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VOL XVII ISSUE 8
Volume X- Issue 243 August 1-15, 2012 Published 1st & 15th Each Month Phalconstar.com Garland, Texas Phone (972) 926-8503 Fax (903) 450-1397 DECEMBER 1 Year Subscription $45.00 6, 2017
South Dallas BPW honored by City of Dallas for 63 years of service Garland’s Gwen Daniels is current Club President By Gwendolyn H. Daniels Club President
South Dallas BPW Club aligned the wall to make room in the seating area for Dallas citizens who were attending the morning briefing. Councilman Casey Thomas acknowledged the significance of South Dallas BPW Club and our presence in large numbers, then he began his presentations. Below is one of three official commendations that were presented to South Dallas BPW on November 14, 2017. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
President Gwen Daniels and Dallas City Councilman Casey Thomas
Tuesday, November 14th was a special day for the South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. A total of 29 Club Sisters and Ombudsmen arrived downtown early for breakfast provided on the sixth floor of Dallas City Hall by Councilman Casey Thomas of District 3, prior to the Dallas City Council briefing. The publicly scheduled briefing began promptly at 9:00 AM followed by an invocation from clergy and greetings to all in attendance from Mayor Mike Rawlings. The women and men of
WHEREAS, in October of 1954 Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States and Texas Instruments had just developed the first transistor radio! However, the hidden secret was the event taking place in what was called “sunny south Dallas.� WHEREAS, a small group of business and professional women led by founding President Sara J. Holbert first begin meeting in the living room of her home, and now 63 years later, the South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. is still a viable asset in the greater Dallas area. WHEREAS, South Dallas Club
South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc.
members have spent over six decades adopting nursing homes, schools and families needing a helping hand throughout the southern Dallas community. The Club has served as a pacesetter group for the South Central District of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. introducing stellar membership recruitment programs such as “Denim and Pearls Meet and
Greet� that has been duplicated throughout the country and hosting outstanding Vocal Arts Programs for Emerging Artists. WHEREAS, South Dallas BPW Club held its first Yuletide Reception in January 1955, it is preparing to host its signature event, the 55th V. Alyce Foster Trailblazer Awards Luncheon in April 2018. During these Luncheons, South Dallas BPW has awarded hun-
dreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving seniors in the community. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Casey Thomas, II, and on behalf of the Dallas City Council, on November 14, 2017 do hereby extend special recognition to: The South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. Led by its 32nd President, Gwendolyn H. Daniels
For their dedication to improving the quality of life for people in the community and their commitment towards a better Dallas. Casey Thomas, II Councilmember, District 3 Note: For more information on the historic Club, visit its website at: southdallasbpwc. org; Facebook page: southdallas1954; Instagram: SouthDallas1954; or email the club at: southdallas1954@yahoo. com.
Report points to impact of oil and gas leaks on Black and low-income communities
F UM E S ACROS S T HE FE NCE - L I NE
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FIGURE 4
By Cheryl Smith Texas Metro News
Fence-line communities: are communities that are next to a company, industrial, or service facility and are directly affected in some way by the facility’s operation (e.g. noise, odor, traffic, and chemical emissions). Most fence-line commuDr. Mark Mitchell nities in the United States National Medical Association are low-income individuals and communities of In a 34-page report, Fumes color who experience sys- Across the Fence-Line: The temic oppression such as Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Oil & Gas Facilenvironmental racism. Fumes Across the Fence-Line
Some would say that these communities are definitely on the other side of the railroad tracks—the area where there are more dirt roads, liquor stores and food deserts—the hood! The National Medical Association, Clean Air Task Force and NAACP co-released a report in November that unfortunately was overlooked during many news cycles although the findings were significant when you consider the number of African Americans impacted.
ities on African American Communities, the results are alarming to say the least. According to the report, the oil and gas industry dumps 9 million tons of methane and toxic pollutants into the air each year. These toxins are not only contributing to the ozone level, but also increased medical and funeral bills. “African Americans are disproportionately exposed,� said Dr. Mark Mitchell of the National Medical Association. “Deaths are increasing, and there are more cases of asthma in children and cancer in adults.�
Oil and gas is big business, especially in Texas, and other states like California. “Just because the oil company brings jobs and other benefits, doesn’t mean it can do it at the expense of my health and well-being� said Charles Zacharie, of Los Angeles. Residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth area should definitely be alarmed, Dr. Mitchell warned. “Dallas is the number one location in the U.S. where African Americans are exposed to these fumes,� he said, adding that it is estimated that African American children are losing about 6000 school days because of illnesses associated with the oil and gas leaks. Until 2015 many of those children found themselves before a judge, with their parents, facing fines and possible detention. Even some parents were fined, or directed to attend after school sessions with their children. This is definitely an area of concern because of the high Texas truancy rates, as well as children born with learning disabilities; although health issues were not a consideration in a U.S. Dept. of Justice report that looked at truancy in Dallas County, instead focusing on “poor school climate and
Number of Asthma Attacks Experienced by African American Children Caused by Ozone Attributable to Oil and Gas by Metropolitan Area
Number of Asthma Attacks per Ozone Season 25–250 251–500 501–1,000 1,001–2,000 2,001–3,000 Source: “Gasping for Breath,� US Census Bureau
> 3,000
TA B L E 2 inadequate ic, and social hazards, � Attributable reads Living within a Half Mile RaTop 10 identification Metropolitan Areasof by African American Health Impacts to Ozone by Natural special caused education needsGas to Pollution teen Fumes Across the Fence-Line. dius of Oil and Gas Facilities. Asthma Attacks School Days sense would sugpregnancy, negative peer influBecause natural gas does not Lost “Common Metropolitan Area (per year) (per year) ence, child abuse or neglect, have an odor, experts say, peo- gest that a pipeline carrying Dallas-Fort Worth (TX, OK) 8,059 5,896 poor academic performance, ple don’t know they are7,499 being a highly flammable substance Atlanta (GA) 5,469 low school attachment, and exposed. Odorless and silent, and a massive polluting inWashington-Baltimore (DC, MD, VA, WV, PA) 7,216 5,269 but deadly. dustrial facility should not be students’New lack of self-esteem. � York-Newark (NY, NJ, CT, PA) 5,235 3,821 The report points out that Afplaced in any residential comThen there are the deaths that Houston (TX) 4,256 3,111 must beChicago considered. African rican Americans are exposed munity, much less an environ(IL, IN, WI) 3,777 2,760 American children to 38 percent more polluted mental community� Memphis (TN, MS, are AR) more 3,674 2,692 justice NJ, DE, MD) 2,887 2,104 likely to Philadelphia die from(PA,asthma than air than Caucasian Ameri– Congressmen Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., John Shreveport-Bossier City (LA) 2,536 1,871Lewis, Hank Johnson Jr., white children (one per 1 mil- cans and they are 75 percent and David Detroit (MI)per 10 million, 2,402 1,751 Scott in a 2015 response more likely to live in fence-line lion versus one to the Saber Trail Pipeline Project National African American Total 100,564 communities than the 137,688 average in Alabama, respectively). Southern Georgia, and Oil and gas leaks are the is- American. Central Florida. sue, a critical one that must be And there are many sympIdentifying the problem was addressed. “The life-threaten- toms associated with different ing burdens placed on com- air pollutants, including nau- important and offering solumunities of color near oil and sea, headaches, asthma attacks tions is equally important, says Dr. Mitchell. “We are congas facilities are the result of and dizziness. systemic oppression perpetuTexas has the dubious dis- cerned about the health of our ated by the traditional energy tinction of having two cites on communities.� The report makes several recindustry, which exposes com- the the list of Top 10 States by See OIL and GAS, page 2 munities to health, econom- African American Population Source: “Gasping for Breath,� US Census Bureau