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GARLAND JOURNAL
Garland
ume X- Issue 243 August 1-15, 2012
By Cheryl Smith Publisher
Catfish vs. Swai Truth in advertising. It’s simple. I don’t mind paying for what I get, but you need to give me what I pay for. There are more and more restaurants that are passing off a popular fish, Swai, as catfish. That’s a no-no for a number of reasons. First it is unethical. What’s the big deal? Well, if it weren’t a deal, then why are business owners not informing consumers that they are serving something oth-
Fried Swai
Fried Catfish er than what appears on the menu? Would you not like to be informed if you order chopped beef but the server brings out chopped horse? Some have started referring to Swai as catfish because it is similar. Trust me, it is not the same. Nearly 90% of the catfish (Swai) imported to the U.S. comes from Vietnam, where the use of antibiotics that are banned in the U.S. is widespread, according to consumer reports. Furthermore, the two varieties of Vietnamese catfish sold in the U.S., Swai and Basa, aren’t technically considered catfish by the federal government and therefore aren’t held to the same inspection rules that other imported catfish are. Well, try telling this to the restaurants that have sold Swai, passing it off as catfish. On the occasion when I have been served Swai, I have immediately let my server know that the fish before me was not catfish. I’ve been served Swai at seafood, Chinese and neighborhood restaurants. Some of my favorite catfish joints, that actually have “catfish� in their name, do not serve catfish anymore because they can hoodwink customers with Swai. Heck, put some hot sauce, ketchup, mustard or tartar sauce on it and who can tell the difference? I can and more and more frequently others are recognizing and sharing their displeasure. To date there’s never been an issue when I whisper my concern. Actually they quietly try to resolve and address my concerns, without bringing attention to our interactions. Swai is native to Southeast Asia— Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia—and sells locally for around $3.99 a pound, according to Tod Marks of Consumer Reports. You’re going to pay as little as $1 to up to $4 a pound more for catfish. Clearly Swai is cheaper. So wouldn’t you think that the savings should be passed on to consumers? Instead you have business owners who have no issue with violating truth in advertising policies, in addition to being deceptive. I was pleased to see that Rocking Crab at 775 W Wheatland Rd, DunSee MY TRUTH, page 6
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Howard students occupy building amid financial issues By Tatyana Hopkins (The Washington Informer/NNPA Member)
On March 24, hundreds of thousands of people from across the nation gathered in the nation’s capital for a student-led demonstration on gun control. Days later, hundreds of Howard University students took over the university’s Administration building on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of the seizure of the same building by students. HU Resist, a student-run organization, led more than 300 Howard students to occupy the administration building on Thursday, March 29 after an anonymously posted article revealed the school failed to publicly disclose a financial aid scandal that prompted the firing of six employees. The group published its list of demands, which accuses the administration of negligence and calls for
more transparency, before news of the embezzlement broke, but they quickly mobilized after learning about the scandal. “It just allowed us and other students to spark and make this action happen,� said Alexis McKenney, a student organizer with HU Resist and a senior at the university, said the protest was about more than financial aid. The group demanded the resignation of Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick and the university’s board of trustees, an end to “unsubstantiated tuition hikes,� adequate housing for all students younger than 21 and extension of the housing deposit deadline. The list of demands also called for the administration to “actively fight
rape culture on campus,� disarm campus police, provide more resources for students who need mental health care, give students opportunities to weigh in on the administration’s decision-making process and resources to perform out-
reach in the surrounding Shaw-Ledroit Park area. “This is something that is decadeslong that’s brewing up in Howard University culture and our demands speak to that,� Mckenney said. “It’s about a systemic issue at Howard University,
and students need more power.� HU Resist, founded in February 2017 when Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited the campus following her controversial confirmation, is made up See HOWARD, page 7
Martin raises funds for Young Men's Leadership Academy
Veteran journalist Roland S. Martin greets young men at Florence MIddle School. Later he spoke at a fundraiser for the school at UNT Dallas.
Parents, Black Publishers discuss excellence in public education during Black Press Week By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor)
Educators and education experts discussed parental engagement, equity in education and teacher diversity, during a special breakfast session for the NNPA’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Public Awareness Campaign in Washington, D.C. The session took place during the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) Black Press Week, an annual celebration of the relevance and lasting legacy of Black publishers. Panelists included Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes; DNA Educational Solutions and Support CEO Dr. Robert L. Kirton Jr.; NAACP Washington Bureau Chief Hilary O. Shelton; Prince George’s County School Board Member Curtis Valentine; and Dr. Lannette Woodruff, an ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) taskforce member for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, D.C. Dr. Elizabeth Primas, the project manager for the NNPA’s ESSA Public Awareness Campaign, served as
NNPA ESSA Public Awareness Campaign hosted the “Striving for African American Excellence in Public Education: The Role of the Black Press� breakfast session during Black Press Week. Panelists discussed Black parental engagement, equity in education, and teacher diversity.
moderator for the session titled, “Striving for African American Excellence in Public Education: The Role of the Black Press� at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Friday, March 16. “I’m pretty fired up about education,� Rolark Barnes said of the current state of education in the Black community. “As we celebrate 191 years of the Black Press in America, it’s important to remember that the education of Black people is
rooted in the Black Press and the Black Church.� Rolark Barnes also reminded the audience that one of the founders of the Black Press, Samuel Cornish, graduated from the Free African School and became a minister, before he started the Freedom’s Journal. Shelton noted that the Black Press has been the voice of the Black community for a very long time; the NAACP Washington bureau
chief also said that education is the bridge over troubled waters. Kirton recounted a false, yet familiar adage that suggested that “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.� Kirton used the saying to shine a light on the paucity of high-quality education options in the Black community. “I got into the [education] fight, because I want to make a difference,� Kirton said. Valentine advocated for increased parental engagement in our schools at every level. “We need policies that are more welcoming for our parents to come in,� Valentine said. Woodruff agreed. “We want programs in our schools, so that children understand what [parental engagement] is all about,� Woodruff said. In 2017, the NNPA received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support a threeyear, multi-media public awareness campaign focusing on the See EDUCATION, page 2
DCCCD Foundation announces new board members The Dallas County Community College District Foundation has announced the appointment of five new members to its board of directors. Those new members are: Tonika Cheek Clayton, managing partner at NewSchools Venture Fund; Chris Durovich, president and chief executive officer of Children’s Health and CEO of Children’s Medical Center Dallas; Mary Jalonick, retired president of The Dallas Foundation; Regen Horchow Fearon, chair of Early Matters Dallas; and Raamel Mitchell, director of citizenship and public affairs for Microsoft. In addition, Gabe Flores, vice president and ethics director for Texas Instruments, joined the board
last year. The DCCCD Foundation provides students who attend the district’s seven colleges with scholarships; supports educational programs; and works with other organizations to help remove barriers for students so that they can earn a college credential and either start their careers or transfer to a university to further their education. The DCCCD Foundation also identifies and develops resources that help solve problems in the community that the district serves. “We are excited to welcome our new board members to the foundation,� said Dr. Pyeper Wilkins, DCCCD’s chief advancement officer, who also serves as executive director of the DCCCD
Foundation. “We rely on our board members’ expertise and advice to guide us as we support the district with priorities that meet the needs of our students and the communities we serve.� “The efforts of the DCCCD Foundation and the private dollars it provides for programs and projects that benefit our students is critical to our success as an educational institution as we partner with businesses, community members and other colleges and universities in our area,� said Dr. Joe May, DCCCD’s chancellor. “As we build a higher education network that removes barriers to higher education, the foundation helps us provide opportunities for students to earn a college credential and build
Mary Jalonick, Regen Horchow Fearon; , back row Tonika Cheek Clayton, Gabriel Flores
careers.� In 2017, the foundation awarded more than $800,000 in scholarships and has secured $67 million in private funds since it was founded. The DCCCD Foundation currently has three major funding priorities: The Level-Up Scholarship,
which helps put adults on the pathway to an in-demand career immediately after they complete their studies; The Food and Hospitality Institute at El Centro College, so that it can meet industry and workforce deSee COLLEGE, page 2