November 13, 2015 Issue 5 Number 11
I MESSENGER
BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
THE PARTNER Accomplished attorney, Nicole Taylor, PAGE 1 joins West & Associates LLP
BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Message to the People... Supporting small businesses
Quit Playin‘
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I was so excited to meet Chantel. During a recent visit to Southwest Center Mall to MOCCA Cosmetics inside the Paradise Salon, I had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful young lady who is also a nail technician. Actually she does it all, from head to toe. She can style your hair and give you a pedicure. Back in the 1990s I used to enjoy this full service salon for pedicures and manicures where the owner and technicians were African American. It was soothing and so enjoyable visiting Terri and the ladies at her salon on Kiest Blvd. in Oak Cliff. I was one sad customer when she said she was closing up shop.
Delta Sigma Theta
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Lancaster’s Finest
Then I heard about Ash Britt Jene in Duncanville. Now I have had pedicures across the country, but none like the ones I have received from Sherri Doll, the owner and operator. Your feet deserve a Sherri Doll pedicure!
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Now there are two places I can go to get manis and pedis in the Southern sector of Dallas County, TX. Chantel also operates inside the Paradise Salon and she is professional and quick; and her prices are reasonable. Chantel’s fairly new to the Metroplex, but like MOCCA Cosmetics and Ash Britt Jene, she believes in quality customer service.
Here Chantel gives MOCCA Cosmetics CEO Kena Baccus Vining a manicure
Too often I hear people complaining about the service they receive from technicians who don’t look like them. They say the technicians are not personable, among other things. They also complain about black-owned businesses, but the difference is they won’t continue going to the black-owned businesses. They won’t give them a second opportunity to do a better job. Give these entrepreneurs a chance. Call MOCCA Cosmetics at 214-392-2593 Schedule an appointment at Ash Britt Jene at 972-709-4208 and by all means stop by Southwest Center Mall and show Chantel some love.
Cheryl
I MESSENGER Cheryl Smith, Publisher Established 2011 IMESSENGER is a tribute to Le Messager, founded by Cameroonian journalist Pius Njawe and The Messenger, an independent magazine, founded by labor activist A. Philip Randolph and economist Chandler Owen. IMESSENGER is committed to informing, inspiring, enlightening and provoking thought in a forum that is international. Submissions for publication consideration may be submitted to www.myimessenger.com.
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Texas' transportation funding heads back to the future
by Royce West Texas Senate
It's taken about a decade and a half for Texas to return to its traditional method of pay-as-you-go financing for transportation. But all signs f rom the pa st fe w legislative sessions say it's the path for the foreseeable future. In November 2014, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment, Pr o p o s i t i o n 1 t h a t d i r e c t s a minimum $4.1 billion in oil and gas tax revenues to be deposited in the State Highway Fund over the next three years. The next step came with the passage of SJR5 by the Legislature this year. SJR5 would also dedicate $2.5 billion in state sales tax proceeds and part of the taxes from motor vehicle sales to bolster funding to build and repair Texas' highways and bridges beginning in 2018. On November 3 this year, voters approved SJR5 through their support of Proposition 7. And with state leaders finally delivering on their promise to end diversions from the state's gasoline taxes, an additional $1.3 billion will be available to help fund transportation projects. Gas taxes are a primary funding source for roads. The flat 20 cents Texas now collects on every gallon of gasoline
and diesel fuel sold has not been adjusted since it rose from 15 cents in 1991. Since that time, costs associated with road construction have more than doubled. And with tremendous population growth come wear and tear on existing roads and increased demand for new capacity. Finding and redirecting existing funding streams is dierent from the methods pursued during the early 2000s when state leaders and the Legislature opposed and still oppose raising road revenues via tax increase. Instead, Texas created new financing tools such as the Texas Mobility Fund, Proposition 12 and Proposition 14 and public private partnerships, also known as Comprehensive De velopment Agreements (CDA). Under the Texas Mobility Fund, Proposition 12 and Proposition 14, the state issued bonds that were sold to raise funds that would be used for roads. T h r o u g h t h e to o l o f a C DA , authorized in 2003, TxDOT could enter into contracts with private developers to upfront finance and build highway projects in exchange for the right to collect payment and profits - through tolls. Through these combined tools, Texas had more than $17 billion in bond capacity to build new roads. Subsequentl y, constr uction projects boomed across the state. The necessity of these new financing instruments was partly precipitated by September 11, 2001 and with it all the financial havoc it wreaked worldwide for the first part of the decade. These tools flourished as a cash-strapped Texas e x p e r i e n ce d t h e f i r s t o f t wo economic downturns that decade. Drastic budget cuts were put in place in 2003, impacting the 2004-05 biennium and the only available cash for road construction
- it seems - came from private sources. By 2007, public and legislative sentiment had begun to turn, especially toward foreign developers. SB792 placed a twoyear moratorium on CDAs, but allowed projects such as the LBJ Expansion, North Tarrant Express and D-FW Connector that were underway to continue. TxDOT was also prohibited from entering into public private partnerships after 2009. Bills passed in 2011 (SB1420) and 2013 (SB1730), allowed TxDOT to e n te r i n to C DA s o n l y f o r specific projects; including Southern Gateway and the longawaited Loop 9 outer loop that's been in state plans since 1968. A new contingent of anti-big government members joined the Legislature for 2015, adding to likeminded groups elected in 2010 and 2012. They took a look at accumulated debt that will cost Texas about $10 billion in financing on top of the $13.7 billion now committed to current projects and said enough is enough. Under HB122 eective now, no more debt can be extended through the Texas Mobility Fund and existing Fund revenue can be used to retire debt early. In all, TxDOT's appropriation for the 2016-17 biennium is $23 billion, but a considerable portion of that amount will be spent servicing existing roads. Even with the anticipated infusion of $5 bil lion in ne w funding and a return to pay-as-you go, motor fuels tax-based financing, TxDOT's reasonable goal is to maintain roads and congestion to the conditions that existed in 2010. In other words, the new highway f u n d i n g w i l l o n l y h e l p Te x a s maintain the status quo.
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Call today to get your booth for
KWANZAAFEST 2015 December 12-13 at FAIR PARK
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NOVEMBER 13, 2015
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NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Men of the Heartland! QUIT PLAYIN’ By Vincent Hall
TIME Magazine produces an end of year publication honoring recipients they deem “Man of the Year.” That list, which is now known as “Person of the Year” began in 1927 with the aeronautical pioneer, Charles Lindbergh. In 1928 it cited Walter Chrysler of the great automotive industry and empire. The list is steeped and storied in iconic personalities and movements. Other towering names followed like Mahatma Gandhi, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the warring Ethiopian Haile Selaisse, the murderous Adolf Hitler and Communist of all Communists, Joseph Stalin. By the year 1940 it was Sir Winston Churchill and repeat performances by FDR and Stalin. Later there was President Harry S. Truman and Elizabeth II, Queen of England; who is almost 90 this year. The 1960s saw Pope John XXIII, John F. Kennedy and by 1963 the first African American Martin Luther King Jr. showed up on the list. America loved the “I Have a Dream” speech, but didn’t let him live long enough to fully interpret it.
Later there was Texas’ Lyndon Baines Johnson and General Westmoreland who is alleged to have offered a scholarship to “Uncle Ben” Carson. But Uncle Ben has a problem with all areas of truth and reality, so who really knows? Then there were the Apollo Astronauts
once and Richard Nixon twice. Jimmy Carter and Arab Leader Anwar Sadat -names you should know if you understand anything about the historic conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. President Ronald Reagan, who has always been controversial, shows up twice as does his co-conspirator in avoiding World War III, Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The 1990s brought us names like George Herbert Walker Bush, Bill
Clinton and Ted Turner. 1993 delivered a group called the “Peacemakers” which ushered in the New South Africa. The team included heavy hitters like Yasser Arafat, F. W. de Klerk, Yitzhak Rabin and the heroic Madiba, known better as Nelson Mandela. Barack Hussein Obama made the list in 2008 and 2009 was the year of the “Protesters” which included the Tea Party, The Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement. 2013 bought us Pope Francis. Last year it was the Ebola Fighters and among
the best of those were unknown leaders like Zack Thompson, the Dallas County Director of Health and Human Services. Now it's time for 2015 and my nomination would be the Black Missouri Tigers football players. They have ensconced a footprint in history because of their relatively small size, their potential self-sacrifice, and the fact that they are African American men who came to the forefront not only to
protect their women but to protect their community. If you don’t believe that the aftershock from Ferguson is real, just realize that the school is less than 100 miles away. If pressed to give you three salient but succinct reasons for my nomination, it would be manhood, membership and money. The fact that men stood up is significant not just because of their gender, but because Americans equate brute force and strength with size and stature. It’s the same reason why truck drivers organized in the 1970s and made three times what their organized counterparts in the teaching profession made. Secondly, the Missouri Men showed that membership matters. America’s decline is inextricably paralleled with the decline in membership among labor groups. No one person or personality is sufficient to sustain a political or social battle. Money. Capitalists, without regard to gender or race don’t understand anything that does not maximize or minimize that “almighty dollar.” In the American Bible it says that money is the root of all upheaval. TIME Magazine always has an agonizing mission, but this year their selection should end in America’s “Heartland.” These brothers showed some Heart and it resonated across the land.
"Our people have made the mistake of confusing the methods with the objectives. As long as we agree on objectives, we should never fall out with each other just because we believe in different methods, or tactics, or strategy. We have to keep in mind at all times that we are not fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as free humans in this society." MALCOLM X
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QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES The Last Word By Dr. Julianne Malveaux Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, DC. She can be contacted at www.juliannemalveaux.com.
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NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Dallas Attorney Nicole Taylor joins West & Associates, L.L.P. Noted Dallas Attorney Nicole R. Taylor has joined the Dallas law firm of West & Associates, L.L.P. as a Partner. Taylor’s areas of practice will include: Business & Corporate Development, Commercial Litigation & Litigation Management, Construction Law, Corporate Finance & Corporate Transactions, Corporate Governance & Compliance, Procurement, Labor & Employment, Real Estate Acquisition, Development & Finance and Tax Strategy & Defense. Prior to joining West & Associates, Taylor served in the capacity of General Counsel for a myriad of industries since 2005. Most recently, she has served as Outsourced Counsel for numerous public housing authorities and for-profit entities that serve the low-income housing community, governed by HUD authority. In addition to serving as counsel for low-income housing agencies and corporations, Taylor has served as counsel for transportation authorities and municipalities since 2006 and was recently awarded contracts by local transportation authorities and school districts because of this experience. Taylor focuses her practice on serving public housing entities in the capacity of General Counsel. She has experience in all areas of public housing including procurement, staff development/ training, lease drafting and enforcement, litigation
related to residents, landlords and contractors, and Board development/training. In addition to serving as Counsel for public housing entities, she has served as Vice President and General Counsel of a privately-held, national organization specializing in residential and mixeduse commercial real estate industry. Taylor is a Fee Attorney for Lawyer’s Title and responsible for closing multi-million dollar commercial transactions for private and governmental entities. She received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1996, and was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2000. Prior to attending law school, Taylor received her B.S. in Accounting from Clemson University. “We’re very fortunate to have Nicole bring her legal experience to the firm,” says Royce West, Managing Partner for West & Associates. “The list of clients she’s represented is truly impressive.” A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. , Taylor served as president of the Southwest Dallas County Alumnae Chapter. She is also a member of the American Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association and the J.L. Turner Legal Association.
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Challenging Life Issues tackled at Workshop Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., North truck” will be on-site to dispose of Dallas Suburban Alumnae Chapter unwanted documents. (NDSA) is joining forces with AARP “This event is a continuation of the Texas to present a free, limited-capacity work we are doing with AARP to protect workshop to empower attendees to the community’s hard earned property and address modern life challenges. assets from con artistsPlus, we’re offering On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 the two the AARP’s signature programs on organizations will conduct interactive achieving personal goals and long-term sessions on how to protect personal planning to create better futures in key Jada Burton identity and assets from fraudulent areas of life,” said Jada Burton, NDSA Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. schemes; how to achieve personal goals; president. “We’re pleased to partner with and how to make long-terms plans in the this high-caliber organization to offer these areas of home, community, finances and health. programs free to the community — members and The event will be held at Hamilton Park United members, and to all age groups.” Methodist Church, Christian Life Center, located at 11881 Schroeder Road, 75243. CITY LOCAL TRUCK DRIVER The half-day workshop begins at 9:30 a.m. and is free, but seating is limited to the first 100 people TRUCKING to register online at https://.cvent.com/125Dallas or 519 N. Cedar Ridge Dr., Suite #7 Duncanville, TX 75116 call toll-free 1-877-926-8300. Lunch and workshop www.mycrossroadtruck.com materials will be provided at no cost. A “shredding We are seeking Local City Drivers who must have a Class A - Commercial Driver License. NOTE: All Drivers must have a clean background (no felonies or misdemeanors) and at least one year driving experience with a clean MVR. Must have medical card, valid DL, SSC card, DOT card and must pass a required physical and drug screening. Driver should have a minimum of one year of driving experience in the last 3 years and 5 years of driving experience in the last 10 years. Must be 21 years of age and have a required High School Diploma/GED. Minimum Requirements Driver’s License Type: Class A - Commercial Commercial Driver’s License Endorsement: X - Combination of N and H T - Doubles/Triples Between $900.00 /WK and $1,000 / WK. Rotating Shift - home daily. Work week - full time 30-45 hours. Additional details: We are looking for drivers who are safe and will not have customer complaints. Driver must be free of accidents, service violations, and accident services. Cell: 214-475-3052 Office 214-245-5157 or email us at cr.trucking519@gmail.com
REGIONAL DRIVER
TRUCKING 519 N. Cedar Ridge Dr., Suite #7 Duncanville, TX 75116 www.mycrossroadtruck.com
Seeking Team Drivers (OTR). .42 cents per mile, must have a Class A - Commercial Driver License.
Time to get your booth for KWANZAAFEST 2015 Call 214-653-6671
NOTE: All Drivers must have a clean background (no felonies or misdemeanors) and at least one year driving experience with a clean MVR. Must have medical card, valid DL, SSC card, DOT card and must pass a required physical and drug screening. Driver should have a minimum of one year of driving experience in the last 3 years and 5 years of driving experience in the last 10 years. Must be 21 years of age and have a required High School Diploma/GED. Minimum Requirements Driver’s License Type: Class A - Commercial Commercial Driver’s License Endorsement: X - Combination of N and H T - Doubles/Triples Additional details: We are looking for drivers who are safe and will not have customer complaints. Driver must be free of accidents, service violations, and accident services. Cell: 214-475-3052 Office 214-245-5157 or email us at cr.trucking519@gmail.com
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Ask Pam
Q - I’ve been on Medicaid for several months and drawing SSI from Social Security Administration (SSA). I’ll be turning age 62 next month, I was informed by SSA that my SSI would go away because I’ll start drawing a Social Security Retirement check. Since my retirement income will be significantly greater than the SSI I’ll no longer be eligible for Medicaid assistance. I’m concerned about keeping some medical assistance so my question is will I get Medicare too when I turn 62 next month? A - That depends; people are eligible to enroll in Medicare prior to age 65 only if they’re on Social Security Disability and have met the 24-month waiting period, or have a special condition. Check with the Social Security Administration to see when you will be eligible for Medicare. If you find that you’re not eligible for Medicare yet, then you can always visit yourtexasbenefits.com or call 2-1-1, that’s if you live in Texas, to find what medical resources are available in your area.
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Mother Made a Mess Hi Alma, Hmmm, I think, unless your mother is the cat Dear Alma, I am the oldest of my mother’s children burglar, she should have your address. I hear your and have taken care of our family for most of my reasoning and quite frankly it doesn’t matter if I life. My mother started having children early, was agree or not, it’s the principle of the problem that married and divorced several times and has really prevails. She’s your mother, she should know made a mess of our family. Because of this, we exactly where you live. Mind you, if she comes over haven’t had the best of relationships. She is often unexpectedly or uninvited, you are not obliged to begging for something and constantly bringing answer the door. That goes for your mama and me problems to fix. Because of my mother’s anyone else you may not want to entertain on any Ask Alma lifestyle, we were raised by different relatives at given moment. But yes, you should, barring injury different times in our lives, but luckily we were By Alma Gill or any unforeseen crisis, provide your address to always together. I have three brothers and a baby your mother. This bigger fish in this fountain-fullvia George Curry Media sister and everyone is very close for the most part. of-foolishness, is why in the world would you just Fortunately, we all are doing well, a few with not want your mom to know where you live? college degrees while the others have sound, reliable longtime What has happened that you don’t trust her knowing where you employment. We all live fairly close to one another, and I just reside? Rewind those ties that bind and drop the drama at the recently moved into a new condo that’s closest in proximity to door. Head over to your mom’s house, right now, with an index my mother. I love my new place and I’m finally at a stage in my card including your new address and essential contact life that I’m relaxing into what I feel is a positive space to live information. We all clench burdens, have made and continue to and not be stressed out. I don’t mind helping my mother or my make mistakes while carrying our hurts in our handbag. This is family but sometimes it can be overwhelming. My mother shameful, silliness, line dancing beside stupidity. Shake it off recently asked me about my new place and for my new address, sister and get a life. but I didn’t give it to her. I just don’t want her to have it. I don’t Alma want her to just drop by to visit whenever she pleases, bringing me her sad stories because I just don’t want to hear it anymore. Alma Gill's newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email My sister says that’s wrong. I’m tired of arguing with her and questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at would be interested in advice from an outsider. What do you "Ask Alma" and twitter @almaaskalma. think?
G
y
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment period: October 15th thru December 7th. The Affordable Care Act - Federal Marketplace Exchange – 2016 Open Enrollment period: November 1st 2015 thru January 31st 2016.
t
P A M E L A J. D A Y E S is a Licensed & Certified Health Insurance Agency serving North Texas area. She is passionate about learning and gaining knowledge in the area of HealthCare reform. She is devoted to passing on that knowledge in particularly to the Senior Market. Her expertise is in making Medicare clear and understandable. I look forward to answering your questions. Email questions to askpam@med-supps.com Follow me: Twitter: pjdayes Facebook: askpamdayes
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Fake “hero” cop proves white lies matter By George E. Curry George Curry Media Columnist
Writing under the headline, "Police lives matter too," Chicago Tribune Columnist John Kass summed up the sentiment - and mass hysteria surrounding the supposed Sept. 1 murder of a policeman in a bedroom community 50 miles north of Chicago: The killing of Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz had nothing to do with our hashtag politics about which lives matter. Gliniewicz, whose body was found in a marshy area near Fox Lake, was just a cop who'd been doing his job. And he was killed for it, left stripped of his gear. We have since learned that it was all a hoax or, as the chief investigator put it, "a carefully staged suicide" by the man known as G.I. Joe as he was about to be exposed as a thief who had been stealing funds intended to mentor young people interested in becoming police officers to pay his mortgage, a gym membership, travel and a pornographic website. Kass' assertion notwithstanding, it was about hashtag politics - it was about denouncing the Black Lives Matter Movement and anyone else interested in holding police accountable for killing unarmed citizens. Even though the number of cops losing their lives in the line of duty by firearms is down this year, cops and conservatives have sought to project a different picture in the aftermath of the August 28 murder of Harris County, Texas Deputy Sheriff Darren H. Goforth, who was repeatedly shot in the back of the head at a service station in Cypress, Texas, a Houston suburb. At an Aug. 30 news conference, Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said, "We've heard Black lives matter, all lives matter. Well, cops' lives matter, too. So, how about we drop the qualifier and just say lives matter?"
Just days later, more than 1,000 miles away, the death of Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz in Illinois brought about increased attacks on the Black Lives Matter Movement and President Obama. Now we know that Gliniewicz was lying when he radioed in that he was in pursuit of three suspects - and African American and two Whites after he was supposedly shot by them. The resulting manhunt cost more than $300,000. Though Obama had strongly denounced attacks on police, his critics pretended he had never said a word. Media Matters, the watchdog group, noted in a headline: "Fox Figures Demand Obama Make Remarks Condemning Violence Against Police Days After He Did Just That." O'Reilly Factor producer Jesse Watters said, "There is a war on cops in this country. It's funny, the liberals care more when a lion is killed as opposed to a cop...I think Democrats have created a monster in this Black Lives Matter situation." Sean Hannity of Fox said: "The president spoke out in the Trayvon Martin case. Spoke out in the Cambridge police case. Spoke out in the Michael Brown case. Mr. constitutional attorney spoke out without evidence presented in all three of those cases and was wrong in all three. My question is, why, after these incidents of assassinations of cops, why doesn't he speak out publicly about that and take a strong stand?" Frequent Fox guest Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke said, "I think the president of the United States -- because he weighed into this days after Ferguson with some inflammatory rhetoric, and where he breathed life into this anti-cop sentiment that now exists in the United States." As Media Matters pointed out, the myth of the 'Ferguson Effect' - the idea crime has increased because cops are more restrained because of increased scrutiny in the aftermath of
episodes of police brutality - has been thoroughly discredited." Even so, Fox co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle said, cops "don't want to be arrested or persecuted for just putting on the blue every morning." But Radley Balko of the Washington Post destroyed such faulty reasoning. "It is true that we're seeing an awful surge in murders in St. Louis and Baltimore right now. [Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute] blames this on police reform activists by claiming their rhetoric both emboldens criminals and makes cops either afraid or unwilling to do their jobs," he wrote on his blog. "On the first point, the implication seems to be that people should just keep quiet in the face of what they perceive to be brutality and injustice, lest it embolden violence against the police... "The second point is more alarming. If police in Baltimore and St. Louis are letting protesters and critics make them too afraid or spiteful to do their jobs, essentially turning their backs to allow people to be robbed and killed, that isn't a problem with protester or social justice culture, it's a problem with police culture..." The real problem is that the crew at Fox TV and other conservatives, some running for president, took the easy and popular way out by rallying around police, even when attacks on them are down, all the facts were not yet in and, in the case of Lt. Joe Gliniewicz in Illinois, he was plotting to have a hit put on a city official because he feared she was on to his trail. All of them owe President Obama and the Black Lives Matter Movement an apology. But, like Donald Trump, they are incapable of admitting they are wrong. 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.
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Candidates and press ignore mayhem in the inner cities By E.W. Jackson
In the Southside of Chicago on the afternoon of Monday, November 2, in broad daylight, nine year old Tyshawn Lee was shot in the face and body multiple times. This innocent child on his way to play basketball was hunted down and killed in the street like a rabid dog. The apparent motive of the shooting was a vendetta against Tyshawn's father Pierre Stokes, a member of a rival gang. The father is not talking. On the day that Tyshawn was laid to rest in a child's casket, Republican candidates, only an hour away, were doing their last minute reviews before the presidential debate held that evening in Milwaukee. Even though the funeral and debate happened on the same day only a short distance apart, it was as if they happened on different planets, indeed in different universes. The presidential candidates never acknowledged the vicious murder of Tyshawn, and the moderators never asked a question about it. While the candidates were practicing Democracy, Chicago was practicing death. Milwaukee has its own inner city problems. During their July 4th fireworks celebration, only 150 feet from where sixty cops were gathered, a fifteen year old was gunned down in broad daylight. The murder rate in Milwaukee is already 20% higher than it was for all of 2014. The presidential candidates and their
moderators must not have known because the subject of inner city violence never came up. It is true that the debate was about the economy, not murders of young children in the streets of our cities. However, there is an undeniable relationship between the economic depression in America's inner cities and the crime and violence which plagues them. Black Americans have an unemployment rate of 12%, more than twice the average. They have an underemployment rate of 20.5%.The average white family earns $50,400. The average black family earns $32,038. That's down from $34,880 when President Obama took office, an 8% loss of income. Hispanic Americans also lag behind the rest of the country. Urban areas comprise a significant part of the American economy which desperately needs attention. Why is there no discussion at the national level by either party on a plan to address this very pressing nationwide problem? The presidential candidates have recently talked about the tragic impact of drugs on their own families. Ted Cruz lost a sister. Carly Fiorina lost a daughter. Jeb Bush talked about his daughter's struggle with addiction. Yet while blacks are 12% of the population, they are 23% of the reported treatments for drug addiction and overdose. The drug epidemic in the inner city has not been mentioned in a single debate, nor has the role drugs play in crime and violence. We have gone from the War on Poverty to the War on Drugs to benign neglect. All three approaches have failed miserably. It is time to try what has never been tried before - a private sector plan to save America's cities. A seething frustration lurks just beneath the surface of our cities, threatening to spill into the broader
community. If we do not confront it, it will confront us. Government funding is not the answer. Presidential leadership however, could be of immense help in assembling corporate, educational, law enforcement and church leaders. The bully pulpit of POTUS has the influence to bring these divergent forces together. Urban areas need entrepreneurial support, mentors, technical education and yes, spiritual guidance and encouragement. The worsening horrors of the ghetto, like the brutal murder of Tyshawn Lee, should be enough to move politicians and pundits to make it a matter for public discussion and action. If the heartless murders of children in our cities is not enough to get their attention, what will it take? In the coming weeks STAND Staying True to America's National Destiny - will unveil Project CREATE, a private sector plan to rescue America's cities. How many more businesses and neighborhoods will be destroyed by riots? How many more police will be killed? How many more Tyshawn Lees will die? It is time for political, business and religious leaders to come together to defeat crime, drugs, gangs and poverty in America's cities, once and for all. E.W. Jackson graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and from Harvard Law School. While in law school, he studied at Harvard Divinity School, was ordained in 1979 and consecrated a Bishop in 1998. He practiced small business, criminal and civil law for 15 years in Boston. In 1997 Bishop Jackson retired from the practice of law to devote full time to ministry. He is the founder and Senior Pastor of THE CALLED Church, founder of the Chesapeake Martin Luther King Leadership Breakfast and Founder and President of Stand Foundation Staying True to America's National Destiny - a nonprofit organization committed to bringing citizens together across racial and cultural lines to restore America's Judeo-Christian heritage and values. He is the National President of MINISTERS TAKING A STAND, a national organization of Pastors and Christian leaders addressing the moral and spiritual issues of our time. He also founded YOUTH WITH A DESTINY, helping give youth a sense of vision and purpose for their lives.
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CnA I get an Amen? Blackonomics By James Clingman via George Curry Media
O n December 3, 2015 the Collective Empowerment Group (CEG), formerly known as the Collective Banking Group (CBG) of Prince George’s County and Vicinity, will celebrate a milestone achievement: Its 20th Anniversary. The CEG was established in 1995 by twenty-one churches, in response to discrimination and mistreatment by banks, some of which had financed church buildings but refused to make loans thereafter for renovations and business development. Instead of wringing their hands, whining, and begging the banks to change, Jonathan Weaver, Pastor of Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church, rallied a few of his fellow ministers to respond appropriately to those banks. They used their collective leverage, via the members’ of their respective congregations, to obtain reciprocity from the banks that they chose to be “in covenant” with. Banks began to “compete” for the churches’ business by coming to the leaders of the CEG to make their presentations. In other words the banks did not interview the churches; rather, the churches interviewed the banks. Important to note are the reciprocal relationships that evolved from the initiative of the churches and their refusal to continue doing business as usual. Both sides won. The banks understood the value of being in what was called a “covenant relationship” with this newly formed dynamic group, and the churches understood the leverage they had by working collectively and cooperatively, across theological
persuasions, toward business solutions for their members. The CBG became the CEG as a result of its growth from 21 churches to nearly 150 churches comprising 175,000 members and its desire to involve itself in other business relationships. The CEG’s aim was to be more holistic in its approach to the myriad of issues affecting the daily lives of Black people. Thus, as a result of CBG leadership recognizing the possibilities of doing even more business with other retailers, i.e. furniture stores, carpet outlets, and organizations involved in health, politics, insurance, professional services, and supplies, the name was changed along with the organization’s scope of service. Notfor-profit entities were also invited to work with the CEG, again creating mutually beneficial relationships and opportunities not ordinarily available. The CEG Strategic Partners, usually small business owners and service providers, not only gain access to the individual members of the CEG with whom they can do business; they respond by offering discounts and other special considerations to the CEG members. Having helped start a chapter of the CEG in Cincinnati, Ohio, I can personally attest to the benefits offered by CEG Strategic Partner businesses. Innovative, practical, bold, and beneficial are just a few words that describe the CEG, its leadership, and individual members and partners. CEG churches do not continue to complain about how they are mistreated despite spending significant amounts with businesses and depositing large sums of money into banks that do not reciprocate. CEG churches take the issue into their own hands, first by understanding the power of leverage and then by being willing to address any inequities that exist in their business relationships via their collective clout.
Just imagine the economic progress we would make if hundreds and even thousands more Black churches throughout this country would form CEG chapters and replicate what has been done in the original chapter and now in other local chapters. After all, as Willie Sutton once said, “That’s where the [Black] money is.” Although I have written several newspaper columns about the CEG, I never tire of doing so because it has done such great work in the area of economic empowerment. And because I hear so many of our brothers and sisters asking, “What are the churches doing?” I am compelled to share CEG with any and all who will listen. Many churches across the country are doing some fantastic things on an individual basis; that cannot be denied. The CEG demonstrates what can be done collectively, and it graphically illustrates that there is, indeed, power in numbers. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to write about this outstanding organization, and I will continue to sing its praises for spreading the gospel of economic empowerment. You can celebrate with the CEG and learn more about how it began and what it is doing now by attending their 20th Anniversary Gala in Bowie, Maryland. For more information just go to www.collectiveempowermentgroup.o rg or call 301 699 8449. Kudos, Congrats, and Bravos to the CEG, its visionary, Pastor Jonathan Weaver, and its current leadership, President Anthony G. Maclin and Executive Director, Dr. Diane H. Johnson. Just as important are all of those who followed their lead, locally and nationally, to establish what has now become a two decades-old successful organization. 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.
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Convene a National Commission on Race and Poverty By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition via George Curry Media
We won the Voting Rights Act of 1965 at Selma, combining the power of a principled mass movement led by Dr. King and a compassionate president who did the right thing despite the heavy political price. What was that cost? Well, President Johnson said it best at the time, when he told his aides that we’d "just lost the South for a generation." The civil rights movement made the moral move by marching across the bridge at Selma. LBJ did the right thing by signing the Voting Rights Act into law, knowing the price his party would pay. The Jefferson Davis Democrats in the South did the wrong thing by responding to the "Southern strategy" of Richard Nixon and the racial dog whistles of Ronald Reagan. Due to race, the once-solid Democratic South switched over to become today’s solid Republican South. Now it’s been half a century. Not just a generation, as LBJ foretold, but two-and-a-half generations — and still the Republican Party dominates below the Mason-Dixon Line. As Rachel Maddow brought up in last week’s presidential forum, the Democratic Party in today’s South has been "hollowed out," with only a handful of successful statewide Democratic candidates. As long as that situation exists, the Democrats will be able to win the presidency, but what about the Senate and House? The sad irony is that the South has benefitted the most from the civil rights movement, whites and African-Americans together. The tearing down of the "Cotton Curtain" by the civil rights martyrs and marchers meant that the South could join our modern economy. Population jumped. The South could finally have professional sports teams. The civil rights movement forced the development of integrated football teams at Southern colleges that now dominate the sport. The
Olympics could be held in Atlanta in 1996, with Muhammad Ali and Stevie Wonder at the closing ceremonies. Toyota and Mercedes Benz could locate plants in the South, providing better jobs than cotton ever had. Yet Southern politicians, stuck in the politics of fear, still poke at racial wounds for short-term success. In order to starve the government, Southern politicians still refuse to invest in infrastructure across the region. Rebuilding our ports and harbors, investing in jobs programs that would employ white and African-American workers, preparing our coasts to survive the future Katrina-like storms that climate change will bring, accepting the Medicaid expansion that would provide needed health care for so many families — these public policy initiatives would develop the region even more, and open up the futures for so many young Southerners. Yet too many politicians and voters continue to choose race over reason. White working-class Southern voters continue to run from race, choosing the party that backs both tax cuts and job cuts. This is a political odd couple that makes no sense. Half a century after the Voting Rights Act, too many Southern voters are still afraid of change, even when it would benefit them. How do we break through? First of all, former DNC Chair Howard Dean was right — we need a 50-state strategy. We need to compete everywhere in the country, from the local level to the state level
to the presidency. The Democratic Party in the South needs to rebuild, to move from the outhouse to the courthouse to the statehouse to the White House. Second, candidate Barack Obama showed us how we win in the South — with a message of hope and change, combined with a massive voter registration effort and a huge voter turnout. In 2008, that combination carried Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. In 2012, Florida and Virginia again went blue, with North Carolina barely missing out. Third, we need to battle voter suppression. Sen. Bernie Sanders was right when he pointed out that too many Republican leaders are "cowards" for repressing the AfricanAmerican vote. Bernie also mentioned universal voter registration during Rachel Maddow’s forum, and right afterwards, in an interview with Chris Matthews, he raised an idea that I have been pushing for a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to vote to every American. And we must protect and restore the power of the Voting Rights Act. Fourth, we need to invest bottom-up in the South, economically and politically. If we raise wages, provide health care for everyone and open up voter registration to all our people, hope will rise, the South will develop, and people’s lives will be better. If white working-class families choose hope over fear, their lives will improve — and so will those of Southern Latinos and AfricanAmericans. And Democrats will be able to win elections again. You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.
ftpg 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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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
law. Already a registered voter, Boynton
Dallas County Voters League asking him
NOVEMBER 13, 2015 Perry County, was shot by a state trooper
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Invites you to salute our Veterans with Heroes House
NOVEMBER 14TH 2015 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
CUMMINGS RECREATION CENTER 2996 Cummings Street Dallas, TX 75216 Lunch will be provided RSVP kindly to Amanda Crowe by November 6, 2015
Amanda.Crowe@mail.house.gov
(214)-922-8885
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Three Lancaster High School Student-Athletes Commit to NCAA Division 1 Schools On Wednesday, November 11, three Lancaster High School student-athletes, Deon Barrett, Nate Morris, and Jacolby Pemberton all put pen to paper and committed to NCAA division-1 schools to continue their education and basketball careers during a signing day event. All three students are starting their senior season and are members of the reigning UIL 5A State Championship Boys Basketball Team. Barrett, the starting point guard for the defending state champions, committed to the University of Texas at El Paso. After averaging 15.5 points and 6.8 assists per game, UTEP coaches made a trip during recruiting season to see him practice in person and offered him a scholarship right after work outs. "That day I learned that you always have to keep working hard because you never know who's watching you," Barrett said. Morris, the starting 6' 10" center for the Tigers, has been a top-ranked center since his sophomore year averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. His decision to commit to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) has made school history as the first Lancaster High School student-athlete to receive a full scholarship to the university. "I plan on going to Ole Miss and making everyone that has helped me proud," Morris said. "I plan on getting a college degree and having a great college basketball career." Pemberton, the team's head captain and two-year starter, committed to Louisiana Tech University. His strong defensive presence on the court and leadership abilities captured the attention of several schools making his decision to attend Louisiana Tech one in which he has full confidence.
"LA Tech was the best choice for me because I can get a good education to prepare me for my future," Pemberton said. "Their style of play,getting up and down the court, fits me as a player." Coming off the heels of a state championship win, head coach Ferrin Douglas is proud to showcase that hard work and discipline truly does pay off. "Every day my coaching staff and I preach the importance of being a student first and athlete second. We've never had this many student athletes sign this early in the year," said Douglas. "That only happens when you are focused on your school work, test scores and being the best player you can be. They deserve this because they worked for it." The signing day event is the perfect tip o to the upcoming basketball season for the Lancaster High School Tigers. Catch the team's season opener against Houston Pro Vision Academy Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 7:30 PM at the Lancaster High School Tiger Coliseum.
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
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NOVEMBER 13, 2015
CHERYL’S WORLD Tune in to Cheryl’s World on Blog Talk Radio, or call 646-200-0459 to hear informative, entertaining, enlightening and thoughtprovoking commentary and news with veteran journalist Cheryl Smith and sports guy Andrew Whigham on Sundays at 8a.m. and Mondays at 6p.m., Felicia Shepherd on Tuesdays at 6p.m., Inside the 234 with Dareia Tolbert on Thursdays at 6p.m., and Miss Yvette at noon on Saturdays
" I w a n t D r. King to know that I didn't come to Selma to make his j o b d i f f i c u l t. I re a l l y d id co m e thinking I could make it easier. If the white people realize what the a l t e r n a t i v e i s, perhaps they will be more willing to hear Dr. King." Malcolm X
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NOVEMBER 13, 2015
CALENDAR November 13 The South Dallas Cultural Center proudly presents ''EVERLAST'' the 15th Annual South Dallas Dance Festival on November 13th – 15th. Arga Nova Dance will collaborate with the best dance companies in the DFW area to choreograph an everlasting weekend for dance lovers. There will be 3 days of solo and group performances, a free film screening, an industry roundtable and a master dance class. *******
**** There will reception honoring Vonciel Jones Hill for her tirelessly efforts at the local, state and national levels, making numerous trips to Austin and Washington. The Trinity is moving forward thanks to her! 5PM - 7PM Texas Horse Park 811 Pemberton Hill Road Dallas, TX 75217 RSVP to TrinityCommonsFoundation@MOJCo nsulting
Friday November 13th Winstons Supperclub | The Socialite | DFW Upscale | Men of Business Presents:::::4 Year Anniversary Celebration With Hip Hop Legend Too Short. Winstons wants to thank the city of Dallas by providing a one of a kind event that will be an EPIC night to remember!! ////This WILL be a SOLD OUT Event! Early Arrival STRONGLY Suggested//// Sounds by DJ Shutdown | DJ Q | DJ IE 9PM – 2AM For Complimentary admission and Presale tickets:: RSVP to www.winstonstooshort.eventbrite.com DRESS CODE:: To be admired Contact 972.365.1364 for Table Info and VIP Packages
Freedom Fund Banquet fundraiser of the local NAACP-Dallas Branch At 7:00 P.M. At the Hilton Garden Inn-Market Center, Speaker: Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, Professor- Univ. of Texas at Arlington
****** An evening with Freda Payne in the Clarence Muse Theatre at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters DREAM ANGELS JAZZ LUNCH Sunday, November 22nd from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM RICHARDSON WOMAN'S CLUB ... 2005 NORTH CLIFF DR, RICHARDSON , TX Tickets $100.00 Table of 8 $800.00 Pay via website www.dreamangelsinc.org
November 23 Behind the Scenes with Dallas Black Dance Theatre Free Annual Thanksgiving Holiday Performance It has become an annual Thanksgiving holiday gift from Dallas Black Dance Theatre; a free peek behind the scenes of DBDT five performing companies. The Behind the Scenes performances will take place the week of Thanksgiving November 23-25, 2015 at noon in the DBDT studios at 2700 Ann Williams Way in the Dallas Arts District. The two DBDT companies and three DBDT Academy ensembles will perform excerpts from their upcoming season and answer questions. While the hour-long Behind the Scenes performances are free, there are only 100 seats available in the dance studio, so it is important to RSVP by sending an email to info@dbdt.com.
November 14 NAACP
the whole truth - about what happened on “that day” or “that one time.”
November 20- 21 “Tellebration-Dallas: For God So Loved Those Loud Black Girls,”. It's a twonight woman-centric, adult-storytelling event where five African American women storytellers will be spilling the tea on their lives. Each one taking a turn at the mic to tell the truth -
November 25 Dallas Theater Center’s Holiday Classic A Christmas Carol Returns to the Wyly Theatre Partners with North Texas Food Bank for 8th Consecutive Year By Charles Dickens
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU! Adapted by Kevin Moriarty Directed by Christie Vela Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre • 2400 Flora Street in the AT&T Performing Arts Center Previews: Nov. 25 – Nov. 30, 2015 • Full Run: Nov. 25 – Dec. 26, 2015 • Press Opening: Tues., Dec. 1 at 7:30p.m. Tickets: 214-880-0202 or www.DallasTheaterCenter.org
December 1 WORLD AIDS DAY December 4 The Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival will celebrate 21 years of holiday fun on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Earl G. Williamson Park in Oil City, Louisiana. Activities kick off at 3:30 p.m. with arts and crafts, food vendors, live music, carnival rides and more. The fireworks show by Durr’s Pyromania Fireworks of Bossier will begin at 6:30 p.m. This year’s firework show is dedicated in memory of Pat Allen, a longtime supporter of the Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival. Admission is free. A special carnival preview night will be held Friday, Dec. 4 where guests can be the first to enjoy carnival rides and games. Gates open at 5 p.m. Admission is $20.
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
December 5 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., North Dallas Suburban Alumnae Chapter (NDSA) is joining forces with AARP Texas to present a free, limited-capacity workshop to empower attendees to address modern life challenges. The event will be held at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church, Christian Life Center, located at 11881 Schroeder Road, 75243.
December 12 KWANZAAFEST 2015 At Fair Park December 16
Tarrant County Mayor’s Luncheon, the Fort Worth Club, benefitting UNCF.
April 2 HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL 8 p.m. Majestic Theatre The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center and AEG Live announced today that tickets for the legendary Herb Alpert & Lani Hall went on sale Friday, October 2 at 10 a.m. Herb Alpert and Lani Hall will perform at the Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. Center Members get access to the best available seats. Call Membership Services at 214-978-2888 or go to www.attpac.org/support to join. Center Membership presale began Tuesday, September 29 at 10 a.m. Ticket prices for Herb Alpert & Lani Hall range from $76.75 to $36.75 and can be purchased, beginning on October 2 at 10 a.m., online at www.attpac.org, by phone at 214-880-0202 or in person at the AT & T P e r f o r m i n g A r t s C e n t e r Information Center at 2353 Flora Street (Monday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.).
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Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE? BRINGING THE WORLD TO YOU!
NOVEMBER 13, 2015
POLICE have not apprehended Pookie the serial rapist. Aren’t you concerned? Do you care? We know he has attacked members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and there is a $5,000 reward offered by Crime Stoppers. If you have ANY information, PLEASE call Crime Stoppers
877.373.8477 Join I Messenger in the call for justice. Turn Pookie in today!
Also, if you want extra protection, check out Street Safe at www.streetsafe.peopleguard.com PAGE 27