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as the old Black Preacher used to say, he outlined the miserable condition of the Negro people and something even worse‌the heartless condition of inhumane or complicit White folks who participated by commission or omission. And while his words fell harsh or untenable to most, the “soulsâ€? of those who listened were convicted. Unfortunately, this nation has yet to atone for the sins of slavery. Douglass’ summation left no ambiguity‌He came to slay the status quo and snatch at the quaintly veiled shroud of American dehumanization. “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: A day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival. And the “Last Poetsâ€? sang my anthem and refrain; “What you celebratin’ Nigga?
July 5, 2017
Drugs lead to death of innocent teenager
By Cheryl Smith
July 4 is a time to rekindle my love for that silver tongued, big afro wearing, abolitionist; Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. Oh, I’m sorry, you know him as Donald Trump described him recently‌To you he’s Frederick Douglass and according to Trump he’s doing great these days. ““Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice,â€? the president said.â€? By the way, give me another less offensive word for dumbass. Please free me. Frederick Douglass gets “recognizedâ€? more and more, by Black folks looking for answers to the problem of race. Douglass fought evil to free the slaves the way we have to fight to lock up the evil slave catchers. You do know that slave catchers were America’s first police force. They don’t catch Coloreds no more; they just shoot ‘em. But every Fourth of July, I read Douglass’; “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.â€? It begins with such grandeur and grace. “Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly more shrinkingly, nor with greater distrust of my ability, than I do this day. A feeling has crept over me, quite unfavorable to the exercise of my limited powers of speech. The task before me is one which requires much previous thought and study for its proper performance. I know that apologies of this sort are generally considered flat and unmeaning. I trust, however, that mine will not be so considered. Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent me. The little experience I have had in addressing public meetings, in country schoolhouses, avails me nothing on the present occasion.â€? I told you‌straight class. After Douglass “set protocolâ€?
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 VOL 1 YearXVI Subscription ISSUE$45.00 24
The 4th of You Lie!
By Vincent L. Hall
FreeJULY-5,Take One 2017 1
The intense search for 13-year-old Shavon Le’Feye Randle came to a sad and shocking end over the weekend when her body was discovered in an Oak Cliff home along with 19-year old Michael Titus. Once FBI agents confirmed her death, people began arriving at the site of the abandoned home that many are now calling for to be torn down. On that fateful Sunday morning, July 2, 2017 the unsettling murders were the topic of discussion as folks made their way to religious services and offers prayers for the families. And as the mother and family members, as well as those who knew Shavon shed tears, there were many around the country and all over social media who shed tears and expressed pain over the news that a young girl who was reported as being held as ransom for stolen drugs was now dead. Prior to finding the bodies, the names of four people of interest: Laporshya Polley, Darius Fields, Devontae Owens and Titus, as reports surfaced of stolen drugs and the possibility of Shavon being kidnapped and held for ransom. At last count six were in custody. On Monday evening, Min. Dominique Alexander, Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, School Board Trustee Joyce Foreman joined with family members for a vigil outside the structure that is a symbol of destruction and the havoc that drug trade has wreaked on communities around the world, and especially black communities. According to Min. Alexander, of Next Generation Action Network, the vigil, and march, was held to let the families know they are loved. “Shavon is one of ours and Mike Titus is one of ours,� he told the crowd that continued to grow despite the sweltering heat. “It’s not easy coming out here, but Shavon’s mother is here. She needs our strength.� During the speaking portion, that lasted over an hour, there was singing and praying. There were tears, words of en-
Shavon Randle couragement and more tears as several members of Shavon and the Titus family spoke. Clearly there was a little dissension as some appeared to suggest that Titus was involved with the kidnap and was therefore not an innocent victim of circumstances as Shavon was. Once Shavon’s mother began speaking, the words of encouragement got louder, but the tears also began flowing throughout the hundreds who were gathered. “It’s hard standing here looking at this house where my baby was found,� Shaquna Randle,said, as she encouraged parents to cherish their children, and hold them close. At one point she smiled as she talked about Shavon and how she would get on their nerves sometime. “She had two sisters and one brother,� she continued. “She was outspoken and messed with everybody.� As she prepared to close her comments, she urge everyone to join together and stop crime in the neighborhood and also to seek justice. “This is a hurt I wouldn’t put on anyone,� she said, as she explained that Shavon went to school in Lancaster be-
cause she could no longer attend Dallas public schools. Shavon was staying with her aunt in Lancaster and that is where she was abducted from. Councilman Caraway echoed the grieving mother’s expressions about working in the community to end the illegal activity. “This is my community and this house has to come down,� said Mr. Caraway, as he pointed toward the structure located at the corner of Kiest Blvd. and Sunnyvale. “We’re going to make it our business to take control again of our neighborhood. We’re going to do the right thing but it’s going to take each and everyone to stand up. That baby did not deserve what she received in this haunted house.� Mr. Caraway also said to call 214-6700781 if anyone knew of any other “drug houses that needed to come down. And Olinka Green has a message for the men as she encouraged them to come to the front of the gathering and also to take the message back to the “men on the corner.� “Genocide is in our community,� she said. “ We have to have our men back. Women have been supporting all along. We stand in the gap when you are not there. We need you. We love you. Leave the drug game alone.� Rev. Ronald Wright also called for action from the community as he shared a message of all lives mattering. Wake up everybody,� he said. “You can’t get mad at the police if you don’t get mad at your own. It’s going to take us coming together. He also called on the clergy to get involved by getting “out and helping raise these boys!� While no information has been released about how Shavon was murdered, according to the coroner’s report Mr. Titus had been shot. Still numerous other reports detailed a brutal savage death.According to law enforcement, a tip was received that led to finding the bodies. Go Fund Me accounts have been established for both families.
Mavs find their point guard of the future By Dorothy J. Gentry Sports Editor Dennis Smith Jr. said he is "definitely motivated" by the fact that four point guards went before him in the NBA draft but feels, in his heart, he is where he is supposed to be. "I'm definitely motivated by it," Smith Jr. said via phone shortly after being drafted in the 1st round with the 9th pick by the Dallas Mavericks. "I just use it as fuel to the fire. I’ve been underrated my whole life and that’s perfectly fine with me. I’m accustomed to it. "I’m going to go out and be Dennis Smith and nothing can stop that. I feel like I went where I was supposed to go and I'm happy to be here in Dallas. They came to my pro day and were impressed with what they saw. Then I got to speak with them and I was already very impressed with the history of the organization and then to get to speak with them didn't do anything but further my admiration for them. I was thankful whenever I heard my name called by them." Smith Jr.'s falling in the draft may have come from the fact that he is coming off a torn ACL suffered in 2015 the summer before his senior year in high school. He was previously ranked among the top point guards in the 2016 class by basketball insiders. Smith (6-3, 195) was an early-entry can-
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Smith receives a Dallas Mavericks welcome
credit Dannny Bollinger, Mavs.com.
didate to this year’s draft after spending one season at North Carolina State. As a freshman, he averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting .455 from the field, .359 from behindthe-arc and .715 from the foul line. The explosive guard was named Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and All-ACC Second Team after leading the league in assists (13th nationally) and finishing sixth in the conference in scoring. Smith also registered a North Carolina State freshman-record with 62 steals (1.94 spg). The Fayetteville, N.C., native played at Trinity Christian School where he averaged 22.2 points per game on the way to being named North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.
Head Coach Rick Carlisle said “stars aligned� and let Smith Jr. fall into their lap. “We didn’t have him in for a workout because it just didn’t seem like he was going to fall to us,� Carlisle said. “Over the last several days a couple of our guys went to a Pro Day he had in Raleigh and had a great visit with him down there.� Carlisle said he, General Manager Donnie Nelson and Michael Finley visited with Smith Jr. via Face Time this week and liked him even more. “He was in a very challenging situation this year coming off an ACL injury his last year of high school. Their team was not as good as they had wanted to be,� See Dallas MAVs, page 6
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