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JOY STRICKLAND Mothers Against Teen Violence

Forever vigilant 4

From the Mother land Part 2

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Brought to you by Harwood 609 Restaurant and Jazz Club

IMESSENGER JANUARY 6, 2012

609 North Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 214.740.0609

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Mark your calendar 1/11-13 Mothers Against Teen Violence - TEXAS Conference on Drug Policy at the Hall of State, culminating with the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Luncheon 1/12 CONSTRUCTION TALK host Tim Bonner. whose show airs every Saturday from 11 am to 12 pm on KHVN Heaven 97AM will be conducting a workshop for interested young people in the world of construction. This workshop has been designed to help young people understand topics from construction skills that it takes to be successful in this industry to obtaining contracts in this industry. This is a FREE workshop that will be held Thursday January 12 at 5:00p at Dallas Telco Federal Credit Union Bldg., 3200 W. Pleasant Run - Suite 230 (972) 230 0501. Light Refreshments will be provided. RSVP your attendance - seating is very limited

4:00pm - 5:00pm Dallas Public L i b r a r y. J a m a l Joseph, author of PANTHER BABY: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention.

Jamal Joseph, author of PANTHER BABY: A Life of Rebellion and Reinvention (February 2012) who, in the 1960s, exhorted students at Columbia University to burn their college to the ground.

Today he's Chair of their School of the Arts film division.

His personal odyssey - from the streets of Harlem to Riker's Island (charged with conspiracy as one of the Panther 21 in one of the most emblematic criminal cases of the 60s) and Leavenworth to the halls of Columbia.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson hosts Town Hall Meeting MOVING UP, MOVING FORWARD: Mobilizing Our Community to End Violence Against Women and Children 9am-12pm Methodist Dallas Medical Center Hitt Auditorium 1441 N. Beckley Avenue, Dallas, Texas75203

The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture are bringing Isabel Wilkerson author of Warmth of Other Suns for their Martin Luther King Day Celebration.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson writes one of the great untold stories of history: the decades-long migration of Black folks who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970 almost six million Black families -- our cousins/ uncles/aunts/parents -- left the South, "went up North" or "out West to California" and changed the face of America. In Feb. The Third Eye will review the book.

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 3:00pm FREE at South Dallas Cultural Center 3400 S. Fitzhugh St. South Dallas, TX 214-426-1683

JANUARY 6, 2012 tickets by January 22 so that we know you are with us. If you want to be in the competition the cost is $30 per couple. We will also be giving other gifts and prizes to attendees at this event. BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY. Go to www.swingdallas.eventbrite.com to purchase your tickets.

2/10 The Urban League Guild of Greater Dallas & North Central Texas in collaboration with Harwood 609 is excited to host this PreValentine's So YOU Think YOU Can SWING! Competition and Love Celebration. We are trying to pack the house with 300 in attendance $10 pre-sale tickets.

We also have raffle tickets to sell for $5 for a chance to win a 32'-40' Flat Screen TV or Laptop Computer or $100 Cash (3 chances to win and you don't have to be present to win) ONLY pre-sale tickets will help us reach our goal.

The proceeds will benefit the Urban League of Greater Dallas' programs and the less fortunate in the community. If you can't attend you can also make a donation. Please help us in this worthy cause and please purchase your

1/13 Tyler Perry's - The Haves & The Have Nots Opening Night Doors Open At: 7p Show at: 8p at the Verizon Theater 1/16 Irving-Carrollton Branch NAACP's Annual Spaghetti Luncheon Georgia Farrow Recreation Center 530 Davis Street - Irving, TX 11:30AM - Free Admission City of Irving's Annual Martin Luther King. Jr. Observance--Program Features: Evolution of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Monument, Dallas Black Dance Theater and Vocalist Brenda Ellis Irving Arts Center - Carpenter Hall 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd. - Irving, TX 7:00PM - Free Admission

Tune in to Cheryl’s World on Blogtalkradio.com weekdays at 9a.m.

Monday, January 9

Tuesday, January 10

Join Cheryl and Phyllis Alphabet.

• Black Economic History Fact of the Day • Phyllis Alphabet’s Men of Swagger • Richmond Punch

Join Cheryl and Phyllis Alphabet.

• Black Economic History Fact of the Day

Wednesday, January 11

Thursday, January 12

Friday, January 13

and Phyllis Join Cheryl and Phyllis Join Cheryl and Phyllis Join Cheryl Alphabet.

Alphabet.

Alphabet.

• Black Economic History • Black Economic History • Black Economic History Fact of the Day Fact of the Day Fact of the Day • Imaj • Red Snapper • Alfreda Ferrell

Tune in to Reporters Roundtable on Soul 73 KKDA Sundays at 8a.m.

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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.

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JANUARY 6, 2012

SWAGGER MAGNIFIED!

September 1 - December 31 -- I am picking the men I think have serious swagger. These men are intelligent, strong, sharp, fierce, competitive, charismatic, spiritual, hard, caring, handsome, smooth, creative, energetic and NOW...

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Sporting News Editor-in-Chief Garry D. Howard, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Columnist Bob Ray Sanders, Min. Robert Muhammad, NFL Great Emmitt Smith, business mogul Daymond John, noted psychologist Nai’m Akbar, publisher Danny Bakewell Sr., NBA great and business mogul Earvin “Magic” Johnson, singer Charlie Wilson, journalist George E. Curry, former NAACP head and U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume, rapper, author Chuck D., Coach Doug Williams, businessman Charles O’Neal, comedian David A. Arnold, rapper Kool Moe Dee, businessman Jonathan Rodgers, Sports anchor Stephen A. Smith, basketball great Michael Jordan, Rev. Zan Wesley Holmes Jr., actor Billy Dee Williams, comedian and actor Chris Rock, FAMU President James Ammons, singer Nicholas Caldwell, actor/singer Leon, singer Morris Day, actor/rapper Will Smith, business mogul Sean Combs, journalist Ed Gordon, comedian/activist Dick Gregory, NBA great Allen Iverson, Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan, journalist/historian Lerone Bennett, Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, Ambassador Ron Kirk, Hon. Nelson Mandela, Rap mogul Jay Z, actor James Earl Jones, actor/director Denzel Washington, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, actor/author Don Shield, Hon. Willie Brown, Hon. Marc Morial, CEO Oscar Joyner, Journalist Acel Moore, rapper/actor Treach, journalist Dewayne Wickham, businessman Walter Williams, Sen. Royce West, media guru/activist Tavis Smiley, journalist T.J. Holmes, artist/singer Miles Jaye, journalist Roland Martin, singer Hon. Jerry Butler, actor Sidney Poitier, actor Jeffery Wright, Muhammad Ali, entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte, businessman Comer Cottrell, actor Fred Williamson, Dr. Steve Perry, actor Malik Farrakhan, Gen. Colin Powell, Hon. Dwaine Caraway actor Jim Kelly, educator Dr. Frederick Humphrey, Doug E. Fresh, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Snoop, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, the Honorable President Barack Obama, actor Samuel L. Jackson, reggae artist Alpha Blondy, businessman and publisher Earl Graves, photographer Jesse Hornbuckle, actor/ philanthropist Dr. Bill Cosby, journalist Brian Custer, LL Cool J, Dr. Ben Carson, Hon. John Wiley Price, Rev. Michael Eric Dyson, actor/author Hill Harper.. Entertainer Stevie Wonder, author/educator Dr. Cornel West, Publisher Jim Washington, comedian/actor Steve Harvey,and athlete/actor Jim Brown, actor/director Robert Townsend, District Attorney Craig Watkins, entertainer Smokey Robinson, Mayor Antonio Blue, journalist Steve Pickett, PAGE 3

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so much more! Without any consideration or input from anyone, I am choosing the men who through personal experiences or history, I find to have so much going on.

Stay tuned - I think it’s a great list! What do you think?

THEN...

Singer Marvin Gaye, actor Calvin Lockhart, singer Teddy Pendergrass and Nat King Cole, comic/actor Bernie Mac, journalist Lawrence E. Young, entertainer Isaac Hayes, singer Gerald Levert, African activist and publisher Pius Njawe, attorney/media mogul Percy Sutton, Publisher extraordinaire John H. Johnson, atty. Johnnie Cochran, music great Curtis Mayfield, maestro Barry White, orator, writer and statesman Frederick Douglass, humanist Malcolm X, singer Johnnie Taylor, entertainer Lou Rawls, singer Rick James, Coach A.D. Jake Gaither, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Hon. Mickey Leland, entertainer Sammie Davis Jr., the Chief Rocker Frankie Crocker, Tupac Shakur, Hon. Marcus Garvey, Hon. Al Lipscomb, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, journalist Ed Bradley, Hon. Arthur E. Teele, Jr., actor/comedian Richard Pryor, singer/songwriter Nickolas Ashford. Historian Ivan Van Sertima, musician Donny Hathaway, Hon. Adam Clayton Powell, businessman Alfred Huntsberry, Ossie Davis, actor extraordinaire Paul Robeson, journalist Vernon Jarrett, NFL Great Ron Springs, journalist Gerald Boyd, educator/inventor George Washington Carver, activist Huey Newton, educator Dr. Carter G. Woodson, NBA Great Maurice Lucas, activist Stokely Carmichael, entertainer Langston Hughes, Gospel great Pop Staples, entertainer Duke Ellington, entertainer Heavy D, Hon. Kwame Nkrumah, entertainer Miles Davis, actor Adolph Caesar, Dr. Percy Julian, musician Grover Washington Jr., activist A. Philip Randolph, activist Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, singer Tyrone Davis, writer, journalist Paul Lawrence Dunbar, actor Paul Winfield, entertainer Ray Charles, Carl Brashear, journalist Max Robinson, musician Billy Preston, entertainer Cab Calloway, artist Ernie Barnes, Iceberg Slim, businessman Reginald Lewis, businessman Don Barden, THE MAN Joseph Smith, Sam Cooke, boxing great Joe Louis, educator Dr. Asa Hilliard, singer Levi Stubbs, activist Ben Hooks, tennis great Arthur Ashe, Hon. Ron Brown, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gil Scott Heron, Major Robert Lawrence, Godfather James Brown, activist Medgar Evers, entertainer/philanthropist Michael Jackson, educator Dr. Booker T. Washington, scholar John Henrik Clarke, and historian/activist W.E.B. DuBois, Dr. John Hope Franklin, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays,reggae star Bob Marley, singer/producer Willie Hutch,musician Jimi Hendrix,

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Knowles continues professorship at TSU with popular course on the recording industry

Houston, TX -- Mathew Knowles, founder, President and CEO of Music World Entertainment, will resume his signature course, The Recording Industry, during the Spring 2012 semester at the Texas Southern University School of Communication. The course begins on January 23 and will meet weekly in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center.

The Recording Industry course offers students the opportunity to learn a 21st Century approach to the music business in an interactive setting. Professor Knowles gives his students a rare glimpse of the functions of a record company and the 20 departments that are within the label.

Students will learn the function of each department, such as-A&R, business affairs, marketing, digital marketing, radio promotions, sales, public relations and publicity, international, distribution, video production, art and creative services, production and others.

This course also explores other specialized areas of the music industry, including artist management, artist development, branding, merchandising, songwriting, music publishing, booking agents, touring and concert promotions and more.

At the end of the semester, students create audio and video presentations for a new music company and/or record label based on what they have learned, and present it to Professor Knowles.

Students travel from the TSU campus to Music World Entertainment's campus to make their final project presentations at the renowned House of Deréon Media Center.

"Teaching and mentoring young adults is one of my passions," says Mr. Knowles. "I am most impressed with their intellect and creative thinking abilities. I'm confident that my students will continue to develop into critical thinkers and will go on to be brilliant contributors to society."

In between his professorship duties and overseeing day-to-day activities of his music empire, Mr. Knowles lectures throughout the year at Ivy League colleges, Historical Black Colleges and Universities, and top tier state and private universities, as well as corporate and nonprofit organizations.

Professor Knowles is also in the process of completing his first in a series of books to be released in 2012.

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Drug policy alliance director to keynote Texas Conference on Drug Policy Dallas, TX – Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance, will keynote at the Texas Conference on Drug Policy. DPA is the nation’s leading organization devoted to drug policy and drug law reform. The organization is based in New York.

Nadelmann will speak during the afternoon plenary on the first day of the conference.

Dr. Nadelmann was born in New York City and received his BA, JD, and PhD from Harvard, and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. He then taught politics and public affairs at Princeton University from 1987 to 1994, where his speaking and writings on drug policy—in publications ranging from Science and Foreign Affairs to American Heritage and National Review —attracted international attention.

He authored Cops Across Borders, the first scholarly study of the internationalization of U.S. criminal law enforcement, and co-authored another book entitled Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations, published by Oxford University Press in 2006.

The conference is hosted by Mothers Against Teen Violence and will focus on the many facets of drug policy in the context of criminal justice and public health. The conference will culminate with the Twelfth Annual MLK, Jr. Luncheon The conference will be held: Wednesday thru Friday, January 11 - 13, 2012 Hall of State, Fair Park Dallas, Texas 75210 Other Conference speakers and presenters include: !

Dr. Gabor Maté, physician and author of four bestsellers, who will keynote at the luncheon and conduct workshops on addiction and attention deficit disorder; !

Neill Franklin, Executive Director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) based in

Dr. Ethan Nadelmann

Washington, DC, will keynote during the opening plenary; !

Marc Levin, Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Austin; !

Dr. Bill Martin, Senior Fellow at the James A. Baker Institute, Houston; !

Dr. Marvin Dulaney, History Professor, University of Texas at Arlington; and many more.

State Representative Jerry Madden, District 67, will accept MATV’s Outstanding Legislator Award during the Twelfth Annual MLK, Jr. Awards Luncheon that will close the conference.

The Conference Host Committee includes (in addition to Drs. Martin and Dulaney) Dr. Raul Caetano, Regional Dean, UTSW School of Public Health; Dr. Timothy Bray, Director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research; State Senator Royce West; and MATV CEO Joy Strickland, the driving force behind the conference.

The conference is sponsored by the Drug Policy Alliance and Baylor Health Care. Counselors and social workers attending the conference may receive continuing education credits.

MATV is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization committed to rethinking drug policy in Texas.

The organization was founded in 1994

by Joy Strickland in memory of her son, Chris Lewis, and his friend, Kendrick Lott, who were killed in a random crime committed by two teenagers engaged in illegal drug use and gang activity.

Chris met Kendrick in the summer of 1993 at St. Philip’s Episcopal School in Dallas where the two worked as camp counselors. Chris, a Morehouse College student, had graduated from St. Mark’s School of Texas one year earlier and Kendrick planned to attend the same school in the fall.

But instead of becoming Morehouse brothers, the teens died together, brutally slain by two drugged out gangbangers looking for someone to carjack.

At St. Mark’s, a premiere college prep academy, Chris was vicepresident of the Upper S c h o o l Orchestra; played varsity football; ran track; and was a gifted writer and linguist.

Kendrick was vice president Chris Lewis of his senior class and had achieved the outstanding rank of Eagle Scout.

MATV was organized in response to the tragic loss of these two promising lives. Chris’ mother continues this work as a memorial to Chris and Kendrick, resolving that their lives were not lost in vain. Throughout her life Strickland has brought her writing skills to her endeavors.

At MATV her grant writing garnered the organization over $1.7 million in its first decade.

And in 2010 she authored Kendrick Lott her first book, Joy in the Morning—A Mother’s Journey from Tragedy to Triumph.

For more information, visit www.matvinc.org

Conviction vacated due to prosecutorial misconduct January 4, 2012 is a day Ricky Dale Wyatt will always remember.

Before the Honorable Judge John Creuzot in Criminal District Court #4, the Conviction Integrity Unit at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office announced its agreement to vacate the 1981 conviction of Mr. Wy a t t w h o w a s c o n v i c t e d o f aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Mr. Wyatt has been in prison for 30 years.

Mr. Wyatt went to trial contending that he was not the perpetrator of the crime. Mr. Wyatt relied on evidence indicating that he did not fit the physical description of the perpetrator

because he had facial hair and he did not weigh as much as the perpetrator.

The prosecution had information supporting Mr. Wyatt’s claim including photographs of him with facial hair and a documented weight significantly less than the perpetrator.

The prosecution suppressed this information during Wyatt’s trial in 1981.

After District Attorney Craig Watkins took office, he instituted an open file policy for reviewing claims of !

wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project of New York brought Mr. Wyatt’s claim to the attention of the Conviction Integrity Unit.

The Conviction Integrity Unit worked with the Innocence Project of New York to resolve issues in Mr. Wyatt’s case.

Under the new policy, the Conviction Integrity Unit provided previously undisclosed information which supported the defenses Wyatt raised at trial. The Constitution required the prosecution to disclose this information to Wyatt’s attorneys at the time of trial.

The Conviction Integrity Unit will continue to evaluate this case to determine what happens next. !

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North Texas Alliance presents Innovative Approaches to Family Violence Conference Conference seeks to attract law enforcement and social service providers The North Texas Alliance will present the 8th Annual Innovative Approaches to Family Violence conference January 12-13, 2012, at the CHG Cityplace Conference and Event Center located at 2711 N. Haskell Avenue in Dallas.

“The District Attorney’s Office is once again proud to be a sponsor of this important conference on family violence,” said Craig Watkins, Dallas County District Attorney. “We have a dynamic conference program lined up and we hope law enforcement and social service professionals from across the state will join us for this educational opportunity and take some of the new tools and techniques to address family violence back to their respective communities.”

The 8th Annual Innovative Approaches to Family Violence Conference is a must for judges, attorneys, law enforcement officers, counselors, health service professionals, social services, victim service providers and advocates. This conference offers advanced training on domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault.

Attendees will receive hands-ontraining associated with the challenges professionals face when working with

both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. Participants will gain effective prevention and intervention tools necessary to provide essential services to their clientele.

The conference is designed to unite the Texas criminal justice system, the health community, child service workers and non-profit service providers on innovative prevention and intervention techniques of violence against women and children. Scholars and professionals from across the country will present their ideas and lead workshops on innovative techniques they have found effective in their states.

Approval has been granted to provide the following continuing educational credits: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners, Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas State Board of Examiners Marriage and Family Therapists.

Conference registration is $75.00 per person. To register online, please log on to www.dallasda.com.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact Shanika Davis, conference coordinator, at srdavis@dallascounty.org

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The conference features three nationally-recognized keynote speakers: Julia Perilla, Ph. D., director, National Latin@ Research Center on Family and Social Change; Russell Strand, chief, Family Advocacy Law Enforcement Training Division, United States Army Military School; and Terri Pease, Ph.D., an educator, clinician, consultant and accomplished trainer with specialized expertise in sexual assault and domestic violence trauma.

This year’s conference sponsors include Verizon Wireless HopeLine Program, Texas Health Resources (Presbyterian Hospital), Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA), Regional

Training Academy and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

Recently, the Domestic Violence Awareness Coalition Conference Committee’s collaborative partnerships have grown to include the Dallas County Sexual Assault Coalition, the Samaritan Inn and other diverse groups. As of 2011, the Domestic Violence Awareness Coalition Conference Committee has changed its name to the North Texas Alliance Conference Committee in order to more fully embrace these collaborative partnerships and diverse voices. As part of this evolution, the conference has also received a new name — Innovative Approaches to Family Violence Conference.

Wells Fargo invests $295,000 in Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity

Scholarships awarded to aspiring journalists, veterans honored at gala Frisco ISD-TV producer/editor Micha Caldwell of Lone Star High School, Taylor Harris of Duncanville High School and Rasheeda Smith of Richland College were awarded $1500 scholarships by the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists (DFW/ A B J ) a t t h e i r 3 0th A n n i v e r s a r y Scholarship Gala on Thursday evening, December 1, featuring CNN’s Soledad O’Brien.

Micha currently serves on the Frisco ISD-TV news team under the direction of executive producer Eva Coleman.

However, she was also instrumental as a producer/editor for Lone Star High’s Ranger NewsNetwork (RNN) during their inaugural season in 2010-2011, also created by Coleman.

She plans to study broadcast journalism at the University of North Texas or Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Her scholarship was sponsored by INC – It’s Not Complicated Tutoring.

Taylor is an editor of at Duncanville High School and she plans to attend Howard University. Her scholarship was sponsored by the Don’t Believe the Hype Foundation.

Rasheeda is a homeschooled senior who is taking classes at Richland College.

Her scholarship was sponsored by Dallas

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins

Micha Caldwell with Eva Coleman

County Commissioner John Wiley Price.

DFW/ABJ is led by president Cheryl Smith. Frisco ISD’s Eva Coleman is a past president (1999, 2000) of DFW/ABJ and currently serves as vice president.

She also served as chairperson of the 30th Anniversary Scholarship Gala.

The event was well attended by media, corporate, and civic dignitaries from throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Three $1500 scholarships were awarded and long-time media legends Clarice Tinsley of Fox4 News and Bob Ray Sanders of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram were honored with the Asante (“thanks” in Swahili) Award. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien gave the keynote address.

The event was emceed by 105.7 KRNBFM radio personality Lynne Haze and president of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Charles O’Neal. The evening also featured vocal performances by country singer Imaj and Ivan Tolbert.

For more information on DFW/ABJ, visit www.dfwabj.org.

Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway, State Representative Barbara Mallory Caraway, John Gavin, Regional President for Dallas/Fort Worth for Wells Fargo and Bill Hall, CEO of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity/

Dallas, TX – Wells Fargo has announced a $295,000 investment in Southern Dallas as part of their New Year, New Life celebration. The donation, presented to Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity at Wells Fargo’s banking center located at 2906 East Ledbetter Drive in Southern Dallas, will be used for Dallas Habitat’s signature project, Dream Dallas. Dream Dallas is a $100 million investment in five neighborhoods in Dallas: South Dallas/Fair Park, Bonton, Joppa, the Lancaster Transportation Corridor and West Dallas.

“Wells Fargo knows a good investment when we see one,” said John Gavin, Regional President for Dallas/Fort Worth for Wells Fargo. “We are making this commitment to Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity because we share their dream of revitalizing some of the most in need neighborhoods in Dallas. For this New Year, we wanted to help breathe New Life into Southern Dallas, and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has shown they can be trusted to do just that.”

“Great cities have great companies that invest in the communities they serve,” said Bill Hall, CEO of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. “Wells Fargo is a great corporate citizen for Dallas, and their investment in Dallas Habitat and Dream Dallas is a ringing endorsement that Southern Dallas is a great place to do business. We know the Wells Fargo investment will help Dallas Habitat revitalize neighborhoods and transform our city.” !

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Deadline to apply is approaching Visit www.dfwabj.org and apply for the Urban Journalism Workshop. The 12-week program is designed for aspiring journalists and anyone who realizes that having excellent communication skills will be an asset.

It has been over two decades since Rochelle Riley, who was an editor at The Dallas Morning News, organized the Urban Journalism Workshop for the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators at Lincoln Humanities and Communications Magnet, 2827 S. Hatcher Street. Rochelle was carrying on the tradition of the likes of George E. Curry and Gerald Boyd and the other visionaries who see the relevance and benefits of such a program.

Over the years, the workshop participants have traveled to Arkansas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Houston, San Antonio. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Austin, Langston, Montgomery, and to several national conventions in Seattle, Orlando, Milwaukee, DC, Speakers from across the metroplex have spoken at the workshop, but the students have also had guests like film maker Haile Gerima, former NABJ Pres. Will Sutton, Sonja Sanchez, Dick Gregory, Tavis Smiley, Susan Taylor and regular, Mr. Curry, who conducts Basic Training for our students and professionals!

At the end of the program, the students will have produced television and radio broadcasts, and a newspaper. They will have shaken the hands of some of the most influential people in this area and it won’t cost them a thing except their participation.

Students have won scholarships, secured internships and jobs, and built lasting relationships. Eva Coleman was LaDonna Castro’s mentor over 15 years ago and today they still have a close relationship.Rochelle Riley and Trina Terrell met about 20 years ago and that relationship is still strong. Former WFAA and KTVT reporter/anchor Michael Hill was very instrumental in Angela Martin and Janeane Anderson attending his alma mater, the University of Missouri - Columbia.

Parents, what are your children doing on Saturdays?

Every school that has a school newspaper or radio/ television program should have a student participating and the teachers should also stop by and build relationships that will ultimately benefit their students.

Here are just a few expressions from past participants: Because of this workshop I have grown into a more confident, and knowledgeable person, and I truly appreciate you giving me this opportunity. It is one that I will never forget. All of the professional individuals that were kind enough to share their knowledge and experience of the journalism, PR, radio, and television fields, have allowed me to see the limitless possibilities that are within my reach. They have inspired me to strive even harder for success. I am wholly grateful for everything... Not many people will spend a Saturday with youth to support them in becoming productive individuals. The world needs more selfless people... This is my first year in the Urban Journalism Workshop, but it definitely won't be my last.

Rasheeda Smith, Eastfield College :).

You prepared us in advance to dress for success. Thank you so much! I still live by those morals and values to this day....although I have difficulty letting go of my faithful jean jacket!

Tiffini Hall, Paul Quinn College

I owe the success of my career to the Urban Journalism Workshop. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

All I knew was that I had determination and that this workshop would help me with my writing skills. What I received was invaluable mentorship, real-life experience, hands-on training and the list goes on and on. I used what I learned in the workshop to land my first job as a reporter for a small newspaper in Texas. I couldn’t have done it without the wonderful mentors, teachers, reporters and other individuals who took the time out to believe in an aspiring writer.

Araceli K. , Talented and Gifted Magnet

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The lessons learned during trips to Africa were never taught in my classrooms in America.

Sure Professor James Eaton at Florida A&M University talked about the Motherland and the peculiar institution of slavery, but nothing prepared me for the visit to Goree Island.

I was up bright and early, along with the American delegation that included members of the National Conference of Black Mayors and presidents of historically Black Colleges and Universities.

For many in the group, this was the first trip and we were all excited about the opportunity to see the Door of No Return.

Ye a r s a g o , f e l l o w N a t i o n a l Association of Black Journalists member and award winning photographer Mark Gail gave me a beautiful picture of “The Door,” and now I would see it with my own eyes.

To say that it was an emotional experience is an understatement.

Once we arrived on the Island, we were met by a tour guide who explained some of the history and atrocities that took place. I found it ironic that in his presentation he talked about America and its “discovery” by Christopher Columbus. I immediately thought of author/educator/historian Dr. Ivan Van Sertima and made a mental note to let someone know that it would be great if that piece of information could be corrected.

As we walked toward the holding areas, there was very little conversation as we took in the surroundings and listened to the guides. I could feel my heart beating fast. I took pictures, but I also tried to make a mental note of every detail. I was surprised, once inside the holding area, to see “Barack Obama” scratched into a wall.

I also listened with amazement as the guide talked about how captured African children or those born during the time that their mothers were in captivity, under the age of six, were automatically slaughtered.

Even today, back on American soil, and knowing all of the brutal tales I have been told over the years about slavery, I am still amazed that after kidnapping men and women, the savagery continued with the murder of children.

And there are even more tales just as horrific. I touched the walls, I leaned against them. I watched as members of our group shed tears. I stood in the door, trying to imagine what my people were thinking as they stepped onto the slaveships.

As I turned back from the The Door, I thought about how I had an option. I am free.

On the trip back to our hotel, noted historian Dr. Leonard Jeffries helped us process everything we heard and saw..

It would be great if everyone could have the same experience and maybe, just maybe our minds would become free too!

Imagine what a better world this would be!

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JANUARY 6, 2012

From the Motherland Part 2

By Cheryl Smith IMessenger

Here is what others had to say about the visit to Goree Island.

It was like a trip from the past, seeing and hearing what our forefathers and ancestors went through. I reflected on how it is for us to be able to live the kind of lives and do the type of things we are able to do today. Being there makes you wonder about some of the things that belonged to us and how we lost them going through the Door of No Return or while we were at sea on the journey from there to America.

Mayor Antonio Blue Dobbins Heights, NC

The passage to Goree Island gave me an instant realization about how deep our history really is. For the first time, I understood that nothing about us began on Plymouth Rock. I felt connected to my history and the history of all Africans and African Americans. Entering the Slave House at first did not phase me - or so I thought. But by the time, I left my stomach was sickened. A baby began to wail, I saw friends begin to cry.

Then a tear I tried to control, slid right down my cheek. As I stood in the doorway, I looked down and fully felt the trail of ivory across the Atlantic. I thought of how it felt to stand there and either try to jump in the water or move on board a ship - never knowing where you are going. My heart ached.

I felt ill and had to get away from that enclosed courtyard of misery.

I know so much in just a few moments there.

One day, I hope to see it again with my daughter so she, too, will understand.

Deirdre M. Childress Twitter - @deirdreone Blog - Seeing the World in 3Dei!, http://seeingtheworldin3dei.com/

My soul is bothered that this stone house, this concrete prison of windowless cells carved out of a side of rock, is now a tourist attraction. These cells had held men, women and children separately as they awaited horror or death. I feel the slave house should be treated with reverence and honor, like Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.

Rochelle Riley Detroit Free Press Rochelle Riley.com

Cheryl Smith and Dr. Julius Garvey, son of the Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey.

Goree Island in an incredible place where everyone, not only people of African descent, should visit. You cannot visit without reflecting on man's inhumanity to man -- and the enduring strength of our ancestors. For them, surviving Goree must have taken everything they had. And for those who survived, a perilous Atlantic crossing awaited them. I leave a piece of me at Goree every time I visit.

John Yearwood World Editor Miami Herald

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GOREE ISLAND

Dr. Leonard Jeffries holds court on ferry, talking about the significance of what everyone viewed on Goree Island.

Goree Island is a small 45-acre island located off the coast of Senegal. Goree Island was developed as a center of the expanding European slave trade. The first record of slave trading there dates back to 1536 and was conducted by Portuguese, the first Europeans to set foot on the Island in 1444. The house of slaves was built in 1776. Built by the Dutch, it is the last slave house still standing in Goree and now serves as a museum. The island is considered as a memorial to the Black Diaspora. An estimated 20 million Africans passed through the Island between the mid-1500s and the mid-1800s. During the African slave trade, Goree Island was a slave-holding warehouse, an absolute center for the trade in African men, women and children. Millions of West Africans were taken against their will. These Africans were brought to Goree Island, sold into slavery, and held in the holding warehouse on the island until they were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. They were sold in South America, the Caribbean, and North America to create a new world. The living conditions of the slaves were atrocious on Goree Island.

Human beings were chained and shackled. As many as 30 men would sit in an 8-square-foot cell with only a small slit of window facing outward. Once a day, they were fed and allowed to attend to their needs, but still the house was overrun with disease. They were naked, except for a piece of cloth around their waists. They were put in a long narrow cell used for them to lie on the floor, one against the other.

The children were separated from their mothers. Their mothers were across the courtyard, likely unable to hear their children cry. The rebellious Africans were locked up in an oppressive, small cubicle under the stairs; while seawater was sipped through the holes to step up dehydration.

African American Registry Tour guide explains horrors of slavery

Mayors Andre Pierre and Antonio Blue examine shackles used on Africans.

Tour guide (c) stops to share information as North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre and Ken Hines (r) listen intently.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Hosts

Town Hall Meeting MOVING UP, MOVING FORWARD: Mobilizing Our Community to End Violence Against Women and Children

Statue of African man and woman

Saturday, January 21, 2012 9am-12pm Methodist Dallas Medical Center Hitt Auditorium 1441 N. Beckley Avenue Dallas, Texas75203

Cheryl Smith standing in the Door of No Return and reflecting.

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Please enter the campus at 221 W. Colorado (at Bishop), which is the main Entrance to the hospital

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JANUARY 6, 2012

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux to host NABJ Hall of Fame Ceremony Industry Star-Powered Event to Honor Gwen Ifill, Pat Harvey, Johnathan Rodgers, Ruth Allen Ollison, Wallace Terry, and Michael Fields The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will induct five legendary journalists into its Hall of Fame, the organization's highest honor. Also to be presented is the Ida B. Wells Award, an annual honor highlighting the achievement of a media executive who has demonstrated a commitment to diversifying the nation's newsrooms and improving the coverage of people and communities of color. The ceremony will be held on

Suzanne Malveaux

T h u r s d a y, Ja n . 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 , a t t h e Newseum in downtown Washington, D.C. Proceeds from the gala benefit fellowship programs.

Annually, NABJ pays homage to legendary black journalists who have made outstanding contributions to the industry. NABJ has inducted more than 45 journalists into the esteemed Hall of Fame, including W.E.B DuBois, John H. Johnson, Ed Bradley and Carole Simpson.

"These giants in journalism have blazed trails so that black journalists today can have more freedom and professional opportunities," said NABJ President Gregory Lee Jr. "We are proud to salute these worthy honorees."

This year's honors will be hosted

by Suzanne Malveaux, anchor for the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. edition of CNN Ne w s r o o m . Ma l v e a u x wo r ke d i n CNN's White House unit for nearly a decade and has played a key role as a member of the network's Best Political Team on Television and as the primary substitute anchor for "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer.

Attendees will have access to the 250,000 square foot museum of news.

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The Newseum features seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It offers a unique environment that takes attendees behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.

2012 NABJ Hall of Fame Inductees:

RUTH ALLEN OLLISON KXAS/KDAF Dallas KHOU Houston

Ms. Ol lison made histor y by becoming the first African American Female News Director in a top 10 Market when she was promoted to the GWEN IFILL position in Dallas in 1985 at KDAF PBS Television.

Ms. Ollison has dedicated much of M s . If i l l i s m o d e r a t o r a n d her professional career to radio and managing editor of "Washington Week" television, showing renowned strengths and senior correspondent for the "PBS in news reporting, anchoring and NewsHour." She also is the best- management. Her expertise as a selling author of "The Breakthrough: dynamic news executive enhanced Politics and Race in the Age of m a n y m a r ke t s i n c l u d i n g D a l l a s , Obama."

Houston, San Antonio and Washington Ms. Ifill reports on a wide range of D.C. issues from foreign affairs to U.S. After two decades in the politics and policies inter viewing broadcasting industry, Ms. Ollison national and international newsmakers. sought to transform the conditions that She ha s co vered six presidential she had covered for so long as a campaigns and moderated two vice journalist. She landed in inner-city presidential debates.

Houston, where she bought a crack house in one of the most notorious areas of the city and started a ministry.

Still very much in the business of communication, she uses her years of experience delivering the news of the day to deliver some good news.

PAT HARVEY KCBS Los Angeles Ms. Harvey is an award-winning veteran broadcast journalist and the longest-running anchor in prime time at one station in Los Angeles.

One of Ms. Harvey's 16 Emmy award wins was for a multiple report on b a s ke t b a l l g r e a t E a r v i n " Ma g i c " Jo h n s o n a d e c a d e a f t e r h e w a s diagnosed with HIV. In 2001, Ms. Harvey also took home an Emmy for a series of reports from East Africa on the AIDS epidemic and the brutal centuries-old practice of female genital mutilation.

Mr. Rodgers is among the nation's most influential television executives.

He served as the highest-ranking black executive a television network from 1990 to 1996, expanding the Discovery Network into a multibillion-dollar success in the cable industry. In 2003, he helped launch TV One. Under his leadership, TV One, which serves nearly 53 million adults, has become recognized as the quality programming alternative for AfricanAmericans.

WALLACE TERRY TIME Magazine

In 1967, Mr. Terry became deputy bureau chief for Time magazine in Saigon. His two years of Vietnam War reporting included coverage of the Tet offensive and scores of combat missions with American and South Vietnamese pilots. In addition to writing for USA TODAY and Parade magazine, Terry was an award-winning author, producer and public speaker. He died on May 29, 2003.

Ida B. Wells Award Recipient:

MICHAEL FIELDSWABE Atlanta

M r. Fi e l d s i s News Director at WABE 90.1 FM in Atlanta and has worked 35 years in commercial and public broadcasting, including 20 years with NPR where he served as Southern Bureau chief and worked with member stations in 13 states.

He is being recognized for his efforts which have resulted in WABE news coverage which is a more accurate reflection of the diverse communities that the public broadcasting station in JOHNATHAN RODGERS Atlanta serves.

TV One For ticket sales and sponsorship information, and additional After close to 50 years of service in information on the NABJ Hall of the media business, TV One President Fame, please click here, or contact and CEO Johnathan Rodgers retired in N A B J Pr o g r a m Ma n a g e r Ir v i n g Washington at iwashington@nabj.org.

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in OUR library Reviewed by Cheryl Smith cheryl@cherylsmithonline.com

A Silken Thread

By Brenda Jackson Erica Sanders should be a happy woman. She s about to marry the man of her dreams, Brian Lawson.

The two seem like they are made for each other but bestselling author Brenda Jackson is not going to tell a story without some drama.

There’s a big hitch in this get-a-long.

Erica’s mother, who has entirely too much time on her hands, is prepared to do anything within her power and utilizing any and all resources to keep the marriage from happening.

Erica is old money in Hattersville, Ohio. Her great-great grandfather was one of the founding fathers of this city, which had the distinction of being one of the first cities for freed Blacks in the entire state. And while Erica was not running around wearing her pedigree on her shoulder, her mother Karen was.

Ms. Jackson has a way of developing her characters to evoke strong emotions from her readers and in A Silken Thread she does not disappoint.

Readers will be shocked at how conniving and mean-spirited Karen is. There will be moments of pity for her handsome husband, Wilson, who appears to be too good a man to be shackled to such a vicious woman.

Wilson could not understand why his wife was so adamant that their daughter should not marry Brian. After all, he knew what it meant to not marry for love and he was sure that his daughter and Brian were in love with one another.

Actually the more he saw his daughter and future son-in-law together, the more he longed for a relationship with a real woman.

There are other characters that Ms. Jackson introduces and they each bring their own drama and interesting dynamics to this story.

Love conquering all makes for a great story because people like happy endings.

Ms. Jackson’s dynamic story-telling will make the outcome even more enjoyable.

Who Said Peaches Were Perfect?

By Tracy Nicole Put this book at the top of your shopping list for high school

graduates!

Who Said Peaches Were Perfect? is the story of two young ladies who are dealing with numerous issues as they navigate through very busy lives.

Ms Nicole delves into the private lives of Lisa and Torie; sharing their innermost thoughts, desires, fears and aspirations.

The topic of domestic abuse is focused on and Ms. Nicole does not gloss over the subject.

Lisa is in an abusive relationship and the episodes are becoming more and more frequent. As with most victims, Lisa rationalizes for the abuses and her man’s behavior even when she finds out that he has been cheating on her as well.

Then there’s Torie and her men. She doesn’t have a shortage of men but maybe she’s not attracting the right kind.

Both ladies have their issues and the author does a great job of developing all of the characters. Some you will love and others you will probably wish would disappear. What’s important is that Ms. Nicole manages to create identifiable characters with real issues and that’s what readers.

This is evident, she admits, because there has been an outpouring of people who approach her telling their stories about their relationships.

Ms. Nicole addresses the issue of domestic violence and since writing the book she says that the topic is one that has become very hot because sadly abusive relationships are increasing, not declining.

Who Said Peaches Were Perfect? is

ideal for getting the conversation started about healthy relationships.

Unfortunately too many unhealthy relationships are started on college campuses--probably because conversations that could have helped were avoided for some reason.

Prior to sending sons and daughters off to college; there are some important conversations that should be had and Who Said Peaches Were Perfect? is an ideal starting point.

The sequel should be equally enlightening and entertaining!

Dirt and Hardwood Floors

By Barbara L. Eikner Ms. Eikner has dedicated "Dirt and Hardwood Floors" to those nameless women, who stored the art of words and creativity in the depths of their souls and hearts as they were stolen from their native land to be held in captivity in the land of the free and the home of the brave & the nameless women, whose souls still seek closure and whose words of home, the movement of light, time nor space has not silenced but continue to resonate through the annals of time.

This collection of poems is a wonderful tribute to women, especially her introduction to one of the greatest poets of all time--Nikki Giovanni.

Ms. Eikner is on her way to becoming recognized as one of the greatest poets of our lifetime if Dirt and Hardwood Floors is any indication of what she has to offer.

Her poems are uplifting, inspiring, exciting and thought-provoking.

In three chapters Ms. Eikner has explored several topics and expressed a deep love for African Americans and Africa.

During a recent interview on KKDA, Ms. Eikner discussed her experiences in Africa and how she incorporated them into Dirt and Hardwood Floors.

The queen of black book stores, Emma

It’s a new year!

JANUARY 6, 2012

Rodgers, said "Dirt and Hardwood Floors" is a must-read for all lovers of poetry young and old.

The attention-grabbing topics are eloquently presented and sure to leave readers feeling empowered.

The Ultimate No, No

By Tamika Newhouse When you play with fire, you shouldn’t be surprised when you get burned!

In The Ultimate No, No there will be plenty of folks getting burned in the town of Fort Worth where it seems that everyone knows everyone and from the look if things almost everyone has slept with everyone.

Author Tamika Newhouse is rapidly gaining a wide following. From her erotica to The Ultimate No, NO, she keeps her readers guessing and wanting more.

In The Ultimate No, No, things are getting heated up in Fort Worth as Nitrah and her friends plan a childish game of revenge that ends up almost destroying friendships and family ties.

You don t think that the girls could have a falling out but you have a lot of thinks coming with Ms. Newhouse.

These home girls that she introduces to you are definitely a group of characters.

They will fight for one another and they have no problem tearing a place up --all for the home team.

There’s so much drama going on in the lives of Ms. Newhouse’s characters that readers will find themselves wondering what could possibly happen next. No one is exempt from the deceit, lies, cover-ups and dishonesty.

There’s always a voice of reason, hopefully, when friends get together and start off on the wrong path. Only this time the sound voice is not able to get her girls to back down and take another path.

So what’s in store for the girls? There are a lot of lessons to be learned and the lessons aren t easy or painless.

The Ultimate No, No was an enjoyable read and I am anxiously awaiting her next literary work: Cookie-A Fort Worth Story.

Black Economic History

Check out

French made easier w PJ

Cheryl’s World!

Interviews

www.blogtalkradio.com 9-11a.m. weekdays

Newswatch, and more...

Bringing you informative, insightful, thought-provoking discussions, guests and information!

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If you know of any high school or college students interested in sharpening their communications skills or pursuing a career in journalism, there’s still time to apply for the DFW/ABJ Urban Journalism Workshop.

www.dfwabj.org

www.dallasweekly.com

POLICE have not apprehended Pookie the serial rapist.

If you have information, call Crime Stoppers at

877.373.8477 Also, if you want extra protection, check out Street Safe at www.streetsafe.peopleguard.com PAGE 11

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Phyllis Alphabet’s Men of Swagger

JANUARY 6, 2012

TRAVIS CARTER - Phyllis has fond memories of her father. Here he is, full of swagger, with her mother and enjoying life!

Tune in to hear PHYLLIS ALPHABET ON CHERYL'S WORLD ON WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM. SEAN BLAKEMORE IS HER MAN OF SWAGGER. Sean Blakemore (born St. Louis) is an African American actor who is currently portraying Shawn Butler on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital, a role he began playing on January 21, 2011 on a recurring basis. On April 6, 2011 Blakemore was put on contract with the soap. Blakemore has also appeared on episodes on such series as ER, Monk, The Shield, Cold Case, NCIS and Bones. He won Auds honors at the Hollywood Black Film Festival for his portrayal of Ric Jackson in the independent romantic drama Big Ain't Bad. Blakemore also appeared in the 2002 film Dahmer, and TV movies Motives 2: Retribution, and Blackout.

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JANUARY 6, 2012

“Find Our Missing” debuts on TV ONE--focusing on missing Blacks digital and social media, and through partnerships will also draw attention to a critical issue and bring new information to light for the loved ones of the missing featured in this series, and for others. We hope these profiles will trigger the memory of someone who might have seen something, and feel compelled to come forward and help these families who have suffered for so long.”

Silver Spring, MD –As the centerpiece of an effort to draw attention to and help find missing Black Americans, whose stories are largely ignored in national media coverage of missing persons, TV One will premiere Find Our Missing, a 10-episode, one-hour docu-drama series Wednesday, January 18 at 10 pm ET. Hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson, who for 16 years portrayed Police Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on NBC’s Law & Order, Find Our Missing is designed to put names and faces to people of color who have disappeared without a trace.

Each episode will tell the story of the missing person or persons, beginning with the day they vanished and the frantic searches by loved ones and investigators to find them.

Find Our Missing provides insight into these victims’ lives –their hopes and dreams, what makes them tick, and how they have touched those around them - from the people who know them best. The episodes will chronicle the investigations into their disappearances, and why the search for them so far has only turned up dead ends. Each episode delves into the myster y surrounding one or two disappearances, and will call viewers to action, providing them with contact information for the specific police and local FBI offices handling the cases if they have any information about the missing.

“Nearly one-third of the missing in this country are Black Americans, while we make up only 12 percent of the population. Yet stories about missing people of color are rarely told in the national media,” said TV One President and CEO Wonya Lucas.

“Find Our Missing will be dramatic television, but we also hope that TV One’s combined efforts on air, through PAGE 13

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“Though these victims may be gone, through this show we want to say they are no longer forgotten,” said S. Epatha Merkerson. “I am honored to host Find Our Missing and hope that my participation not only can help shine the spotlight on the plight of missing people of color, but that we can help uncover some answers and ultimately find justice for the sake of those missing and their families and friends.”

The premiere episode features stories of two people who vanished in 2009: Pamela Butler, a 47-year-old Program Analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency, mysteriousl y disappeared from inside her Washington, D.C. home despite an elaborate security system. Her boyfriend was the last person to see her.

Hasanni Campbell, a sweet five-year-old boy suffering from cerebral palsy vanished from the busy Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland, California. His foster father, who was dropping off Hassani at his foster mother’s job, says he left him alone for just moments when he took Hassani’s younger sister to the front of the store. Investigators don’t believe Hassani ever made it to Rockridge that day.

TV One will complement its onair series with social media and online content on www.tvone.tv that will share important information on what to do if someone is missing, tips on how to prevent abductions, and offer additional stories of lost people, and some who have been found, plus join in partnerships with organizations that provide real-time alerts and information on missing persons and allow users to submit tips electronically. Tvone.tv will also launch a new Justice and Mystery section that includes news articles about the latest missing persons cases, the wrongfully imprisoned, police br utality and fascinating u n s o l v e d m y s te r i e s , a s w e l l a s retrospectives on major justice cases throughout history, and a feature where users can ask experts questions related to the justice system.

S. Epatha Merkerson, best known for her long-running role on Law & O rd e r, h a s w o n critical acclaim for her work in theatre, television and film. She received Golden G l o b e , E m m y, S c r e e n Ac t o r s Guild, NAACP Image and Gracie Allen Awards and an IFP Spirit nomination for her leading role in the HBO film, Lackawanna Blues.

She is also a twotime Tony Award nominee, most recently for her lead role in the 2008 Broadway revival, Come Back Little Sheba. She is currently in production on Steven Spielberg's film, Lincoln and

recently wrapped production on Tyler Perry's We The Peeples..

SECOND CHANCE PERSONAL LOANS!!!

NO COLLATERAL REQUIRED!!!

Due to the current stats of a miserable economy, a special loan program named Second Chance Personal Loans has been created to help individuals and families needing financial assistance. Loan amounts range from $1,000 to $49,000. There is NO COLLATERAL required to secure a loan. If you have a job, you can qualify for a Second Chance Personal Loan.

• Poor credit or No credit history is acceptable • Amount of outstanding debt is not a factor • Must be currently employed • No collateral required • No liens required on property or hard assets • Easy repayment terms • Minimum 10% cash contribution towards required loan A Second Chance Personal Loan can be used for a variety of purposes such as: • Debt elimination or consolidation • Paying off existing student loan debt • Paying off credit card debt • Paying off a mortgage • Supplementing retirement • Starting a business • And much more…

The Second Chance Personal Loan program was designed to help the millions of struggling families and individuals to receive a Second Chance to get back on stable financial ground. Many people because of circumstances not under their control need a fresh and Second Chance. If you would like additional information on how to apply for a Second Chance Personal Loan, simply send an email to Cheryllynnsmith@mcsgrantconsultants.com consultant@mcsgrantconsultants.com.

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HOW TO RECEIVE A $100,000 FINANCIAL AID GRANT Millions of families are suffering financial hardships due to a serious down-turn in the economy.

Because of this, a special grant program is now available to assist individuals and families needing financial assistance. The proceeds from the grant can be used for the following: • College funding

• Supplementing retirement

• Paying off existing student loan debt

• Starting a business

• Paying off credit card debt

• And much more…

• Paying off a mortgage

As long as the proceeds of the grant are not used in any illegal manner, there are no restrictions on its use. For free information please send an email to: cheryllynnsmith@mcsgrantconsultants.com.

NNPA Mid Winter Conference

Want to keep up?

Follow Cheryl on Facebook

Wednesday, January 18 - Saturday, January 21, 2012 1-800-578-0500 Reference: "NNPA" OMNI ROYAL ORLEANS HOTEL 621 St. Louis St. New Orleans, LA 70140

and Twitter @penonfire Mention Cheryl's World or IMessenger to double the coupon

Single room/King bed Rate: $169.00 + tax (per night) Double occupancy/Double bed Rate: $189.00 + tax (per night)

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In Memoriam

ROBERT LEE CARTER March 11, 1917 – January 3, 2012 A U.S. civil rights activist and judge, Robert Lee Carter was born on March 11, 1917, in Caryville, Florida. While still very young, his mother moved north to Newark, New Jersey, where he was raised.

Judge Carter graduated from high school at 16 and earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) and his law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1940, both on scholarship.

Mr. Carter earned his LLM from Columbia Law School in 1941, after

writing an influential master's thesis that would later define the NAACP's legal strategy on the right to freedom of association under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In 1944, upon completion of his wartime service in the United States Army Air Corps, Mr. Carter went to work as a legal assistant to Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In 1945, he became an assistant special counsel at the LDF. Judge Carter was a lead attorney on Sweatt v. Painter and presented part of the oral argument to the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, and he also worked on many important civil rights cases, including Sipuel v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Okla..

In 1956, he succeeded Thurgood Marshall as the general counsel of the NAACP. Over the course of his tenure, Mr. Carter argued or co-argued and won 21 of 22 cases in the United States Supreme Court.

Among the most important cases Judge Carter worked on after Brown was NAACP v. Alabama (1958), in which the Supreme Court held that the NAACP could not be required to make its membership lists public.

This removed a tool of intimidation employed by some southern states after Brown was decided, and put into practice the insights into the First Amendment that a young Carter had gleaned when still a student at Columbia Law School.

In 1968, Mr. Carter resigned from the NAACP, along with his entire legal staff,

in protest of the firing of NAACP employee Lewis Steele for a critical article he published in the New York Times Magazine.

In his autobiography, Judge Carter writes that the NAACP board's decision to fire Mr. Steele over the article was aimed at him, as "an effort to exert control over the general counsel's office and bring [Carter] in line."

In recognition of his civil rights achievements, Fordham University School of Law gave Judge Carter an honorary juris doctor degree in November 2004.

In 1972, Judge Carter was appointed by President Richard Nixon to the bench as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Judge Carter was a co-founder of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL).

He has served as a member of innumerable committees of the bar and the court, and has been associated with a very wide array of educational i n s t i t u t i o n s , o rg a n i z a t i o n s , a n d foundations.

He has written extensively about discrimination in the United States, particularly school segregation, and of his longtime friends and colleagues, Thurgood Marshall and Charles Hamilton Houston.

A member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Inc., he died of complications from a stroke he suffered in 2011.

JANUARY 6, 2012

CLARA LAVERN JOHNSON October 10, 1947 - December 22, 2011

Clara Lavern Johnson was born to Tommy and Lillie Mae Johnson Both parents preceded her in death, along with her only sister Al Hajj Ameenah Muhammad and her son Bruce Johnson.

She leaves behind a brother, Thomas Ali Muhammad and three children: Kathy (Johnson) Booth, Jimmy Lee Johnson and Teresa Johnson.

She leaves also to mourn, two aunts, her namesake Clara Means and Ruby Johnson; along with many nephews, nieces, grandchildren and one great grandchildren.

Send your notices and photos to cheryl@cherylsmithonline.com

ENTER TODAY!

If you know of any high school or college students interested in sharpening their communications skills or pursuing a career in journalism, there’s still time to apply for the DFW/ABJ Urban Journalism Workshop.

www.dfwabj.org

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IMESSENGER