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VOL 5 ISSUE 48

JULY 29, 2016

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LEADER in the industry:

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JULY 29, 2016

VOL 5 ISSUE 48

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t silence the voices!

Young professionals elect officers 18

A Day of Healing

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After Dallas and Baton Rouge, We Need Action By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition via George Curry Media

As the Democratic Party holds its national convention in Philadelphia, Americans have been shaken by the shootings of police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., following the police shootings of Black men in Baton Rouge and Falcon Heights, Minn. I spoke at the funeral of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, weeping with his family and friends, as they remembered and mourned their loved one. I spoke later at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, leaders of the police in different communities, and witnessed their tears as they mourned the deaths of their fellow police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. There is a national call for mourning, for a conversation, for peace. But we need more than a conversation, more than weeping for our lost loved ones. We need common sense and action. The police now are stupefied. They face people armed with weapons of war - assault rifles designed for battlefields, not for American street corners. There is no defense against snipers armed with such weapons. These weapons can take down planes. They can slaughter crowds. They can pick off police. Incredibly, people have the right to carry these weapons of mass destruction openly in various states. No police chief in America supports easy access to military style weapons. They want these weapons banned. The ban used to have bipartisan support. Now the gun lobby has turned it into partisan

gridlock. Those who bluster loudly that they are champions of law and order and of the police vote at the same time to allow their enemies to be armed to the teeth. But the police are crying out even as they are being buried: Protect us from these weapons. Some on the right denounce Black Lives Matter, blaming the protesters for fanning antagonism toward the police that triggers the attacks on them. This doesn’t make sense. Black Lives Matter’s nonviolent demonstrations began after numerous videos revealed Blacks being shot at point blank range by police. Following some of these incidents, police witnesses filed false reports, covering up what happened. Police killings without accountability sparked nonviolent demonstrations across the country. The discipline of the demonstrators has been impressive. In fact, the demonstrations deter violent attacks by offering a nonviolent outlet for pain and outrage. They have not created the tensions between the police and the community. It is the shootings and mistreatment of African-Americans that have caused the tension. The videos do not cause the tensions. They simply ensure that those outside the black community now see with their own eyes what African-Americans have known for a long time. The killers of the police in Dallas and in Baton Rouge did not come out of the Civil Rights Movement. They came out of the military, where they were trained to shoot, to make bombs, to ambush, to kill. They were veterans of war, not of the nonviolent movement for justice for all. They returned from risking their lives in Iraq and Af-

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ghanistan to communities plagued by real economic fears and racial anxieties. Post-traumatic stress disorder is real, yet mental health assistance is too limited and weapons of war too readily available. The mix is toxic and sometimes lethal. In Cleveland, where the Republican National Convention was held last week, is in a state with open carry laws. Demonstrators for and against Donald Trump had the right to carry their military weapons openly into demonstrations outside the convention hall. This is an utter distortion of the Second Amendment. The Founding Fathers wanted to make certain that the states could maintain independent militias. They never envisioned Americans carrying assault rifles to a political demonstration. Law and order bluster won’t solve this challenge. Level-headed conversations between police and community are long overdue, but they won’t solve it, either. We need action: background checks to keep the mentally unbalanced and those on the terrorist list from buying guns; a ban on the sale of assault weapons; and a real plan for economic development of our urban and rural communities in need. Doing nothing means things will get worse. Police are on edge for good reason. Civilians are on edge about the police for good reason. Military assault weapons flood our communities. The violence diverts attention and action on real needs - on jobs and housing, schools and health care. Enough bluster. It is time for common sense ... and action. 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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Quit Playin’

by Vincent L. Hall

Hazel Minnie Lorene Grimes Morgan transitioned to that “great cloud of witnesses” the other day. I am saddened by her loss, but she made sure that I was a beneficiary in her will. As a result of her love and liberating largesse, everyone who knew “Minnie” was blessed with the same gift. Minnie left her family and friends with the will to watch, fight and pray. Minnie, an avid entrepreneur, first caught hold of me during the “Malcolm X Renaissance.” Most Americans didn’t know it, but from the moment Shelton Jackson Lee, aka “Spike” announced he would direct a movie depicting the life of Brother Malcolm, Black folk invested heavily in study and paraphernalia. X literally marked the spot. Black Lives Matter has saturated our society by way of social media. The little known Malcolm X Renaissance was christened on the

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HALL: In Her Will

Negro.Net. It’s obvious by that glazed look that you went dark on the Negro.Net. Unlike Generation X and Millennials, Boomers didn’t have portable technology, so we got the word out face-to-face or on the phone . There was no texting or tweeting and long distance charges were applicable and expensive in some cases. The Negro.Net was a subterranean “Black Community” lifeline. Part of its success was that America’s “Black m i d d l e class” is so small and so interconnected, that we could get our messages out via HBCU and Pan-Hellenic circles, a few Black AM radio stations and of course the greatest progenitor of the Negro.Net; the Black Church. It’s a truism that Church folk from the pew to the pulpit are known to gossip. However, some of the gossiping that goes on at the First Urban Central Restitutional Progressive Holy Catholic Pentecostal Baptist Church of the Methodism, Mosque Inc. Number 49, is useful to our survival as

Black people. Spike Lee’s announcement of the Malcolm X movie created great expectations for us and great anxiety for Spike who was admonished by Black Nationalists and Malcolm X historians to “get it right.” The film was so good that Spike Lee urged students to cut school to see Denzel Washington portray Malcolm X. Minnie was a master disseminator of the Negro. Net. She and her husband owned the “Video Gallery” in Oak Cliff. The Morgan’s specialized in rare Black videos from Amos and Andy to the Blaxploitation flicks. I loved Minnie because she was pro-Black and it wasn’t no joke. My daughters, Erinn and Alison loved Minnie because she had the best and biggest pickles and Green Apple Jolly Ranchers to boot. My daughters were raised on Pickles and Black history. After Minnie learned that we were kindred spirits she never let me leave without conducting an in-depth interrogation. Minnie would

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say, “Now Vince, (my mom prefers Vincent, but Minnie always did whatever the hell she wanted) I know who to tell my crew to vote for, but which of those propositions on the ballot are we for? Are some of the Brothers on the school board selling us out? What them White folks doing to John Wiley now? Why don’t they just leave us alone? Minnie drafted more Black people into playing Bridge than anyone in Dallas. She was a teacher and mentor. But her greatest gift was her life example that age is nothing to fear if you keep growing mentally and fighting politically. Minnie was the sounding board for my hopes and fears for this community. \I’ll miss her serious and earnest love for people. Ms. Minnie’s last words to me as she beamed brightly through her hospice, was “take care of that baby (Hailee); I’ll be praying for y’all.” She said y’all but I know it wasn’t just for me and my 12-year-old, she meant everybody. Hazel Minnie Lorene Grimes Morgan left me in her will and I am all the richer for it. Speaking of rich, I almost forgot. Minnie couldn’t stand Donald J. (JiveAss) Trump. Let’s bequeath a gift to her in November. Vincent L. Hall is an author and award-winning writer.

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Our Nation’s Unfinished Business Child Watch By Marian Wright Edelman President, Children’s Defense Fund via George Curry Media

[The summer] brought racial disorders to American cities, and with them shock, fear and bewilderment to the nation. The worst came during a two-week period in July, first in Newark and then in Detroit. Each set off a chain reaction in neighboring communities . . . What happened? Why did it happen? What can be done to prevent it from happening again? These words are from the 1968 summary report by the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Illinois GoV. Otto Kerner, Jr. President Lyndon B. Johnson created the commission to study the causes of the “racial disorders” that had erupted across the country during the summer of 1967. But substitute July 2016 for July 1967; change the place names to Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Falcon Heights, Minn., and this passage could have been written today. In 1967 the “disorders” resulted in weeks of devastating rioting, violence, and deaths. Then, as now, frustration with aggressive policing precipitated more violence. The Newark riots began after a Black cab driver was arrested and beaten after passing a double-parked police car; the Detroit riots started after police raided an illegal after-hours club hosting a party for two Black veterans who had just returned from Vietnam. The riots during the “long, hot summer” of 1967 followed earlier ones during the 1964, 1965, and 1966 summers that left many Americans terrified that violence would continue to escalate with no end and

no solutions. But the Kerner Commission Report determined that ending the violence needed to start by acknowledging the persistent American truth at its root: This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white-separate and unequal. Reaction to last summer’s disorders has quickened the movement and deepened the division. Discrimination and segregation have long permeated much of American life; they now threaten the future of every American. This deepening racial division is not inevitable. The movement apart can be reversed. Choice is still possible. Our principal task is to define that choice and to press for a national resolution. To pursue our present course will involve the continuing polarization of the American community and, ultimately, the destruction of basic democratic values. The alternative is not blind repression or capitulation to lawlessness. It is the realization of common opportunities for all within a single society. This alternative will require a commitment to national action-compassionate, massive and sustained, backed by the resources of the most powerful and the richest nation on this earth. From every American it will require new attitudes, new understanding, and, above all, new will. The Kerner Commission did not believe our country was doomed to a permanent cycle of rioting and racial division and offered specific recommendations. The majority of them centered on creating economic opportunity for Black citizens imprisoned in concentrated segregated poverty. Others addressed hiring and training more diverse police forces. An entire section was devoted to education with special concern about the poor reading and math skills and low graduation and employment rates of millions of Black students stuck in

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predominantly Black, poor, and unequal schools. Segregation and poverty have created in the racial ghetto a destructive environment totally unknown to most white Americans. What white Americans have never fully understood-but what the Negro can never forget-is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it. Decades since the Kerner Commission Report’s release, what has been done? Far from enough as the authors feared: “One of the first witnesses to be invited to appear before this Commission was [noted Black psychologist] Dr. Kenneth B. Clark, a distinguished and perceptive scholar. Referring to the reports of earlier riot commissions, he said: ‘I read that report. . . of the 1919 riot in Chicago, and it is as if I were reading the report of the investigating committee on the Harlem riot of ‘35, the report of the investigating committee on the Harlem riot of ‘43, the report of the McCone Commission on the Watts riot. I must again in candor say to you members of this Commission - it is a kind of Alice in Wonderland - with the same moving picture re-shown over and over again, the same analysis, the same recommendations, and the same inaction.” Almost 50 years later historians and scholars look at the Kerner Commission Report as another reminder of how much is still unchanged and needs changing to make the promises of American democracy work for all. Division is not inevitable. When will we hear and heed and act?

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org

JULY 29, 2016

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Black Lives Matter and so does Black Lives Matter By now, everyone has seen the video of a man in North Miami, Fla. - an unarmed Black man trying to calm a patient with autism - on the ground, his hands up, warding off police. Charles Kinsey was working with a patient who had a toy gun in his hand. Someone had called police, saying that a man had a gun and police showed up, but they apparently ignored Kinsey as he lay on the ground, hands up, telling officers that he had no gun and that that which they thought was a gun in the hands of the man with autism was actually a toy truck. They ignored Kinsey, and one of the officers shot him. Kinsey said he was surprised and asked the officer why he had shot him and the officer responded that he didn’t know. To add insult to injury, officers handcuffed him after he had been shot. The incident is maddening; had Kinsey not survived, the narrative about and around what had happened to him would have been swallowed up in law enforcement rhetoric. Citing that the “hands up” story of Michael Brown, the young man shot by police in Ferguson, Mo. two years ago, was cited as being false, the story would have been that this “hands up” story was also likely false. A video of the incident would have been thoroughly investigated and the officers would have been put on

“paid administrative leave,” with the investigation showing, ultimately, that the officers were not at fault. Enough. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani went on a tirade at the Republican National Convention this week, saying that the Black Lives Matter movement is “inherently racist.” Former New York Police Detective Harry Houck said that Black people are “prone to criminality.” Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clar ke said on television and to the attendees of the Republican National Convention that the Black Lives Matter movement is “anarchy.” He cited, angrily, the “fact” that the claim that Michael Brown had died from being shot by Officer Darren Wilson had proven to be false. He decried the violence being meted out on police officers now, blaming BLM and saying he had predicted it. While murdering anyone is wrong, it is a fact that police have been killing unarmed Black men and women and getting away with it for decades. How many Black people have died at the hands of law enforcement officers while pleading for their lives we will never know. But what we do know is that these killings happen far too often and law enforcement officers who have been the shooters have gotten away with murder. Even while we cringe at what happened in North Miami, the officers who were brought up on charges in the death of Freddy Gray have so far all been acquitted. Not wanting to face juries, these officers have chosen bench trials and the presiding judge has said not a one of them is guilty. In other words, nobody is responsible for the death of Freddy Gray. He just

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...died. It is the disrespect of human life Black life - shown by law enforcement officers historically that has people in the streets. Far from being anarchy, the BLM movement is a cry for justice - for laws to be made and adhered to that will stop it from being “OK” for police officers to shoot and kill rather than to protect and serve. The anarchy seems to be on the part of the specific police officers who know they are protected by law whenever they shoot and kill someone. They seem to kill without caring because they know “their world” and “their laws” will trump laws of human decency and respect. It is a good thing that Charles Kinsey survived; it is a good thing that his situation was caught on camera and has been all over social media and major television and radio programs as well. It is not comforting or reassuring that the officer who shot him is on “administrative leave.” Those two words point to an impotent and unfair practice of “investigating” police misconduct, only to let offending officers off the hook. That is why the Black Lives Matter movement must continue and grow even stronger, in spite of the cries and criticisms made against it. If Black people will not tell the story of what these rogue officers do to too many people, the story will remain the “dirty little secret” of officers. Those officers, like priests who commit sexual aberrations against children, need to be exposed and be taken off the streets. All lives matter - yes, but in that “all,” Black lives have been eliminated. It’s time for that to change.

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Trump, the Fear-Mongering Candidate By Lee A. Daniels George Curry Media Columnist

Are you cowering in your homes yet, clutching your framed copies of the Second Amendment, AR-15s and open-and/or-concealed-carry guns yet? If you watched Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at last week’s Republican National Convention - and you believed any of it - you should be. For Trump, who spent decades living a much-publicized life of showy hedonistic excess at his signature skyscraper in the uber-weathy blocks of midtown Manhattan described a life for us ordinary folk that verges on the apocalyptic. And it’s all Barack and Hillary’s fault. We the people are beset by criminals - those “illegal immigrants” who have spread crime over the land, and those “you-know-who” of the nation’s bigcity ghettos. And it’s all Barack and Hillary’s fault. We the people who don’t have jets and helicopters with our names painted on them in big, big letters are forced to drive on crumbling roads and bridges. And it’s all Barack and Hillary’s fault. We the people have to suffer the humiliation of not being able to just order the rest of the world to do what we want, and be quiet while they do it. And it’s all Barack and Hillary’s fault. I could go on, as Trump did ad nauseam, but you get the picture. Donald Trump’s acceptance speech embodied what his campaign was built on from the day he announced it last year with

a slur against Mexicans and Latino peoples: fear-mongering, a complete disregard for truth, and an overweening narcissism. And, as usual, for all his slippery assertions of the U.S. having gone wrong - and it’s all Barack and Hillary’s fault he offered no substantive proposals for change beyond his usual I’ll-fix-it-andI’ll-be-great bluster. In that regard, Trump’s speech, following daughter Ivanka’s world-of-fantasy tribute to him, was the appropriate conclusion to a four-day spectacle that can best be described as a gift that will keep on giving: most immediately, to the Clinton campaign; and to political satirists and professional and amateur comedians; and finally, to scholars and authors who will be mining its bizarre doings for material for decades. One moment there was former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose appointee as city police commissioner was later indicted, convicted and sentenced to prison on corruption charges, shouting to the world how much he loves the police. The next, there was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Trump’s chief gofer, staging a mock trial of Hillary Clinton with the convention’s bloc of delegates as the “jury.” Their lynch-mob-like behavior provided irrefutable proof that “Clinton Derangement Syndrome” is every bit as virulent as the “Obama Derangement Syndrome” they’ve fed on these past eight years. One could continue on through the convention’s reality-show lineup of D-minus-list celebrities spewing bizarre conspiracy theories and oily tributes to Trump; GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pretending they’re still the party’s actual leaders; and that unholy group no Republican National Convention has been without for 40 years - the blackface-minstrel Blacks, whose role is to delight the virtually all-White GOP conventioneers by de-

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nouncing all those Black Americans not in the convention hall. For rib-splitting hilarity, of course, Melania Trump’s opening-night speech will always occupy a special niche in American history. Who would have guessed First Lady Michelle Obama has always had a secret admirer of the content of her character at the very heart of the Trump campaign? And we all owe a debt of gratitude to Texas Senator Ted Cruz for his signaling via a stunning backstabbing speech that he’s now - and that means right now - running for the party’s 2020 presidential nomination. That’s also the plan of several of the other GOP politicos who showed up to speak (and some who didn’t). They were just far more circumspect about it. Because those audacious hopes depend on Trump’s losing this year’s general election, Cruz’s blunt rebellion underscores the existence two major dynamics. One is that significant factions within the GOP still want a Trump defeat. The second is that the conservative movement’s intra-party and multi-faction war will continue at least until the 2020 election. There’s one more reason the Trump acceptance speech was the perfect capstone to the GOP convention. In 2008, in an amoral effort to derail Barack Obama’s candidacy, the Republican Party nominated Sarah Palin, the most unqualified vice presidential candidate in American history. That act signaled that the integrity of the Republican Party had all but disappeared. Last week, after eight years of futilely trying to wreck the Obama administration by any means necessary, the GOP nominated the most unqualified presidential candidate in American history. Who says progress is inevitable? 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.

JULY 29, 2016

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SCLC announces Program to end ‘Blackon-Black and Blue-on-Black Crime By George E. Curry George Curry Media Columnist ATLANTA – The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the venerated civil rights organization co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is launching a two-prong Neighborhood Patrol Initiative aimed at ending “Black-on-Black and Blue-on-Black crime,” President Charles Steele, Jr. announced at the group’s annual convention that concluded here Sunday.

90 percent of African Americans are killed by other African Americans. The FBI also reported that 82.4 percent of Whites are killed by other Whites. So we can’t pretend that we’re serious about crime in our community until we deal with Blacks killing other Blacks. At the same time, Whites should stop pointing fingers at Blacks and deal with the equally serious White-on-White crime.” It continued, “Why Deal with Blue-on-Black Crime? We must address the issue of men and women in blue killing because Black and

In addition, SCLC’s two top officials – Board Chair Bernard LaFayette, Jr., a movement veteran who worked very closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Charles Steele, Jr., a former Alabama State Senator, will expand their nonviolence conflict resolution programs to communities participating in the Neighborhood Patrol Initiative.

“Protesters are complaining about the police and the police is complaining about protesters, but very few people have offered any solutions,” Steele explained in an interview. “We are beginning a solutions-oriented Neighborhood Patrol Initiative that will rely on the leadership and experience of former police officer and military veterans to return stability to our neighborhoods.”

LaFayette, Steele and Alphin have traveled all over the world teaching what they call “Kingian nonviolence.” Now, they hope to apply that experience back home.

He said a pilot program will begin soon in Atlanta and will be duplicated in other cities after the model has been perfected. “It’s important that Black men in particular who have had experience fighting, both at home and abroad, take the lead in restoring peace and stability in our communities. In addition to conducting regular around-the-clock patrols, with the help of men who have not been part of law enforcement and the military, we want these community patrols to videotape all suspicious activities in their neighborhoods. We have already seen the power of videotapes and social media in recent national events surrounding the deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn.,” Steele said. A fact sheet created by SCLC, stated: “According to the FBI, most crimes in the United States are intra-racial, not interracial. In fact, FBI stats for 2014, the latest year available, show that 7.6 percent of Blacks are killed by Whites and

ACLU-operated program in the District of Columbia and eight states whereby people videotaping confrontations with police on their cell phones can have that videotape immediately sent to the ACLU for preservation even if the phone is destroyed after a recording is made. It’s part of a mobile justice app that can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android devices. The app is currently available in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

President Charles Steele, Jr.

Brown people bear the brunt of killings by police. A database of police killings compiled by the Washington Post shows that African Americans are 2.5 times as likely as White Americans to be shot and killed by police officers.” The Neighborhood Patrol Initiative will be directed by retired St. Louis Police Capt. Charles L. Alphin, Sr. Although the neighborhood patrols will not be armed, in keeping with SCLC nonviolent principles, members will be equipped with walkie-talkies or other forms of communication, Steele said. He also said SCLC is looking closely at incorporating into its Neighborhood Patrol Initiative

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A study of Black homicides by the Violence Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. found that Blacks represent 13 percent of the nation’s population, yet accounted for 50 percent of all homicide victims. For homicides in which a relationship could be identified, 83 percent of victims were killed by someone they knew, the study said. It added, “Of these, 51 percent (1,284 homicides) involved arguments between the victim and the offender.” To SCLC, that underscores the need to teach non-violent conflict resolution. “The combination of addressing the Blackon-Black and Blue-on-Black violence along with implementing long-term strategies to neutralize personal conflict before it escalates into violence can have a profound effect on our communities,” LaFayette and Steele said in a joint statement. “This is a time of crisis for many of our communities, but it’s also an opportunity to do something constructive to improve the lives of African Americans and our law enforcement officials.”

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Community Free Job Training: WorkPaths @ CitySquare Ongoing. Free information sessions held the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month; CitySquare; 1610 S. Malcolm X, Dallas 75226. Five-week Food Service & Hospitality course begins August 1, 2016. Contact: 214-823-4409; dbranch@citysquare. org. ******* Free Reading Tutoring Dallas Public Library; 1515 Young, Dallas 75201. Learn to read better program for adults. Contact: 214671-8291; http://www.dallaslibrary. org/literacy

Christian Center on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 6:00 PM CDT for the FREE Harvest DFW summer concert for a life-giving message and a life-giving worship experience with music by Harvest Worship & Pharrell’s Artist, Koryn Hawthorne, from NBC’s The Voice. 3404 Conway Street Record-Breaking Soul Train Line & Block Party

August 3 Ringling Brothers Circus opens at American Airlines Center Dallas

July 29

August 5

Actions Speak Louder: Police/Race Relations Forum Friday, July 29, 2016; 6:00pm – 8:30pm; El Centro Performance Hall, 801 Main St., Dallas 75201. The Dallas Festival of Ideas leads the community in small group discussions about the July 7th police shootings, and in developing action plans and recommendations to be presented to the mayor. A DAY OF HEALING, A DAY OF TOGETHERNESS AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER 11am-2p.m.

10am – 2pm; Southwest Center Mall, 3662 W. Camp Wisdom, Dallas 75237. Watch 500+ participants break the Guinness Book of World Records Soul Train Line. Free! Fun-filled family event, giveaways, and food. Sponsorships available. Contact: Denita Quinn, Achieve PR; 469-426-1148; dlquinn@achievepr.net. https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/dallas-county-community-block-party-and-record-breaking-soul-train-line-tickets-25295540643 “Knowledge Saturdays” Happy Hour Saturday, July 30, 2016, 5pm – 7pm; Ten Eleven Grill, 1011 N. Corinth, Dallas, 75215. This program teaches students ages 14-18 to become leaders by giving them skills and insights not traditionally covered in schools. The Happy Hour informs the community about upcoming “Knowledge Saturdays” events and accomplishments. Contact: knowledgesaturdays@gmail. com. 870-292-9861

July 30 join Bishop Foreman and Harvest

Fair Park and the issues of transparency and accountability at the center of the proposed public private partnership, Hall of State at Fair Park 6pm Moderator: Jim Schutze, Dallas Observer Panelists: Dr. Michael Phillips, author of White Metropolis Patrick Washington, Fair Park Merchant Association, Tammy Johnston, Greater Communities of Fair Park

August 1 A panel discussion on the future of

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. ***** First Friday Flicks: The Neverending Story On the first Friday of each month through October, head over to Heritage Crossing, located at Sixth and Walnut streets, to enjoy a free outdoor movie. This month, enjoy a screening of The Neverending Story on Friday, Aug. 5. Call 972-205-2790 for more information. Best Southwest TGIF Legislative Breakfast Series at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

August 9 Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson hosts The 2016 Annual Youth Summit and Diversity Dialogue at the SMU Meadows School of the Arts, 6101 Bishop Blvd. Dallas,

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8:00 AM-2:30 PM Contact: Harrison Blair at 214-9228885 to apply **** Greater Dallas League of Young Professionals August 2016 General Body Meeting 6:30 pm Networking | 7:00 pm Meeting Meadows Conference Center (formerly Center for Community Cooperation) 2900 Live Oak Street Dallas, TX 75204 Meet us after the GBM for our Urban Upgrade at Union Park 1311 Main Street Dallas, TX 75202 **** Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant Workshop Registered neighborhoods groups in Garland may apply for matching funds to implement neighborhood projects on public property. Neighborhood groups are invited to attend a workshop at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, to learn about the application process and to receive technical assistance while applying. Applications are due Sept. 1. Register for the workshop at GarlandVitalNeighborhoods.org.

August 10

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specific industries. North Texas Tollway Authority, 5900 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX

August 19 Best Southwest TGIF Legislative Breakfast Series at Methodist Charlton Medical Center. DeVaughn will be at the Verizon Theatre Saturday at 8p.m. Tickets prices ranges from $34.75-$150.00.

August 11

****** AISD back to school kickoff Arlington ISD, churches of Arlington, Arlington NAACP., Junior League of Arlington, Gene and Jerry Jones Family North Texas Youth and many more organizations will be putting a event together at 8:00 am until noon. It will be held on the west outdoor plaza and indoor platform of AT&T Stadium.

August 14 Chrisette Michele will be performing at the Verizon Theatre, at 8pm. Go online to purchase your ticket.

Christopher Austin will be signing copies and reading excerpts from his new book The Way: A Hawaiian Story of Growth, Relationships & Volleyball on Thursday, August 11th from 6 to 9 PM at the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum located at 3400 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Fort Worth, TX, 76103.

August 12 Best Southwest TGIF Legislative Breakfast Series at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

August 13 Maze featuring Frankie Beverly & Chaka Khan with special guest Raheem

August 17

August 20 The HeadsUp! Foundation and Athletes4Change will host the “#DallasStrong: HOOPS4HEALING” Basketball Showcase and Celebrity All-Star Game. This event will benefit both the surviving families of our fallen officers as well as the youth and families of the communities our officers serve and protect each day.

The Taming by Lauren Gunderson Circle Theatre 230 W. 4th Street Fort Worth, TX 76102 Sundance Square Entertainment District When: August 18 - September 17, 2016 Previews: Thursday, August 18, 7:30 pm ($15) Friday, August 19, 8:00 pm ($20) Saturday, August 20, 3:00 pm ($15) Opening Night Saturday, August 20, 8:00 pm ($38) School Night Friday, August 26, 8:00 pm ($5 students - $10 faculty & staff )

August 21

****** 2016 Health Fair and Back-to-School Rally at the Curtis Culwell Center. Students, accompanied by a parent or guardian, will have an opportunity to receive free school supplies, clothes and uniforms, as well as lowcost immunizations. Garland ISD students must register by Aug. 1 to take advantage of the free supplies. Details and the registration form can be found here: http://www.garlandisd.net/sites/default/files/english_flier_edit_4.pdf ******

ATTEND A SECOND WEDNESDAY BUSINESS CHAT D/M/W/SBE business owners who want to work with NTTA or who wish to promote their businesses are encouraged to attend monthly Business Chat Sessions in the NTTA Boardroom. Sessions provide an informal setting for vendors to meet with key decision-makers at NTTA, share information about their companies and allow NTTA staff to present information to vendors in a manner that is tailored to

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August 23 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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JULY 29, 2016

Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs & Justice

To Be Equal By Marc Morial President and CEO National Urban League

"I recognize we are in political season. But the Urban League understands that your mission transcends politics. Good jobs, quality schools, affordable health care, affordable housing - these are all the pillars upon which communities are built. And yet, we've been reminded recently that all this matters little if these young people can't walk the streets of their neighborhood safely; if we can't send our kids to school without worrying they might get shot; if they can't go to the movies without fear of violence lurking in the shadows." -- President Barack Obama, National Urban League Conference, July 25, 2012 As demonstrated by the recent acquittals of the Baltimore police officers accused in the death of Freddie Gray, and the wave of violence that has taken so many lives in recent weeks, the country continues to grapple with issues of racial hostility and violence. The lack of social and economic opportunity is at the root of the unrest. The troubling divisive rhetoric that has characterized the 2016 presidential race has fed the unrest. Only a historic, targeted mobilization of public-private partnerships can address the unrest. "Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs & Justice," the theme of the 2016 National Urban League Conference campaign represents an unprecedented mobilization to influence public policy through grassroots political action. Taking place August 3 through 6 at the Baltimore Convention Center, the nation's largest civil rights and social justice conference attracts thousands of the nation's most influential community leaders, together with top policy-makers, academicians, business leaders and artists for three days of dynamic dialogue, intellectual exchange and community service. Workshops, panel discussions and policy sessions are built around the Urban League Movement's agenda to address the challenges of unemployment, educational inequity, and social injustice. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been invited to address the Conference at the Presidential Plenary - a long-standing tradition of the conference, acknowledging the indispensable relationship between the nation's highest office

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and its leading civil rights and social justice community. The plenary is a continuation of a process that began at last year's Conference, when five candidates vying in the Republican and Democratic primaries addressed the plenary. Questionnaires addressing issues of social and economic opportunity and inequality were distributed to all major-party candidates and all major-party candidates were invited to participate in a civil rights briefing from nine major civil rights organization. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders each attended the briefings and participated in a substantive discussion of their civil rights and social justice agendas. The conference workshops, forums and panel discussions represent a "deeper dive" into the National Urban League's mission areas of jobs, education, health, housing and civic engagement. For example: The Link between African American Cooperative Business and Economic Freedom: Can communities like Baltimore return to their former glory as thriving American cities? State of Health and Wellness in Black America: The National Urban League's Equality Index identifies a widening gap in health equity - how can communities address individual and institutional health factors to produce better outcomes? #Baltimore Rising: Making Change in the Aftermath: the death of Freddie Gray in police custody last year thrust Baltimore onto the national stage, making it a symbol of what happens when communities feel left out of the American Dream. How can millennials and young professionals create positive change and progress? The State of the Urban League Address, scheduled for 7pm August 3 at New Shiloh Baptist Church, serves as my annual report on the progress and accomplishments of the Urban League Movement and serves as the official kick-off for the conference. Among the speakers, panelists and honorees who will join us in Baltimore are Congressman Elijah Cummings, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, White House Advisor Valerie B. Jarrett, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, BET Chair and CEO Debra Lee, and U.S. Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. This year we're excited to debut a new event, the family-focused Community Day on Saturday, expected to attract thousands of Baltimore-area residents for informative and entertaining exhibits and sessions.

JULY 29, 2016

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Irvin Ashford, Jr. named Comerica's National Director of Financial Literacy Comerica Senior Vice President Irvin Ashford, Jr. has been named National Director of Financial Literacy. In addition to his new responsibilities, Ashford will continue his role in managing community development and external affairs for Texas, Arizona and Florida. "Irv has been instrumental in broadening Comerica's focus on financial literacy in the communities it serves," said Ralph W. Babb, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank. "His new title is a reflection of the incredibly worthwhile work he has done to serve a vital community need, while bringing important national recognition to Comerica and its financial literacy programs." According to the Financial Services Roundtable (FSR), research shows that students with access to financial education earn significantly higher credit scores. In addition, the FSR noted that students who took a formal financial literacy class increased their knowledge of earning, saving, spending, borrowing, and protecting their money. With respect to adults, financial education is critical well beyond the retirement age. "Comerica is committed to providing students and adults with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully navigate the increasingly complex financial world we live in," said Ashford. "Our EMPOWER series, for example, in which we partner with the Dallas Public Library and the local chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, is free and geared to help the community be more successful in navigating the worlds of finance, budgeting,

Irvin Ashford, Jr.

savings and investing. These are the types of programs in our markets that Comerica embraces because they foster good financial principles and knowledge." In April, Comerica Bank received an Innovation in Financial Education Award, presented by Nasdaq and EverFi, and accepted by Ashford on behalf of the bank. The award recognizes Comerica's significant efforts to improve the financial capability of adults and children through unique digital learning initiatives. \Ashford was instrumental in forging Comerica's partnership with EverFi and the expansion of the bank's Money $ense program for local students at no cost to schools or taxpayers. The program has reached over 2,000 students within Comerica's footprint who have completed 5,300 learning modules since the 2014-15 school year. Ashford joined Comerica Bank in 2000. He was recognized by The Na-

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tional Association of Black Accountants and The National Black MBA Association for his leadership and support of programs benefiting low- to moderate-income individuals and communities in Dallas. Named to the 2007 United States delegate class of the British-American Project.,Ashford is a Woodrow Wilson International Studies and Public Policy Fellow, and an American Marshall Fellow. Ashford was the recipient of the 2015 Individual Achievement DiversityFirst Award from the Texas Diversity Council. He was named the 2015 Change Happens! Community Hero and was awarded the Driving Diversity Advocacy Award for Outreach from the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, Ashford became the first two-time winner of the Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award. His civic and community involvement includes serving on the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas, The PeopleFund, Kym's Kids, University of Dallas Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business Advisory Board, Focus on the Teens, and the Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation. He is a long-time volunteer at the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, teaching small business classes. A graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, Ashford earned dual master's degrees - public affairs from the University of Texas and business administration from the University of Dallas

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JULY 29, 2016

Another Missed Opportunity SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER by George E. Curry (George Curry Media Columnist)

DURBAN, South Africa – On my first night here to cover the 26th International AIDS Conference, I had dinner with Phill Wilson, president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, and three other members of our delegation. During the course of our wide-ranging conversation, Phill mentioned the unusual circumstances under which we had met in 2003. At the time, I was serving the first of two tours as editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and had written a column expressing my deeply-conflicted feelings about same-sex marriage. Predictably, the response to my column was quick and furious. I received 200 scorching e-mails and I subsequently published excerpts from some of them in my weekly column without further commentary. Rather than join the chorus of bashers, however, Phill Wilson telephoned me and requested a meeting. I immediately agreed and he flew from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. and met with me at my office in the Howard University School of Communications. Interestingly, neither of us tried to change the other’s mind. Phill expressed his view, which differed from mine, and I elaborated on my quandary of not feeling gays and lesbians should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation but explaining that my opposition to same-sex marriage was rooted in my religious upbringing. I emphasized that there are millions of people like me who are not the least bit interested in gay-bashing, but are genuinely conflicted over this issue. More important than whether either of us changed our position was that when the meeting was over, Phill had enlightened me how AIDS was ravishing our

community. I was struck by the acrossthe-board disparities, including among teenagers and straight women, and was embarrassed that I was unaware of the depth of the crisis in our community. I wrote a column in 2014 that pointed out: The rate of new HIV infections for Black men (103.6) was the highest of any group, more than twice that of Latino men (45.5), the second highest group; The estimated rate of new HIV infections for African American women (38.1/100,000 population) was 20 times that of White women and almost five times that of Hispanic/Latino women and Of HIV diagnoses among 13 to 19 year olds, almost 70 percent are to Black teens, even though they constitute approximately 16 percent of the adolescent population in the U.S. Because of that visit in which Phill shared so much eye-opening data, I developed a heightened interest in covering the disease, an interest – and friendship with Phill – that has only grown stronger in subsequent years. More than anyone, Phill Wilson has been the Paul Revere of Black America when it comes to sounding the alarm about the devastation HIV/AIDS has visited upon African Americans. He is a tireless champion determined to curb the impact of this disease and does unmatched work as president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. I later found out that not only had Phill contacted me, he also reached out to major civil rights leaders, urging them to tackle what he described as a “Black disease.” As Phill will tell you, I have repeatedly pressed him to expand his efforts to recruit more straight Black men and women to engage in the fight against HIV/ AIDS. I understand the disproportionate toll the disease has taken on gay and bi-sexual Black men, but thanks to him, I also realize how many other groups are affected.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 87 percent of Black women become infected through heterosexual sex and only a small percentage through injection drug use. Yet, I saw few outreach efforts at the international AIDS convention aimed at heterosexual males or females. On the other hand, there were sessions titled, “Working with Communities of Faith to Reduce TB and HIV Stigma” and “Turning the Tide: Outreach and Social Support for Trans Sex Workers.” This was another missed opportunity. And in our predicament, we can’t afford to miss any opportunities to make inroads into curbing this disease. The CDC figures tell why:  In 2014, 44 percent (19,540) of estimated new HIV diagnoses in the United States were among African Americans, who represent 12 percent of the U.S. population;  Among African Americans diagnosed with HIV in 2014, an estimated 73 percent (14,305) were men and 26 percent (5,128) were women and  Among African Americans diagnosed with HIV in 2014, an estimated 57 percent (11,201) were gay or bisexual men. I understand that gay and bisexual men deserve special attention because of the lopsided numbers. But this is not a battle for them to fight alone. There are many straight people who would add their voice to the fight against HIV/AIDS. But it may take a Phill Wilson to sit down with them and say, as Phill told me, we may never agree on certain social issues, but it is not necessary to be in agreement on every issue in order to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black America. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge: Black America’s Newsmagazine, is editor-in-chief and publisher of EmergeNewsOnline.com, an African American-oriented news website and monthly digital magazine. A popular keynote speaker, Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge, George E. Curry Fan Page on Facebook, and Periscope.

JULY 29, 2016

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On the Restaurant Scene w/

Next Door

Eva

2908 McKinney Ave Dallas, TX @NextDoorDallas #knockknock

Executive Chef Paul Niekrasz

National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice Confab in Dallas

In addition to being elected Asst. Treasurer of the organization, Andre Turner, shown here with members of the Texas delegation, received the President’s Award

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I Messenger Greater Dallas League of Young Professionals Executive Board!

Welcome 2016-2018 Executive Board! Our new board will assume their roles beginning August 1st. We wish them well on their journey in service and appreciate them answering the call to lead! Officers President | Michelle Williams Vice President | Herbert Smith Treasurer | Freddie D. Harris Secretary | Alexis Snowton Historian | Kay Hall Parliamentarian | Brittney Flowers Chief of Staff | Ashley N. Wells

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Bounce TV to Air Baton Rouge Town Hall Meeting "Where Do We Go From Here?" Live and Commercial Raycom Media's WAFB-TV producing Event, Network Founder Martin Luther King III to participate ATLANTA, -- Bounce TV, the first and only over-the-air broadcast network for African Americans, will bring Where Do We Go From Here? -- the Baton Rouge town hall meeting being produced by Bounce TV affiliate WAFB-TV on the heels of the recent racially-related violence and police shootings -- to viewers nationwide when it carries the event live, uninterrupted and commercial-free on Tues. Aug. 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Bounce TV, the diverse and broad range of community first and only and civic leaders. over-the-air broadcast network Martin Luther King III, one of the foundfor African Amerers of Bounce TV, will icans, will bring participate in the con"Where Do We versation, along with Go From Here?" -- the Baton Rouge an invited audience representing a diverse town hall meeting being produced and broad range of community and by Bounce TV Matin L. King, III civic leaders. WAFB affiliate WAFBanchors Greg MeriTV on the wether and Lauren Westbrook will heels of the recent racially-related moderate the discussion, set to violence and police shootings -- to take place in Baton Rouge. WAFBviewers nationwide when it carries TV is a Raycom Media station. the event live, uninterrupted and commercial-free on Tues. Aug. 2 at Bounce TV is carrying Where Do We Go From Here? as part of 8:00 p.m. ET. Martin Luther King its new wide-ranging initiative to III (Pictured), one of the founders encourage de-escalation training, of Bounce TV, will participate in in which it has teamed with The the conversation, along with an Root, the premier news, opinion invited audience representing a

and culture site for African-American influencers, to support the effort. The Root's editorial outlining the call to action can be found by clicking here. People can stay connected with the initiative on social media by following Bounce TV's official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts (@bouncetv) and by using the official hashtag, #CallJustice4Peace. Bounce TV is the fastest-growing African-American network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network is available in more than 94 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African-American television homes, including all of the top AA television markets. For more information, visit BounceTV.com.

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!

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JULY 29, 2016 I Messenger It’s not too early to start planning Parkland physician offers tips to prevent heat-related for back-to-school immunizations

Parkland health centers offer convenient ‘Walk-in Wednesdays’ There’s still plenty of summer vacation time ahead, but it’s not too early to start planning for the start of the next school year. And for many families, that includes making sure their kids’ immunizations are up to date. Community health experts at Parkland Health & Hospital System encourage parents to make sure their children’s immunizations are current, and if they are not, to visit one of Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care health centers or Youth & Family centers located throughout Dallas County. This year the health centers once again will be offering immunizations on “Walk-in Wednesdays,” which start July 27, 2016. Parents can bring their children for immunizations without having to make an appointment on Wednesdays. Immunizations during Walk-in-Wednesdays will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parents can still walk-in with their children for vaccinations on other days, but appointments are recommended. To schedule an appointment for your child at a COPC health center, please call 214.266.4000. To schedule an appointment at a Youth & Family Center, call 214.266.1257. “Vaccines are important not just for individual children, but for the entire community because they protect people around you from communicable diseases,” said Cesar Termulo Jr., MD, lead pediatric physician at Parkland’s Hatcher Station Health Center in South Dallas. “Vaccines are one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your children.” In 2014 an outbreak of measles began at Disneyland and spread quickly. It led to urgent pleas from medical experts for parents to take seriously the potentially deadly consequences of failing to protect children from preventable diseases like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, mumps and more. Recent research has strongly suggested that reducing measles incidence by vaccinating children causes a drop in deaths from other infectious diseases. “The research suggests that measles vaccine has greater benefits beyond protecting just against measles,” Dr. Termulo said. “The report shows that when a person contracts measles, their immune system is suppressed for a long period of time, making them more susceptible to death from other illnesses even several years later.” Public health specialists around the world have noted that when millions of children in a country are vaccinated against measles, death rates from other infections go down, Dr. Termulo said. “We urge parents to keep their children’s vaccinations current and to heed advice of medical professionals based on years of evidence showing the safety and efficacy of these vaccines,” Dr. Termulo said. Children in Texas are required to have been vaccinated for nine communicable diseases before entering kindergarten through 12th grades. The required vaccinations are: Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis; Polio; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Hepatitis B; Varicella; Meningococcal; and Hepatitis A. Children in day care must also be vaccinated. And don’t forget about older children – especially those in 7th and 8th grades – who may need new or booster shots. Parkland also strongly recommends the HPV (human papilloma vaccine) for this age group. “HPV vaccines offer the best protection to girls and boys who receive all three vaccine doses,” Dr. Termulo said. “It should be administered for preteen girls and boys around age 11 or 12 to allow time for their bodies to develop an immune response before they are exposed to cancer risks.” Parkland accepts Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and most major insurance plans. If you do not have insurance, Parkland can provide financial screening to determine if patients qualify for financial assistance. To find the Parkland COPC health center nearest you, please visit www. parklandhospital.com.

illnesses, injuries

Athletes, band members at risk during summer ‘two-a-days’ This time of the year student athletes and band members across Dallas-Fort Worth are engaging in twice-daily practices in anticipation of the upcoming football season. And even though the Metroplex averages 18 100-degree days a year, Parkland Health & Hospital System physicians warn that heat exhaustion can be deadly even if temperatures don’t hit the century mark. A combination of high humidity and temperatures in the ‘90s can have the same effect as triple-digit days. Exposure to extreme heat can result in illnesses and injuries, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat-related rashes. In the last six years Parkland Memorial Hospital has seen more than 240 patients with heat-related diagnoses in its emergency department. “A lot of schools are holding ‘two-a-days’ to prepare for the upcoming season. Even though many of the practices are held before sunrise or after sunset there is still a risk for injuries that directly correspond to the heat,” said Alexander L. Eastman, MD, MPH, Medical Director and Chief of the Rees-Jones Trauma Center at Parkland and Assistant Professor of Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Most people lose as much as one to two quarts of fluid during an hour of exercise. When you’re not drinking enough fluids, your muscles get tired quickly and you may have leg cramps while walking or running.” Athletes, Dr. Eastman said, can lose as much as three quarts of fluids an hour during an intense workout, leading to illnesses such as heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion occurs when people are exposed to high temperatures, especially when combined with strenuous physical activity and humidity, and when the body loses fluids and becomes dehydrated. When heat exhaustion elevates, it may result in heat stroke, a life-threatening medical condition occurring when the body’s cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, stops working. The resulting high body temperature causes damage to internal organs, including the brain, and could result in death. “It’s important that everyone, and in this case coaches and band directors, know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses, especially heat stroke which is the most serious heat-related disorder,” Dr. Eastman said. “It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.” When heat stroke occurs, body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given. Dr. Eastman offers the following steps to treat an athlete with suspected heat stroke: Call 911 and notify their coach or a person in authority Move the person to a cool shaded area Cool him/her with methods such as: Soaking their clothes with water Spraying, sponging or showering them with water Fanning their body “It’s important to stop exercising, running, tackling or marching if you become dizzy or lightheaded or you feel very tired. Pay attention to your body and to those around you,” Dr. Eastman added. “If you see something, say something because these are the critical first signs that something is wrong.” For additional information, visit www.parklandhospital.com.

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JULY 29, 2016

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Spiritually Being Right or Doing Right Your Call Speaking

by James A. Washington Scripture says you should live your life in such a way that those around you can see the Jesus in you. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. I know that sounds good. But what does it really mean? The only explanation that works for me is the one that talks about service, i. e. doing something in the name of the Lord. I still believe faith is a verb. We all know no one can live a perfect life. But it shouldn’t take a District Attorney’s cross examination to figure out where a person is coming from. The man who professes to love Jesus shouldn’t be okay with cheating on his wife, be content with a life of crime, or rationalize illicit sex, drugs and satanic rock and roll. If so, then the Lord cannot be your leader, nor Christ your example. We’ve all done it to some degree but at some point in

your supposed walk with what I want. I’ve done it God, your behavior, your all my life. You probably obedience, your principles have too. So the important and integrity must shine question is how hard through. Perfection may are you willing to work be impossible, but serious knowing that your very soul effort is not only possible, is at stake? Just what are you it’s mandatory. willing to do to let the world You’ve got to give it your know who you are and best shot each and every day. whose you are? You can and will fall short, The good news of the but it shouldn’t be for lack gospel makes it clear of effort. I forget who said, that this is easy, if not if you try you might fail. ridiculously easy. Love God But if you don’t try, you’re and love your neighbor. In guaranteed to fail. Please this context love is a verb. note that God requires effort. Do enough so that the Jesus Allow me to testify about in you meets the Jesus in me. what I know to be true. My Do something, anything, bible says the closer we that another person can’t come to Jesus, the more we mistake for anything else experience the blessings of but kindness from above. God. And why wouldn’t For me, I’m asking God to we? walk with me in an effort to After all, those are Jesus’ witness (see this column). I footprints in the snow. The don’t exactly have it down path to righteousness is clear. yet. The goal is simple. Be in I’m finding that it’s not right relationship with God. something you can study. I “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be given EARLINE GADSON you as well.” 9-10-1934 - 6-10-2014 Matthew 6:33. This ‘seeking’ to me has always meant working in some capacity. Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me.” John 9:4. Now none of us has Jesus’ pedigree, but I am not opposed to working for

do know it’s triggered by the recognition that somebody needs to hear, in my case read, a word from God. You should know that at that particular moment, God has chosen you to deliver His Word. So open your mouth and speak. This work that I am trying to focus on is recognizing that I must let go and let God use me to uplift another human being. For those of you who are used to this, you know this is a very humbling experience. But, “…If a man will not work, he shall not eat……And as for you brothers, never tire of doing what is right….” Thessalonians 3:10-13. In the vernacular of the day, get up. It’s time to get busy. May God bless and keep you forever.

James

REMEMBERING

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JOYCE ANN BROWN

2-12-1947- 6-13- 2015

I Messenger Praise Party Conversation with

JULY 29, 2016

Transitional and Proven Leader for Interim President of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce

Dareia Tolbert Another grand success at the Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-A-Thon which Cheryl Smith puts on annually. Watch exclusive interviews of the Celebrity Bowl-A-Thon on http://www.dareiatolbert. com/

Position: Interim President Organization: Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Location: Dallas, TX Type of Employment: Full-time with benefits or Consultant

The Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 90th year as an advocate for the creation, growth and general welfare of African America businesses in Dallas and the North Texas region. The Interim President will lead and manage the chamber during an executive search for a permanent President and assist with the transition of leadership. The position will be for at minimum of six months and the Interim President can apply for the permanent President position. Excellent candidates for the Interim President position should possess the following qualifications and experience: Great passion to make a difference in the African American community Day-to-day leadership and management of a major organization and its staff Report to a board of directors and achieving the board's metrics and goals for the organization Success in gaining funding from corporations, government, and grants of at least $25K per transaction Fiduciary responsibility of a major organization including managing an annual budget of $500K and monitoring an organization's financial statements and activity Great credibility and relationships with C-Suite executives, bankers, and leaders in the Dallas area that have lead to major partnerships Success managing and staff development Exemplary writing and presentation skills Develop policies and procedures to flawlessly execute the operations of a major organization Public relations and marketing for a major organization Bachelor's degree in business or related field preferred Please follow the directions below to apply: Send resume to dljames@dbcc.org with job code IP1 in the subject line of email. Within the body of the email, please answer the following questions: Why are you passionate and interested in the position? What proven success (examples) do you have in the qualifications and experience required of the position? What is the greatest accomplishment you can bring to the organization? What positive feedback have you been given by your supervisor or clients at you current or former employer?

Join Big Tex’s Team: State Fair of Texas Seasonal Job Applications Now Available Online! Are you an outgoing, friendly and energetic person who likes to celebrate all things Texan? Join Big Tex’s team for the 2016 State Fair of Texas! Working at the Fair is just as fun as a visit to the annual event. The State Fair provides more than 6,000 seasonal job opportunities every year, with approximately 1,500 to 1,600 people employed directly by the State Fair of Texas. As the annual event is a collection of small businesses, the remaining seasonal positions report to independent contractors including concessionaires, ride operators and vendors. Applications for seasonal positions can now be found online, with opportunities available in the following departments: Coupon Sales, Creative Arts, Special Events, Exhibits, Food Service, Gates, Livestock Operations, Maintenance, Midway Games, Security, Ticket Office and Tram Operations. To apply for a seasonal position at the State Fair of Texas, please visit BigTex.com/Jobs. Don’t have a computer? No problem. Visit your local public library to see if it has computers available for job seekers, or this year the State Fair is partnering with several local computer labs that will allow people to use their facilities to complete the online application process. Please find details on some of the participating locations below: In partnership with the Wilkinson Center: Eastfield College, Pleasant Grove Campus 802 S. Buckner Blvd., Room 222 Dallas, TX 75217 Contact: Myra Collins 214.821.6380 x 214 Friday, July 29, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Friday, August 5, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Friday, August 26, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Cornerstone Baptist Church 1819 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Dallas, TX 75215 214.426.5468 Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Tuesday & Thursday, open until 6 p.m.)

TR Hoover Community Center 5106 Bexar St. Dallas, TX 75215 214.421.2420 Monday, August 8, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 9, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 10, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Details related to future potential locations will be posted as they become available at BigTex.com/Jobs. The 2016 Fair runs from Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 23.

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JULY 29, 2016

A DAY OF HEALING, A DAY OF TOGETHERNESS AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER ON JULY 30th

Rock-T

Dr. Brian H. Williams

Miles Brown

Mark Cuban

Chris Arnold

(Dallas, TX) -- The Dallas Mavericks, American Airlines Center, the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League and Project Unity will host A Day of Healing, A Day of Togetherness for 5,000 youth on Saturday, July 30 from 11:00am until 2:00pm at American Airlines Center. Law enforcement officers have been invited to bring their families, and join youth from the local Dallas community for a day of free activities. The event will be emceed by Chris Arnold of 105.3 The Fan and will feature Dallas dignitaries and celebrity guests, including Dr. Brian Williams, Parkland Hospital, Miles Brown, actor from the hit show Black-ish, Rock-T, Dish Nation & the Rickey Smiley Radio Show. In addition to hearing from several speakers, attendees will also have the

opportunity to participate in activities featuring current and alumni players from the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, enjoy performances from the Dallas Mavericks Dancers and ManiAACs, along with other live entertainment. Other activities taking place throughout the arena include: celebrity autographs, photo stations, lunch distribution, appearances by the Dallas Mavericks mascots and so much more! “This is about connecting rather than teaching or preaching. My suggestion is that the more time kids and officers can have face to face the more we will unify our community,” said Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. “We are excited for the opportunity to offer this day of togetherness for the community to come out and interact with

one another while enjoying an afternoon full of activities,” said Richie Butler, Founder of Project Unity. “Our city has been through a tough summer and we want to do our part to begin the healing process for all and to show our support to

the community and especially those who protect and serve our community.” A Day of Healing, A Day of Togetherness is a free ticketed event. To request tickets, contact community. tickets@dallasmavs. com.

Special thanks to event sponsors: the Dallas Mavericks, American Airlines Center, the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Project Unity, Dr Pepper, Eisenberg Sausage Company and Frito-Lay.

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JULY 29, 2016