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VOL 5 ISSUE 22 January 29, 2016

Thought-provoking, informative, enlightening and entertaining news and commentary from around the world!

www.myimessenger.com

A life of service

celebrated

I MESSENGER

Verna Brown Mitchell received a liver which allowed her to continue living

and giving.

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JANUARY 29, 2016

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I MESSENGER

Cheryl Smith, PublisherEstablished 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 considerat ion may be submitted to www.myimessenger.com.

Message to the People... Empire’s Calhoun returns

6

JANUARY 29, 2016

GEORGE CURRY 21

In Remembrance of Denise Johnson StovallAs we celebrate the life of Denise Johnson Stovall, the members of the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists take this opportunity to salute a fine person and stellar journalist.

Denise Johnson Stovall was compassionate, concerned, motivated, committed and no-nonsense and she exhibited the highest standards of journalistic excellence and integrity. An award-winning journalist, she was a definitive and passionate voice for the voiceless as her stories enriched the lives of the subjects as well as the readers.

While we are saddened by her passing, we are joyful for having known, worked with, learned from and grew with Denise Johnson Stovall. We appreciated her candor as she focused on always doing what was right, instead of what was expedient. We have lost a brave soldier on the battlefield as we fight for ethical journalism.

Our prayers are with her family and loved ones.

We will miss our sister, our soldier without a sword, and take solace in knowing that our angel is writing even bigger stories in Heaven.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Smith

President, Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black JournalistsJanuary 28, 2016

DALLAS - FORT WORTHASSOCIATION OFBLACK JOURNALISTS

DFW/ABJ

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Spiritually Speaking….By James A. Washington

In the midst of i m m i n e n t change in my l i f e I r a n across this and a m s h a r i n g again. Most of us would agree w i t h t h e concept that the one sure thing that we know about life is change. The comparison to a roller coaster seems appropriate, a frightening one at that. Life is full of twists and turns and inevitable ups and downs with people coming and going and emotions frayed at the proverbial last nerve because of it. Life takes your plans and destroys them in favor of its own. It’s enough to make anyone skeptical about life’s purpose. We question everything we hold dear. As Christians, we know free will is supposed to have something to do with what happens to us as we each choose or don’t choose, decide or don’t decide. Our fate is wrapped in the outcome of each. We often find ourselves caught up in quagmires of discontent due to situations we created by simply making the wrong choices. That’s why I find the subject of change in scripture so fascinating. “In paths they have not known, I will guide them.” Isaiah 42:16 clearly indicates that when you attempt or

are forced to changed your life, seek God, because divine help

will be needed. It’s a spiritual requirement.

Oftentimes in the bible, whenever someone begins t o a c c e p t C h r i s t , challenges await. Fear is prevalent and faith gets tested. I mean walking by faith and not by sight is unnatural in the natural world. It just is. This kind

of change in your spiritual life is supposed to fortify everything in your supernatural existence. Joshua 1:9 lets us know that from the moment we begin to consciously expand our awareness of God, we must take Him everywhere we go or, risk losing ourselves to our own devices, much like the Israelites in the desert. “Be not dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.” The easiest thing to fall prey to in this life it appears is all of the stuff, the temptations, the tragedies that will surely come our way every day, particularly as Christians. We live in a materialistic world framed in 30 second sound bites, news of instant wealth and the constant pursuit of more. Fantasy and instant gratification are but a click away. If you have no spiritual fallback position, you will get caught up in defining yourself by how much you have, what you can buy and what pleasures you can exploit. And don’t forget to buy a gun to protect it

all from those who have no qualm about taking it from you. Under these circumstances life can make you feel inadequate and anxious as it constantly challenges you and changes your outlook about it. More, you see, is never enough.

Now this spiritual awareness that I mentioned gives perspective to all of this change and disruption. The bible promises peace and peace of mind. “My presence shall go with you and give you rest.” Exodus 33:14. The understanding of eternal existence, of the spiritual side of man should allow you to put into perspective the contradictions and absurdities in this life. I am constantly amazed at how little I really need in life as I grow older, compared with what I thought I needed when I was younger. Focusing on God actually brings clarity to the soul and subsequently order to life’s chaos. Peace of mind abounds in the hearts of those who know and seek the truth. Purpose is simplified and life’s changes and chal lenges become eas ier to navigate. In this context free will merely acts as confirmation of the obvious. “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4.

May God bless and keep you always.

James

Change Gone Come

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From the U.S.

CongressBy Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson

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The South Central District of the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., will hold their 2nd “We Speak Your Name & District Awards Luncheon” in the Malachite Showcase Ballroom of the InterContinental Dallas Hotel, 15201 Dallas Parkway, Addison, TX 75001, on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 12 noon. Ten phenomenal women from throughout the District will be honored and recognized for their public and government services in Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Services in areas of Health, Education, Employment and Economic Development.

Dallas’ own Wendy Calhoun is the Luncheon’s Honorary Chair and Guest Speaker. Wendy Calhoun is a Co-Executive Producer/Writer for Fox’s hit drama, Empire. Her prime time writing and producing credits include FX’s Justified, ABC’s Revenge and Nashville. She is also the Narrative Consultant for Electronic Arts’ BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE video game. Calhoun has written, produced, and/or directed over 40 hours of non-fiction programs for PBS, Animal Planet, VH1, TLC, The Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and FBC including Co-Producing the second season of Hell’s Kitchen. Calhoun received a 2010 Peabody Award and WGA Best New Series Nomination for Justified, which was named as one of WGA Best 100 Written Series of all time. She received her second WGA Best New Series Nomination in 2012 for Nashville.

Born and raised in Dallas, Calhoun now lives in Los Angeles with her supportive husband, two delightful daughters, three lazy cats, and mischievous puppy.

Also recognized during the luncheon will be a woman for her Community Service, the Achievement Award and the District’s HOPE and highest Award.

For over 54 years the South Central District has impacted the communities in seven states (Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)

through their services. It is a privilege to have such outstanding women recognized in our Metroplex.

To purchase tickets for the luncheon at $65, c o n t a c t C h a i r E l l a J o h n s o n a t egoodejohnson@hotmail.com or (214) 339-8866. The mission of the South Central District of the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Clubs,

Inc. is to sponsor and support programs that lead to improved social and civic conditions in our local global communities and to provide opportunities for personal growth and professional development of youth while promoting and protecting the interest of its membership of business and professional women.

Empire’s Calhoun returns home to Dallas

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JANUARY 29, 2016

Tuning Out: Why I will not Watch the Oscars

 To Be Equal   By Marc H. MorialPresident and CEONational Urban League

  "The Academy has a problem. It's a problem that needs to be solved...For 20 opportunities to celebrate actors of color, actresses of color, to be missed last year is one thing; for that to happen again this year is unforgivable. This institution doesn't reflect its president...I am an Academy member and it doesn't reflect me, and it doesn't reflect this nation."-      David Oyelowo, actor It turns out that Hollywood does, in fact, love a sequel. For the second straight year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences - the organization behind Hollywood's biggest and splashiest awards show-failed to nominate a single actor or actress of color in the lead and supporting acting categories. This year, when pay equity and gender equality were as much a Hollywood narrative as anything screened in local movie theaters, women earned more Oscar nominations (up almost 24 percent versus 21 percent in each of the last two years), but they were shut out from the best cinematography and best director categories - again.

In a nation as diverse as ours, an Oscars ceremony that neither recognizes nor includes the vast artistic talent and contributions of women and people of color is a white-washed fiction that would better serve us as the premise of a sci-fi feature and not as a mirror of our multicultural reality.  While my role is not to question the cinematic credentials of the academy's 6,291 voting members, I do question how it is that in a season that produced critically-acclaimed films such as "Beasts of No Nation," which stars Idris Elba as an African warlord; the N.W.A biopic "Straight Outta Compton" and "Creed," the latest installment in the iconic "Rocky" franchise, there were no Black screenwriters, directors, composers, cinematographers or actors to be found whose contributions deserved academy recognition. Ironically enough, two films helmed by either Black actors and/or directors - "Creed" and "Compton" - were recognized by the academy, but their sole nominations were denied to people of color, with Sylvester Stallone receiving a best supporting actor nod for his role in "Creed" and writers of "Compton" receiving a nomination for best original screenplay.  A lot of ink has been spilled citing the composition of the academy and its role in travesties like this year's copycat lock out of talent from communities of color. A much-cited 2012 survey of the academy by the Los Angeles Times highlights the crux of the problem: the academy's members are 94 percent White, 77 percent male, and an average age of 63 - hardly representative of the diversity we see in the streets and increasingly on our TV screens. There was a push for more inclusion after last year's infamous snub of the civil rights movie "Selma," with a record 322 invitations sent to join the academy. The list of invitees included fewer than 20 new African-American members, close to 14 Asian and Pacific Islander members

and a handful of Latin Americans, according to The Wrap, an industry-insider magazine. Here are a few more statistics you should also take into consideration. In its most recent study, the Bunche Center at UCLA found that film studio heads were 94 percent White and 100 percent male and that film studio senior management was 92 percent White and 83 percent male. The problem is two-fold.  The struggle to transform the academy into a diverse body that thoughtfully contemplates and recognizes the work of communities who do not fit the cookie cutter mold is one that must take place within the academy, but change will remain elusive if there is no transformation of White male dominated studio system that decides what gets made -   and perhaps most importantly, what doesn't get made. Major studios are not green-lighting the projects that reflect our nation and the few movies that are produced end up on the cutting room floor of the nomination process.  Like so many others, I am stunned by the shut out of people of color across most major awards categories for the second consecutive year. I will continue to add my voice to the public scrutiny necessary to keep this issue on Hollywood's front burner. And I will also be doing something else this year: I will ignore the Oscars. I am not an Academy Award member. I do not green-light films, nor do I direct them. But I do control what does - or doesn't - appear on my television screen. If we want Hollywood to tune in to our legitimate concerns and issues, I, for one, will be tuning out.    Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

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JANUARY 29, 2016

Speaking to a filled-to-capacity room dur ing a recent Founders Day observance, Dr. Julianne Malveaux talked about the courageous women who founded Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., over a century ago. This year’s D-FW Area Founders Day Luncheon and Celebration for Delta Sigma Theta brought together 67 Alumnae and 24 Collegiate sisters. As the 67 honorees were lauded for 50 and 25 years in Delta, the collegiate members were recognized for obtaining their undergraduate degrees. With an impressive theme of “Holding Aloth the Torch of Justice, the Flame of Truth and the Promise of Equality, in a captivating speech of approximately 32

minutes economist, author, and commentator Dr. Malveaux gave a “shout out” to friends Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and

State Sen. Royce West as she applauded her “sorors” for their dedicated service to the sorority and the communities they live and work in. A member of the public service organization for women for more than 4 decades, Dr. Malveaux, who is the former president of Bennett College for

Women referenced the history of the women who made bold statements on the campus of Howard University by breaking away from an early group to form a more progressive group to address social change and taking a stand on women suffrage issues. Interrupted numerous times by the applause from the mostly-female audience, Dr. Malveaux challenged members, especially the collegiate attendees to be agents for change and to follow the rich tradition of Delta Sigma Theta’s 22 founders. Dr. Malveaux’s message was echoed by the organization’s national president. “As members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., we have an obligation to our Founders, our communities and each other to continue to use our collective strength to promote academic excellence and to provide assistance to those in need,” wrote Dr. Paulette C. Walker, in the event’s program book. “Our Founders were determine to make the clear distinction that Delta Sigma Theta was a service-oriented and socially-conscious organization. Through their valiant demonstration of fortitude, we realize that there is no

D-FW Area Chapter Presidents

State Rep. Toni Rose speaks

Malveaux challenges sorority members to continue tradition of founders

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QUIT PLAYIN’: Dirty, Shallow Water!Quit Playin’

By Vincent L. Hall

Vincent L. Hall is an author and award-winning columnist.

greater purpose; no greater calling; than to accept the commitment of leading others in a forward and positive direction.”

The D-FW area presidents are: Jamita Machen - Arlington AlumnaeTonyia Williams - Collin County AlumnaeTonya R. Derrick - Dallas AlumnaeCleopatra Birckbichler - Denton County AlumnaeMyra McGlothen-Sutton - Fort Worth AlumnaeAmye Thompson Hollins - Metropolitan Dallas AlumnaeNikeya Anderson - North Central Texas AlumnaeJada Burton - North Dallas Suburban AlumnaePier Crenshaw - Southwest Dallas County AlumnaeLaKeisha Adams - Nu Iota - SMUAudra Jackson - Sigma Mu - UTDKeandria Bonner - Theta Nu - Texas A&M CommerceKassadee Dews - Williams - Lambda Nu - PQCNyriah Hampton - Lambda Chi - UTADynasty Jackson - Eta Delta - TWUSamantha Koehler - Iota Eta - TCUKali Meekins - Zeta Eta - UNT

This year’s co-chairs were Katrina R. Haley of Denton County Alumnae, Sandra Dorsey Malone of Dallas Alumnae and Meekins of Zeta Eta.

Not pictured among the 50-year honorees is Beverly Kenner. The 25 year honorees are: Madelyn Petty Bowman, Jocelyn Johnson, Thurstine McCloud, Anita Roussel, Elizabeth Vann, Regina Wheel, Beverly Williams-Wanza, Micheon Brackens, Carla Dow, Caroline Kennedy Gordon, Karen Johnson-Nwaorgu, Jonna LaGrone-Haynes, Michelle Lang, Tara Wiltz- Major, Seraphin Jones Price, Antoinette Renee, LaShaun Turner-Coleman, Danielle Wesley, Felicia Cox Henderson, Aundrea Mitchell, Leslie Annette Swann, Dr. Rosalyn Walker, Courtney Weddington, Carron Perry, Robbin Venita Robinson, Valerie Baston-Sutton, Angela Brent, Charitta Bryant, Rhonda Madison, Sharie Rambo McEwing, Yvette Runnels, Tunisia Sadruddin, Tymesia Smaw, Erica Smith-Branton, Edna Booker, Asani Charles, Thelma Clemons, Anita Davis, Annette McLendon Henson, Valarie Houston, Mary Kennedy, Marilyn Reese, Silvia Rose-Sterling, Wanda Ware-Franklin, Leslie Washington, Trena Burgan, Debra Nash, Kimberly Wade, Yolanda Bables, Samantha Cash, Yolanda Lilly, Phyllis Otto, Dawn Marie Patterson, Regenia Phillips, Jacqueline Renfro, Mary Stanton, Rhonda Stoneham, Elka Yarbrough.

The collegiate honorees are:Eta Delta - Texas Woman’s UniversityRaven BellardNeosha White

Iota Eta - Texas Christian UniversityKyla Bell Chelsea GillespieAshlea HarperErin JacobsSamantha KoehlerElon WylieLambda Chi - Univ of Texas at ArlingtonRaven AlstonMyriah HamptonTahlia Pope

Lambda Nu - Paul Quinn CollegeKassadee Dews

Dominique GriffinStefanie ScottShambrika Taylor

Nu Iota - Southern Methodist UniversityLa’Keisha AdamsTien DangJasmine RichardsonKevelyn RoseSigma Mu - University of Texas at DallasAudra JacksonJ’oni Scott

Theta Nu - Texas A&M CommerceAsianna EvansJonyshia Hudspeth

Zeta Eta - University of North Texas at DentonWhitley GreenGabbrielle Lusk

Co Chairs Katrina R. Haley and Sandra Malone

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JANUARY 29, 2016

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.comFollow me: Twitter: pjdayes Facebook: askpamdayes

Q - I’ve been on M e d i c a i d f o r several months and drawing SSI f r o m S o c i a l S e c u r i t y 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.

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.

Ask Pam

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Folks who meet Verna Brown Mitchell are immediately drawn to her warm and inviting personality that exudes sincerity and love. She was just what I needed when I decided to make Dallas my home almost 35 years ago.

I became acquainted with her through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. when I joined the Dallas Alumnae Chapter at the first meeting I attended in September 1982.

She, along with so many others welcomed me into their lives and I have never regretted our association because Verna is a true Delta.

The epitome of all things noble and righteous, I have never witnessed an unsisterly act from this woman.

Kind, loving and definitely candid, she is a precious jewel who is always doing something for someone else.

So, it was unnerving to learn of her health challenges.

It was a teenage girl whose donated organs helped to save the life of Verna Mitchell, whose enlarged polycystic liver diagnosis could have been a death sentence.

It was a Baylor Regional Transplant Institute evaluation confirmed that she was in need of a liver transplant and when a match came available Verna was the recipient.

Those who know Verna, can attest to her life of service and involvement. The thought of her demise was not something many could rap their minds around. They were used to her in the classroom, attending church and church functions, and being involved throughout the community where she lived and with various organizations.

She was especially known for her involvement with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, where she also served as president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter, and Links Inc. -- both associations that she shares with her older sister, educator extraordinaire Thalia Matherson.

So many have benefited from this generous, compassionate and loving person, who believes in lifting as she climbs.

Additionally, Verna has never forgotten the person whose liver she received over two decades ago and today she is a strong voice encouraging more to become organ donors.

She also has nothing but praise for the Baylor Regional Transplant Institute’s program that began 32 years ago as one of this Country’s first transplant institutes.

What is especially noteworthy is Verna’s continued service. Many would understand and give her a pass if she decided to become inactive in many organizations.

Instead, she has probably taken on even more issues, causes and challenges.

She has been involved in or served on the boards of Children of Uganda, Universal Giving, The Links, Inc.-Trinity Chapter, Black Dallas Resources and African

American Museum of Dallas.She was also nominated by Texas State Representative Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) to serve on the Texas Education Agency’s State Textbook Panel.Verna was initiated into the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in 1965 at Huston-Tillotson College (University). She celebrates 50 years of service with other members this weekend.A wife, mother and grandmother, she is a faithful member of Friendship-West Baptist Church.

Verna could be the spokesperson for organ donation because she has definitely made good use of her blessing. She has been a good steward of the liver that presented her with a brighter future and she has used that blessing to be a blessing to others through her works.

According to the National Foundation for Transplants, here are some Facts About Organ Donation:

21 people die every day while waiting for a transplant.1 organ donor can save eight lives and change the lives of

more than 50 people.Almost anyone can be an organ donor, regardless of age or

medical history.All major religions in the U.S. support organ donation.Donors can still have open casket funerals, and organ

donation doesn't cost the donor's family any money.If a person is hospitalized, the medical staff provides the

best possible care, regardless of organ donor status. Donation is only considered after a patient has died.

Donors are needed for all races and ethnic groups. Transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background.

Signing the back of your license or a donor card is not enough. To officially register as an organ donor, go to www.transplants.org

Lady Verna Brown Mitchell

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CITY LOCAL TRUCK DRIVER

519 N. Cedar Ridge Dr., Suite #7 Duncanville, TX 75116www.mycrossroadtruck.com

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 RequirementsDriver’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: 214-475-3052Office 214-245-5157 or email us at

cr.trucking519@gmail.com

REGIONAL DRIVER

519 N. Cedar Ridge Dr., Suite #7 Duncanville, TX 75116www.mycrossroadtruck.com

Seeking Team Drivers (OTR). .42 cents per mile, 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 RequirementsDriver’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: 214-475-3052Office 214-245-5157 or email us at

cr.trucking519@gmail.com

TRUCKING

TRUCKING

JANUARY 29, 2016

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JANUARY 29, 2016

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux

MALVEAUX: This is the woman of the year

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It's riveting watching the ladies navigate normal life. If you live long enough you may deal

with similar stuff but for some reason the Atlanta ladies dealing style is uber interesting. Here's why:

Kenya Moore: Mama, please acknowledge me.Kenya's mom gave birth to her at a very young

age and planned to give her up for adoption. Kenya's father's family begged to raise her and that's Kenya's intro into the world. All of her life she's tried unsuccessfully to connect with her mother, and if you wonder why Kenya is the way she is, this explains it. She's felt rejected all of her life, so now she rejects others before they reject her. It was interesting and sad to watch her share with

Cynthia how much it hurts to continually get ignored and not acknowledged by her mom. In addition, Kenya's Aunt Lori, her mom's sister, feels caught in the middle of this family struggle. She explains to Kenya how she respects her sister's decision and chooses not to get in the middle of it. Instead, she tries to be that mother that Kenya so desperately craves. Kenya replies emotionally by saying, she needs her mother to at least acknowledge her. Her

aunt repeats that it will never happen. It's time to let that go. As one who is close to her parents, I can't relate and would not want to. But it does explain a lot about Kenya and I empathize with her. Speaking of mothers, what's up with Mama

Joyce?Kandi and Todd, dropped by a family get together,

and we got a chance to catch up with the old ladies gang. It was shocking and wonderful to see Mama Joyce hug Todd and love on her son-in-law. Of course, he was shocked but seemed to take it all in. This provided the groundwork for his big idea: a restaurant based on the recipes and image of the Old Lady Gang, includes, Mama Joyce and her sisters. Initially, everyone was not on board, but soon, they all smiled in anticipation. It's nice to see peace in the Kandi and Todd household, even if only for a week. Is Kim Fields a Fit?I really like Kim on the show, but with each new

episode, I'm having my doubts. She seems to hide behind the mom title. She's admittedly lost her own voice. Kim seemed annoyed by so many things in this episode, beginning with her congressional playdate. She doesn't do the nanny thing and we could see her struggling. I admire this in one respect, but also feel

it makes the episode lose the power of Kim's voice. I mean, mothers do go to work and leave their kids in childcare. I sensed Kim missed that memo or she's trying to avoid the scenes she hates by hiding behind the mommy role. The most frustrating thing was seeing her leave the Million Man March anniversary activities for something else. My prediction, she's in and out. Nene is back!  Cynthia Bailey seems to have her bestie back.

Nene decided to pop in and show us how much work she's done on her inner self. She seemed more mature as a person in a good way! I loved how Cynthia, was her normal nice self but also real and honest about still healing over the friendship collapse. I must admit, Nene brings a bad girl theme to the

show organically that's missing. I'm not talking about the fights; I'm talking about the realness. Kenya is currently feeling that spot, but no one does it like Nene!

Marquesa LaDawn is a professional businesswoman who escapes the pressures of living in New York City by retreating into the real world of reality TV. Follow her on twitter @realityshowgirl, Periscope and subscribe to her podcast at www.RealitytvGirl.com

Reel-ality TV Talk

Quit Playin’By Vincent L.

HallVincent L. Hall is an

JANUARY 29, 2016

Marquesa LaDawn is a professional businesswoman who escapes the pressures of living in New York City by retreating into the real world of reality TV.  Follow her on twitter @realityshowgirl, Periscope and subscribe to her podcast at www.RealitytvGirl.com

By Marquesa LaDawn - George Curry Media Columnist 

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By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.President, Rainbow

PUSH Coalition

via George Curry Media

 As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., memories of his last birthday flood my mind. He rose early and came to work. He was convening leaders from across regions and races - Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, faith leaders, lawyers, organizers. He hoped to enlist them in planning a "Poor People's Campaign," a march on Washington to demand jobs and justice. Dr. King's perspective was clear. The Civil Rights Movement had made g re a t p ro g re s s - e n d e d l e g a l segregation, gained the right to vote and demonstrated the humanity of those who were locked out. But those victories were limited in effect. Our communities were still divided on the ground.

The right to vote had to be exercised over continued obstacles. Poverty was robbing children of their potential, yet the Vietnam War abroad was consuming the attention and resources desperately needed at home. Our cities were ready to blow. America was still two nations, separate and unequal. It was time to come together. It was time to march again.

 Today, Dr. King would surely be of the same mind. Our cities have become traps for the impoverished, with guns and drugs coming in and jobs gong out. What were slums have since become abandoned zones, with public housing torn down and private housing foreclosed. The poor are ever more isolated. They struggle with only the harsh choices of poverty. Can they afford to get to where a job might be? Do they pay for the medicine they need or for food for their children? How can they keep their children safe when they have to work two jobs to keep a roof over their heads? They have no margin.

One thing goes wrong - a job lost, a car breaks down, a child gets in trouble, a mother gets sick - and what little stability they have managed to create is destroyed. White, Black, Brown -    no wonder drug and alcohol take a harsh toll amid these pressures. In his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama stated correctly that the United States has the most powerful military in the world, spending as much on it as the next eight nations combined.

Dr. King would not have thought this was something to brag about. Dr. King was suspicious of those who talked peace but budgeted for war. Poverty, he would argue, is a weapon of mass destruction that must be disarmed. He would surely have

warned that we have plans to rebuild countries across the world, but there is no plan to rebuild our own cities. House Speaker Paul Ryan convened Republicans to talk about poverty, but Republican governors (with some exceptions) still refuse to extend Medicaid to millions of working poor people that Washington would pay for. America leads the world in the number of its citizens it locks up. Dr. King would not have thought this something to brag about. Now, cost pressures are leading politicians to consider ending our obscene sentencing practices and reducing our prison population. Yet, there is no plan for re-entry of those who were locked up. Locking them up for nonviolent offenses was perverse. Releasing them without a plan for re-entry, a hope for a job, is equally perverse. Let us celebrate Dr. King by following his example. He called us to act, to make our voices known, to vote in large numbers. Violence is not the answer. Despair leads only to defeat. He called on us to stand up, to lead, to march, to demand change. We are judged, he reminded us, not by our rhetoric but by how we treat the least of these. Actions, not words, provide the measure.

  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

Michigan Poisons Poor to Save a Few Bucks  

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The Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists (formerly the Dallas-Fort Worth Assoc iat ion of Black Communicators) will present its annual Urban Journalism Workshop for high school and college students in 2016. This 12-week workshop is open to students in Dallas, Tarrant, Ellis, Collin and Denton counties. Students receive hands-on experience working with seasoned professionals who have gained a reputation loca l ly and na t iona l ly, a s we l l a s internationally. The program, which emulates one started by George Curry, Gerald Boyd and other members of the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists in St. Louis, has graduated students who have gone on to anchor newscasts, edit newspapers, open public relations firms and produce radio shows. Mr. Curry visits the Dallas workshop students annually to conduct his “basic training.” Mr. Boyd died of lung cancer in 2006. “We’re excited about continuing the tradition that was started almost 30 years ago,” said Eva Coleman, one of the instructors for the program. “I am looking forward to working with students this year.” Ms. Coleman, who teaches radio and television in Frisco ISD will be overseeing the radio and television segments of the workshop, pulling together experts in the field.

Previous speakers have included: Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, Senator Royce West, Star-Telegram editor and columnist Bob Ray Sanders, Dallas Morning News columnist Norma Adams Wade, Our Texas Publisher General Berry, PR gurus Lyria Howland and Rose Gafford, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Irwin Thompson, K104’s Sam Putney, 97.9’s Gary with the T, Dallas Examiner Publisher Mollie Belt, Producer Haile Gerima and Dallas Weekly Publisher James A. Washington. Ms. Smith, who has been with the program since its inception, took over the directorship in the mid 90s and continued through 2004. Ms. Smith returned to the program as director in 2007. At the conclusion of the workshop, the students will participate in a closing ceremony where they will present a newspaper, television and radio broad-casts, a website and a special project. For more information about the workshop, contact Ms. Smith at 214-941-0110.

Mail completed applications to:DFWABJ320 South R.L. Thornton Frwy #220A Dallas, TX 75203

Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black JournalistsURBAN JOURNALISM WORKSHOP APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED

JANUARY 29, 2016

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Dear Alma:

My wife is vicious with a capital V! We were married for 8 years and over that time had two sons. She did everything imaginable. She lied, stole, manipulated. Here’s a few examples. She stole money from her employer, lied to her family, said I was abusing her, had several affairs and called the police and tried to have me arrested under false pretenses. It was absolutely insane. Finally, she walked out on us and I raised my two boys alone. Both are fine young men, now 21 and 23. I never remarried. I just worked hard and devoted my time to my boys. Luckily, my sister and my mother helped out, and the boys are very well rounded. I can’t say that however about my ex. She continued her shenanigans and ended up in and out of jail. She just recently resurfaced and isn’t doing well. She has AIDS and is asking my son to help her. He just finished college and is barely making it on his own. He’s determined to help his Mom and, from what his brother tells me, is giving her $200 a month. You know that means he’s short every month and I’m having to replenish that $200 for him to make ends meet. That means I’m giving the woman who took me through hell money every month. I’m pissed. I don’t think I can take it much longer. I don’t want to alienate my son, but how do I let him know he is not in a position to help his mother and that he needs to back off and let this go?

S.J. Baltimore, Md.

Wow S.J., what a tough life-storm to sustain. I commend you on maneuvering through such difficulty

while keeping yourself and your sons safe. I’m sure it was heartbreaking and not what you expected when you said “I do.” God bless you Big Papa for stepping up and taking care of your boys. I’m happy to hear they have grown into fine young men, no doubt, fed by your love and the example you set. Yep, you did right. And that’s why your son is stepping up to help his mother. Don’t be mad at him. He has longed for his mother all these years. Wishing, hoping, praying she’d come back, at least trying to make up for all the strife and hurt she caused and maybe even wipe away a tear or two. But she didn’t do that. Or, at least that’s what we think. Just because he hasn’t shared any “restin’ on my heart” information with you, doesn’t mean she hasn’t expressed her sorrow and asked for forgiveness from him. And it doesn’t mean she didn’t love him or that he doesn’t – or shouldn’t – love her. You’d be surprised how illness and death shines a light on regret. Your son has had a tough time. You’ve always been there for him. Don’t stop now. If it isn’t a financial hardship for you, keep funneling the money. God is using you to bless your son and your ex-wife. I know it’s hard, but there’s so much more in store for you on the other side – and I don’t just mean in this difficult circumstance. Your son won’t have his mother long, but he’ll always have the memory of how his father, faced with the greatest of burdens, forgave the source of his troubles – and did so out of love for his son and his family. Let this one play out silently. Don’t think about your ex, support your son. He needed you then and he needs you now. Help him believe he’s done all he could for his mother. “In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free.”

Your son is calling, be the answer to his prayers.

Alma

Ask Alma By Alma Gillvia George Curry Media 

JANUARY 29, 2016

My wife is viciousLet’s make 2016 a better year by doing more than we did in 2015 to make this world a better place for ALL.

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JANUARY 29, 2016

The Economics of water

Blackonomics By James Clingmanvia George Curry Media       " W a t e r , w a t e r , everywhere, and not a drop to drink."-Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge I can hear the backroom discussion now: "We can save money if we stop taking our drinking water from Lake Huron and start using water from the Flint River instead."  Those may not be the exact words, but the leaders of Flint, Mich., including the two recent emergency managers, City Council, the EPA, and the governor, have caused a catastrophe. 

Money is the common theme among the perpetrators in Flint; it is always lurking in the shadows of the many problems facing Black and poor people.  Now, in a city that is nearly 60 percent Black and has a 40 percent-plus poverty rate, money trumps life again. Money trumps the long-term effects on more than 8,000 children, many of whom will grow up suffering from the physical, cognitive, and emotional illnesses caused by lead poisoning.  As one person said, "Everybody in the city has been poisoned, everybody."

Sophia A. McClennen wrote, on Salon.com, "The story of Flint is the story of what happens when profits are more important than people. What Michael Moore captured in his movie, "Roger and Me," was a clear prelude to what is happening [in Flint] today. First, Flint residents lost their jobs. Twenty-five years later they have lost their water and their health. There are ten dead...from Legionnaire's disease in Flint and

countless others with serious illnesses from contaminated water." 

Politicians are playing games with this emergency, and trying to garner votes from it.  Remember Rahm Emmanuel's quote?  "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."  Where is the "opportunity" in this crisis?  Was the slow response to this crisis really just an opportunity to get more money? 

This is far from being about what political party is in charge. Some folks are blaming the Republican governor and some are blaming the city council, on which the Democrats hold a 7-1 majority. But so what? The damage is done; the important question is: "Now what?"

Many people have marshalled their forces to assist the people of Flint, first, by bringing water.  The feds have granted a measly $5 million to help but President Obama, who went to nearby Detroit but did not go to Flint, denied the request by the governor to declare the situation a "major disaster," which under law applies to natural disasters and "certain other situations."  Isn't this a "certain other situation?" Isn't it just as important as getting water to Katrina victims and providing healthcare for Flint's citizens? 

It would be great to see our doctors, psychologists, attorneys, scientists, engineers, and technical personnel lend their talents to help, like we do in other countries. In light of this terrible situation, Flint is in need of all the services, assistance, contributions, and prayers that we can muster. By the way, so are the folks in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., where the citizens are suffering from all sorts of diseases and untimely deaths because of the still lingering effects of the BP oil spill.

The lawsuits will come and the money from the taxpayers' coffers will flow, money that could have been used to prevent the problem in the first place.

The long-term health ramifications of lead poisoning are irreversible but sometimes manageable if the funds to do so are available.  The state of Michigan, as it deals with myriad financial issues, will now have to pay billions for its neglect and lack of concern for poor people.

Beginning with Idlewild in 1912, Michigan has had issues with Black/W h i t e r e l a t i o n s h i p s , s o c i a l /environmental justice, and economic progress, which provides a context from which to view Michigan's current predicament, Detroit and its recent economic woes notwithstanding.

In Benton Harbor, with a 90 percent Black population, Edward Pinkney was imprisoned for fighting for social and economic justice, another example of money trumping what is right. The NAACP abandoned brother Pinkney and opted, by its silence and lack of advocacy on his behalf, chose the path of least resistance, and who knows what they received from the Whirlpool Corporation in return for their silence? Once again, as it has throughout the nation, the NAACP manipulated the local election to get rid of Pinkney as president. He went to prison and Whirlpool got an NAACP award. 

Three of the five great lakes - Michigan, Huron, and Erie -virtually surround Michigan. For folks in Flint to have to drink water from the Flint River in order to save money is reprehensible.  "Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink."    To all of you "civil rights" advocates:  What could be a greater "civil right" than having clean water to drink? 

 Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation's most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com. He is the author of    Black Dollars Matter: Teach Your Dollars How to Make More S e n s e , w h i c h i s a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h h i s w e b s i t e ; professionalpublishinghouse.com and Amazon Kindle eBooks.

 

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JANUARY 29, 2016

Obama Took 'Smarter' Approach By Lee A. DanielsGeorge Curry Media Columnist         With first light on January 16 came the stunning news: " I r a n r e l e a s e d Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian and three other detained Iranian Americans on Saturday in exchange for seven people imprisoned or charged in the United States," the Washington Post reported, "a swap l i n k e d t o t h e i m m i n e n t implementation of a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers." The article went on to say that Iran was also releasing a fifth American, a student detained in Tehran some months ago, separately from the exchange. The swap, according to an American official, was a "one-time arrangement because it was an opportunity to bring Americans home," should not be considered something that would "encourage this behavior in the future" by Iran, and that, while it was not directly related to the nuclear talks the U.S. and five other Western nations had successfully completed with Iran in July, the deal those ta lk s produced "g reat ly accelerated talks about the prisoners." U.S. officials emphasized that none of the Iranians held here were suspected of terrorist activities or violent crimes. Instead, they had been charged with or convicted of violating trade sanctions against Iran or exporting technology that could be used to enhance Iran's military capabilities.   That gripping news was soon accompanied by two other striking announcements. The first was word that 10 U.S. Navy sailors, who had been taken prisoner by Iranian military earlier in the week when their small, lightly-armored patrol boats had mistakenly sailed into Iranian waters,

had been released within a day of their capture.  The second, announced by President Obama himself, was that officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency had declared that Iran had met the requirements of the agreement reached with the U.S. and other

major world powers last July to limit its efforts to build a full-scale nuclear program. That resulted in the automatic lifting of sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the European Union and the U.S.  Republicans, who had bitterly opposed the deal, bellowed their Hollywood movies-derived macho-man fantasies of how they'd conduct foreign policy, and studiously avoided offering even a dollop of praise for the president, and his two foreign-policy chieftains, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and his predecessor, Hillary Clinton. No one with half a brain would think American and Iranian officials will soon be gathering 'round the campfire singing "Kumbaya." Obama made that clear the very next day when he announced that, even as the sanctions mentioned in the treaty have expired, other U.S. sanctions against Iran remain in force. Foreign policy and international trade experts said it would remain difficult for American c o m p a n i e s t o ove rc o m e " t h e complicated web of restrictions to doing business there."  But there's also no doubt the "Iranian crisis" that's been a significant feature of American foreign policy for four decades is now substantially less tense than it was. Now, both countries' interests are guarded by a powerful treaty and the pragmatic mutual interest in peace of both the U.S. and Iran - and a host of European and, less conspicuously, Middle Eastern nations.  In other words, one can describe the new arrangement in terms similar to those once used to define what came

to be the wary, three-cornered Cold War relationship between the U.S., the Soviet Union, and China: "peaceful co-existence."  So, now we have another administration achievement that stands in sharp contrast to all those predictions by pundits - and boasts by Republicans - after the 2010 midterm elections of a doomed Obama administration. And the similarly confident declarations after the 2014 midterm elections, when the GOP gained numerical control of the Congress, that the president was facing a gloomy, ineffectual "lame duck" end to his tenure in office. Perhaps we should retrospectively honor such predictions with the "silly goose" award.  There's no magic to President Obama's ability to see what was possible to achieve in reducing tensions with Iran and in other domestic and foreign policy matters and to get it done. Actually, he identified the fundamental ingredients of any president's ability to get things done in two brief passages in the State of the Union address he delivered just four days before the bombshell news about Iran.  First, in referencing past foreign-policy disasters in Vietnam and Iraq, he said American officials had to learn to take "a smarter approach, a patient and disciplined strategy that uses every element of our national power." And then, moments later, he stated that "American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world ... and rebui lding whatever society i s unraveling. Leadership means a wise application of military power and rallying the world behind causes that are right."    

 Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His essay, "Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Great Provocateur," appears in frica's Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent (2014), Race Forward: Facing America's Racial DivideA in 2014  published by Zed Books. His new collection of columns is available atwww.amazon.com

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By James A. Washington

Jamesjaws@dallasweekly.com

JANUARY 29, 2016

February 26New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church will host

its 11th Annual Raymond B. Spencer Scholarship banquet on February 26th 2016, at 7:00 p.m. at the

Fort Worth Hilton Hotel.  The Featured keynote speaker will be Dr. Rev Raphael G. Warnock, Ph.D., a civil rights leader and new generation trailblazer. Dr. Warnock is the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, the church home of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February 27JD Lawrence presents Martin, Malcolm and Me at the

Majestic Theatre. Call 888-929-7849 for ticketsMarch 2

DBCC Power Lunch!Bill J Priest Institute

1402 Corinth Street Dallas 752151-3pm

March 2, 2016 How to do a Business with DART

March 12MaDea’s on the Run - Two shows 3p.m. And 8p.m. At

the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Call 888-929-7849

2016 National Women’s History Month Program                             Women’s Education – Women’s

Empowerment March 19, 2016, 12:00 Noon

 Black Police Association of Greater Dallas,211 Centre St, Dallas, TX 75208 

Ticket Price:                $10.00 per Person

         ****************

                53rd Annual V. Alyce Foster Trailblazer Awards

LuncheonTheme:                   Lifting Others As We Climb"                                                Date:                       Saturday, April 16, 2016

  12:00 NoonHilton-Anatole Hotel, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway,

Dallas, TX 75207 Imperial Ballroom

Ticket Price:               $60.00 per Person

April 2

HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL 8 p.m. Majestic Theatre

The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center and AEG Live announced Herb Alpert and Lani Hall will

perform at the Majestic Theatre 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 Performing Arts Center 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.).

The Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) will celebrate the 9th annual Appetite for Advocacy

Luncheon featuring keynote speaker Brené Brown on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 12 p.m. at the Sheraton

Dallas Hotel, 400 N. Olive Street.  A VIP sponsor reception will be held following the luncheon in a private room at the Sheraton from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

The luncheon highlights the importance of education

Child Watch

By Marian Wright EdelmanP r e s i d e n t , C h i l d r e n ' s Defense Fund

via George Curry Media 

   "As we marched down the street, I felt inspired that our scholars pulled together with pride and courage fighting for what they know to be true. I saw big smiles filled with pride. I also felt angry because of the disregard for scholars but motivated by their willingness to fight." - Tyra Griffith, Urban Impact's CDF Freedom Schools® student-teacher Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. should sharply remind us that the Civil Rights Movement should never just be chapters in history books. I was so proud of high school students from Seattle, Wash. who learned how they could make a difference in the world around them.

They took lessons from the Civil Rights Movement's 1961 Freedom Rides when Blacks and Whites put their lives on the line to ride interstate buses into the segregated South.

This bold student-led nonviolent action inspired a student-led action in 2015 that turned into a victory for many low-income Seattle students who need to ride city buses to get to school. This is the power of learning history and learning from history - the truth can set us free.

Seattle students, many from Rainier Beach High School, took part in the 2015 Children's D e f e n s e F u n d F r e e d o m Schools® program at two sites sponsored by Urban Impact, a l o c a l c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d organization.

As part of a national day of social action, the students learned how they can use their voices to make policy change. Like the Freedom Riders, they realized they couldn't count on riding the bus to get where they needed to go - most of all, to school - because they couldn't afford it.

More than 80 percent of children at Rainier Beach High School qualify for free or reduced price lunch. The city only provided transportation for middle and high school students who lived more than two miles away from school, which disproportionately impacted students at Rainier Beach and other high poverty schools.

The hardships for students such as s o p h o m o r e M a r i a m B a y o dramatically illustrated the challenges. Mariam's family couldn't afford the $1.50 bus fare each way and her asthma made the nearly two-mile walk to school especially difficult. She often got chest pains while walking and didn't always have access to medicine. Often late for school, her grades suffered and by the end of her 9th grade year she was failing several classes.

Other students were concerned about w a l k i n g t h r o u g h u n s a f e neighborhoods, especially following after-school activities after dark. So for their day of social action, 130 students marched to City Hall where Mariam and others testified to city leaders about why more children needed transit passes to get to school.

The Seattle Transit Riders Union supported the children; one leader told the Seattle Times, "Fifteen dollars per week, or $54 for a monthly pass, is too much for low-income families to pay just to get their kids to school. For many low-income students, public transit means freedom."

Mariam became part of the Seattle School Distr ict-approved pi lot program at the start of the school year giving transit passes to 50 low-income students.

With the bus pass in hand, Mariam was getting to school on time and her grades soared to all As and Bs. She and other students shared the impact the transit passes had made in their lives at a Town Hall-style meeting they organized.

The City Council then approved the 2016 budget, including $1 million for bus passes for middle and high school students who are eligible for the federal free- or reduced-price lunch program and live one to two miles from their school.

Mariam says, "Freedom Schools was the most amazing th ing that happened to me ever."

Communities and children across the country need to believe they can stay on the march towards justice, just as Mariam Bayo is doing. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be proud of the Seattle students' actions to break down a barrier to children getting to school.

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

Seattle students learning from the past

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JANUARY 29, 2016

The Palins: 'Personal

Responsibility' Hypocrites

By George E. Curry

George Curry Media Columnist Since former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin erupted on the national scene

by telling everyone she could see Russia from her perch in Alaska, she has been lecturing everyone about accepting responsibility. For example, speaking to Tea Party supporters in Nashville in 2010, Palin said, "My plan is quite simple. To support those who support the foundation of our country when it comes to the economy. It is free-market principles that reward hard work and personal responsibility." As Professor Melissa Harris-Perry explained, the "language of personal responsibility is often a code language used against poor and minority communities." For sure, accepting "personal responsibility" is not a trait of the Palin family. Take the latest family drama in the news - the arrest of Track Palin on Jan. 18 in Wasila, Alaska for domestic violence.

According to formal complaints, the son of Sena to r John McCain ' s 2008 v ice presidential running mate was charged with 4th degree assault and misconduct involving weapons. According to the 3-page affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Jordan Loewe, Track Palin's girlfriend, stated he had physically attacked her and threatened to commit suicide with a firearm.

"Loewe stated the following: She and her boyfriend of one year, Track Palin, left a different residence together and were arguing the whole way home. Once they got to his home they argued in the car, then in the driveway. They were screaming and he was calling her names. "...Palin approached Loewe and struck her on the left side of her head near her eye with a closed fist. Loewe then got on the ground in a fetal position because she didn't know what else he would do. Palin then kicked Lowe on the right knee." The report also noted, "Sergeant Rader observed Loewe to have bruising and swelling around her left eye. She complained of pain to that area as well as to her right knee. He observed a small red area near her knee. The involved firearm, an unloaded AR-15 rifle was located on the kitchen counter." Rather than urging her 26-year-old son to accept personal responsibility for striking his girlfriend with his fist, Sarah Palin chose to blame President Obama, who was more than 4,200 miles away in the nation's capital. She said her son, an Army reservist who served in Iraq in 2008 under President George W. Bush, was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "My son like so many others, they come back a bit different, they come back hardened, they come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country.

And that starts from the top. It's a shame that our military personnel even have to wonder, if they have to question, if they're respected anymore. It starts from the top.

The question though that comes from our own president where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? Do you know what we're trying to do to secure America and to secure the freedoms that have been bequeathed us?" Democratic strategist Donna Brazile said to Anderson Cooper on CNN, "You have known me for a long time, so I'm just gonna say it: she's a liar. That's a damn lie."

Brazile said the Republican-controlled House cut more than $1.4 billion that Obama had proposed in a budget for veterans' services. "I care for all veterans - I am the daughter of a veteran," she explained. "And to go out there and to insinuate that the president of the United States is trying to hurt veterans when in fact he is trying to put more resources so that we can give our young and old veterans the care we need, that's just a damn lie. You can say Donna Brazile said it. I approve this message." Veteran groups also made similar comments. "It's not President Obama's fault that Sarah Palin's son has PTSD," said Paul Rieckhoff, head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). "PTSD is a very serious problem, a complicated mental health injury and I would be extremely reluctant to blame any one person in particular." Another Palin offspring, Bristol, has also proven to be a hypocrite. She earned nearly a million dollars for giving abstinence-only speeches yet had two children out of wedlock. After having her first child as an unwed teen, Bristol Palin became a vocal advocate for teen abstinence, earning $15,000-$30,000 per speech. She was 18 when she had her first child, shortly after her mother was selected to become John McCain's running mate. The family announced that Bristol would be marrying Levi Johnston, the baby's father, but the couple broke up before sharing wedding vows. Under circumstances strikingly similar to her first pregnancy, 25-year-old Bristol Palin announced last year that she was pregnant a second time after becoming engaged to Dakota Meyer, a Medal of Honor recipient. However, that relationship also ended and the couple never made it to the altar. Of course, the Palins are human like everyone else. But all we expect is that they accept responsibility for their actions - instead of pointing the fingers at everyone except themselves.

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January 30Nontombi Naomi Tutu the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, will speak at 1:00PM at The Black

Academy of Arts & Letters (TBAAL) 1309 Canton Street Dallas, Texas 75202 (Corner of Canton & Akard St). John McCaa WFAA-TV News Anchor will act as MC

Tickets $10 call 214-743-2400******

Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant - Updated Guidelines

The Garland City Council has approved updated guidelines to the Neighborhood Vitality Matching Grant (NVMG) program, which allows neighborhood groups to apply for matching funds to complete enhancement

or beautification projects on public property. Applications are due March 1, and are available online.

Learn more about the grant program at the NVMG workshop, scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan.

30. For more information, call 972-205-2451. ****

Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is celebrating the founding of the public service

organization with a financial expert, Carla A. Harris, as the keynote speaker.

Attendees at the public event will surely have finance questions for this Vice Chairman, Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley when she joins her sorority sisters for this year’s program, Saturday, January 30, 2016, 11:30a.m., at the Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel, 300 Reunion Blvd. Dallas.

February 1Black History Month Restaurant Row

Hosted by MOSAIC Celebrate Black History Month by showcasing your

business’ menu and offerings to over 3,000 Frito Lay employees. Black-Owned Restaurants and Food Businesses (Pepsi Pour preferred, others will be considered) When: Week of February 1st, 2016

Frito Lay North America Headquarters7701 Legacy Dr., Plano, TX 75024

If interested, please contact Courtney M. Cola Courtney.cola@pepsico.com for more information.

February 3DBCC Power Lunch!Bill J Priest Institute

1402 Corinth Street, Dallas 75215

1-3pmFebruary 3, 2016 Understanding Government

Contracting

*********

February 6Annual Sweetheart Dance

Dads, granddads, brothers and uncles are invited to watch their little princess shine at the annual

Sweetheart Dance on Saturday, Feb. 6, at The Atrium at the Granville Arts Center, 300 N. Fifth St. Cost is $16 per

person and will include dinner, dancing and a professional 5x7 photo. Registration is required and

may be completed in person at any Garland recreation centeror by calling 972-205-3991. Space is limited, so

register early! For more information, visit GarlandTx.gov. 

*********Artist Exhibition/Reception

Saturday, February 6, 2016 - 5PMFeaturing works of Johnathon Foster, Kirk Garnett,

ShaLana Mitchell, Kevin Owens & C-Ray RaysonIrving Arts Center - Main Gallery

3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TXAdmission: FREE

   ****

Straight Talk about the use of the “N-Word” with Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III at the Black Academy of Arts and

Letters.

February 6Know Your Status Dallas

10 a.m. – 2p.m. (Panel discussion with elected officials and local celebrities at 12p.m.)

Guest of Honor: Sheryl Lee RalphSouthwest Center Mall

3662 W. Camp Wisdom Road Dallas, TX 75237

February 7 South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s

ClubAnnual Founders' Day Observance    Focus: Celebrating 62 Years of Community Service

"Continuing The Legacy of Community Service,   Lifting Others As We Climb"

Time:                    3:00 -6:00 PM   DeSoto Civic Center,  211 E Pleasant Run Rd, DeSoto, TX                          

Bluebonnet Room  $25.00 per Person Honoree:  Linda Darden Lydia, Sojourner Truth Award  

February 10

Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, running February 10th - March 6th.  All evening performance for

this show will start at 7:30 at the Undermain Theatre

JANUARY 29, 2016

I MESSENGER PAGE23

I Messenger 320 South R.L. Thornton Freeway, Suite 220, Dallas, TX 75203 | 214-941-0110 | www.myimessenger.com

"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

JANUARY 29, 2016

February 12

February 13

AMOUD FOUNDATION ANNUAL FUNDRAISER at 6:30

PM 

February 14

12th Annual Dallas Blues Festival featuring Latimore,

Sir Charles Jones, Theodis Ealey, TK Soul, Shirley Brown,

Cupid, Bobby RushSun, Feb 14, 2016 - 6:00PM

Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie, TX 75050

February 17

DBCC Power Lunch!Bill J Priest Institute

1402 Corinth Street Dallas 752151-3pm

Understanding the RFP &RFB Process

February 20

UNCF Masked Ball at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Call 972-234-1007 for tickets.

February 21 

African-American History Program & ReceptionSunday, February 21, 2016 - 4PM 

Irving Arts Center - Dupree Theater3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX 

Admission:  FREE  

Come spend some time with your family and friends at the Irving Arts Center.  Irving Black Arts Council and the City of Irving will present our annual African-American

History Month family program.  This year's program will highlight "A Conversation with Robert Haynes", Curator of the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano, TX, Special

Guest Tuskegee Airman Homer Hogues and the 2016 U.S.P.S. Heritage Stamp HonoreeRichard Allen Unveiling

by Irving Postmaster Rodney Malone.

I MESSENGER PAGE24

The Collector, 1234 Main Street, Any Town, State ZIP | 123-456-7890 | www.apple.com/iwork

Come on PEOPLE! Don’t you CARE?

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

Also, if you want extra protection,

check out Street Safe at www.streetsafe.peopleguard.com

Join I Messenger in the call for justice.

Turn Pookie in today!