JULY 15, 2016
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VOL 5 ISSUE 46
JULY 15, 2016
HOPE THAT WE ALL WILL LISTEN AND ALSO
LOVE
ONE ANOTHER AS WE LOVE OURSELVES 1
 
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JULY 15, 2016
VOL 5 ISSUE 46
Don’t silence the voices!
DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE 12-13
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JULY 15, 2016
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The Choice We Face is so Clear By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition via George Curry Media
In the presidential race, July is convention month. Each party selects its ticket - the nominees for president and vice president - and the choice becomes clear. For all the noise about a Republican revolt against Donald Trump, we already know the choice we will face: Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. This campaign has already turned nasty, but looking beyond the clamor there are some things we know. Hillary Clinton is the most experienced and prepared of the two candidates. An attorney, former first lady, senator and secretary of state, she is one of the most experienced candidates for the presidency ever.
with is, as he tells us, as a donor, a businessman seeking favors. He’s amassed a fortune in business, but he seems better as a salesman than an administrator. He’s certainly had a hard time putting together a professional campaign staff or organizing a political convention. Hillary Clinton is a progressive; her candidacy builds on the progressive movements of our time. She is a lifelong champion of women and children. She supports equal rights for people, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference. She’s for overturning Citizens United and limiting big money in politics. She’s for reviving the Voting Rights Act and removing barriers to voting. She’ll push to raise the minimum wage, to fund our schools, to make college more affordable, to expand access to health care. She will push for public investment to rebuild our country and put people to work. She’s for raising taxes on the wealthy, cracking down on corporate tax dodges, making Wall Street more accountable, empowering workers and curbing CEO abuses.
She will be ready from day one. She knows up close what it takes to be president, how to put together and run an administration.
She may not be as bold a reformer as Bernie Sanders is, but there is no doubt she is a progressive who believes in a government on the side of working people.
Donald Trump is one of the least prepared candidates in memory. He has not held public office. He has little experience in foreign and national security issues. His major previous relationship with the legislators he must deal
Trump, by contrast, is a bit of an unknown, at odds with his past and his party. We know he’ll cut taxes on the rich and corporations. We know he wants to build a wall on the Mexican border. He’s run a divisive campaign,
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filled with racial insults and nativist appeal. He says he’s against our trade deals but offers as an alternative only that he’d get a better deal. He promises to rip up the nuclear weapons agreement with Iran, which would give the zealots in that country the license and the incentive to build nuclear weapons. He says he wants to rebuild the country, but gives us no sense about how he would pay for it, other than the infamous wall that he says Mexico will pay for. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are viewed unfavorably by large numbers of Americans, with Trump setting records in that regard. Clinton bears the burden of right-wing political attacks that go back to the early 1990s (and before that in Arkansas). Every misstep has been inflated into a scandal, every misstatement into an indictment. Trump started the campaign as a celebrity, rose through notoriety and earned his disfavor by insulting wide sectors of the American people. Despite these unfavorable polls, both won the nomination by winning the most votes in the primaries. Now we have a choice. The most experienced against the least experienced. The progressive against the conservative. Someone who seeks to bring us together against someone who has risen by tearing us apart. There is a long way to go before November. Events and the campaigns will tell us more, but the choice is already clear.
Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You can keep up with his work at www.rainbowpush.org
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JULY 15, 2016
JULY 15, 2016
Quit Playin’
by Vincent L. Hall
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What If Micah was White? the prayer list of Dallas’ victims. If you know anything about Black naming traditions, you know Micah was probably named for a minor Old Testament prophet. Micah’s parents obviously bore great hope for his life. Ironically, Micah 6:8 is my favorite verse and my adopted raison d’être. “He hath shown you O’ Man (Woman) what is good. And what doth the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk
Their obdurate attacks on BLM reveals that America is love anemic and languishing in the hospice of hate. It took a young Sister to echo what I heard from several Brothers to solidify my diagnosis. She said; “I don’t feel bad, these cops are going to get what they deserve.” And before my White family jostles to judge her, realize that her sentiment, when inverted, is used by many of “you people” as justification for killing unarmed Black men.
humbly with your God.” When mama christened this bouncing brown bundle of joy she couldn’t have known that his last crusade would contradict the destiny she envisioned. As a father and as a son, I pray God’s peace on her. America has been polluted with the flatulence of foolishness emanating from folks like former New York Mayor, (Rude) Rudy Gulianni, our twin Texas congressional comedians, Pete Sessions and Louie Gohmert, and of course Texas’ own version of Donald Trump; Lt. Governor and dumb-ass at-large, Daniel Patrick Pugh.
The twisted and oft times accepted logic is that Eric Garner must have deserved execution; “He had a criminal record.” This confluence of thoughts pricked my imagination. So… had Micah X. Johnson been White and killed whites and Dylann Roof had been Black and killed Blacks at Mother Emanuel, would the voluminous outcries of feigned sincerity and selective unity have been lessened? Each of these horrible events allowed Americans to point its racial digits at “them other folks.” America’s “Conservative” coterie want to edit the nomen-
“The individual who carried out the attacks in Dallas, he’s no more representative of African-Americans than the shooter in Charleston was representative of White Americans,” Obama said in reference to Dylann Roof who gunned down nine black churchgoers last year.’ – President Barack Hussein Obama
Stereotypes, statistics and the status quo are all that far too many Americans know about other cultures in this nation. Rural America has no idea what’s going on in Urban America. Conservative America has no idea what’s going on in Liberal America, and the list goes ad nauseam. Sadly, what all Americans know far too well is race. Sadder still is that most portend to be racial experts and don’t have a clue. So let me proffer this question…What if Micah Xavier Johnson had been White? First and foremost, we should add Micah’s mother to
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clature of Black Lives Matter by adding “All” in front or “Too” behind. All too often Conservatives overtly perpetuate the notion that the slaughter of Whites or police are more significant or worthy of outrage than the gangland style murder of an 80 year old Black woman getting her praise on at a Wednesday night prayer meeting. “All lives matter” like “Liberty and justice for all” is a farce to the African-American experience. Which “all” are y’all talking about this time? When America can’t blame her excessively violent mannerisms on race or terrorism, (Which are both legitimate issues worthy of all effort and economic investment), we are left with one harrowing hologram; we are slowly dying from hate and self inflicted gunshot wounds that will eventually be recorded as a suicide. So step back. The star of BLM is more apt to rise than wane. “Back the Blue”; America’s last public post of unity to protect White supremacy and privilege will continue. But realize that we are all complicit in traumatizing our children. The four year old child in Michigan and the four year old here in Dallas have had the moral deficits of this nation cast as a debt upon their futures. Our children are suffering. Just like Micah and Dylann were. If Micah X. Johnson had been White, he would be no less dead at this moment. Or would he? Sadly, no one can say with surety. Vincent L. Hall is an author and award-winning writer.
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JULY 15, 2016
TOTAL PRAISE PRESIDENT AND MRS. BARACK OBAMA, VICE PRESIDENT AND MRS. JOE BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENT AND MRS. GEORGE W. BUSH, JOINED DALLAS MAYOR MIKE RAWLINGS AND POLICE CHIEF DAVID BROWN AT MEMORIAL SERVICE
Five fallen police officers remembered as heroes Dallas police Officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith and Patrick Zamarripa and DART officer Brent Thompson These officers did not survive the ambush that left several other officers injured and one civilian in an attack that was described as cowardly and hate-filled.
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JULY 15, 2016
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Tears in the City My Day By Dr. J. Ester Davis
Have you ever wondered why feelings make liquid come out of your eyes? When your feelings have reached the boiling point, and everynerve-in-your-body is screaming fire, what do you do? Do you fight back tears in public? I don’t know much about tears, but I am familiar with crying. I know even less about the lacrimal gland, which is where tears come from. I do know that there are days in my life that I simply do not want repeated at all because they were so painful. And each and every time the tears came to my rescue voluntarily. I was in Arlington, Thursday,
July 7, picking up grandsons when I received a phone call from a journalist saying that there was a shooting in Downtown Dallas. At first light the message was about one police officer and “a shooting.” For some unknown reason I chose to come back into Dallas on I- 20 versus I-30. Interstate 30 emptying into Downtown instantly became a traffic nightmare. News today travels so rapidly that you hardly have time to comprehend or digest thoughts.
shots-ringing out, numbers rising every few minutes, phone calls with screaming voices echo-ing erroneous information, mass confusion, there was the wounded, the dead and no answers. . . again. . . on the streets of America . . . in one of the most prosperous cities in the world. I had to stop, ask my sevenyear-old grandson, sitting next to the 15-year-old, to be quiet for five minutes, while I stopped my tears. It was overwhelming news.
saying comforting words, with pomp and circumstance, that are short lived. We have the mentally ill. We all know it. We see them everyday. They are veterans, too. And we know that the military ignores and releases them everyday. There is a serious racial divide in America . . . with deep roots. We know that too. We have great police officers. We also have arrogant ones that do not have a clue. I do not agree that our country thought all of our racial problems were solved when a highly intelligent African American man was voted into the White House and stayed for eight years. I have known “highly intelligent African American men” all of my life.
By the time I reached Dallas onto to I-35, another phone call asking “where are you?” And in the same breath, “there are snipers downtown, police officers shot.” Selfishly, I thought, not in my city. Not in Dallas. As reality hit on this awful night in Dallas, after
Police shootings leave families in tears for years. The families of the dead, wearing whatever label you place on them leave loved ones, the living, in unexplainable turmoil. However, I honestly believe that until we have the real conversation about race in this country, you are only
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If you want to stop the tears, start the healing by taking care of all these ills we know about. Your actions speak louder. As a Dallasite that has served in this magnificent city, I am sure Dallas can lead the way.
Ester Davis Estyler2000@aol.com
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JULY 15, 2016
Requiem for Black People Blackonomics By James Clingman via George Curry Media Lorenzo Collins, Michael Carpenter, Roger Owensby Jr., Timothy Thomas, Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, Kenneth Walker, Sean Bell, Timothy Russell, Kimani Gray, Ezzell Ford, John Crawford, Tamir Rice, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Kajieme Powell, Malissa Williams, Vonderitt Myers, Dante Parker, Michael Brown, Tyisha Miller, Trayvon Martin, Dontre Hamilton, Tony Robinon, Jason Harrison, Martin Hall, Bettie Jones, Tanisha Anderson, Yvette Smith, Sandra Bland, Matthewe Ajibade, Eric Harris, Keith Childress, Kevin Matthews, Leroy Browning, Gus Rugley, Ray Smoot, Roy Nelson, Miguel Espinal, Jonny Gammage, Nathaniel Pickett, Cornelius Brown, Tiara Thomas, Chandra Weaver, Jamar Clark, Richard Perkins, Akai Gurley, Stephen Tooson, Michael Lee Marshall, Alonzo Smith, Anthony Ashford, Lamontez Jones, India Kager, Samuel DuBose, Felix Kumi, Walter Scott, Billie Ray Davis, Darrius Stewart, Albert Davis, Jonathan Sanders, Spencer McCain, Freddie Gray, Eric Harris, Charly "Africa" Keunang, Emerson Clayton, Jr., Tommy Yancy, Jerame C. Reid, Corey Tanner, Zikarious Flint, David Andre Scott, Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste, Victor White III, Matthew Walker, Darrien Nathaniel Hunt, Jeremy Lake, Laquan McDonald, Denzel Ford, Pierre Loury, Cedrick Chatman, Alton Sterling, Philando Castille... I could go on, but I am sure you get the point. "I feared for my life" "He reached for his waistband." "I saw something shiny." "He ran." "He made eye contact with me." "He
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fit the description." "He resisted." "He threatened me." "He didn't comply." "He would not put the brick down." "He would not put the knife down." "He weighed 400 pounds." "My hand got caught in the steering wheel." "He dragged me with the car." "He lunged at me." "My gun accidentally went off." "I thought I was firing my Taser." "He was acting strangely." "He was holding a screwdriver when he came to the door." "He had a broom when he came to the door." "He was armed with a soup spoon." "He had a prescription pill bottle in his pocket but I thought it was a gun." "He had a BB gun." "He had a toy pellet gun." "He was obese." "He kept saying 'I can't breathe' so we knew he was still breathing." "The stairwell was dark." "He behaved like a thug." "He was wearing a hoodie." "After he survived a car accident, he approached us with empty hands." "He was running toward us but we shot him in the back." "He did not comply within 2 seconds." "He shot himself while being handcuffed behind his back, with a gun that we did not find when we searched him." "Our hearts go out to the families." "Our prayers and thoughts are with the family." "This can never happen again." "He could have been my son." "R.I.P." "Our condolences go out." "She could have been our daughter." "It's a tragic and sad day for our nation." "We shall overcome." "This has to stop." "We cannot rush to judgment." "We must wait until the investigation is over." "Let the process work." "The video does not tell the whole story of what happened." "We are all saddened by this tragic event." "Our hearts grieve with this family." "They don't get up in the morning saying, 'I am going to kill a Black man today.'" "They want to go home at night." "All police officers are not bad." "The vast majority of officers are good." "Let's not indict all officers because of the actions of one or two." "Black lives matter." "Blue lives matter." "All lives matter." "This is not a Black problem; it's an American problem." "No justice no peace." "Nonviolence is the answer." "We need a national conversation
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on police violence." "I found no evidence to indict the officer(s)." "It's Ok Mommy; It's Ok, I'm right here with you." These acts are heinous, horrific, terrible, irresponsible, immoral, reprehensible, indefensible, unconscionable, unacceptable, horrifying, shocking, frightening, inhumane, uncivilized, animalistic, disgraceful, shameful, inexcusable, insulting, depraved, shameless, cowardly, outrageous, scandalous, dishonorable, discreditable, appalling, dreadful, irrefutable, atrocious, unspeakable, ludicrous, indecent, disreputable, brutal, wicked, offensive, brazen, unabashed, gutless, spineless, odious, awful, revolting, blatant, and sinful. Black people are disgusted, dismayed, outraged, fuming, livid, irate, sickened, revolted, repulsed, repelled, offended, affronted, hurt, scared, tenuous, intimidated, fearful, incensed, enraged, nauseated, injured, disrespected, tired, sick and tired, and angry. After everything is said and done, much is said and little is done. Our words are like a needle on a scratched record - we are stuck, and we keep repeating the same thing over and over again. If you are conscious and conscientious, join the One Million in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 19-21, 2016 and this time let's take appropriate action to deal with these horrendous times in which we live. www.iamoneofthemillion.com (At press time, five police officers in Dallas were killed and seven were injured by a Black man who was tired of and angry over Black people being killed by police. Pray for their families, too.) Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation's most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com. He is the author of Black Dollars Matter: Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense, which is available through his website; professionalpublishinghouse.com and Amazon Kindle eBooks.
JULY 15, 2016
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When a Nation Has No Conscience By Susan K. Smith George Curry Media Columnist
What happens when a nation has no conscience? Even as the country is grappling with the fact that two Black men were killed by White police officers within 48 hours of each other, so many people in positions of power have said little, if anything. As some were trying to deal with the tragic shooting death of Alton Sterling, we were jolted yet another time as we watched the Facebook "Live" account of the shooting death of Philando Castile in Minnesota. Police stopped this man's car because he had a broken taillight and Castile, trying to conform to expectations of police when stopped, apparently did everything right, yet a police officer shot him multiple times. As he moaned, his body bloodied and his arm severely mangled, his girlfriend "told the story" of what happened. To make matters worse, the girlfriend was ordered out of the car, told to keep her hands up, was handcuffed and put into a police car, and her 4-year-old daughter was taken away in a separate patrol car. In the case of Sterling, his 15-year-old son broke down as his mother tried to give an account to the media of what happened. He didn't cry. He sobbed. Audibly. His anguish was palpable. And the powers that be have said little, if anything. They are more concerned about Hillary Clinton's emails than they are about the lives of two people snuffed out by what looks to be reckless police behavior. There has been no outpouring
of concern or compassion by political leaders. It is curiously painful to me how this nation treats people of color, how the majority population still treats people of African descent, as though they really are only a fraction of a human being. Part of the reason so many Blacks are killed by police as compared to Whites is because Whites operate in a bubble of White supremacy that makes them automatically denounce and denigrate Black people and treat them like objects without feelings. Police didn't see 12-year-old Tamir Rice as a young kid, nor did they treat Eric Garner like he was a human being. On the other hand, they took care to take Dylann Roof, who massacred nine people in a church in South Carolina, to a Burger King to get something to eat before they took him to the police station to be booked for murder. Any nation whose majority population can look at a wife or mother tell a heartbreaking story of unfair stop and seizure, which cannot relate to the cries of a young, 4-year-old child trying to comfort her distraught mother, who cannot understand that people of color are in fact human beings with feelings, has no conscience, and a nation without a conscience is bound to ultimately fall and fail. Germans during the Holocaust looked at Jewish people not as people but as objects, objects that obstructed the will of the Anglo-Saxons. Consequently, Germans were able to indiscriminately kill millions of people. They could do that because they didn't consider the Jewish people to be human; they were "things," and things are made to be disposed of. This nation had a conscience problem from the beginning, as it worked to extricate Native Americans from the land that was theirs. Our American ancestors thought nothing of engaging in projects o extermination, not any less abhorrent than that in which the Germans engaged hundreds of years later, and they have never been concerned with what their ha-
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tred and bigotry has done to the African American population of America. There is no conscience working in the realm and world of White supremacy. The only way White Americans have been to live as they have, denying American citizens their rights and humane treatment, is by them seeing people of African descent not as people, but objects to be used and manipulated. I do not hear enough remorse or horror at what happened to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. I have not heard news reports expressing horror over the pain of the children of these two slain men. I have not felt the outrage, actually that I felt when the gorilla who roughed up a little boy who somehow fell into his pen, had to be killed. I didn't feel empathy for the pain Trayvon Martin's mother must have felt, or empathy for the parents and families of Jordan Davis or Rekia Boyd or Tamir Rice ...or any of the others who were slain by police officers. The lack of empathy worries me. It worries me because it is resulting in a nation that is "failing to thrive." When a baby is born, it must be loved, touched, connected with - in order to properly develop. If that connection does not happen, the baby can and often does, die. In this nation, people of color have been ignored, abandoned, shunned, ignored and dehumanized. It is the job of a nation to take care of all of its citizens. America has not done that, and it surely has not embraced African American people, no matter how young they might be. Any nation that is that callous has no conscience, and I am afraid that this very lack of conscience will lead to America's ultimate downfall. Rev. Susan K Smith is an ordained minister who lives in Columbus, Ohio. She is the author of several books, including "Crazy Faith: Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives" and "The Book of Jeremiah: The Life and Ministry of Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. She is available to preach or do keynote addresses. Reach her by emailing revsuekim@sbcglobal.net
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JULY 15, 2016
Enemies of the People By Lee A. Daniels George Curry Media Columnist
In the hours before the 25-year-old Army veteran Micah Johnson launched his, in the words of President Obama, "vicious, calculated and despicable" attack on White officers of the Dallas police force, something simultaneously remarkable and ordinary occurred. Department officials took advantage of the peacefulness of the early-evening demonstration there - organized to protest the killings of two Black men by non-Black police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota - to post pictures of it. "Men, women, boys & girls gathered @BeloGarden Park for the demonstration re: recent police involved shootings" read the caption to one photo that in other circumstances might have suggested a crowd gathered for an evening outdoor music concert. Who could have imagined those photos would within hours become part of the evidence of what Johnson sought to destroy - the attempt in Dallas to find a pathway out of a troubled past and a difficult present to mutual trust and cooperation. Johnson's murderous rampage that took the lives of five White officers was the work of an enemy of the people. He wasn't acting "on behalf of" Black Americans in any way. Instead, he was acting out the demons within him he could no longer even partially control. It is striking and revealing that he acted amid a demonstration that had shown police, whose task was to keep order, and a multiracial throng protesting instances of police wrongdoing could occupy the same space respectfully.
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Just 12 months ago, much of America was horrified by another murderous rampage, committed by Dylann Roof, Micah Johnson's mirror image across the color line. Johnson apparently held some mumbo-jumbo Black separatist notions and declared he wanted to kill White people, especially White cops. Roof, trying to find an excuse for his sense of worthlessness, latched on to the pathetic ideology of White supremacy and talked of wanting to start a race war. Johnson, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, hid under the cover of night in a downtown garage to snipe at police officers whom a day of peace had given no reason to suspect trouble. Roof chose a house of worship to commit his crime against humanity, concealing his true intentions behind a meek countenance and the welcoming embrace of the congregants of Charleston, S.C.'s Emanuel AME Church. After this latest tragedy, it would be easy to surrender to the dynamic of hatred and violence and despair swirling furiously in American society. One could note the vile cover the New York Post posted even before Dallas police officials had finished securing the crime scene there. "Civil War," it screamed - giving vent to the eternal fear-fantasy of White racists of a "Black uprising" against White people. And one could note the bellowing Twitter rant of Joe Wilson, the former Congressman who infamously yelled "You lie!" to President Obama during his first State of the Union address. Even as the gunfight between Johnson and Dallas police was still raging, Wilson, now a semi-obscure radio talk-show jockey, tweeted that Obama was "cop-hater" and "This is now war. Watch out Obama." And one could note the revealing reactions of the National Rifle Association to the police involved killings of Alton B. Sterling, in Louisiana and Philandro Castile and the Dallas massacre. The NRA's statement, issued soon after the Dallas gunman had been killed, expressed the "deep anguish all of us feel for the heroic Dallas law enforcement officers who were killed and wounded, as well as to those who so
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bravely ran toward danger to defend the city and the people of Dallas. With heavy hearts, NRA members honor their heroism and offer our deepest condolences to all of their families." What the NRA had to say about the two other tragedies was starkly different. It was completely silent about Alton Sterling's death. Nor could the NRA leadership bring itself to even mention the name of Philandro Castile - who was licensed to carry a gun and, according to his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, had told the police officer who was to shoot him to death that he had a gun in his car. Instead, the brief NRA statement meekly read: "... the NRA proudly supports the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms for defense of themselves and others regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. The reports from Minnesota are troubling and must be thoroughly investigated. In the meantime, it is important for the NRA not to comment while the investigation is ongoing. Rest assured, the NRA will have more to say once all the facts are known." Yes, callousness, hypocrisy and outright bigotry still play a significant role in the dynamics of America's "conversation" on race, be it about police-community relations or anything else. But, one should also note how vigorous, and, thanks to social media, swift was the condemnation from many quarters of the New York Post's racist cover headline, and of Joe Wilson's racist Twitter rant, and of the NRA leadership's callous, cowardly behavior, including from some NRA members. Those reactions are evidence, one should take hope in believing, that those committed to finding a peaceful way forward - symbolized by the photos of the protest posted by the Dallas police force before tragedy struck - far, far outnumber Micah Johnson, Dylann Roof and all the other enemies of the people. Lee A. Daniels, a former reporter for The Washington Post and the New York Times, is also a former editor of The National Urban League's The State of Black America. He is a keynote speaker and author whose books include Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America. He is writing a book on the Obama years and the 2016 election. He can be reached at leedanielsjournalist@gmail.com
JULY 15, 2016
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The False Dichotomy between supporting police or legitimate protest By George E. Curry George Curry Media Columnist If Micah Xavier Johnson’s goal was to support people in Dallas who were protesting the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., he failed miserably. Not only did he not advance the cause by killing five law enforcement officers, his deadly action was the catalyst for the public discussion to dramatically shift from videotaped police misconduct to the dangers of policing in America. The news media, which had been giving extensive coverage to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, quickly shifted gears and focused almost exclusively on the police attacks in Dallas, filling the airways with touching individual profiles and extolling the virtues of police officers who ran toward danger to protect the public instead of retreating to safety. The stories of heroism deserved to be told. But so did the unfolding stories behind the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. The media coverage mirrored a larger dilemma: American’s were being told in no uncertain terms that they had to pick sides - they were either on the side of police officers or the side of protesters. It’s a false dichotomy - one can be supportive of police while also supporting protests against police misconduct. And, as we saw in the news coverage, whenever one is pitted against the other, the police will win every time. And they certainly will win when the killer is Black and all of the victims are White. The moment the news flashed across television that someone was firing on police officers in Dallas, the natural reflex in Black America was to say: “I hope that person isn’t Black.” African Americans know how differently Blacks
and Whites are perceived in America. When 12 people were killed in a movie theater in Aurora, Col., it was blamed on the shooter, James Holmes. Adam Lanza was identified as the killer of 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were fingered as the killers of 13 at Columbine High School in Colorado. Dylan Storm Roof killed nine Black church worshipers in Charleston, S.C. And Timothy McVeigh was put to death for masterminding the explosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that left 168 people dead and more than 600 injured. However, when a Black individual does something reprehensible, too often that guilt immediately gets assigned to all Blacks, not the individual committing the dastardly act. President Obama addressed that point at a news conference in Warsaw, Poland. “The demented individual who carried out those attacks in Dallas, he’s no more representative of African Americans than the shooter in Charleston was representative of White Americans, or the shooter in Orlando or San Bernardino were representative of Muslim Americans,” he said. “They don’t speak for us. That’s not who we are.” Conservatives were quick to blame the president, who was 4,480 miles away at the time, for the Dallas rampage. Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) said, “The spread of misinformation and constant instigation by prominent leaders, including our president, have contributed to the modern day hostility we are witnessing between the police and those they serve. As a result, today we are seeing one of the noblest professions condemned by those who could benefit the most.” As the Washington Post observed in a headline, “Police are Safer under Obama than they have been in Decades.” The story noted, “But the simplistic and inflammatory notion of a ‘war on cops’ is completely undercut by one fundamental data point: Intentional attacks
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on police officers are at historically low levels under President Obama. “Data from the Officers Down Memorial Page, which tracks law enforcement officer fatalities in real time, illustrates the point. During the Reagan years, for instance, an average of 101 police officers were intentionally killed each year. Under George H.W. Bush that number fell to 90. It fell further, to 81 deaths per year, under Bill Clinton, and to 72 deaths per year under George W. Bush. “Under Obama, the average number of police intentionally killed each year has fallen to its lowest level yet - an average of 62 deaths annually through 2015.” Meanwhile, the number of people killed by police is up in the first six months of this year, from 465 in the first six months of 2015 to 481 over a similar period this year. It’s not just a case of driving while Black. African Americans run the risk of being killed when simply breathing while Black, as Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart so vividly recounted. He wrote, “A broken taillight can get you killed (Philando Castile). Selling CDs outside a convenience store can get you killed (Alton Sterling). Selling loose cigarettes can get you killed (Eric Garner). Playing in a park with a toy gun can get you killed (Tamir Rice). Shopping in a Walmart can get you killed (John Crawford III). A missing license plate can get you killed (Samuel DuBose). Worshiping in your church can get you killed (the Mother Emanuel nine). A routine traffic stop can get you shot (Levar Jones) or killed (Sandra Bland, Walter Scott). “And as every African American knows, a routine traffic stop is never routine when you’re black.”
George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media, LLC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA). He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at twitter.com/currygeorge, George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook, and Periscope. See previous columns at http://www.georgecurry.com/columns.
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JULY 15, 2016
A Don’t Believe the Hype Weekend
22nd annual event raised money for scholarships despite tragic week in Dallas Photos: Beverly Hilton, Hollywood Hernandez, Lott’s Photography, Dorothy Gentry and Produced By Eva
Presented by Parrish Restaurants, LTD First Place - EVANS ENGRAVING Second Place - DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE Third Place - MASS Mothers (Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems
Female and Male Celebrity Bowler Champions Belinda Ramsey and Dante Wesley
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JULY 15, 2016
Jesse Williams, a Rising Star To Be Equal
By Marc Morial President and CEO National Urban League
“The burden of the brutalized is not to comfort the bystander. That’s not our job, all right, stop with all that. If you have a critique for the resistance, for our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression. If you have no interest in equal rights for black people then do not make suggestions to those who do. Sit down.” - Jesse Williams African-American performing arts celebrities were a driving force behind the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. Lena Horne, who was blacklisted in the 1950s for her activism and political views, performed in the South at rallies for civil rights, participated in the 1963 March on Washington, and supported the work of the National Council for Negro Women. Harry Belafonte, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., provided financial backing for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council and emerged as one of the strongest voices of the 20th-Century Civil Rights Movement. Sidney Poitier has been called “the film industry’s living embodiment of the progress generated by the Civil Rights Movement.” Now, a new generation of activist artists is rising to take their place. Chief among them is Jesse Williams, whose powerful acceptance speech at the BET Awards has created a firestorm. Williams has been attacked for his moving condemnation of racially-motivated police violence, evoking the names of Tamir Rice, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland and Darrien Hunt. Sadly, just
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days later, two more names have been added to the list: Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. At just 36 years of age, Williams has become a leading voice of the 21st Century civil rights and social justice movement. He is the youngest member of the board of directors at The Advancement Project, a civil rights think tank and advocacy group. This spring, he released the acclaimed documentary “Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement.”
Williams also is the executive producer of the website Question Bridge, “an innovative transmedia project that facilitates a dialogue between a critical mass of black men from diverse and contending backgrounds and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine black male identity in America.” In the turbulent days after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Williams was a critical voice of protest. He was among the stars who chose to boycott the 2016 Oscars, which for two years running included no actors of color among the nominees. He and other celebrities instead participated in a fundraiser for the victims of lead poisoning in the water supply in Flint, Mich. Williams’ commitment to social justice is rooted in part in his background as a schoolteacher in struggling low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. He follows in the footsteps of his parents, both of whom have worked as public school teachers In response to a petition urging executive producer and showrunner Shonda Rimes to fire Williams from the cast of Gray’s Anatomy, Rimes tweeted: “Um, people? Boo don’t need a petition. #shondalandrules.” We are pleased to live by the rules of ShondaLand, where creative and committed artists of color are empowered to lift up one another and change the world for the better. Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
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JULY 15, 2016
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Truth is...it is time
By Dr. Keisha Lankford
It’s true, it’s time to re-organize! I work in Criminal Justice, with offenders! They are important people too! They have so much more to offer than their label. People don’t understand,we judge, condemn, criticize one another and expect others to respect us! We must uplift and encourage one another, especially our young men. Hurt people, hurt people! I teach some of the most focused high school students in Dallas to become Law Enforcement Professionals.
I also teach college students about societal impact! All of my students in each arena have experienced hurt! And may have also hurt others! We have to educate that our value is so important, and we must handle ourselves as such and hold ourselves and others accountable! Time to change the conversation, change the cul-
ford Avenue does everyday! Just last night my student shared that he accidentally killed his cousin at age nine. He said, he knew more about crime at nine growing up in the Pleasant Grove area, than he does now as an adult. Can you guess which class he was in? Was he a college student or an offender? Well, it wasn’t the of-
ture! We can re-organize at the “Morgan House,” that’s actually what Lank-
fenders’ class! My point is everyone has or will go through struggles. We should take
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the labels off and treat all as we would like to be treated! My student stated that he was removed from the environment, became an athlete and “focused his anger and energy on the field.” We should promote their potential! The struggle is real! The most distinct cultural improvements we consider is our thinking, conversations, spirituality, effective involved parenting and accountability! The African American race is strong and talented and resilient! God has given us exactly what we need, that’s why so many people including officers are intimidated! Nevertheless officers must be held accountable, cultural sensitivity training must be reinforced, and all the officers that hate or are afraid of the black race should find another profession, and that is a very nice way of saying, they should take their ... home! #ConvictionsInBatonRougeOfficersUnjusti-
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JULY 15, 2016
Milestone On Her Own
A conversation with
Chrisette Michele
Photo and Story By Eva D. Coleman
Multitalented artist and vocal powerhouse Chrisette Michele has released her fifth studio album, Milestone, this time via her own record label. The Rich Hipster CEO inked a distribution deal with Capitol/Caroline Records, and is currently on tour, wowing Milestoners everywhere she goes. Not only has she taken charge of her music career, she’s delved into a comfort zone of free expression of thought. Learn more and be inspired from our Q&A about her elevation to this level.
sound like I could do what I was doing. And I don’t like that sound. And so, I went back into the studio and I hung out with people like Jonathan
was preaching to the choir in that moment. And I felt like there were people who had already heard that message and I was sort of just reiterating some-
EC: The stones theme is evident throughout the entire piece. Unbreakable...stones unbreakable, These Stones...kind of a way of throwing stones back at people who are throwing stones at you. CM: Not being afraid to do that is a big deal for me. I’m always petrified to tell people when they’re wrong or when they hurt me or when they violate. My little sister says, “Oh Chrissy you violated!” Just to be able to say to somebody, you know what, I know it’s just a comments section and I know I can’t see you, and I know you’re not standing in front of me, but that hurt me. I wrote a song about it. And then of course, the stone on my finger is Unbreakable. So yeah, the stone is evident throughout the album.
EC: Milestone means so many things. I look at it as a growth album for you because it’s a little different from what you’ve traditionally done. Tell me about the whole concept for how Milestone came to be. CM: It started about two years ago. It was 10 years into the music industry and I said, ‘you know what, that’s a milestone.’ And so I wanted to just write something that was the biggest thing I’d ever done. And so to me that meant I have to outplay every musician, I have to outsing every singer, I have to outwrite every lyricist because after 10 years, you should have learned something. We recorded that at this great studio in Los Angeles with all these great musicians and piano players, etc. and vocalists and when I went back to listen to it, I felt like it sounded pretentious. I felt like it sounded like I was trying to
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about what it means to be great, and just be who I am. And if that’s great, then good. And when I went back and listened to that, it sounded so authentic and so honest. I wasn’t afraid of if people would think it was me or not. I knew it was me. And for me, that was all that mattered.
McReynolds and I got some lessons from Kirk Franklin and Kim Burrell, Mali Music, and I did something that was gospel. And I went in, performed some of that music, or ministered some of that music or SANG some of that music at MegaFest and I felt like I
thing that they’d heard already. And I felt like those words needed to be given to someone who really needed them. I went back to the studio one more time, and I decided to have fun. Let my hair down. Not worry so much
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EC: About the song Edge of the Bar. The album dropped June 10th, and then just a night later, the incident in Orlando. And you talk about being free, in a free zone to love who you want to love. Tell me your thoughts on that. I don’t think that was coincidental. CM: No. Me neither.
JULY 15, 2016 EC: I get chills even when I think about it. CM: Me too. I really do. Because...I wrote Edge of the Bar thinking about all the people who dance when I come, to like a party, right? So one time I’m at this club and I’m hosting an event. And there were all different types of people from all different lifestyles, but especially from the transgender lifestyle, and these people were chasing this person down the street and he was screaming for his life, ‘somebody help me, somebody help me.’ And that was the first time that I had seen any sort of violence in that space with my own eyes. You know, I had heard about that happening, with people being beat to death and things like that, or killed just because of, you know, who they loved. And so Edge of the Bar was written to that person. To another person on my Instagram who I won’t out, but I just know that, that part of me speaks to him. And then to just people who want to dance in the same room. How tragic that people were dancing, do you know what I mean, when that happened? I think that’s the hardest part for us all to swallow is, but they were dancing, do you know? EC: I still get chills. CM: And you should. It should be something that we feel. You know, we get so desensitized in our country now when things happen, and we feel like we’re not supposed to experience it because it happens everyday. So then I won’t experience it. But, as an artist, I experience these things every single time they happen and I’m highly sensitive. And as an artist, I can feel things before they happen sometimes. And Edge of the Bar was one of those instances. EC: On another side, I love Indy Girl. In that, it’s just the whole album is real honest. Indy Girl is talking about, yeah, you’re independent, but you’d
I Messenger rather be holding someone’s hand instead of the purse, you know. Talk about where that came from. CM: So people ask me what my biggest fears are, and so I say, answers from the artist or celebrity side, but in my heart side, my biggest fear is never to have a home. Do you know? Never to have a family. It was never to become engaged, or for anybody to love me for who I am. And so Indy Girl was the most emotional song that I recorded. I had to ask everybody to leave because I just got so broken up singing the words. And even after getting engaged, I had written that song because it was a memory that I despised. That feeling of ‘making it‘ and wondering if you’ll ever be loved. EC: When I think about real, sensual, Private Destination to me is the most sensual song. Where did all of that come from? CM: So, I always told my mom that I’d wait until I was with the one who I’d be with forever before I explored that side of my self musically. I never wanted to explore that, and then, embarrass my whole family, do you know? So, I am a very sensual individual. I always have been. It’s just something that I wanted to be respectful about, you know, especially for my family. We have a family Facebook page and I’d be devastated if any of my aunts or uncles was like, ‘the blood of Jesus,’ do you know what I mean, when they listen to my music. So I had to make sure I was (holds up hand) taken. EC: How did the name Milestoners, for your followers, come about? CM: Every album, when we did Epiphany, it was Epiphany Family. When we did I Am, people would define themselves and give themselves a name. When I wrote Super Chris, people would give themselves a superhero name. It’s always fun to have the fans identify themselves within the music. We find new meanings and they give
me new insight as to what I actually wrote, which is kinda crazy. EC: You’re very active with your fans on social media. I know you respond to them. Sometimes people are living for likes, or living for retweets or things like that. How about when fans get too close? If gives this false sense of connectedness. Can you talk about that a little bit? CM: I try to keep that time for when I have something to share. So, I try to keep that time, say if I have a play out, or if I have an album out, or if I’m going out on a tour. And then when I don’t have anything to share, I try and stay away from it. I put more like quotes, or ways that I keep my sanity, do you know what I mean? I try to give myself seasons. EC: And you are the Rich Hipster CEO! What is that like? You have your own label now. CM: So I thought that it meant I wouldn’t have anyone to answer to, right? I thought it meant, ‘you know what, I’ll just wait six years until I finish this record. I’ll just put out three songs today.’ And really, now it means that I’m answering to the higher ups of the higher ups as opposed to the middle higher ups. So there’s this whole other tier of, you know how every pastor has a bishop? There’s this whole tier of bishops now that I have to answer to. And, I have to be responsible. I have to have response for people around me to speak with them. And I have to make sure that I’m well represented because now I’m talking to big, big, big names. Gratefully, we had a large rolodex before we got into this. It’s been 10 years in the making. And so we have wonderful people like Ruben Rodriguez who help us get music out to the country and around the world. But, it’s still answering. It’s just different people.
you can speak on? CM: Sure, both of them were featured on my new album. So Meet Sims is featured on a song called Top of the World and he also was a part of Meant to Be. Then my brother, Lem Payne, was featured on a song called Zero, and he co-wrote a song with me. So yeah, there’s some new artists on Rich Hipster. EC: What do you hope people take away from the Milestone experience? CM: “Oh my God, we knew she was like that all along!” That’s kind of one thing I’m hoping deep down inside. And I hope that people have fun. We live in such a judgmental society now. Everybody feels like their opinion is the most important and incredible opinion ever said! And, I just want people to let their hair down. Sing the freakin‘ song. If you don’t like it, change the channel. But if you do, come to the show ... and then have a good time. Make a friend. Huhhhh? A friend. EC: Imagine that? CM: Imagine that? EC: And you’ll be back July 15th. CM: Yes. I can’t wait. You know, Dallas has always shown us a lot of love, and so I’m expecting that it will be a great turnout and there will be a lot of love in the room. And of course, we’ll have a meet and greet and I’ll get to say hi to everybody.
August 14 Chrisette Michele will be performing at the Verizon Theatre, at 8pm. Go online to purchase your ticket.
EC: Any other artists on the label that
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ASK ALMA:
A Niece with Sticky Fingers she’s doing this to get attention. How would you suggest I handle this problem? Carla Hey now Carla,
by Alma Gill NNPA News Wire Columnist
Dear Alma, About six months ago, my sister moved back to our hometown with her daughter, who is 10 years old. They don’t live that far from me, its walking distance. I recently noticed when my niece comes by to visit without her mother, after she leaves, a few of my things have been missing. Never any money, mainly jewelry. I’ve never see her steal from me, but I know it has to be her. I’m hoping she isn’t a kleptomaniac and I’m not sure how to bring this to my sister’s attention. I know she misses her Dad, since they moved back and maybe
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Once a thief, always a thief, or so that’s what they say. Yea, right, we both know that ain’t true. This email takes me back to the 1970s. I’m
er did that again, LOL. You know it’s no secret, I have a soft spot when it comes to our kids. Don’t run and tell her mama just yet. Take the time to talk to her directly. You’re her Auntie, you got this. Your sister, I’m sure would be appalled and so angry, she’d probably punish her for life. So here’s
Politely ask her to return your items.
Discuss how stealing is wrong and how
it invades a person’s privacy. Let her
know how that choice of action will not allow you or anyone else to trust her. gonna pause a minute to tell the truth and shame the devil. Since we’re all over 50, I’m naming names – lean in close, while I whisper. I remember once Neasy, Andrea and I, got caught stealing earrings from Zayre Department Store. OMGoodness, I was scared to death! All three of us were probably 11 or 12 at the time. The thought of going to jail terrified me. Let’s just say, I nev-
what I’d suggest, the next time she’s over, fix a light meal and step to her directly. Place a necklace around her neck and say something like this, “Hey potato chip, have you been pilfering through my things? If you wanna borrow some of my jewelry, just ask.” I think it’s important to talk to her and use the word “borrow.” Politely ask her to return your items. Discuss how stealing
is wrong and how it invades a person’s privacy. Let her know how that choice of action will not allow you or anyone else to trust her. I’m asking you to take this route because she’s only 10 years old. There’s more to this behavior than meets the eye – she’s clearly calling out for help. I agree with you, that she may be missing her dad. Either way, this is your teachable moment. Become the support she needs right now. It will build an unbreakable bond the two of you will share for a lifetime. If she dives off the deep end, tell her you’ll have no choice but to mention this to her mother. I’m keeping my fingers crossed all’s well that ends well. Be sure to let me know what happens. I can’t wait to hear. Alma
Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@ gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and Twitter @almaaskalma.
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SUMMER ARTS AT THE CENTER
Drumming away!
Sista Sondra hanging out with some of the SAAC students in front of the Jesse Owens Mural at the South Dallas Cultural Center.
The South Dallas Cultural Center is in the midst of its annual "Summer Arts At The Center" program. For the last 24 years, students in the surrounding neighborhood have gathered at the SDCC for an abundance of fun, culture and art education. This year the SDCC will serve 75 students Marilyn Clark that are enrolled in the Dallas Independent School District. The area of concentration for the curriculum is West Africa - the heartbeat of African American ancestry. The students, ages 6-17 are learning about the language, family tradition, architecture, music and dance. They will experience 7 amazing field trips and 23 phenomenal classes. The structure of each day is very formal and starts with a nutritious breakfast followed by a 30-minute “cool down” period. This “cool down” session consists of teaching the children calming exercises that will allow them to prepare for their day of enlightenment and education.
Gardening class with Mrs. Deirdre. Selecting seeds for the garden.
"We are committed to the children in the South Dallas area. We strive to present the very best program possible. We want to offer them a multitude of experiences that will broaden their horizons and equip them with the essentials in art and culture. I know that what we've created cannot be received anyplace else and I am proud that we can present it to the families in our community. This program gives them a sense of self which is a very important part of their development,” said Marilyn Clark, Education Outreach Coordinator at the SDCC. “Summer Arts At The Center” is a free, 5-week program. Each full day also includes a snack and a complete lunch scheduled around the courses listed below. The success of the SAAC program is evidenced in the waiting list and repeated participation of the same youth each summer. Students return year after year, even though they have aged out of the program! The SDCC encourages financial independence and employs these students as teacher assistants for the summer. “I’ve was a student here for 5 years and I’ve been a TA for two. It’s a lot of reeeeeal work -- but I love it! I can’t wait to come back next year,” said Michael Smith. The “SAAC” program is funded in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs. Follow all the fun thought out the summer via the South Dallas Cultural Center’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/SouthDallasCulturalCenter #SAAC16
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Mavericks benefit from Durant’s decision By Dorothy Gentry Contributing Editor/Sports Writer
A little after 8 p.m. on July 4th, Harrison Barnes, the soon-to-be former starting small forward for the Golden State Warriors sent out a tweet that read in part; “I just want to thank the entire Warriors organization, my teammates and coaches for the amazing four years I’ve had there…I’m excited to begin a new chapter in my NBA career in Dallas.” And with that tweet to his almost 500,000 followers, Barnes reinvigorated the Dallas Maverick’s free agency efforts and created a slight buzz in what was shaping up to be another disappointing summer. Moments later the upswing continued and the buzz got louder as the Mavs, at press time, were finalizing plans to sign both Barnes’ teammate Andrew Bogut,
and in a surprise move to Mavs fans everywhere, Seth Curry - yes, Steph’s little brother - as well. Welcome to the NBA Free Agency, where anything can and usually does happen. Harrison Barnes Only 72 hours before, things were looking hopeful for the Mavericks when the NBA Free Agency period opened up July 1st. When the clock struck 12 midnight, the Mavs had their sights on reeling in big fish Hassan Whiteside the Miami Heat center, Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies and Nicolas Batum of the Charlotte Hornets. Despite meeting with the players, the Mavs missed out on all three of their targets as each returned to his respective teams, fat contracts in hand. With the ghosts of free agencies past looming, Dallas was once again left scrambling for contingency plans. To add insult to injury, Conley reportedly helped lure away Mavs golden boy Chandler Parsons who signed a four year, $94 million max contract…money the Mavs were unwilling to part with for Parsons who had to have sur-
gery on his knee last year, then a second surgery in March. So with Whiteside, Batum and Conley staying put and Parsons out the door, the Mavs’ free agency plans took a nosedive until Kevin Durant literally declared his Independence on the Fourth of July and left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Warriors. And with that move the Mavs were able to sign Barnes - who entered the summer as a restricted free agent but to whom the Warriors renounced their rights after Durant’s decision – agree to a trade for Center Bogut, and sign Curry who played for the Sacramento Kings who renounced their rights as well, making him an unrestricted free agent. These potential signings (contracts can’t be finalized and signed until the NBA lifts its moratorium on July 7th) are nice pickups for the Mavs who had plenty of holes to fill. Barnes, a small forward will give Mavs fans someone to root for in the Olympics in Rio as well as he is a member of the USA men’s basketball team. His deal is reportedly for four years and $94
JULY 15, 2016 million. The 25-year-old forward was a starter with the Dubs who this year won an NBA-record-setting 73 games, the NBA Championship last year and the finals this year. The 6’ 11 Bogut is a strong center, but has struggled with injuries throughout his career including in his left knee during this year’s finals, which caused him to miss Games 6 and 7. The Warriors went on to lose Games 5, 6 and 7. In a bit of irony, the Warriors struck a deal with veteran center Zaza Pachulia, who will fill the vacancy created by Bogut’s departure. Pachulia played last season with the Mavericks. The Mavs will also receive a future second-round draft choice. Curry, a guard is finalizing a two-year $6 million deal with the Mavs. He will come off the bench for the Mavs joining fan favorites J.J. Barea and Devin Harris. The Mavs have also re-signed Dwight Powell, their restricted free agent to a four-year, $37 million contract that includes a player option for year four. They are also bringing back veteran point guard Deron Williams for a deal ESPN has reported as one-year for $10 million. If all deals hold and stay in place, the Mavericks starting five will be Williams, Wesley Matthews, Dirk Nowitzki, Barnes and Bogut.
Join in the efforts to put an end to Family Violence! Log on to www.iwillrise.org or call (888)230-RISE and see how you can help or get help!
REVOLT INSPIRE SUPPORT EMPOWER 20
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JULY 15, 2016
Spiritually Speaking
by James A. Washington How many of us have an addiction, a weakness, something we are aware of but just cannot shake on our own? It may be a secret, your secret, something you dare not reveal for it goes completely opposite of who you believe yourself to be and counter to the person whom you are truly trying to become. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 says, “To keep me from becoming conceited, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” If I’m the only one shouting right now, it’s okay. It should be noted that this is indeed some powerful stuff. You know some things in the bible reverberate over and over again and some of us still don’t get it and that includes me. I don’t mean to infer that we don’t understand the words because most of us do. The point is we do not or cannot incorporate what
It’s Who You Are Good and Bad we’re reading into our daily lives. anything more than just sinful. In this passage Paul lets us know The text however says it is our that there is indeed a reason to duty to understand through accept our shortcomings and spiritual recognition that God deal with our flaws and faults chooses your problems to show with a basic understanding that in off His righteousness through doing so, God will invariably show you by doing miraculous things. up and then proceed to show When you get a hand from out. It is through your warts that the Lord to overcome your God can demonstrate to you and addictions, your passions, your me and the world that He is Lord. vanity, your shortcomings, you Can you imagine experiencing get so much more than what the “perfect power” of the Lord? you bargained for. According to Apparently it’s as easy as looking this part of the bible, you also into the mirror and making an get Christ’s power to work with. honest assessment of who you Isn’t that something? No wonder really are and who you should Paul continues by saying, “That be striving to become. To put it is why, for Christ’s sake I delight into proper perspective, you are in weaknesses, in insults, in who you are only in relationship hardships, in persecutions, in to God. And don’t forget to take difficulties. For when I am weak, your imperfections with you. If then I am strong.” you know and accept yourself By itself, you might wonder to be a child of God, then you how Paul comes up with this must attempt to be an example conclusion. But when taken in the of God’s Word and His work. The context of the entire passage, isn’t only thing standing in your way it true that out of many impossible is admitting to yourself, you can’t situations and circumstances, go it alone. You and I need help and that help comes only from one source. It’s EARLINE GADSON the perfect source and comes with 9-10-1934 - 6-10-2014 consequences. The consequences begin with recognizing that there is divine purpose in your particular set of weaknesses. That may be hard to believe, but it’s true.
God rescued you? How many testimonies do you need to hear before you give God the praise He deserves? Or is it that you can testify on your own about frailties that have become strengths to be relied upon and give you wisdom to share? All I’m saying is stop denying yourself. Stop denying your insecurities. Accept them and give them also, over to the Lord. Then step back and watch God do His thing with your life. He’ll do things you never could and watch Him revel in those who see His divine work through you. It’s that let go and let God thing. Paul just reminds us that even on your worst day, it’s not about you. Just remember it’s all about Him, your good as well as your bad. May God bless and keep you always.
James
REMEMBERING
Dare I say most of us would reject the notion that sinful could be
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JOYCE ANN BROWN
2-12-1947- 6-13- 2015
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Community Calendar July 16 Moving Forward Together: Less Talk, More Action Community Town Hall Forum, St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1816 Routh Street - Dallas, TX 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
FC Dallas will be Sunday at 6:00pm held at the Toyota Stadium and Soccer Center.
August 14 August 23
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July 21 Drake & Future with Roy Woods, DVSN, and special guest will be coming to Dallas on Thursday 7pm.
July 23 Chris Tucker Will be live Saturday at 8p.m. @ the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie TX. Go online to purchase your tickets. ******* Join the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association for a morning of volunteer service at the North Texas Food Bank from 8:45am-11:30am.
July 28 Texas Rangers play the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Baseball @ 1000 Ballpark Way Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011
July 31 Vancouver
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K.Michelle will be performing at the House of Blues in Dallas TX Saturday @ 8:30 PM. Doors open at 7:30 PM. This is an all age event.
Chrisette Michele will be performing at the Verizon Theatre, at 8pm. Go online to purchase your ticket.
August 9 Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson hosts The 2016 Annual Youth Summit and Diversity Dialogue Tuesday August 9th, 2016 SMU Meadows School of the Arts 6101 Bishop Blvd. Dallas, Texas 8:00 AM-2:30 PM Contact: Harrison Blair at 214-922-8885 to apply
August 13 Maze featuring Frankie Beverly & Chaka Khan with special guest Raheem DeVaughn will be at the Verizon Theatre Saturday at 8p.m. Tickets prices ranges from $34.75$150.00. You can purchases your tickets online.
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The Dallas Regional Chamber will host four of the most influential Members of Congress at an interactive luncheon on Tuesday from 12PM-1:30PM. Leaders of our North Texas Congressional delegation will discuss important issues that impact our region, including infrastructure, environmental regulations, and federal budget priorities. Following a panel discussion, the congressmen will answer questions from the audience.
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Community Calendar August 30 Save the Date! Business Expo/Taste of Balch Springs Tuesday, August 30, 2106 5-7pm Tickets $4 in Advance $5 at the door
September 24 Live Well-Go Green Expo: Exhibitors Wanted The City of Garland is seeking exhibitors for the Live Well-Go Green Expo (formerly the Healthy Living Expo), scheduled on Saturday,. Those interested may download an Exhibitor Application at GoGreenGarland.org. Contact GoGreenGarland@ GarlandTx.gov
November 5 ICDC Kick-off reception for the formal 30th anniversary celebration, Our Journey to Thirty... an exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of ICDC.
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