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MY TRUTH
Garland GARLAND JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 6, 2019
JOURNAL
1
VOL XVIII ISSUE 13 FEBRUARY 6, 2019
BEHOLD: What Success Looks Like!
By Cheryl Smith Publisher
Adults, check yourselves and these children! On several occasions in a classroom full of young ladies, the discussion focused on relationships. The young ladies talked about the guys in their schools and how they were not attracted to the young men for a number of reasons. I told them that years from now they would be attending class reunions and they would run into the same guys and shake their heads in wonderment. Some of those very guys they fawned over would make them wonder what was going through their heads back in the day. I remember friends who I thought I couldn’t live without. But life happens and the narrative changes totally. Things change! Live long enough, you will see. Which brings me to my truth. I had a friend in high school. We walked to school together every day. Once at school we went to homeroom together, attended many of the same classes, including our journalism class, ate lunch together and walked home together after softball practice or some after school meeting. I arrived at home first and would wait until she got home and then we were on the phone for hours. She was my friend for life or so I thought. Unfortunately, decades have passed and I haven’t seen her since the summer after graduation. It was hard to believe that I had a “friend” who I thought would be there for life, but we grow up, life happens and things change. Just like I did as a teenager, the students in my class expressed shock and disbelief when I said that some of them may never see each other after they graduate from high school. They, like most youth, live in the moment. For that reason, parents, adults, the lady down the street and even complete strangers have to be more engaged when it comes to our youth. No matter how much we think we know, as teenagers, we don’t know the half of the story. Our youth need adults who aren’t afraid to take an interest in what they are doing and check them when they are wrong. We have to save them from their sometimes reckless and naive way of looking at life. As I look back, reflecting on my high school years, sometimes I find myself shaking my head as I think about the many times someone’s, most likely my mom’s, prayers saved me to live another day. There was the time, as a first grader, that I tried to display my agility on the monkey bars. Instead, I landed on my head and fortunately survived without too much damage. Although some might disagree! Or there was the time that I was despondent over my dysfunctional love life so I took off walking around the streets of Tallahassee. Never mind that across town the serial murderer Ted Bundy was asSee MY TRUTH, page 6
Marcus Bowers She's Happy Hair
Terry Lacy-Little Eagle Barricade
Jimmy Gaston Premier 360
Jason Robinson Sound Design Studio
Christopher Ross Eight Digit Media
Royce West West and Associates LLP
Quest for Success Class of 2019
When the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce (DBCC) hosts the 35th Annual Quest for Success Awards Luncheon on Friday, February 8, 2019, they will highlight businesses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that have an impact on the local, state,
and national economy while contributing to the economic ecosystem in the African-American Community. In 1985, the DBCC established the Quest for Success Awards to recognize African-American entrepreneurs in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for
outstanding business achievements and service to the community. This luncheon is designed to spotlight African-American entrepreneurs and inspire other entrepreneurs to make their mark in Dallas/Ft. Worth. This year’s awardees are Jason
Robinson of Sound Design Studio, Chris Ross of Eight Digit Media, Terry Lacy-Little of Eagle Barricade, the Honorable Royce West of West and Associates LLP, Marcus Bowers of She’s Happy Hair and Jimmy Gaston of Premier 360.
A Dream Deferred — Is the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Just Another Elusive Dream? By Dr. Elizabeth V. Primas Program Manager NNPA ESSA Awareness Campaign
In 1951, Langston Hughes laid bare the anxious aspirations of millions of Black people in America with his poem, “A Dream Deferred.” In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded America of the promissory note written to its citizens guaranteeing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, in his “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson attempted to make good on that prom-
ise by signing the Civil Rights Act into law. And in 1965, President Johnson sought to ensure equitable access to these unalienable rights by signing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into law. As a part of Johnson’s “War on Poverty,” ESEA was supposed to assist students of color in receiving a quality education, thereby helping lift them from poverty. To date, ESEA remains one of the most impactful education laws ever ratified. ESEA established education funding formulas, guided academic standards, and
Neave to CoChair DALD Austin, TX - State Rep. Victoria Neave (D-Dallas) was elected to succeed State Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) as Co-Chair of the Dallas Area Legislative Del- State Rep. Victoria Neave egation (DALD) on Tuesday. Each legislative session, the members of the DALD select one Democrat and one Republican as joint leaders of the bipartisan House delegation. Rep. Neave will serve alongside Rep. Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson), who was elected as the Republican co-chair. "I applaud Representative Neave and Representative Button for stepping up to lead the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation for the 86th Texas Legislature. I look forward to working with them and our newly elected delegation members to advocate for and advance the interests of our shared region," said Rep. Johnson.
outlined state accountability. Since Johnson, presidents have re-authorized and/or launched new initiatives safeguarding the intentions of ESEA. Some of the most notable re-authorizations have been “No Child Left Behind” (2001, George W. Bush) and “Race to the Top” (2009, Barack Obama). The most recent re-authorization, the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA) was signed into law by President Obama in 2015. In previous re-authorizations of ESEA, emphasis was placed on students’ ability to
Rep. Neave spoke about plans for the upcoming legislative session, stating, “Dallas County is the second largest county in the state and one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Our Dallas Area Legislative Delegation is composed of phenomenal experts and advocates, and is well-positioned to advocate
Elizabeth Primas is an educator who spent more than 40 years working to improve education for children. She is the program manager for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act Public Awareness Campaign. Follow her on Twitter @elizabethprimas.
pass rigorous standards in order to proceed from one grade to the next. However, data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that a measurable achievement gap has persisted. As education leaders review the individual state plans that have been developed and approved in keep-
for the interests of Dallas area residents and businesses, particularly increasing public education funding, improving access to healthcare, and developing our transportation infrastructure. “It has been an honor to work alongside State Rep. Eric Johnson as a member of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation for
ing with the Every Student Succeeds Act, it is obvious that many states are making an attempt prioritize equity over performance. Some states have set timelines for their accountability measures, signifying the urgency of the problem, while other states continue to miss the See ESSA page 4
the past two years," she continued. "His work on affordable housing as well as his successful efforts to limit suspensions for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade have improved the lives of Dallas families and our entire community. I will work hard to continue Rep. Johnson's legacy of steadfast leadership."