MY TRUTH Cheryl Smith Publisher
Celebrating Women Years ago I interviewed a young lady who was a cancer survivor. She had such a wonderful spirit and was so positive. She said that having cancer made her reevaluate her life and determine what was really important. She said she realized that she didn’t have time to major in the minors. She didn’t sweat the small stuff. I guess you could call her self-actualized. Going through her health issues made her
Bernice J. Washington (looking good in that red!)
see that life is not promised so she valued every day. She didn’t have time for what others might call “foolishness.” She gets what this thing called “life” is. Which brings me to my truth. I don’t know if Bernice J. Washington has had serious challenges with health or life but when you see her, she gives the impression that she “gets it.” I smile every time I see that lady! I don’t care what I am going through or what just happened, Bernice J. Washington brings joy into my world. An orator’s orator, this Southern University diva is an eloquent speaker who is meticulous in her dress and presentation. If you need her to show up, she is going to show up and show out! She’s going to be prepared and will look absolutely fabulous. Bernice J. Washington honors commitments and she doesn’t get into things to be seen or for glory; she’s in for the long haul, to make a difference and make things better. Talk about longevity and commitment: Recently she celebrated 50 years as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is a member of Leadership Texas Alumnae Association (Former Regional DirectorLife Member); Leadership Plano; Southern University Alumni Association (Life Member); Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Life Member); The Links, Inc.; NAACP (Life Member); and St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church. Bernice J. Washington is passionate about anything she is involved in. She loves Southern University. She loves her family. She loves Alpha Kappa Alpha. She loves the Links. She loves St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church. She loves the Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr. Community Outreach Center. And, she says she loves me! Her commitment continues as she soon will be celebrating 50 years of marriage to Lt. Col. (Ret) Lymon Washington! And guess what? Bernice J. Washington is smart, too! She has a lot of initials after her name! Bernice J. Washington earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Missouri; is a registered Medical Technologist, MT (ASCP) Research Hospital and Medical Center-Kansas City, Missouri; and has a Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology/Microbiology from Southern University-Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The CEO of BJW Consulting Group, she is also a Certified Master Coach by the Behavioral Coaching Institute and a member of The International Coaching Council (ICC). Bernice J. Washington is a veteran trustee having served on Texas Health Resources Boards for more than 20 years. She has served on more than 18 other boards of directors holding major leadership roles on most. See My Truth, page 5
Women of Mavs host inaugural Women’s Symposium By Dorothy Gentry Sports Editor
They came from all walks of life and all parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to hear how to be the best “you” they can be. And they left smiling, energized, filled with hope and determination to do just that. More than 300 women and men joined Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, Mavs Inhouse DJ Poizon Ivy (Ivy Awino); Fox Southwest sportscaster Dana Larson, Mavs Assistant Coach Jenny Boucek, Jennifer Bartkowski, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas CEO and others for an afternoon of motivation and self-care at the Inaugural Women’s Symposium hosted by the Women of Mavs Empowering Network (W.O.M.E.N.) earlier this month. The Women’s Symposium, celebrating “Being the Best You” was held at American Airlines Center. Participants were also able to attend the Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans game that night.
Jennifer Bartkowski Participants heard from guest speakers and panelists on the importance of self-care, finding your purpose, discovering your passion and leading with values. Other speakers sharing their personal stories and inspirational messages included Va nessa Fernandes; store manager, Nordstrom; Jessica Jesse, owner, BuDhaGirl and Kate Weiser, owner, Kate Weiser Chocolates. Boucek shared with partici-
pants how she creates a work/ life balance as the mother of a 7-month old daughter. “If I had to make a choice, the choice would be my child.” But she found three NBA organizations willing to work with her as a new mom– one being the Dallas Mavs. “I don’t want to be just a mom. I want to be a great mom. Boucek said she would tell her daughter as she is growing up that “being the best you starts with knowing who you are.” “Knowing our true identify, not what anyone puts on your, but your pre-ordained identity that is key and will help you discover your calling,” she told the audience. “I want to help her find out what she was made to be.” Bartkowski talked about the importance of exercising and self-care, and having a group of supporters where “you can be yourself and relax. We need that.” Marshall shared the imporSee Women, page 5
NNPA celebrates Black Press Week NNPA National Chairman Dorothy R. Leavell
By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Correspondent
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) kicked off Black Press Week in Washington, D.C., with a welcome reception at the Dupont Circle Hotel. Celebrating 192 years of the Black Press, the NNPA Foundation and NNPA’s member publishers engaged in several workshops throughout
the week that centered on this year’s theme: “Publishing, Power & Purpose.” Among the highlights of the annual Black Press Week, which ran from March 20 to March 22, was the enshrinement of two publishers into the Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Black Publishers. Additionally, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.) was recognized for her lifetime of service and Black
Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza received the NNPA 2019 Newsmaker of the Year Award. “It’s such an honor to be recognized by the Black Press in this manner,” Garza said. “What we do is for the people, to benefit the people,” she said. Pfizer Rare Disease, Reynolds American Inc., General Motors, Ford, Wells Fargo, Collaborative for Student Success, AmeriHealth Caritas, See NNPA, page 5
Massive cyclone batters Zimbabwe and Mozambique
A powerful cyclone moving at over 100 miles per hour unleashed deadly floods in southern Africa over the weekend, leaving a moonscape of mud where the bustling port city of Beira in Mozambique had been. “The scale of devastation (in Beira) is enormous,” said Jamie LeSueur, leader of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) team there. “It seems that 90 percent of the area is completely destroyed.” On Sunday, the last road to the city of about 530,000 people was cut off when a large dam burst, the IFRC reported.
In Zimbabwe, the mountainous Chimanimani district was isolated by torrential rains and winds that swept away roads, homes and bridges and knocked out power and communication lines. Zimbabwean rescuers struggled to reach people whose homes were flattened by rock falls and mudslides or washed away by the strong rains. In Beira, where Cyclone Idai first made landfall, a 14 foot storm surge severed communication with other villages along the coast. Beira is Mozambique’s second largest port where vital shipping to
the central part of the country, including Zimbabwe and Malawi, takes place. Early Monday, rescuers launched dinghies onto chest-high waters, navigating through reeds and trees – where some people perched on branches to escape the water. President Filipe Nyusi, speaking on Radio Mocambique, said he had flown over the affected region, where two rivers had overflowed. Villages had disappeared, he said, and bodies were floating in the water. “Everything indicates that we can register more than one See Mozambique, page 5
VOL XVIII ISSUE 17 APRIL 3, 2019
WORDZ OF WILSON By Chelle Luper Wilson
US
Should we be afraid of the other version of ourselves? The part of ourselves that we leave behind, try and forget, attempt to lock away? How long will the part of ourselves we attempt to bury stay underground? Is that what Jordan Peele is asking us to consider in his new film Us? At the time of this writing I haven’t seen the movie, but I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Twitter theorists and their varied interpretations. One that particularly intrigues me is the theory that Us brings W.E.B. DuBois’ concept of “double consciousness” to life. DuBois believed that life as an African American involved a constant and simultaneous processing of how others see us and how we see ourselves. In thinking about the concept of double consciousness, a few presidential candidates came to mind. Imagine life with consultants, strategists, and stylists, each with their own ideas and imagery of how you should dress, where you should go, what you should say, and even what condiments to have at the ready (Ranch Dressing for one). Recently, Senator Cory Booker’s office confirmed he’s dating actress Rosario Dawson. Not long ago, Senator Kamala Harris said she smoked marijuana while listening to Snoop and Pac on “The Breakfast Club.” I didn’t think you had to check a box on relationship status to run for POTUS. Familiarity with weed and hip hop doesn’t always correlate with Black advancement—remember Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill and its impact on us. Being a candidate for public office is tough. With 24/7 television news and 25/8 social media, the desire to change the world through elected office means life under a microscope. That makes it hard to determine if political announcements about personal lives are meant to control a narrative, construct an image, or both. For people of color, it also means being held to a higher standard. How many times have you heard people say, “If Obama had done/said something like that, he would’ve been out!” Freestyling press conferences, winging keynotes, and 2am Twitter rants are a luxury not intended for us. As DuBois reminds, “the world I longed for, and all its dazzling opportunities, were theirs not mine.” Insert Olivia’s sad face here as we remember Pappa Pope’s conversation; it’s likely we had that talk too. Unfortunately, we still have to be twice as good to get half as much. How exhausting for us. In the meantime, Stacy Abrams is out here living her best life, keeping busy launching non-profits to ensure hard-to-count populations are tallied in the 2020 Census and working to advance legislation that prevents voter suppression. Some may argue Abrams is taking the better approach by not choosing (at least for now) life under a microscope and all the accompanying judgment. As reflected by the title of her latest book, Abrams is content leading from the outside to make real change. This action represents DuBois’ belief in bringing our full selves to the table. He said, “to attain [her] place in the world, [she] must be [herself] and not another.” Perhaps Abrams understands what DuBois meant better than most of us. Ahhhhh, the ability to be one’s self in a world that demands conformation sounds divine. How freeing to be seen and heard without code switching. Hard to fathom, I know. However, if being true to self works for Abrams, maybe it can also be liberating for us!