Navigating Truth & Fiction: A World Press Freedom Day Event was held Friday at St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, and sponsored by PEN Dallas/Fort Worth.
In a program that featured State Rep. Rhetta Bowers, journalists and community. leaders discussed how disinformation particularly impacts the Black community in the Dallas area, how the Black press can be a reliable local resource, and strategies for self-empowerment as a trusted messenger in your community.
Panelists were:
Cheryl Smith, an award-winning journalist with more than 40 years in the industry, is the publisher of I Messenger News Group, which includes Texas Metro News, Garland Journal, and I Messenger. Smith also hosts Cheryl’s World on Blog Talk Radio, is the treasurer of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and is a Society of Professional Journalists – FW board member. A past secretary of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Smith is a graduate and Distinguished Alumni of the Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, a Golden Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and a 2022 inductee into the NABJ Hall of Fame.
Patrick Washington is the second-generation Black Press Legacy publisher of The Dallas Weekly. In 2019, Patrick was given the responsibility of the Dallas Weekly and began the digital renovation and expansion of the company into a News Media Brand focusing on African American experiences and life. He was also recently elected second vice chair of Word in Black. After working alongside his wife, Jessica Washington, Patrick promoted her to CEO, and together, they have pushed The Dallas Weekly to its current influential and impactful position.
Shawana O. Carter is the Community Ambassador for Dallas Documenters, powered by the Dallas Free Press, a nonprofit newsroom focused on the South Dallas and West Dallas neighborhoods. Dallas Documenters trains and pays residents of these neighborhoods and others to attend and annotate government meetings, providing Dallas residents easy access to the civic information they need to actualize changes they wish to see in their communities. Shawana’s 11 years of work in Dallas as the Founder and Chief Hope Dealer of Carter’s House, which clothes and provides school uniforms for low-income children and parents, has made her a trusted community builder and connector. She uses these skills in her Dallas Free Press role to build community within the Dallas Documenters and to turn the knowledge, relationships, and capacity of these local residents into a powerful community information resource.
Henry Hicks IV was the program moderator. The Washington, D.C.-based writer and organizer, prior to joining PEN America, was organized with Relentless to build relational-first programs for Democratic and progressive campaigns; with the Kamala Harris For the People presidential campaign; and with Tennessee-based racial justice and voting rights nonprofit, The Equity Alliance. Additionally, Henry has spent time in the offices of former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), as well as at AmeriCorps HQ, where he supported the mission of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Henry is a graduate of Oberlin College, is a 2020 Harry S. Truman Scholar, and was most recently a finalist for the 2023 Rhodes Scholarship.
In his spare time, he works as a freelance writer and reporter.
