. She vividly recalls a trip to Mexico during which she saw her first piñata, posed for pictures “as a señorita” in folkloric dress, and most memorably, witnessed first-hand the adulation and esteem that Latin American fans showed for the King, a pioneering African-American superstar.

Natalie Cole rocketed to stardom in 1975 with her debut album, Inseparable, earning her a #1 single, “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and her first two Grammy® awards for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1977, Cole scored a No. 1 R&B hit with “I’ve Got Love on My Mind” from her third

release, Unpredictable, which became her first platinum album. Cole continued her winning streak that same year with her fourth album, Thankful, which also went platinum and featured another signature hit, “Our Love.”

The singer expanded her success with her own TV special in 1977. It was the first of more than 300 major television appearances in her career, including dramatic roles on “Law and Order” and “Touched by an Angel” as well as guest spots on talk shows with Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Larry King.

In 1979, Cole was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

After overcoming personal challenges, Cole returned in peak form with 1987’s Everlasting, an album which garnered three hit singles: “Jump Start (My Heart),” the Top 10 ballad “I Live For Your Love,” and her dance-pop cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac.” Cole marked a career milestone in 1991 with the release of Unforgettable…

With Love, featuring the celebrated duet with her late father, Nat King Cole. The album spent five weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts, earned six Grammy® awards, and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.

In 1996, Cole released a follow-up album of American standards, Stardust, which featured another duet with her father on “When I Fall in Love.” The album went platinum and won another Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Subsequent albums, Snowfall on the Sahara (1999) and Ask a Woman Who Knows (2002), both merited the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist Cole took home her ninth career GRAMMY® award for 2008’s Still Unforgettable, which won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. It also earned Natalie a NAACP Award for Best Jazz Artist.”

In 2001, she starred as herself in “Livin’ for Love: the Natalie Cole Story,” based on her autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder, which detailed her harrowing drive to overcome drug addiction. She received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. As an actress, Natalie starred in director Delbert Mann’s “Lily in Winter” and co-starred with Laurence Fishburne and Cicely Tyson in Walter Mosley’s “Always Outnumbered A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. , Cole released a second memoir in 2010 titled “Love Brought Me Back,” the heart-wrenching chronicle of her quest for a kidney transplant.

County Commissioner El Franco Lee, 66 El Franco Lee is a native Houstonian, reared in the Kashmere Gardens section in the City of Houston. Commissioner is a graduate of Phillis Wheatley Senior High School, earning a B.S. Degree from the School of Technology at Texas Southern University~Houston, and completing related courses at the University of Houston.

Commissioner Lee began his political career in 1979 when he was elected Texas State Representative for District 142 where he served for five years. In 1985, Commissioner Lee was elected and sworn in as the first African American Harris County Commissioner, where he is currently serving his seventh term in office.

Lee was a great advocate of partnerships. Through partnering with various entities, his precinct has benefited through the process of combining resources toward a common cause, thus resulting in the enhancement of quality services and an increase in the numbers served.

Much of Precinct One is made up of the inner city, and over the years, Commissioner Lee has worked hard to improve the quality of life for the residents in underserved areas.

His emphasis on the inner city has had a far-reaching impact and has been instrumental in providing services and opportunities for youth and young adults through various initiatives within the Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics Program. In 1986, Street Olympics began as a Summer Youth Program, but has since developed into a network of recreational, educational, and health programs that include the Harris County Aquatics Program (HCAP), the Northeast Adolescent Program (NEAP), Bright Futures,

and the Discovery Camp. Precinct One Street Olympics, Inc. now serves over 10,000 Harris County youth each year. Commissioner Lee has also helped the inner city through his participation in the SPARK Park Program, which upgrades inner-city school property for public park use.

His participation in the SPARK initiative was the catalyst that led to the establishment of the Finnigan Park Project that, to date, has been most successful in completing comprehensive park upgrades involving total renovations and new construction of some 9 parks within the precinct.

Although Lee has one of the most active Seniors Programs involving initiatives such as Health & Fitness, Arts & Crafts, Piano/Computer Tutorials, Gardening, Tours/ Transportation, Annual-Holiday Celebrations, and other special programming such as the Seniors Drama Group, and the Seniors Readings and “In Our Own Words” Writing Workshops, he has continued his passion and emphases on youth initiatives through the creation and expansion of the Northeast Adolescent Program (NEAP) that started in 1990. NEAP is the result of a partnership between Harris County Precinct One, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston ISD, Harris County Hospital District, March of Dimes, Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services, Aldine ISD and North Forest ISD, created as a pilot program to address the high rates of teen pregnancy and infant mortality in the inner city. Currently in its fourteenth year, NEAP now serves several thousand youth each year through the teen health clinics that are located within his precinct area.

Not only has Commissioner Lee served the community well, he has also worked extensively on a number of substantive local, state and national committees and boards.

Aside from his official county duties, Commissioner Lee has been active in a number of community outreach programs. He has worked with the Urban Outreach Program, and the Northeast and Metro branches of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

He has also helped to raise funds for a number of charitable organizations, including the American Diabetes and March of Dimes Associations, and the Live Oak Fund.

Commissioner Lee and wife, Ethel Kaye have two children.

“I’m shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee,” said Texas State Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston). “El Franco was a personal friend and mentor – someone I always turned to when considering big decisions in my life, so I’ll miss him greatly.

“His legacy will be that of public service, as he was always a stalwart advocate for Harris County and Precinct One. He positively impacted the lives of countless residents each year, whether through the Street Olympics, public park upgrades, or senior programs. El Franco used the power of his office for the greater public good, and our community is better off thanks to his dedication and desire to serve.”

Songwriter, choreographer, singer Nicholas Caldwell, 71 Nicholas Caldwell was a founding member of the group, The Whispers. With a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s, The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003 and were winners of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s prestigious Pioneer Award in 2008.

The group was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com December 2012.

Nicholas was born April 6, 1944 in Loma Linda, California. He and Marcus Hutson created a group called “the Eden Trio.” Later, they were renamed “The Whispers” by Lou Bedell of Dore Records.

The Whispers formed in 1964 in Watts, California. The original members included the twin brothers, Wallace “Scotty” and Walter Scott, along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1973, Harmon was replaced by former Friends of Distinction member Leaveil Degree. Scotty Scott’s fluid, melodic voice is featured on virtually all of their hits.

Known for his smooth moves on stage, Nicholas wrote the neoclassic song, “Lady.” It is still a favorite at concerts.

The Whispers have Seven Gold Albums, Two Platinum Albums, 12 Top Twenty Singles, 40 Charted Hits Since 1970, American Music Award Nominees, Soul Train Award Nominees, Grammy Award Nominees 2003 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inductees, 2005 Regional Grammy Governors Award, 2002 NAACP Image Award.

Most of the group’s choreography is done by Nicholas, who is also The Whispers’ invaluable second tenor, Reared in Southern California, Nicholas got most of his basic vocal training from singing in glee clubs in high school. “Getting a chance to do the choreography for The Whispers is really a fantastic experience,” said Nicholas. “Every member of the group can really dance well, including acrobatic and tap dancing.”

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Jackson announces Wall Street Project Summit Thousands of corporate executives, minority entrepreneurs and community leaders are expected to attend the Wall Street Project Economic Summit, which will take place in New York City February 16-18, 2016.

The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, who with the Maxine Leftwich Citizenship Education Fund founded the Wall Street Project in 1996, says the Project encourages Corporate America to recognize the value that minority entrepreneurs, vendors and consumers bring to the marketplace and ensure equal access and opportunities for culturally diverse companies, consumers and employees.

“The Wall Street Project is not an end in itself, or a means to an end, but an evolutionary process,” says Reverend Jackson.

“The road to shared economic security travels through twoway trade, where all are included and none is left behind. Just as America did not realize how good professional sports could be until athletes of all colors could play, American business will not maximize its growth potential until all businesses have an equal opportunity to compete on an even playing field, where the rules are public and the goals are clear. That is the goal of the Wall Street Project.”

Reverend Jackson announced that he has named Wall Street veteran Maxine Leftwich as executive director of the Wall Street Project for 2016. “Maxine understands the issues and challenges

that African Americans and other minorities face on Wall Street and throughout the corporate world, for the finance industry has been her life and career,” he says. “She is ideally suited to guide us in tackling today’s relevant issues so we can forge ahead and break through the barriers that we as a people face.”

Says Ms. Leftwich: “Reverend Jackson, PUSH and the Citizenship Education Fund have done an incredible job with the Wall Street Project. I am pleased to offer my services to help take the effort to the next level. We Rev. Jesse L. Jackson are already taking our vision forward to the Wall Street Project’s 20th Anniversary in 2017. The enormous opportunities available on Wall Street and at major corporations must be shared with our diverse communities. That’s what the Wall Street Project is all about – opening doors and providing access.”

Ms. Leftwich is a founding principal of LS Financial Group, a financial advisory and management consulting firm that was based in New York and served private corporations, cities, states and public authorities throughout the country. She also worked closely with the Clinton Administration on the North American Free Trade Agreement Bill that was passed into law.

In addition, Ms. Leftwich served as financial advisor to the City of Chicago, the City of Denver, the City of Kansas, the City of East St. Louis, and the District of Columbia’s Housing Finance Agency. During the administration of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, she served as liaison between the Mayor and 12 governmental agencies.

In addition, Lucille R. Dobbins, a veteran CPA, was named Deputy Executive Director of the Wall Street Project. Ms. Dobbins, Partner in Goodall, Kenner & Associates, P.C., was the First Deputy Commissioner in the Department of Planning and then Chief Financial Officer for the City of Chicago during the administration of Harold Washington.

Speakers during the Wall Street Project Economic Summit will include New York Mayor Bill De Blasio; U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, ranking member of the House Committee on Financial Services; the Honorable Michael Frerichs, Treasurer for the State of Illinois; the Honorable Scott Stringer, Comptroller for the City of New York; and Kurt Summers, Treasurer for the City of Chicago. Also confirmed to participate are John Thompson, chairman of Microsoft; Sheila Johnson, CEO, Salamander Hospitality; John Rogers, President, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Ariel Investments; Suzanne Shank, President and CEO, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co.; Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, Senior Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church; and Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

A highlight of the Summit will be the Wall Street Project Gala Fundraiser

Black Americans lost ground in every economic category Tavis Smiley & SmileyBooks Release New Book with Startling Data on the 10th Anniversary of The Covenant with Black America

Tavis Smiley

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2006, Tavis Smiley, along with a team of esteemed contributors, laid out a national plan of action to address the 10 most crucial issues facing African Americans.

The Covenant became a #1 New York Times bestseller, and was the central focus of two nationally televised presidential debates on PBS in the 2008 race for the White House, featuring Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden.

The Covenant ran the gamut from health care to criminal justice, affordable housing to education, voting rights to racial divides.

But a decade later: Black men still fall victim to police bullets and brutality Black women still disproportionately die from preventable diseases Black children still struggle to gain access to a high-quality education The digital divide and environmental inequality persist

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Cities from Ferguson to Baltimore burn with frustration In short, the last decade has seen the evaporation of Black wealth, with Black fellow citizens having lost ground in nearly every leading economic category. The Covenant with Black America: Ten Years Later (SmileyBooks/January 11, 2016/$15.99) presents the original action plan alongside new data from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) to underscore missed opportunities and the hard work that remains to be done.

"All across America, the vicious assault on the civil and human rights of Black people has outraged citizens of conscience, and led to a renewed sense of social protest and political activism," says Tavis Smiley, who compiled and edited the new book. "It's not that difficult to understand why a generation that's been politically marginalized, economically exploited, and culturally manipulated would feel so angry and aggrieved.

Ten years ago, The Covenant declared that there would be a reckoning if the lives of Black fellow citizens were not valued and protected.

What a difference a decade makes; the damage, destruction, and even death is now undeniable."

But is the damage irreparable? As we head into another presidential primary election season, will the plight of Black America be ignored yet again?

What ground, if any, has Black America gained during the Obama years? Where does Black America go from here?

The Covenant With Black America: Ten Years Later addresses these and other vital questions about the present state of affairs for African Americans and what could be a bleak future for Black America if the warning signs indicated in the new data are ignored.

Smiley will be on a book tour the week of January 11–15, 2016, in New York City and Washington, D.C. During the same week, his nightly PBS program will focus on The Covenant issues, with panel discussions featuring experts in various fields: Health (Monday, Jan.11), Reclaiming Our Democracy (Tuesday, Jan. 12), Education & The Economy (Wednesday, Jan. 13), Environment (Thursday, Jan. 14), and Justice (Friday, Jan. 15). Each night will also feature a special music performance from all-star recording artists including Tamela Mann, Talib Kweli, Macy Gray, Taj Mahal, and Ben Harper.

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Reel-ality TV Talk

By Marquesa LaDawn George Curry Media Columnist 5 of the10 Biggest Life Lessons in 2015 from the Real Housewives of Atlanta and New Jersey

1-Self-Awareness is Everything: Finding yourself in the same argument or situation multiple times with different people means you’ve issues you need to fix. Kenya Moore (Real Housewives of Atlanta) struggled with this issue since she became a Real Housewife. Over the past year, it grew worse. She consistently requests that people are removed from her space when she gets angry at them. Every time she gets in an argument, it’s someone else’s fault, she’s always the victim - at least in her mind. -- The interesting part of this is, the other housewives are noticing the consistent bad habits and are sick of it.

Ironically, Kenya introduced Kim Fields on the show this season, and Kim’s not having it. In a tasteful way, she calls Kenya out on her stuff. I have a feeling that this season, Kenya will have to look in the mirror and change.

2-Personal Responsibility will happen one way or the other: Teresa Giudice (Real Housewives of New Jersey) is notorious for not owning her stuff. One of the original RHONJ, she found herself in some legal hot water that resulted in prison time for her and her husband. Has she truly changed? We will find out in time, but she’s not off to the greatest start. She left prison and arrived home to see a fancy Lexus SUV wrapped in a bow parked in front of her home. This became a big part of the news story about her return home (unavoidable) and now fans are outraged about what seems to be a lesson not learned. -- I have mixed feeling about this, I think if she needed a car, she’s free to choose what that is. At the same time, however, it’s not smart to rub your expensive things in front of the world so soon after being released from prison for financial mischief.

I just pray for their children’s sake, the lesson is learned.

3-Be Real from the Beginning: If you are loud and proud, own it, especially in a relationship. Otherwise, you are setting it up for failure. Porsha Williams (Real Housewives of Atlanta) is a completely different person from who she was in her first season. Initially, I thought it was because her husband required her to be a certain type, but I now believe she had a fake persona from the beginning. The fake persona was a Stepford wife; her look was super conservative, everything was about her husband, she seemed to promote her grandfather’s charity in her spare time, etc. The post-divorce Porsha is anything but conservative -

she’s loud, outrageous, eager to display her body parts and pretty vocal about everything. -- I have no problem with this type of persona, it defines a real housewife’s TV personality. I do have a problem with her trying to fool everyone from the beginning. She’s desperate for love and seems to think just being a pretty girl with a great body will get her there. All that does is attract the wrong men with the wrong intentions. Still, it’s extremely entertaining.

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4- Success does not erase your past, which will keep showing up: NeNe Leakes (Real Housewives of Atlanta) is a bonafide celebrity. She’s done it all, including sitcoms, movies, Broadway, talk shows, clothes line, you name it. -- If we go back to how she became famous, it was from bad behavior; she was cold, rude and unforgiving when it came to defending her point of view. She’s had a record number of physical altercations and made a lot of not-so-great choices on past seasons. She also changed and became more mature as time passed.

She walked away from arguments, she excluded herself from potential problem situations and she even tried therapy, though not always successful. I look forward to seeing the newest version of Nene Leakes.

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5-Friendship is a delegate thing: When its put up against other big things like money and fame , it does not always win: Phaedra Parks (Real Housewives of Atlanta) is a natural friend and thrives on that connection. Phaedra had a tough 2015, she lost her husband to prison, her credibility is still questioned and she’s struggling with her new normal. Image and success was everything for her since she first debuted on the show. So much so, she lied about little things to keep that perception intact. Now, her ride-or-die chick is no longer a fan and she’s devastated. Kandi tried hard to not choose a side when it came to her husband and her best friend but it was unavoidable. Phaedra entered a business deal with Todd, Kandi’s husband, and she did not complete the business. In her mind, she thinks Kandi and Todd have more than enough money to settle their obligations. But Kandi has famously dealt with friends not paying for her services and is ultra sensitive about that and must look out for her husband the same way. In addition, Todd is an Apollo fan and that rubs Phaedra the wrong way. It’s a mess and Phaedra is acting out by talking about Kandi behind her back. Again, bad for them, but entertaining for us.

NEXT WEEK: The other five lessons Marquesa LaDawn is a professional businesswoman who escapes the pressures of living in New York City by retreating into the real world of reality TV. Follow her on twitter @ realityshowgirl, Periscope and subscribe to her podcast at www.RealitytvGirl.com

Priscilla Ward, continued from page 4 I could conceal. I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t care if I wasn’t mixing with others. I found my little black planet at work. I went over to my black boss and talked real low and real brief about how disturbing this all was. I grabbed one of my home girls I work with.

We took to the streets to protest right outside my job.

I hoped no one would see me and think something misguided.

Walking home that night, I unleashed all my tears.

I wanted to reach out and hug a black man. Before I arrived at my apartment, I dried off my face as though nothing happened. My white male roommate asked me about the protest; I gave him a non-detailed response.

I said something like, “I’m really upset, but it was a good way for me to get those feelings out.” I couldn’t handle revealing too much; I wanted to avoid a loaded conversation. I took a deep breath and exhaled, closed my bedroom door, picked up the phone, and spoke in whispers about how racist these non-indictments were to my parents, and to my socially conscious white and black friends.

These non-indictments reiterated what I’m up against every single day: the unintentional ignorance of white people. But I was also aware of my willingness to put away my justified “black rage” in order to ensure that my interactions with white people remain comfortable.

And the more I hid it, the more crazed I became. By the time my birthday rolled around, in December, I was cooped up in my bed, without an appetite, my fro needing a good deep conditioner. I was making myself sick.

I know this needs to change. I understand that for my own growth, and in order to forge honest relationships

with white people I meet — whether it’s my roommates, or my co-workers, or anyone else — I need to reveal myself more. I need to start sharing about my history and my culture and how it plays out in my everyday life as an African American woman. I don’t want this rage to fester into bitterness, or infect the very close white friendships I already have. I don’t want to ignore my rage, but I don’t want to be controlled by it either.

Concealing my emotions has made me feel like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

Things are calm right now at the apartment. I don’t bring up these sorts of conversations. I don’t talk about what happens every 28 hours — a black person is killed. My white male roommate and I, we just don’t go there. It makes things easier. Instead, our conversations shuffle between our day-to-day experiences at work, dating and the nuances of the city.

I keep those “forbidden” conversations behind closed doors, and even when I’m alone I speak in code. I don’t say “white.” I use “they” instead.

But I want to stop tiptoeing around race. My blackness is not a secret I have to keep. I want to be able to publicly express my honest admiration for being black, outside of my little black planet. I don’t want to feel marginalized, like I can’t speak hard truths about myself. Having honest and challenging conversations with people of another race will hopefully disrupt other people’s ignorance. But it will also help me. I need to stop with my mental temper tantrums. I want to get free.

Priscilla Ward is a writer whose work has been featured on Health.com, AfroPunk.com, Youngist.org, as well as in Essence and Ammo magazine. She’s obsessed with natural hair, bell hooks, sandwiches and really cool art shows.You can find her tweeting about running one moment and being black the next @Macaronifro.

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HAIR DESIGN

ADVERTISE to 10 Million Homes across the USA! Place your ad in over 140 community newspapers, with circulation totaling over 10 million homes. Contact Independent Free Papers of America IFPA at danielleburnett-ifpa@live.com or visit our website cadnetads. com for more information.

Serving the community since 1979

Myrtle Jones

205 S. 2nd Ave. Garland, Texas To Schedule Appointments call (972) 272-0111

Driver should have a minimum of one year of driving experience in the last 3 years and 5 years of driving experience in the last 10 years. Must be 21 years of age and have a required High School Diploma/GED. Minimum Requirements Driver’s License Type: Class A - Commercial Commercial Driver’s License Endorsement: X - Combination of N and H T - Doubles/Triples

Fre f

Additional details: We are looking for drivers who are safe and will not have customer complaints. Driver must be free of accidents, service violations, and accident services.

Cell: 214-475-3052 Office 214-245-5157 or email us at cr.trucking519@gmail.com

The Garland Journal wishes you the best in 2016!

Let’s grow together.

Subscribe and advertise.

Call 214.941.0110

USE TICID DIREC REPE %NSU lT TI COND CONT CAN CANS FREE RAIN (EA PROP NEGL OR TH WATE h4 IN .

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Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada.

Betty Anderson

NOTE: All Drivers must have a clean background (no felonies or misdemeanors) and at least one year driving experience with a clean MVR. Must have medical card, valid DL, SSC card, DOT card and must pass a required physical and drug screening.

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Call: (972) 926-8503

August 1-15, 2012

NEED A JOB?

Garland News We are looking for orderJournal pullers, loaders & unloaders for Terrell, TX. Taking applications 9:00am - 12:00pm Tuesday-Friday. Please apply in person @ Action Logistics 301 E. Apache Trail, Terrell, TX 75160

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