The staff at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, an internationally recognized model for homeless recovery here in Dallas, will be on the receiving end of services from Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality management and food services.
On Wednesday, January 25 from 1:30 to 3 pm, staff from Delaware North will provide and serve lunch to all Bridge staff and volunteers as a thank-you for all the work they do 24 hours a day to ensure the Bridge guests have access to basic needs, healthcare, income alternatives, and long-term housing services. Julio Flores, Vice President of Programs, of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association and TaQuon Buford, Head of Marketing, of the Regional Black Contractor Association, will also volunteer their services at the luncheon.
“Delaware North is committed to positively impacting the communities we live, work, and serve and we’re absolutely thrilled to partner with The Bridge,” said Sunshine White, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Travel Hospitality Services. “Investment and action are critical but more important to us are building valuable community partnerships and positively impacting the lives of team members, guests, and neighbors.”
Who:
The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center Staff and Volunteers, Delaware North Staff, Regional Black Contractors Association Volunteers, and Regional Hispanic Contractors Association Volunteers
What:
Delaware North will provide and serve lunch to all Bridge Staff and Volunteers for their work in providing services to the homeless.
When:
Wednesday, January 25, 1:30 – 3 pm
Where:
The Bridge
1818 Corsicana Street
Dallas, TX 75201
Photo and Interview Opportunities:
Dr. David Woody II, President & CEO of The Bridge
Sunshine White, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Travel Hospitality Services
Julio Flores, Vice President Programs, Regional Hispanic Contractors Association TaQuon Buford, Head of Marketing, Regional Black Contractor Association
Dallas is a city filled with strong and unique neighborhoods.
And one of them — this city’s vital urban core — is getting some much-deserved national attention.
A new study ranked Downtown Dallas as thenation’s best downtown living experience, saying that its “unique range of features and amenities” made it a great place “for urban life enthusiasts.”
The report went on to say that while Dallas is a “city that traditionally embraced sprawl as urban design, it’s been recently focused on adding density in an effort to increase housing options and foster walkability. This only increases downtown’s appeal for both locals and new residents, who can now enjoy a great mix of lively streets, culture and a reasonable cost of living.”
In short: Downtown is the epicenter of that Big Dallas Energy that is palpable in this city right now.
About 88,000 people live Downtown and in the adjacent neighborhoods (such as Uptown, the Cedars, and Deep Ellum). Downtown also hosts 135,000 workers. And it’s obvious to everyone that the city center has come a long way in recent years.
There’s even more great things on the way for this city’s urban core. Deep Ellum continues to diversify as a vibrant and dynamic neighborhood with new offices and retail options. The East Quarter continues to develop, and Harwood Park, which is under construction, will help connect it with the Farmers Market area. The new Goldman Sachs offices will provide a major boost to the Downtown Dallas economy. More housing is planned, including some apartments that will replace empty office space. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center redevelopment will activate part of Downtown that has been dormant for far too long.
And nearby, the Longhorn Ballroom’s restoration, which I helped facilitate by allocating $1.8 million for infrastructure, will help preserve this city’s storied music history while providing something new and exciting for Dallas residents.
Of course, there are still many issues to address that affect Downtown Dallas in the years ahead. This includes homelessness, public safety, and permitting. And taking on these challenges will require an even more relentless focus on problem-solving.
But as long as this city’s leaders push for accountability at City Hall, the present and the future of Downtown Dallas will remain extraordinarily bright.
A trip to Princeton
Last week included a quick trip to Princeton University, where I earned a master’s degree, to speak with students about politics, policymaking, and leadership.
It was a great experience, and a great way to talk about this administration’s successes and challenges with bright young minds who will, one day soon, help shape the world.
The return to campus also served as a great reminder of how far I have come with your support and a shared desire to make Dallas a better city for everyone. It has been a heck of a journey, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the people of Dallas.
So, all to say: thank you again for all your help putting Dallas first and building for the future of this great city.
Park of the Month
The Park of the Month for January 2023 is Eloise Lundy Park in Oak Cliff!
Eloise Lundy, just south of downtown, is a 3.3-acre park established in 1915. It features a recreation center, athletics fields, a playground, senior programs, and after-school programs.
That also brings up the ulterior motive for this month’s honor: It’s a great reason to share these new photos of kids with cookies that were won in a wager — the “Tiff’s Treats Throwdown” — that I made with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor over the Dallas Cowboys-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.
Even if the end of the Cowboys’ season left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths, this was a sweet deal for kids and first responders.
Hope that this brightened your day and that you have a great week. More updates soon.
A Loving Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Daughter, and Sister… Venerly Chanel Jackson-Ford was born on March 20, 1960, to the parentage of Melvin and Gloria Jackson. Venerly passed away on January 3, 2023, after a long battle with medical complications surrounded by many loving family members.
Venerly found the Lord at a very young age with membership at Peaceful Rest Baptist Church. At the age of about 12, she began membership with Community First Baptist Church, Pastor C.H. Gerald. She was an active member of the Youth Choir and BTU. And later began membership with Greater Community First Baptist Church, Dr. LaCedric Williams.
Venerly was a very involved, and proud graduate of the Class of 1978, South Oak Cliff High School (S.O.C.) Golden Bears. Fun little fact about Miss Venerly… her grade schoolteacher began calling her by the name Beverly, and Venerly never corrected her, and that is how the name Beverly came about.
Venerly was employed with National Semiconductor for 20 plus years as a Burn-In Operator, and she then became employed with Alcon up until her Medical Leave of Absence. She immediately lit up any room she entered and made an impact on so many people lives. She always wanted to make it known to everyone that she loved, loved, loved her Daddy. But make no mistake about it she truly loved her Mom as well. But yes, Venerly really and truly did love her family, and for that reason we would like for her homegoing to be a celebration of life. We will miss her greatly. Venerly leaves to cherish her mother and father, Melvin and Gloria Jackson; her one and only son, Melvin Dewon Jackson whom she loved so much that she’d joke and say… “she got it right the first time, so he was all she needed!”. Venerly also leaves to cherish her granddaughter, Jayni J. Jackson (Victor Bell) and a great granddaughter, Dakota J. Bell; three sisters, Glenda McCollan (Michael), Jackie Crayton (Vincent), and her baby sister Marilyn Greene (Issac); six nephews and six nieces, Shane, Derrick, John, Javius, Dedrick, and Vonte’, Vinecia, Akyra, Aerial, Meghan, Aaliyah and Allanah; twenty great nieces and nephews, and three great-great nieces and nephews, along with a host of other relatives and friends that loved her dearly. Venerly was preceded in death by her older sister, Debra Williams.
Linda Sue W. Pace was the sixth child born to George and Neille Wilson on May 24, 1947, in Paris, Texas. At an early age, her Christian foundation grew in abundance. Her family united with Allen Chapel Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. J.R. Allen. In later years, she then united with Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, under the leadership of Dr. Curtis W. Wallace. Linda was immersed in Sunday School, Mission One, and the C.W. Wallace Choir at her time of fellowship. Linda loved to sing!
In 1963, she united in holy matrimony to Richard G. Pace, Sr.
Linda was a retired Insurance Adjuster at Rodney D. Young Insurance. She had a passion for sports and loved cooking. She was known for her candied yams.
Linda departed this earthly life on January 14, 2023. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Teresa L. Pace, one sister and five brothers. Linda leaves to cherish her memories: her devoted husband, Reverend Richard G. Pace, Sr.; her son, Richard G. Pace, Jr.; three sisters, Patricia Watts, Edith Pace (Chester Pace), and Deborah Lewis (Henry Lewis); one brother, George Wilson, Jr. (Millie Wilson); special friend, May “Domino Lady” Reed; one granddaughter, four grandsons, nine great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and relatives that loved her dearly.
Block co-founded DC Shoes in 1994; the brand quickly became known for its skateboarding and snowboarding gear. He began his career as a rally driver in 2005, first with the Vermont SportsCar Team and later founding the Monster World Rally Team. Block founded the apparel brand Hoonigan Industries and renamed his team the Hoonigan Racing Division. Block competed in the X Games for years, as well as at several Rallycross Championship events. He was widely known for his gymkhana videos on YouTube, showcasing his drifting skills while driving obstacle courses set up in locations including the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Block appeared on episodes of “Top Gear” and “Stunt Junkies” and was featured in video games including the “Dirt” series and “Need for Speed.”
Notable quote
“At the end of the day, I race cars because I genuinely love to do it. And we turn that into entertainment, and entertaining people that are fans of all this sort of content, so that can range from a simple Instagram post to a 20-minute video on YouTube.” —from a 2020 interview for Racer
A growing number of Black doctors are using social media to reach vaccine-wary members of their communities. Dr. Kristamarie Collman, a family medicine physician in Orlando, is one of them.
A TikTok sensation, Dr. Collman has reached more than 500,000 people with trendy videos, in which she pokes holes in common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I felt as though it was my responsibility as a physician to make sure that I was spreading correct information, especially on social media,” Dr. Collman said in a recent interview. “I want people to know that as a Black woman, as a Black physician, that I hear them, and I understand their hesitancy. I understand their concerns.”
Black Americans are more likely than whites to report poor interactions with their physicians.
These personal experiences — rather than wrongs of the past — tend to heighten their distrust of the health care system and lead to skepticism about COVID vaccines.
One in 275 Black Americans have died of COVID. Compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., Black Americans have been contracting COVID, becoming severely ill, and dying at a higher rate.
“We can’t control a lot of things, but we can control our decision to get the vaccine,” Dr. Collman said.
Her commitment to trusted, science-based information on COVID vaccines has landed her in Bustle, NBC, Popsugar, NPR, and Women’s Health Magazine.
Dr. Collman also has a blog called “The Glow Up” and wrote a book titled, “Glow Up Your Life: The Rx for Looking and Feeling Good from the Inside Out.”
Health care heroes like Dr. Collman and others are helping to bridge the gap for Black communities nationwide.
Updated COVID vaccines are currently free and widely available. To find a vaccine location, visit vaccines.gov. For more information about Dr. Collman, follow her on TikTok @rkristamarie or visit her website at drkristamariecollman.com.
Paula Penebaker is a writer at CMRignite, a strategic marketing agency and a partner of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services We Can Do This COVID-19 public education campaign.
Nationwide — Chuck Starks’ revised version of Get Rich While Black… Without Being an Athlete, Entertainer or Drug Dealer gives Black Americans the real reason they are poor in America (net worth almost 90% less than whites) and how to overcome racism and become financially successful. Starks says that there is no other book that directly confronts institutionalized racism in virtually all areas of Black life in America.
This prosperity provoking publication outlines ways for Black Americans to become financially successful and maybe millionaires without the almost impossible task of being a professional athlete or entertainer.
Starks comments, “Unfortunately, some Black people feel that they can only become rich by selling drugs or committing other crimes, and we know how that story ends; prison, premature death, or both.”
Get Rich While Black… (REVISED) gives Black Americans a proven plan to get and maintain generational wealth, without literally killing themselves working 2 or more jobs or attempting the almost impossible task of becoming a professional athlete or entertainer.
“Even if you are a successful athlete or entertainer, this book will help you maintain wealth since over 65% of all professional athletes and even more entertainers are broke within 5 years of retirement,” he adds.
This strategy will work for anyone, whether you are self-employed, work for the government, are a teacher, police officer, lawyer, doctor, carpenter, plumber, barber, janitor, electrician, auto repair person, or secretary. If you have an income, you can become financially successful.
Since white Americans own or manage between 80 and 85% of all businesses in America, they can dictate the success or failure of Black people. And whites, have relegated Black people to the lower rungs of the economic ladder.
Topics in the book include Reparations to Black Americans, New NCAA Ruling that Allows Black Student Athletes to Get Paid, Education and Black American Prosperity, Age Comparison of Black Millionaires, Chances of Becoming a Black Millionaire, Other Races Prospering in America, White Supremacy and White Dominance, Rich Black Men Marrying White Women, Black Student Loan Debt, Black Business Success/Failure, The Real “BIG LIE” in America, and of course, “How to Get Rich While Black…”
Starks comments, “Now Black Americans have a viable proven way of becoming wealthy/millionaires without worrying about debilitating racism getting in the way. White people or any people cannot stop you from becoming rich.” His book can be purchased at all major book retailers including Amazon, Goodreads, Walmart, and others.
About Chuck Starks is a Black American raised in Rio Linda, a rural area outside of Sacramento, California. He was in the technology business for over 30 years and started investing in income-producing real estate and currently has a net worth of over $2 million. Chuck is married and has 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren (two boys and a girl).
For press inquiries, contact saclandco@aol.com or (916) 206-2485
With Black History Month just around the corner, there’s no better time to start planning some things to do in honor of this special month. And luckily for us ATLiens, there’s a museum in Atlanta where Black History Month is every month, continuously striving to elevate and tell Black stories, as well as nuggets of history told from a Black perspective.
It’s epic legacy as the oldest Black History Museum located in the city of Atlanta, founded back in 1978. Rightfully nestled next to our historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood, the Black and Civil Rights epicenter here in Atlanta, explore several exhibits dedicated to telling the rich and often untold story of people of the African Diaspora.
The name APEX is an acronym for African American Panoramic Experience, so expect to learn and discover about African and African American culture.
One of their unmissable permanent exhibitions includes Women In Stem, featuring inspiring stories from the many African American women working in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or learn more about the street the museum is located on at their Sweet Auburn: Street of Pride exhibit, with the lengthy vein of Downtown declared the richest Black street in America back in the fifties.
The APEX Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 3pm, being closed every Sunday, Monday, and major holiday. Admission for adults costs $12 with the reduced rate of $8 for students, seniors, and military. Children under four are free to enter. You can find the museum at 135 Auburn Ave NE, 30303. For more information on this unmissable museum, click here to visit their website.
Visiting the APEX Musuem is one of the many ways you can celebrate and honor Black History Month in the ATL. Check out our round-up of Black-owned businesses for more inspiration for this February, and beyond. Click here for the full round-up, or the link below.
Morehouse College senior Miles Johnson and Spelman College junior Zoria McClerklin will host the NBA X HBCU Stream of the Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans game at 7 PM CT on Jan. 18.
Lately, Johnson has been visible on the recent NBA MLK Day broadcast between the Atlanta Hawks’ 121-113 victory over the Miami Heat. He was the young sideline reporter interviewing head coach Nate McMillan and shadowing longtime TNT reporter Chris Haynes.
Miles, Morehouse’s Maroon Tiger editor, expressed his gratitude for hosting tonight’s event. “This is actually my third time being a part of the NBA X HBCU Stream,” Johnson said. “It’s an honor now to lead the broadcast and do it with my Spelman sister Zoria McClerklin.”
Johnson told me the NBA producers and director allowed himself and McClerklin to have total input on the broadcast’s content and production. “We are doing it via software similar to Zoom to allow us to broadcast the game. We have a pre-soundcheck in a couple of hours, then we’ll be online.”
In recent years, the National Basketball Association has given aspiring reporters and writers from HBCUs the necessary visibility during games. Miles credited former Morehouse College graduate Corey Guy for adding him to his first NBA X HBCU streaming broadcasts. Guy was the first Sekou Smith Memorial Intern developed after the passing of the former Turner Sports NBA writer and HBCU alum, Sekou Smith.
Johnson credited his professors, Reggie Miller, Chris Haynes, and his fellow Morehouse brother Keion Grissom for the “opportunity and the hope for it to become an annual event.”
Kudos to the NBA for allowing HBCU students like McClerkin and Miles to receive exposure and allowing them to prove their talents in covering professional basketball. It’s an invaluable and inspiring lesson for future HBCU sports journalists.
Uptick in killings of Black youth leaves many seeking justice
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Across the country, Black youth are being shot and killed for little or no reason. Boys and young men are disproportionately the victims, but girls and young women are not exempt from these tragedies. Karon Blake, 13, was shot in D.C. by a homeowner for allegedly tampering with cars. Five teens were shot at a Baltimore shopping center, a 16-year-old died. Families are in pain and communities are outraged. A 15-year-old girl was recently shot in Jackson, Mississippi. What must be done to save Black youth, keep them safe, and guide them to a better future?
“Community members must examine where they live,” Andrew Muhammad, executive director of We Our Us, told The Final Call. “If I live in a community, like Baltimore’s McCullough Homes, it has about 300 residents and is a housing project. If that’s my community, I know it has drugs, guns, prostitution, crime, violence, and poverty. But if I’m in that community as a conscious man or woman that cares about my community and my people, the first thing I have to do is make sure my house is in order,” said Mr. Muhammad.
Photo: Envato.com
“My household becomes an example for my community,” he continued. “They have something they can see, something they can aspire to. They can see another reality for their family. The second thing is for me to organize the responsible people in that community.”
D.C.’s Brookland community is suffering from the death of 13-year-old Karon Blake. The unarmed teen was shot by a man who came out of his home before 4:00 a.m. after hearing noises. The unidentified Black man, a D.C. government employee, claimed to have seen Karon and possibly others breaking into vehicles.
The police explained that after the man left his home to investigate, “there was an interaction between a juvenile male and the male resident” and the man fired his legally registered firearm, striking Karon. The shooter also has a concealed-carry license. There is no evidence Karon was armed.
“It’s a horrible situation,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a news conference. “We have a 13 year old that died, and we don’t have all of the facts. And the people who are responsible for gathering the facts and making charging decisions are doing it just as fast as possible.”
She explained that the man who shot Karon is on administrative leave, which is standard whenever a city employee is accused or criminally charged.
The fact that the police are withholding the shooter’s name has added insult to injury to this community. More than 200 people recently filled Turkey Thicket Recreation Center for a community town hall about the shooting organized by Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker.
“No car or material possession is worth a life—under any circumstances,” Mr. Parker said in a statement. “I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon’s life.”
Residents demanded details of the shooting at the town hall. Their anger erupted often and drowned out Assistant Police Chief Morgan Kane who came to answer questions. Karon’s grandfather, Sean Long, 55, told Chief Kane and the crowd that if the victim had been White, the shooter would have been arrested by now.
Flowers secured to a pole as a memorial to Karon Blake, 13, on the corner of Quincy Street NE and Michigan Avenue NE in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C. on Jan. 10. The note reads, “Karon we will love and miss you dearly.” Karon Blake was shot and killed on the 1000 block of Quincy Street NE early morning Jan. 7. / Photo Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
“I didn’t know you could get a gun permit and shoot somebody for messing with a car,” Mr. Long said. He pleaded with the audience to stop the shootings and violence.
“Give us justice. Give us any justice,” he said. “Do your job, let the jury deal with him. Because if they don’t, you are all my witnesses, people are going to be at war on the street.”
The audience seemed dissatisfied with everything Assistant Chief Kane said. The more she spoke the louder they got. Several speakers said in the absence of revealing the name of the shooter, there was nothing that could be said to pacify the audience. “MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) has failed us again,” said Kwasi Seitu, a former advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 8.
This death has organized the community to seek justice for Karon.
“Why were cars more valuable than a life,” wondered retired Brookland resident Marion Harrison. She told The Final Call, “Other youth can do simple, crazy things and just get a punishment. They can steal cars and get a warning, get drunk, act out and the police will drive them home to their family. Why are Black youth dealt with so harshly? Black teens are seen as predators even by our own people. Why do people feel they can shoot first and ask questions later?
“Things need to change and change fast,” she continued. “Black lives must matter more than property, regardless of what they are alleged to be doing. Diminish the unreasonable fear of Black youth. Gun owners must stop being judge and jury.”
The fatal shooting of Karon Blake, a Brookland Middle School student occurred Jan. 7 right on the heels of protests in Columbus, Ohio, in early January about the fatal shooting of another 13-year-old Black boy, Sinzae Reed. Sinzae was shot and killed in October 2022 by a White man, who has yet to be charged with a crime.
The increase in firearm-related fatalities among U.S. youth has taken a disproportionate toll in the Black community, which accounted for 47 percent of gun deaths among children and teens in 2020 despite representing 15 percent of that age group overall, according to new analysis, reported Reuters in an article published in December 2022. Reuters referenced a report from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) about the disturbing reality facing the Black community.
Assistant Police Chief Morgan Kane, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker and Karon Blake’s grandfather, Sean Long, at a recent town hall community meeting. / Photo Credit: Nisa Islam Muhammad
From 2013 to 2020, firearm-related deaths rose by 108.3 percent among Black youth and by 47.8 percent for young Whites, with the largest increase occurring between 2019 and 2020, the report found, according to Reuters.
In the U.S., generations of young Black males, ages 15 to 24 years, are prematurely dying from homicide and suicide, noted a 2020 Journal of Black Studies published by SAGE.
Ages 15 to 24 years are the intersecting developmental stages of adolescence and young adulthood when premature death should not be expected, the study points out. “The trauma and ceased procreation prospects stemming from Black males’ premature deaths represent a public health crisis in America. Heightened public health approaches are needed to bring attention to a young racial-gender group that is dying five to six decades prior to their life expectancy,” the study notes. “The mass suicide-homicide killings, premature deaths, and death disparities among young Black males, ages 15 to 24, in the United States is not a paranoid propaganda. It is undeniably a disturbing public health crisis that requires an urgent national response to reverse and ultimately eradicate the premature death of young Black males.”
Fall of America
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam, pleaded with the Black community to make a change for the better or suffer the consequences in His powerful book, “The Fall of America.”
“We have come to the brink of extinction,” He wrote on page 2. “We must now and here make an agonizing reappraisal of our way of life if we care anything for ourselves, our lives, our people, our race, the future of our properties, wives and children,” wrote the Messenger.
“Justice is a common thing. Yet, it is elusive. Men have sought its meaning and substance since time began. Plato shrugged that justice was nothing more than the wish of the strongest members of society. Jesus equated justice with brotherhood. Shakespeare saw it as a matter of mercy. I am here to tell you that justice is the eventual working out of the will of God as indicated in the fundamental principles of truth. Justice is the antithesis of wrong, the weapon God will use to bring judgment upon the world, the purpose and consummation of His coming.”
He continued: “Although we are the chosen of God, when it comes to justice, the so-called American Negroes are the most deprived people on the planet earth. Had justice prevailed, there would be no need for a day of judgment to come today, to plead, not to the unjust judges of the world, but to the just judge to give the Black man of America justice. That just judge is Allah, God. We have come to the end of the days of the unjust judges. Even though it may offend some, you must know the truth of it all.”
In “A Torchlight for America,” the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, clearly details what can happen “without a new state of mind in America.”
“Anarchy may await America due to the daily injustices suffered by the people,” he wrote on page 41. “There really can be no peace without justice. There can be no justice without truth. And there can be no truth, unless someone rises up to tell you the truth.
“The Nation of Islam can be of assistance. We desire to reason with the political and economic leadership, with the hope of formulating a cooperative effort for the benefit of us all. We want a new relationship in which we can work together for the good of the whole.”
—Rashida R. Muhammad and Final Call staff contributed to this report.
